Chapter 221: Shamelessness Knows No Bounds
Jiraiya was somewhat confused and instinctively turned his gaze toward Shikaku Nara beside him.
But to his surprise, Shikaku Nara kept his eyes lowered, staring at his own knees, showing no intention of responding to his gaze.
When he turned to look at the other jonin, he discovered all the clan jonin were currently playing dead—heads bowed, not saying a word.
Jiraiya immediately sucked in a sharp breath.
Though he was relatively naive in political matters, he wasn't an idiot. Seeing such abnormal behavior, he immediately had his suspicions.
It seemed those who wanted to cause trouble weren't necessarily the daimyo's side—it might very well be this group behind him.
In an instant, the words Shikaku Nara had told him before resurfaced in his mind.
"Lord Jiraiya, regarding your attitude toward the shinobi clans, it's best to balance severity with leniency."
"At appropriate times, you should show more tolerance toward the clans and give them some benefits. Only then can you better command them."
"If Lord Jiraiya continues being so unyieldingly harsh, I fear the clans won't be satisfied!"
"Though they lack the courage to rebel, they certainly have the ability to undermine you from the shadows."
"There's a saying: 'Insufficient for success but more than sufficient for failure'—that describes these endlessly greedy clans perfectly."
"For their clans' petty interests, they'll truly do anything."
"If all the clans oppose you, even the Nara family can't continue standing on Lord Hokage's side!"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, anger rising in his heart.
Of course he knew that during this period, he'd squeezed these clans rather harshly. But in the long run, once Konoha Village recovered its prosperity, the money these families lost could definitely be earned back quickly!
Right now the village was completely sick and weak. Could they really be content staying impoverished forever? The longer they dragged this out, wouldn't their clans' losses only grow larger?
Everything he'd done wasn't for himself—it was all from public-spirited motives, and the effects were very obvious. The village had already begun recovering vitality.
Why couldn't these people show some understanding?
Inexplicably, he suddenly remembered something Uchiha Yasushi had once said.
"This isn't a fairy tale world. Wanting people to understand each other and show mutual consideration—that's fundamentally impossible!"
No, no, no—why am I thinking like this!
Jiraiya vigorously shook his head, completely expelling those thoughts from his mind, then spoke loudly:
"Though saying this about my deceased teacher isn't appropriate, I still must say it."
"Teacher Hiruzen was addled by age to agree to such absurd conditions!"
"I don't care what Teacher Hiruzen promised the daimyo, but this Hokage position was earned with countless blood and lives by the First, Second, and numerous village shinobi. It absolutely cannot be abolished!"
"What? You're planning to go back on your word?" Lord Sora Tani immediately grew furious. "This was personally promised by the Third Hokage!"
"Are you trying to damage the Third Hokage's posthumous reputation?"
"He's already dead..." Jiraiya looked completely indifferent, using his pinky to clean his ear, blowing on it in front of them. "Anyway, he already signed those traitorous treaties. He lost any heroic reputation long ago."
"The dead shouldn't keep causing trouble for the living."
"Abolishing the Hokage position and such—I absolutely won't acknowledge it."
"Right now I'm the Hokage. Here, I call the shots!"
"What..." This outburst immediately threw the room into chaos.
In everyone's impression, all previous Hokage had been rather serious and proper.
The late Third and Fourth—regardless of their previous personalities, once they sat in that position, they'd all begun constantly minding their demeanor. Their words and actions became extremely dignified and solemn, befitting a Hokage's bearing.
Even this "Perverted Sage" before them had done plenty of ridiculous things before taking office. But ever since receiving the Hokage position from the Third, he hadn't done a single outrageous thing. He'd become steady and reliable. Anyone who met him praised him as a reformed prodigal.
Yet now, he'd actually reverted to that shameless attitude from years past. His whole person sprawled there, acting like a complete scoundrel.
Everyone suddenly realized that facing Jiraiya like this, they had absolutely no recourse.
Indeed, shamelessness knows no bounds. When Lord Hokage acted like a scoundrel, even the daimyo had no solution.
"You... you..." Lord Sora Tani's face turned red with fury—even his face powder couldn't hide it.
He waved the folding fan in his hand, pointing at Jiraiya for a long time before finally thinking of the key point.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi used this condition to make an exchange with the daimyo—to obtain material support from the daimyo and nobles for Konoha Village."
"If you don't pledge loyalty to the daimyo, then all those resources the daimyo promised will be gone!"
"What? Material support?"
Jiraiya shot upright with a "whoosh," his eyes blazing as he stared at Lord Sora Tani, scaring the man so badly he plopped down on the ground, shouting with false bravado:
"What do you want?"
"I'm the daimyo's messenger!"
Jiraiya ignored him, instead turning to face the clan members behind him, speaking gravely:
"I know my recent policies have made many clans dissatisfied, but for Konoha Village's current situation, this must be done!"
"Whether you're willing or not, you must follow my commands and share your benefits with the common people at the bottom!"
He pointed at Lord Sora Tani, who was still trembling, speaking bluntly:
"I know what you were scheming by bringing this fellow here."
"But I don't care about any of that."
"If possible, I wouldn't care about being Hokage at all. Traveling and gathering material throughout the shinobi world is the life I love most."
"But right now—that's impossible!"
"Through this period of administrative work, I've become very certain of one thing: without a strong Hokage to restrain you, you lot would definitely lead Konoha Village toward destruction!"
"I will definitely obtain the material support from the daimyo and nobles. This Hokage position, I absolutely refuse to relinquish."
"If the daimyo truly objects, then have him come speak with me personally if you've got the guts!"
Now everyone's eyes widened in complete shock, never imagining Jiraiya would dare be so defiant.
Of course they knew what scheme Hiruzen Sarutobi had planned, and knew that Jiraiya knew the truth. But they didn't care.
They were using this method to protest to Jiraiya, to let him know that the clans weren't soft persimmons to be kneaded at will—they couldn't retreat limitlessly.
In their thinking, facing the daimyo's messenger, no matter how unwilling Jiraiya was, he couldn't find a reason to refuse.