Chapter 364: Hiruzen Sarutobi (Danzo): Compensation? I'll Compensate Your Ass!
The Evil God that had ravaged the Shinobi World was finally slain.
Countless civilians rejoiced, cheering as the heroic players from other worlds began to depart.
Half a day later,
Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Navy and the leaders of the Four Great Ninja Villages convened in the Principality of Bellmare.
They spent reward points to temporarily rent a secret meeting room in a game town.
Towering in stature and wearing his signature "Justice" cloak, Sengoku began with small talk.
"Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi, it's fortunate to see you again. It seems your life-preserving techniques are truly formidable."
No one had expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to survive the Evil God's final blast.
Not only was he intact, but he appeared unscathed.
Among Navy Headquarters' players, the range of abilities was vast. Though [Onmyōji] was rare, it wasn't unheard of.
But none had ever heard of such potent defensive or regenerative power.
Still, no one from the Navy cared to investigate further.
The matter at hand was collecting payment.
The Navy's rescue force had suffered nine hundred casualties.
Without sufficient compensation, not even Sengoku could explain it to his men.
With a soft smile, Mei Terumī spoke.
"Lord Hokage, the remaining loot—Kirigakure should be entitled to fifty thousand reward points, correct?"
That had been Hiruzen's original promise.
In addition to a one-million-point payment, the factions were also entitled to split the loot.
Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and the Navy all had similar agreements.
These immense payments were the only reason they had agreed to help at all.
Otherwise, most of them would've been happy to watch Konoha burn.
"That's correct, Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Sengoku paused and added,
"Though the battlefield was chaotic, I personally saw a Konoha player pick up a drop from the Evil God at the moment of its death—
a [Abyssal Gem (Poison)]. The Navy requests only this item."
The [Abyssal Gem (Poison)], silver-grade,
could be socketed into weapons or gear to increase poison damage by 10%.
Perfectly suited for Navy Admiral Smoker, the Poison Dragon.
Silver-grade gems were rare,
and Evil God-level Dark Gold bosses were among the few that dropped them in quantity.
Its market price hovered around 400,000 reward points—
so the Navy wasn't exactly profiting.
It was a fair deal.
Kazekage Rasa couldn't help smirking, though he disguised it with a cough.
"Kazekage has no need for loot. Just transfer 500,000 points directly to Sunagakure."
Though the drops like [Gems], [Reinforcement Carbon], and [Forging Essence] were precious…
What Sunagakure really lacked was reward points.
The village was impoverished. Its foundation was weak.
The entire Sand Village operated at Level 7.
Even Rasa himself had been reduced to a glorified gold miner.
Every day, he and his ninja dug in the desert for gold to exchange for reward points.
Even that yielded meager results.
Lately,
Temari had gotten lucky—completing a hidden mission and receiving a pouch of [Mystic Seeds].
They had cultivated a plant that thrived in the desert and produced [Blood Butterfly Nectar], a valuable magical product.
So now, Sunagakure's only obstacle was seed capital.
If they could mass-produce that nectar, their reward point income would be endless.
Thinking about it,
Rasa's panda-eyed expression turned nostalgic.
They were finally about to escape the gold miner's curse.
"Iwagakure requests ten [Superior Forging Essences]. We'll compensate the remaining difference to Konoha."
Floating in mid-air, the short old man Ōnoki stated his request plainly.
He had no choice.
[Forging] enhanced magic and physical defense.
[Reinforcement] increased attack.
With his [Artillery General] ability, Ōnoki didn't lack damage—he lacked defense.
Forging was the fastest way to improve that.
But each use of the town's forge required massive points and local monster contribution currency—
and the success rate was laughably low.
So far,
he had burned 700,000 points and barely upgraded his weapon to +10.
His armor and accessories remained at pitiful levels.
He was on the verge of developing anxiety.
[Superior Forging Essence] boosted the success rate dramatically.
He needed it desperately.
"Kumogakure wants five [Lesser Abyssal Gems (Physical)].
They're purple-grade, not silver, so they're easier to obtain. Same value, no markup—we're not trying to fleece Konoha."
Raikage A was blunt and hated games of words.
Most of Kumogakure's players were melee-focused.
The Evil God's [Abyssal Gems] came with fixed [Abyss Resistance +50],
perfect for frontline fighters.
Just like the [Sky Gems] from Sky Fortress bosses, which always carried [Magic Attack], best suited for mages.
So even though the silver gem was rarer,
they'd rather take five purple ones that better fit their team.
After everyone stated their terms, all eyes turned to the Hokage.
They had no choice.
Konoha had been the one attacked. Most of the players at the scene were from the Konoha family.
And the player who landed the killing blow on the Evil God… was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Therefore,
Konoha had the lion's share of the kill contribution.
And thanks to superior numbers,
they also picked up most of the drops when the Evil God fell like a meteor.
The rescue forces had walked away with scraps.
Tap.
Still wearing Hiruzen's face but now possessed by Danzo,
the man in question gently removed his Hokage hat and set it on the table. It landed with a crisp sound.
After hearing everyone's demands, he looked coldly at the group.
"The rescue force has been paid in full.
As Hokage, I've never defaulted on a deal with the Reincarnation Game."
"But the rest of these… gems? Essences?"
Danzo's hand still rested on the hat.
Calmly, he said,
"Did I promise any of that?"
Silence.
The room was so quiet, a pin could drop.
Raikage A's face turned stormy.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, are you trying to back out of a deal?"
Mei Terumī and the others also looked unsettled.
They hadn't expected this.
The Hokage of Konoha—renowned across worlds—was going to renege on his own promises?
Sengoku turned in disbelief to the oldest man present: the Tsuchikage.
His eyes said it all.
This is the Hokage of the Shinobi World?
He's just like the pirates—breaking promises on a whim…
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1