"This is the situation."
Asuma knelt on one knee, his expression solemn as he reported.
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued smoking his pipe, his face unreadable.
Two senior advisors sat nearby, this matter was too far-reaching for even the Hokage to decide alone.
"Hiruzen, you're too soft!"
Bang!
The door to the Hokage's office swung open.
Shimura Danzo, leader of the Root organization, entered with a cold expression. "As long as we capture the mastermind behind this, everything will be resolved."
Asuma remained kneeling and countered, "We have too little information. We don't even know where the mysterious game merchant is hiding, let alone whether they are even in the ninja world. How do you propose we find them?"
Danzo replied firmly, "I am confident that the mysterious merchant is hiding in the game's beginner village. We just need a thorough search"
"Danzo!"
Hiruzen slammed the table, signaling him to be quiet.
The mysterious merchant possessed unfathomable power. Until their abilities were fully understood, it was best not to make an enemy of them.
Had his old friend been in the shadows for so long that his judgment had dulled?
"Hiruzen!"
Danzo did not back down. He fixed his one eye on the Hokage, his presence imposing.
But in the end, he relented and sat down beside the two advisors.
Homura Mitokado, his hair messy and glasses slightly askew, spoke calmly. "Since Kirigakure has invested funds into the Reincarnation Game, we cannot afford to fall behind. We can allocate 200 million."
"That's not enough. I need a billion."
"I object!"
Koharu Utatane, dressed in fine traditional attire and wearing her customary headdress, shook her head repeatedly. "The Daimyo of the Land of Fire has been intentionally weakening the ninja forces, cutting funding year after year. The village doesn't have spare resources to waste."
The Land of Fire was wealthy, but the Hidden Leaf Village did not engage in production and relied heavily on government subsidies.
As someone in charge of Konoha's finances, she knew that even 200 million would require sacrifices in other areas, let alone a billion.
As a conservative, she believed the Reincarnation Game was likely the plot of some hidden power and was unwilling to waste funds on it.
"In that case, we will table this discussion for now."
Hiruzen was familiar with this routine. Though the argument was not heated, it provided him with an easy way out.
He disliked making uncertain decisions that could lead to disastrous consequences.
As Hokage, his role was simply to handle the affairs in front of him diligently.
At his age, he was no longer young by ninja standards. He could feel his declining physical abilities and waning energy.
Gone were the days of youthful ambition, he just wanted to step down peacefully and enjoy his retirement.
If he made a major mistake now, his legacy as Hokage would be permanently stained.
"No, we can't delay this!"
Asuma's tone suddenly sharpened. "As someone who has personally experienced the Reincarnation Game, I understand its mystery and power far better than any of you."
"Have you all forgotten?"
"In the past, it was the samurai who wielded power in this world. Ninjas were nothing more than rats in the shadows, doing dishonorable work."
"The appearance of the Sage of Six Paths changed the way the world functioned. Samurai gradually faded from history, with only a few struggling families left in the Land of Iron."
"I have a feeling, the Reincarnation Game will change the world in the same way!"
Asuma's gaze was resolute. "This is the transformation of the ninja world. If Konoha misses this grand shift, we will end up like the samurai, sacrificed to the tides of change!"
"Silence!"
Danzo's eyes turned cold as he suddenly stood up.
He sneered, "Do you think you can question the village's leadership just because you've seen a few strange tricks, Sarutobi Asuma?"
Though his words were aimed at Asuma, his gaze subtly shifted toward Hiruzen.
Hiruzen felt a headache coming on. Looking at Asuma, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.
It was as if he were looking at his younger self.
Back when he was surrounded by enemy forces, he had been just as passionate and idealistic, willing to lay down his life to cut off the enemy's advance.
Had he really grown old?
Koharu Utatane closed her eyes and spoke softly. "This is just a game merchant selling ninja techniques. How could they compare to the Sage of Six Paths? Besides, even the Sage himself is nothing more than a legend."
Clang.
Asuma opened his inventory and placed an item on the table.
Ninja World History - 500 Reward Points.
It documented the origins of ninjas, detailing the ancient Otsutsuki Clan, the God Tree's chakra fruit, and the birth of Ninshu.
The scroll was passed around, and everyone who read it frowned, finding it utterly absurd.
Homura shook his head repeatedly and scoffed, "Nonsense! The mysterious merchant's identity is unknown, how can we believe their version of history? You're being foolish, Asuma."
Aliens, chakra trees… What next? Was everyone a vegetable in a dream world?
Ridiculous.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long moment before speaking softly, "Asuma, the history of the ninja world that you redeemed from the marketplace is too far-fetched. We cannot believe it just yet…"
Asuma stared at his slightly hunched father, disappointment evident in his eyes.
"Thirty million."
"What do you mean?"
Hiruzen looked at Asuma, puzzled.
Keeping his expression calm, Asuma explained, "I was once a guardian ninja for the Daimyo. My head is worth thirty million. I'm willing to bet it all on the Reincarnation Game."
According to the rules, collateral could be leveraged tenfold, meaning a total of three hundred million ryo.
"You're insane!"
Though Danzo scoffed, there was a glimmer of interest in his eyes.
Watching Hiruzen Sarutobi struggle always brought him a certain satisfaction.
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was heavy.
It had been a long time since an argument this intense had taken place.
In the end, with Homura Mitokado's support, Sarutobi Asuma secured ten billion ryo for the S-rank Reincarnation Game mission, using his own life as collateral.
Value: 10,000 reward points.
Additionally, Asuma voluntarily forfeited all the Sarutobi clan assets that rightfully belonged to him as collateral.
Even Hiruzen himself was stunned, he could hardly believe Asuma was willing to go this far for the Reincarnation Game.
Behind the Screen
Fang Yi, too, was impressed by Asuma's decisiveness. As the heir of the Sarutobi clan, he had given up all his wealth without hesitation.
This was the same clan that, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, could field a 3,000-strong Fire Release unit.
The Sarutobi clan had no unique Kekkei Genkai and couldn't compare to the Uchiha or Hyuga in terms of innate talent.
But their ability to cultivate such a vast number of ninjas meant their financial backing was immense, enough that they could have broken away to form their own independent village.
Even Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, had only managed to put up two billion ryo.
This move had brought Fang Yi an absolute fortune.
"Yes, this is exactly the kind of competition I want!"
"Suna is too poor to expect much from them, but what about Kumo and Iwa?"
Fang Yi opened his system interface.
[Fang Yi]
Reincarnation Building: Beginner Village (Level 1)
Pollution Source: Sealed
Reward Points: 158,600
"The reward points are sufficient. Once the players break through the outer ruins of the castle, I'll roll out the next game update to fully ignite their enthusiasm!"