Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 224 lets you win directly!

Sunlight streamed through the glass, scorching the marble windowsill.

Acrid smoke swirled around the beam of light, making the atmosphere in the office increasingly oppressive.

Hiruzen Sarutobi kept a cigarette in his hand, taking one puff after another, clearly having been troubled by this matter for a long time.

For the first time in many years, the two Hokage's assistants in the village got into an argument.

Koharu Utatane felt it was too dangerous to let this group into the village, especially since Kumogakure had serious criminal records; their participation in the exam must have ulterior motives. Meanwhile, Homura Mitokado believed that Konoha absolutely had to hold this Chunin Exam, and it had to be done flawlessly, without showing any weakness!
Over the years, they have lost countless powerful individuals, and the outside world believes that Konoha has declined. Now is the time to deter villains and demonstrate their strength!
Both of them made valid points and their analyses were very thorough, but it was all for naught.

They couldn't think of a suitable reason to refuse, and they couldn't find anyone who could keep the ninjas of the four countries in check when they welcomed them.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado are good at giving advice, but when it comes to actually getting things done, the two of them combined are not as capable as Danzo alone!

Now Danzo lives a secluded life within Root, and his orders don't even reach the ears of the other party, clearly indicating that Root has been completely controlled by Hairi.

Only she can save Konoha from its current predicament!

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his goatee and finally revealed his true purpose:
"The Chunin Exams must be held as scheduled! I want you to serve as the chief examiner for this Chunin Exams and be responsible for all matters related to the exams!"

"I?"

Pointing to her own nose, Hairi expressed surprise at Hiruzen Sarutobi's sudden appointment.

She had thought that Hiruzen Sarutobi was telling her these things so that she could teach the ninjas from other villages a lesson and beat up some kids during the Chunin Exams. She never expected that she would be promoted directly from examinee to examiner.

The fact that the examiners for the Chunin Exams were genin (lower-ranking ninja) is quite in line with the actual situation in Konoha.

“Only you can suppress the ninja leaders from other villages. If you don’t go, Konoha will have no one left!” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes were filled with dejection. As the longest-serving Hokage, he was largely to blame for Konoha’s decline.

"With the heads of the major clans specializing in secret techniques, plus Kakashi and Guy, they should have more than enough to suppress the ninjas from other villages!"

Hui Li was somewhat puzzled.

Even if Konoha were to decline, it would still be easy for them to produce a dozen or so elite Jonin. How could they possibly be unable to control even a few squad leaders?
"That's not how it works."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head solemnly, exhaling a large cloud of smoke from his nostrils.

"The fact that the heads of the major clans have taken action means that Konoha has no one left. This will not only fail to intimidate the enemy, but will also expose Konoha's weaknesses."

Furthermore, they can only contend with them; they can't intimidate the ninjas from other villages at all. What Konoha needs is your absolute power to instantly kill Raiga Kurosuki!

He had originally planned to send the heads of the various clans out, but after listening to Kakashi's report on the mission to the Land of Waves, he realized that the strength that Hai Li had displayed was no less than his own, and that he was the perfect solution to the current crisis!

"Alright alright!"

Seeing that she couldn't avoid this troublesome matter, Hui Li had no choice but to accept it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi has treated her well over the years.

Not only did he not distance himself from her after learning that she had a bloodline disease, he also entrusted her with the Death Forest as an experimental field. Her rapid growth to where she is today is inseparable from his help.

Although she didn't say anything, she secretly kept this kindness in her heart.

Moreover, having lived in Konoha for so long, she has developed a certain affection for the place, and it is only natural for her to make contributions.

"that……"

Seeing that Hairi readily agreed, Hiruzen Sarutobi grinned, and under her questioning gaze, still made a second request:
"I know you have the ability to maintain shadow clones for a long time. Could you use your main body as the examiner and your clones as the examinees...?"

Noticing the slight change in Hui Li's expression, he quickly explained:
"It's not that I need to trouble you!"

However, for this joint Chunin Exams, other ninja villages will definitely send very strong genin.

"Think about it, what if the Konoha ninjas don't come out on top in the end, or no one becomes a Chunin? Wouldn't that look bad?"

Wow, Sarutobi-sensei, you've really got some fancy moves!

Looking at the cunning and calculating Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hai Li felt as if he had horns on his head and a tail behind him!

On one hand, she had to act as the chief examiner to intimidate the Jonin from other villages, and on the other hand, she used shadow clones to bully the Genin in the Chunin Exams. She was like a slave to herself, and not only that, she also arranged everything for the ninjas from all four countries, from the oldest to the youngest!

"walk slowly!"

Hui Li agreed anyway, since she was going to participate in the Chunin Exams anyway, and now she was just doing the job of being an examiner.

However, Hidan and Kakuzu, these two precious materials, must be handed over to Yang Release: Hai Ri for research!
"And one more thing!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a finger, his deep wrinkles around his eyes no longer showing the worry he had before. The existence of Kairi had solved many problems. The seed he planted five years ago had finally blossomed and borne fruit!
“We originally planned to use Training Ground Zero as the venue for the second exam, but it can no longer handle a joint ninja exam of this scale. I need to borrow your Death Forest.”

Upon hearing this, Hui Li's expression turned awkward: "I used the Death Forest for ninjutsu experiments, and... there is no forest there anymore."

"No forest?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback. Ever since he designated the Forest of Death as a forbidden area, he had used a huge earthen wall to isolate the forest and prevent anyone from approaching it.

Because he was afraid of seeing his disciples conduct some horrific experiments, he himself tried to avoid entering the Death Forest. At this moment, he really didn't know what the Death Forest looked like now.

Recalling the dark, dead zone he had seen then, he seemed to understand something:
"It's okay, a harsher environment is just adding to the difficulty for them!"

That's not just a little bad! Hui Li was unsure how to explain it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She not only used the Reverse Eight Gates to absorb life force there, but also experimented with Yin-Yang Release, various ninjutsu inscribed on her body, and the development of taijutsu, which has led to the current extremely complicated situation in the Death Forest. In any case, it is more than enough to be used as a test site!

"There shouldn't be anything else!"

Hui Li simply asked directly, having already taken care of the examiner, the venue, and the examinees. If anything else came up, it would be the incoming Hokage's turn to speak!
"Hehe, there is indeed one more thing."

Looking at his disciple's slightly puffed-up face, Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile grew even more benevolent:
"For the final exam, the Kage, Daimyo, and nobles of the five great nations will all be coming to watch. Remember to dress up nicely. Even disregarding talent and strength, my disciple Hiruzen Sarutobi is still the most beautiful flower in Konoha!"

Hui Li blinked, not moved in the slightest by the old man's words: "So you mean... besides slapping the faces of the four ninjas, I also have to use my face to advertise for Konoha?"

“Yes, yes…”

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded rapidly, like a chicken pecking at rice. "Haili is a good kid in every way, except that she speaks very bluntly and has a strong ability to understand things, making her particularly difficult to fool!"

"Teacher, do we really need to care about those ordinary people?"

With her abilities and appearance exploited to the fullest extent, Hui Li finally asked the question that had been lingering in her heart for so long.

The power structure in this world is particularly strange.

In terms of the superstructure, the Daimyo controls everything except the ninja, including the economy, military, and politics, while the Kage controls the violent institutions of the ninja villages. The two are of equal status.

This is very outrageous!
Unless there is a higher-level ruler above them, how can the purse strings be on par with the gun barrel? The underlying infrastructure is also abnormal.

The ninja, a superhuman group, had to serve ordinary people for money, and they had to bow to nobles and daimyo. In terms of status, even a Jonin from a village was no different from an ordinary person when facing nobles!
It seems illogical that a group of ninjas, who wield the most powerful violence, lack the status and wealth commensurate with their strength.

"Isn't it strange that powerful ninjas don't become rulers, but instead spend their days running around doing so-called missions?"

Although Hairi asked the question very tactfully, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood her meaning immediately. He put down his pipe and looked at Hairi with extremely bright eyes.

"It seems I'm not the first person to ask this question."

Hui Li wasn't stupid either; she understood from Sarutobi's performance that there must be something more to it.

"If another ninja asked..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were serious: "I will tell them that ninjas don't understand people's livelihood and economy. Rule by force will only make the country a mess and eventually plunge the world into war!"

"That's absolutely not an excuse!"

Hui Li quickly shook her head, completely disagreeing:

"If a Kage can rule a ninja village, he can certainly rule a country! Even if he doesn't know how, he can be trained later. He just needs to teach relevant courses at the Ninja Academy. There must be a deeper reason behind this."

"Heh, you're not so easy to fool after all!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was extremely satisfied with his disciple, Kairi.

At his age, he was still a passionate young man shouting about bonds and friendship! He was completely oblivious to the conflicting relationship between nobles and ninjas.

"Are you sure you want to hear the real reason? If you find out, you might be disappointed in both the Shadow and the Village!" He looked at Gray Glass, his pupils containing a hint of unfathomable black.

"Between the cruel reality and the beautiful illusion, I still prefer the former!" Hui Li said seriously, realizing that the other party was about to reveal some truth about the ninja world.

"it is good!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in agreement, stood up from his seat and walked to the window. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his aged wrinkles and the interplay of light and shadow on his nose and profile.

"I have nothing left to teach you in terms of ninjutsu. Now, your teacher will give you one last lesson."

All subsequent statements came from the second generation leader, including the current structure between the village and the country, which was also designed by him personally!

The second generation!
The respect in Hui Li's eyes was almost overflowing. The more she explored the mysteries of ninjutsu, the more she could feel that person's extraordinary talent. Her Reverse Eight Gates was developed by standing on the shoulders of this senior!

"First and foremost, the most important thing for a ninja is the amount of chakra, which represents the upper limit of a ninja's various abilities. Chakra is composed of both mental and physical energy."

Chakra is difficult to increase, but it is very easy to decline!
The more one indulges in pleasure and desires, the weaker one's spirit and body become, ultimately leading to the depletion of chakra. Only through constant training and combat can a ninja maintain their fighting ability. Therefore, ruling a country is of no benefit to a ninja whatsoever!

Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed the truth: if ninjas ruled a country like nobles and daimyo, it would inevitably lead to a decline in overall strength, and they would only become lambs to the slaughter for other countries.

"So you're deliberately controlling the ninjas' quality of life!"

Hui Li suddenly realized!

Ninjas who indulge in pleasure will become weaker, so the Hokage deliberately lowers the quality of life for the lower-ranking ninjas, forcing them to constantly strive for mission rewards, training and fighting day after day until they die.

However, ninjas who have reached the Jonin level do not receive enough financial incentives, so power needs to be allocated to them to generate stronger desires. In short, ninjas cannot be allowed to lie low!
"As expected of Konoha's number one genius!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi praised her sincerely, saying that she understood everything about ninjutsu and political maneuvering with ease, seeing through the essence of the problem at a glance.

He then continued:

"Besides indulging in pleasure which leads to the depletion of chakra, ninjas must also be separated from ordinary people."

If ninjas marry ordinary people, the quality of their offspring's chakra seeds will likely decrease. If this continues, it will be difficult for the entire Land of Fire to produce powerful ninjas.

A thousand genin-level ninjas are not as useful as one jonin!
Therefore, the Second Hokage suggested to the First Hokage that they establish ninja villages to separate the world of ninjas from that of ordinary people, in order to prevent the future deterioration of ninja bloodlines and chakra seeds.

Hui Li nodded in approval.

All of the Second Hokage's measures were aimed at ensuring that ninjas had sufficient combat capabilities. Although they were not perfect, they were definitely a good thing that benefited the present and future generations.

Other ninja villages followed suit and established their own ninja villages, probably because they understood the underlying principles.

Da...da...

After explaining the relationship between the nation and the ninja village, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly turned to look at the thoughtful Hairi: "You said... what is the relationship between a Kage and an ordinary ninja?"

"Ordinary ninjas strive for a better life, but the Kage's goal is to hinder them from achieving a better life, lower their quality of life, and make them struggle forever!"

Gray Glass's icy gaze pierced through this thin veil of pretense:

"The Shadow's stance is highly tied to the nation. No matter how approachable and kind he may seem on a daily basis, it cannot conceal his true nature."

The relationship between shadows and ninjas remains one of rulers and the ruled!

"The rulers... are so direct!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not refute his disciple's words. He simply stared silently at the mundane crowd below the Hokage Building, like a lonely old man.

But Hui Li has no intention of letting her teacher off the hook:

"I don't doubt that the Second Hokage said that ninjas would become weak if they indulged in pleasure. However, controlling the quality of life of ninjas is not the only solution. So you probably didn't tell us everything he told us."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed slightly as he turned to look at Hairi, who was speaking eloquently.

"As long as we control the quality of life of the ninjas and isolate them in the village, we can keep them firmly bound by money, missions, and rules."

Next, as long as the Daimyo provides the village with enough money, countless ninjas will voluntarily risk their lives for the Kage.

This is much more subtle and effective than directly using violence or power to control ninjas.

Daimyo and nobles control the development of ordinary people's livelihoods and use taxes to provide money and resources to the ninja village.

The Kage extract money from the people through missions, and then use that money to control the ninjas, making them constantly carry out missions to maintain combat power and protect the peace and stability of the country.

A peaceful and stable atmosphere and environment can stimulate commercial prosperity, ensuring a steady flow of wealth for the Daimyo and Kage. It even conceals the class conflict between the Kage and the ninjas, shifting it onto the Daimyo as a sitting duck…

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's shocked expression after the truth was revealed, Hairi couldn't help but smile:
"If ninjas can use their strength to kill and oppress ordinary people at will, they will be surprised to find that:"

It turns out that you don't need to train hard or carry out missions to live a life of luxury. The cycle you built has completely collapsed!
You're right!

The truth about the ninja world is indeed cruel!

(End of this chapter)