Chapter 70: The Daimyō's Appointment
After dealing with the pursuing Orochimaru, Uchiha Dali resumed his journey at full speed.
At daybreak, he finally arrived at the capital city of the Land of Fire.
Instead of rushing in, Uchiha Dali activated his exceptional sensory perception, scanning the entire city.
He found no trace of Hiruzen Sarutobi or Minato Namikaze.
"Looks like they've already left."
Uchiha Dali quickly pinpointed the exact location of the Land of Fire's daimyō and headed straight there.
The daimyō had just finished his official duties.
At that moment, he was relaxing in a hot spring surrounded by a group of beautiful women, enjoying a leisurely soak.
Steam rose gently from the water as the daimyō, encircled by charming courtesans, leaned back against the edge of the pool, tilting his head up in blissful enjoyment.
But in the very next second, he was startled out of his wits, nearly leaping out of the pool.
"Wh-Who are you?!"
Startled and uncertain, the daimyō stared at the unfamiliar man who had somehow appeared at the edge of the pool.
Upon noticing the Konoha forehead protector on the man's forehead, he relaxed slightly.
"Damn it…"
"What the hell is going on with you Konoha ninja? Who gave you permission to barge in like this?!"
The daimyō, plump and obese, grew furious once he regained his composure.
His shouting immediately drew the attention of the guards stationed outside.
Moments later, they rushed in.
"Lord Daimyō, are you alright?"
"Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you trying to assassinate the daimyō?!"
The room instantly erupted in alarm as the guards surrounded Uchiha Dali.
Dali withdrew his gaze from the bathing women in the hot spring and gave the daimyō an amused look.
"You certainly know how to enjoy life. No wonder everyone craves the heights of power…"
His tone carried a trace of mockery, a half-smile playing at his lips.
Hearing this veiled insult, the daimyō exploded with rage.
"You may be a Konoha ninja, but you clearly didn't come here for a friendly visit. Seize this assassin!"
The daimyō didn't hesitate to label Uchiha Dali an assassin.
This instantly darkened Dali's expression—he had originally intended to speak peacefully.
The daimyō's guards, following orders without question, charged at him.
But in the blink of an eye, they began collapsing one after another, as if struck by an invisible force.
Within moments, only two or three of the stronger samurai guards remained standing beside the hot spring.
"Y-You… What did you do to them?!"
One bald samurai, visibly shaken, looked around at his fallen comrades with their eyes rolled back, then demanded an answer.
The remaining two guards stood ready, tense and fearful. Though they didn't know what had happened, their blood was surging, hearts pounding, and they felt dizzy and anxious.
"You're still standing?"
Dali looked mildly surprised.
With a flash, he appeared before the remaining guards and swiftly knocked them out one by one.
It all happened in an instant.
Now, all of the daimyō's guards had been dealt with.
Still soaking in the water, the daimyō gawked at the scene in utter disbelief, unable to believe his eyes.
"Wh-Who exactly are you?!"
The daimyō's voice trembled with fear.
"Uchiha Dali."
"Y-You're Uchiha Dali?!"
The daimyō froze for a moment, then his expression twisted into one of stunned disbelief.
"So you've heard of me. That makes things easier."
"I came to deliver this to you."
Dali took out the letter of recommendation he'd written earlier and handed it over.
The daimyō scrambled to the edge of the pool, took the letter, and upon reading it, his face immediately turned odd.
He looked up at Uchiha Dali, who was gazing down at him from the edge, clearly hesitant to speak.
The letter's content was simple.
It stated that Konoha's elder advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were recommending the village's talented young shinobi, Uchiha Dali, to become the Fourth Hokage.
There was nothing wrong with the content—what was wrong was the handwriting.
The daimyō frequently exchanged letters with Konoha's Hokage and advisors and had even met with them in person.
He not only recognized their handwriting but also their writing style and phrasing habits.
This letter matched neither the handwriting nor the style he was familiar with from Homura and Koharu.
In other words, the letter was fake.
And very likely forged by the genius ninja standing before him.
But the daimyō didn't dare say that out loud.
Sure enough, Dali spoke again: "The two elder advisors of Konoha have already agreed to nominate me as the Fourth Hokage. I'm not the type to seek out such things, but since the villagers have such high hopes for me, I can't let them down."
"B-But…"
The daimyō was now certain the letter had been forged by Uchiha Dali himself.
Forging a recommendation letter… to recommend oneself as Hokage?
This was a first.
"But Lord Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, has already decided to fully support the village's hero, Minato Namikaze, as the Fourth Hokage. My ministers and I have already approved the appointment."
"They returned to Konoha with the official appointment letter just yesterday…"
Dali wasn't the least bit surprised by this outcome—he had already expected it.
After hearing the daimyō's words, he merely smiled faintly, the corners of his lips curling upward into a somewhat cold expression.
"So, what's your stance now, Lord Daimyō?"
"What a troublesome situation… Fine, how about this—you draft a new statement, nullify yesterday's appointment, and announce that the position of Fourth Hokage will go to me instead."
"I'll bring your personally signed appointment letter back to Konoha and officially take office."
"B-But…"
"What's wrong? You're unwilling?"
Dali's expression darkened instantly, as if shrouded in darkness. His face became terrifyingly grim.
The daimyō looked up and was so frightened he trembled. His obese body quivered uncontrollably.
He glanced around instinctively—at all the elite guards he had personally selected, now lying unconscious.
After careful consideration, the daimyō cheerfully gave in.
"In that case, I'll write up a new appointment letter for you. But… may I come out of the pool first?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Dali turned with satisfaction. "I'll wait outside for you."
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