"Indeed worthy of Hokage-sama, the news has just arrived, and there is already a strategy in place!"
"Yes, I was wondering with my limited intelligence, what help could I possibly provide here? So, Hokage-sama didn't intend for me to come up with strategies."
"Haha, your Inuzuka clan has an extra brain compared to the rest of us; you should definitely think more."
Inside the meeting room, a group of Jonin now wore relieved smiles. They had thought they were summoned today to devise a solution to Hanzo's problem.
Normally, in such meetings, if they didn't come up with good solutions, even the usually amiable Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would become visibly agitated. And if they proposed foolish ideas, Sarutobi Hiruzen would greet them with anger. It could be said that these were the meetings they least wanted to attend.
However, as they nervously entered the meeting room, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was not as grim as they had imagined. In fact, he wore a confident smile as if he had everything under control.
Once the meeting began and Shikato clarified the agenda and direction, Sarutobi Hiruzen started his "performance."
In no time, he had analyzed the entire situation, presented various interests at play, and even outlined a three-step solution, albeit in broad strokes. Yet sometimes, all that's lacking is a general direction.
Details can always be negotiated, but without a clear overarching direction, subsequent arrangements would be futile.
Seeing the smiles on the faces of the village's Jonin, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth from lifting, and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened a bit due to the muscles involved in smiling.
Only Danzo remained, looking coldly at his old friend.
Since the last defeat in battle, Danzo had been absent for too long. This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had hinted to him that he was only to make an appearance and refrain from speaking.
It was a gradual process for the villagers to adapt to Danzo's return, and initially, Danzo had no objections.
But watching Sarutobi Hiruzen confidently discussing Tatsuma's ideas in front of others made him feel stifled!
If only he had brought Tatsuma into his Root earlier, perhaps today it would be Shimura Danzo who would be receiving everyone's admiration and applause.
Even the previous defeat could have been avoided if Tatsuma had been promptly brought into his fold, enabling him to foresee and prevent the humiliating defeat that not only tarnished his reputation but also made Sarutobi Hiruzen accuse him of betraying his sensei.
Danzo no longer looked at this old friend who made him extremely uncomfortable. He tilted his head slightly and glanced at Tatsuma sitting behind Shikato, sorting out the meeting notes.
Seeing no hint of dissatisfaction on Tatsuma's face only increased Danzo's admiration. A true ninja should have the resolve to hide in the darkness; even without flowers and applause, they should still uphold the ninja way!
Who says only those standing in the light are heroes?!
Tatsuma wasn't truly indifferent to efforts without rewards; he just... knew he was taking shortcuts.
He approached problem-solving with answers in hand. While he had many of his own ideas, he wouldn't dare to assert his approach was correct without knowing the answer.
The solution he provided was merely the general direction for this operation. Even without his involvement, Konoha would have eventually settled on a plan through ongoing discussions and collisions of ideas.
He simply accelerated the process briefly and offered some of his suggestions.
Sarutobi Hiruzen "deprived" him of the opportunity to shine, but to Tatsuma himself, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.
If people were to mistakenly believe he had the ability to solve such problems and were to entrust him with similar challenges of the same level, but Tatsuma didn't know the answers and couldn't deduce them as he did this time...
After Sarutobi Hiruzen's moment of joy, he glanced somewhat guiltily in Tatsuma's direction. Upon seeing Tatsuma's still infectious smile, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a twinge of guilt in his heart.
Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had intended to elaborate on the profound meaning behind "his" ideas, but now he lost interest. He slightly restrained his smile and became serious again.
None of the numerous Jonin in the meeting room had ineffective eyesight. Even the Aburame Jonin wearing sunglasses at this moment tightened their expressions and looked towards Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Seeing the room return to a serious atmosphere, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly and turned to Shikato Nara, saying, "Shikato, do you have anything to add?"
"Hokage-sama, I believe this plan is feasible, but some aspects still need to be discussed."
Shikato didn't say "your plan" or similar words. With his intelligence and understanding of Sarutobi Hiruzen, he knew that such a plan couldn't have been devised by Sarutobi Hiruzen, at least not within such a short time frame. Moreover, he understood that Hokage-sama was too lenient both internally and externally.
The viciousness and malice within this plan were not in line with Sarutobi Hiruzen's style. Such a style was more akin to Danzo, but even Danzo would only take it to bigger extremes; his plans would be all about darkness, sacrificing reputation and righteousness.
This plan intertwines shades of light and darkness, advancing both righteousness and darkness simultaneously, seeking both reputation and profit. This style was only seen in the handwriting of the Lord Second he encountered in his youth.
In this current era, Shikato already had an answer in his mind. After all, the two young men behind him couldn't have gained eligibility to attend the Jonin meeting for no reason.
Especially Sakamoto Tatsuma; his previous actions had earned admiration even from Shikato, who had been serving as a strategist for many years.
Thinking about the true planner behind this plan, Shikato didn't delay his thoughts on the plan's contents. He spoke up, saying, "For example, enlisting the Land of Iron's warriors to assist us against the Cloud Ninja."
"Just before the meeting began, I received updated reports. After being defeated by Hanzo, Mifune not only promised to withdraw from this war but also pledged to no longer interfere in conflicts between ninjas."
Bam!
Danzo, who had been silent all along, slammed his hand hard on the table, his anger evident on his face without any attempt to conceal it.
The faces of the other Jonin fell as well. The first step of the plan was to coordinate with the Land of Iron, exchanging roles with each other: Konoha ninjas would combat the Rain Ninjas, while the Cloud Ninjas, originally to be handled by Konoha, would be left to the Land of Iron warriors.
But Mifune's move completely threw off the entire plan. How could the plan be implemented and carried out now?!
At this moment, each ninja turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, wanting to see if the Hokage-sama, who had quickly devised countermeasures, could adjust or modify this plan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Adjust? How could he adjust anything now?!
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Shikato a fierce glare, blaming him for not informing him of such crucial information before the meeting.
Shikato wore a pained expression. After all, he had only learned about it on his way from his office to the meeting room. By the time he arrived at the meeting room and understood the situation, Sarutobi Hiruzen was already seated and ready to begin the meeting.
Moreover, in the past, Sarutobi Hiruzen would first listen to the opinions of his strategist and advisory team, then allow other Jonin to speak freely. Sarutobi Hiruzen took on the responsibility of pinpointing flaws in others' ideas. Only after integrating these ideas would the plan be implemented. There had never been a situation where Sarutobi Hiruzen solved the problem as soon as he arrived. How could Shikato predict this?
Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen truly had no ideas, Shikato sighed helplessly. He was about to speak about his original plan, hoping to find a better solution through comparison and verification.
"Hokage-sama, I have an idea."
Before Shikato could speak, a voice came from behind him. Shikato turned around to see Tatsuma. For some reason, he suddenly felt relieved.
While Shikato privately breathed a sigh of relief, Sarutobi Hiruzen genuinely felt relieved. However, at this moment, the attention of many Jonin was drawn to Tatsuma, a Chunin rarely seen in Jonin meetings, so they didn't notice his awkwardness.
Some Jonin frowned, intending to reprimand Tatsuma, but Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly interjected, saying, "Tatsuma, come and share your thoughts."
Upon hearing this, other Jonin looked puzzled. Sarutobi Hiruzen, feeling much more at ease, smiled and said, "Young people are the future of the village. The village will eventually be entrusted to the hands of the young. So, it's not wrong to listen to the ideas of the younger generation."
Although this reasoning seemed somewhat vague, because it came from the Hokage's mouth, those who had initially intended to oppose it remained silent.
Tatsuma stood up and said, "In today's world, it's a ninja's world. As the Land of Iron, wanting to stay out of ninja conflicts isn't something they can decide; it's determined by the ninjas.
We can negotiate with Mifune. As long as they act according to our plan, after the war, we can, on behalf of Konoha and even the Land of Fire, recognize the Land of Iron as a neutral country.
We promise to respect their choice and serve as advocates and supervisors, urging and uniting other nations to recognize the Land of Iron as a neutral country. We will condemn and take action against any ninja who violates this agreement."
"Good!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen exclaimed, and Danzo, who had been nodding slightly, saw Sarutobi Hiruzen's smug expression after narrowly avoiding a crisis. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He asked sarcastically, "May I ask, Hokage-sama, what's good about it?"
Caught off guard by Danzo's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face flushed red. Currently, Tatsuma's "good" had saved him from the embarrassment of being the Hokage.
But could he say that?
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen, having served as Hokage for so many years, was not clueless. After pondering Tatsuma's recent remarks, he spoke up, saying, "Tatsuma's proposal firstly provides the plan with a possibility for continued implementation. Secondly, it further deepens the friendship between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron. At the same time, it demonstrates the responsibility of the Land of Fire as a leader in the ninja world. As the head of the Five Great Nations, we in Konoha have a responsibility and obligation to maintain the stability of the ninja world and the interests of all nations. How about it, Danzo? Can't you see this now?"
Applause~
As a string of eloquent words was spoken, the meeting room filled with applause once again. This time, Danzo turned red with anger. He stood up directly, waved his sleeve, and walked out of the meeting room.
Bam!
Danzo slammed the door shut as he left.
Hmph!
Sarutobi Hiruzen snorted lightly. Initially, he was somewhat satisfied with Danzo's performance in today's meeting. He had refrained from speaking, as Sarutobi Hiruzen had requested. However, towards the end of the meeting, Danzo couldn't hold back and wanted to make a speech that would leave Sarutobi Hiruzen in an awkward position.
Seeing this scene, the Jonin no longer applauded or cheered, and the room fell silent once again. Sarutobi Hiruzen withdrew his gaze from the door and refocused on Tatsuma, nodding with an encouraging smile.
Tatsuma returned the gesture with an infectious smile. Only then did Sarutobi Hiruzen turn to Shikato and ask, "Are there any other questions?"
Shikato shook his head and said, "Just some practical details. I'll discuss them with a few members of the advisory team and compile a report for you afterward."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said, "In that case, let's conclude this meeting for now. Everyone, go back and reflect, and be prepared to respond to any signs from the village."
"Tatsuma, Minato, come to my office."
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