One morning, about a month later, as Kirito was treating a ninja with a severe arm injury in his small outpatient room using the healing palm Art, excited shouts could be heard from outside. The shouts were filled with joy and jubilation as the news spread: "Listen up, everyone! We've won! The rain village is defeated!"
The news of Konoha's victory over the Hidden Rain Village quickly spread throughout the hospital. Cheers of "Long live Konoha," "We've won," and "Long live Hokage-sama" echoed throughout the facility.
"Doctor Kirito, did you hear the news? This victory is fantastic! With Ame defeated, we can focus all our efforts on dealing with the Hidden Sand Village. With the support of powerful ninja like Konoha's Sannin, we should be able to defeat the Hidden Sand soon," the ninja being treated by Kirito exclaimed, his excitement evident.
"Yes, it's truly wonderful news. I hope the war will come to an end soon. But for now, please stay still," Kirito replied with a smile. He then applied a bit more pressure to the patient's wound, causing the ninja to wince in pain and refocus on his treatment.
The war had officially come to an end, which was undoubtedly good news. Kirito welcomed the prospect of peace but held reservations about the upcoming battle against the Hidden Sand Village.
In his eyes, the victory over the Hidden Rain was a false one. Konoha had not received the expected war compensation from their defeated adversary. The reason for this was the decision made by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had agreed to the Hidden Rain's terms of surrender without requesting any compensation.
This decision had caused outrage among some of Konoha's leadership, including Senju Momoka, who viewed the surrender terms as outrageous and unacceptable. She couldn't fathom how such an unreasonable agreement had been accepted.
"Momoka, this was our last resort. If Hiruzen had refused, Hanzo would have continued using amegakure as a pawn in the war. The Land of Rain has become a quagmire, and our losses were piling up. If we don't stop the hemorrhaging, we'll continue to suffer," argued Mitokado homura.
"That's right. We can't afford to fight on two fronts for much longer. Our supply lines are stretched thin, and there are already shortages on the battlefield. Ending the Land of Rain conflict is essential to regroup and support the Wind Country's front lines," added Koharu.
Furthermore, the Land of Rain served as a buffer zone in Konoha's strategic positioning. It was not a territory they sought to conquer, and the Hidden Rain had little to offer in terms of compensation. Agreeing to their surrender without additional terms was seen as a necessary step to expedite the end of the conflict.
However, Momoka remained steadfast in her opposition. She couldn't accept that the sacrifices of their fallen comrades had resulted in such an unjust outcome.
"Momoka, please understand that our priority right now is ending the conflict in the Land of Rain. Once that is achieved, we can regroup and focus on the Wind Country's front lines. Our situation is delicate, and fighting the Sand village on two fronts is unsustainable. The Land of Rain was never our ultimate objective; we must weigh the bigger picture," the third hokage added.
"Is this what you will say to our fallen camarades souls?! How about their families ! "
Momoka's objections persisted, but she could not sway the decision made by the Hokage and the majority of the council. Hiruzen Sarutobi was determined to take full responsibility for this choice.
As the discussion continued, the sandaime found himself reminiscing about his old comrade-in-arms, Danzo, and the decisiveness he had possessed in making difficult choices.
'If Danzo is present, although he will strongly oppose it at the beginning, he will ultimately not be as irrational as Momoka. In the end, he will choose to compromise for the sake of the overall situation.'
He began to feel that it was a mistake to agree to Mito's compromise terms and let Momoka become the Hokage's consultant.
"Since there is a disagreement, let's vote to decide."
At this time, the third Hokage decisively pulled out the powerful tool of voting to silence Momoka.
According to the usual practice, as Hokage, he holds the right to two votes in resolutions. His proposal will be rejected only if three Hokage advisors oppose him simultaneously.
Of course, Momoka understood the third Hokage's intention. She was trembling with anger and said loudly to the third generation with a face full of grief and indignation, "Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"I am the Hokage." As soon as these words were uttered, the third generation immediately stated this sentence subconsciously.
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Once the voting resolution was announced, the presence of the Third Generation, Mitokado, and Koharu ensured that no matter how much Momoka disagreed, it would be futile. Frustrated, she had no choice but to slam the door and leave in anger, disappearing from sight and out of mind.
"Hmph, this woman's temper is as stubborn as ever. If all of Konoha's ninjas were as obstinate as her, we would have fallen long ago. Hiruzen, you shouldn't have appointed her as a Hokage advisor in the first place," sneered Koharu after Momoka's departure.
She had strong reservations about Momoka becoming the Hokage's consultant, but due to the circumstances at the time, she had to keep her opinions to herself.
However, the situation had changed now. With Mito about to pass away, the Senju Clan losing its most significant supporter, and from it the uncertain future of Momoka position as Hokage consultant.
Heh, it remained to be seen if she could secure that role.
"Don't say that, Koharu. Momoka's intentions were good from the start. She's correct in pointing out that this decision will face opposition from many fighters in the village. We shouldn't underestimate their voices. Momoka represents the Fighting Faction and is also a member of the Senju Clan. If she can help us pacify these factions, it will significantly reduce the pressure on our side," Mitokado disagreed with Koharu's perspective.
In fact, he didn't agree with the outrageous surrender request deep down, but he had to prioritize the greater good of the village. Once upon a time, he was also a fiercely determined Konoha ninja.
"Alright, this matter is settled. Even if Momoka disagrees, she cannot change the outcome. Mito-sama understands the bigger picture, and she will undoubtedly step in to persuade Momoka once she learns of this. Our next focus should be discussing how to deal with the Sand Village."
The Third Hokage glanced towards the door with annoyance and then turned to address his two old comrades.
"Indeed, Momoka should listen to Mito-sama's counsel. By doing so, the pressure from the martial arts faction will diminish significantly. As for the Sand Village, once the Battle of the Land of Rain concludes, we must deliver a decisive blow to them. Otherwise, those desert-dwelling miscreants will continue to think Konoha is an easy target."
Upon hearing Sandaime's words, Mitokado couldn't help but smile and sneer.
One of the main reasons for Konoha's successive defeats and disadvantageous position in the Wind Country battlefield was the allocation of a significant portion of Konoha's troops to the Land of Rain battlefield, preventing them from concentrating their forces against the Sand Village. Yet this small strength alone couldn't have made the Sand Village so audacious.
"The losses in the Wind Country battlefield can indeed be attributed to the allocation of Konoha's troops, but intelligence failures also played a crucial role. We must take the enemy's rear battlefield seriously. The conditions in the Sand Village are far inferior to ours. If we disrupt their logistical supply lines, it will expedite our victory."
Koharu, lying on the sofa, wasn't as optimistic as Mito Menyan. She pondered for a moment and expressed her concerns.
Mitokado and the Sandaime fell into a brief silence, recognizing the implications behind koharu's words.
When it came to who was best at handling intelligence matters in Konoha, there was no doubt that it was Danzo.
Before Danzo stepped down, he excelled at this, yielding positive results. His efforts, especially those led by his ROOT organization, were crucial in gathering valuable information and disrupting enemy plans. Since Danzo's departure, Konoha's intelligence operations had significantly declined, contributing to their consecutive losses against the Sand Village in recent times.
"Koharu's suggestion is excellent. I will consider this matter and instruct someone to address it promptly. Let's discuss personnel arrangements once the Land of Rain battlefield concludes."
After careful thought, the Third Generation decided that it was not the right time for Danzo to regain power. Such a move would undoubtedly provoke tensions within the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and the entire village, potentially leading to chaos and civil strife once Mito-sama passed away.
Danzo's vicious means should be kept under control for the time being.
Koharu's, upon hearing this, understood the Third Generation's concerns and chose not to press the matter further.
But understanding was one thing, and her dissatisfaction with the Third Generation's perfunctory attitude was another. She was currently very displeased with how the Third Generation seemed to dismiss the matter.
The Third Generation's statement about considering the issue and issuing orders promptly didn't sit well with her. If the matter were so easily resolved, she wouldn't have raised it in the first place.
Did she not understand the power that the Third Generation wielded? Aside from the ninja from the Sarutobi clan, the Third Generation could freely mobilize the ANBU ninja under his command.
She didn't consider the Sarutobi clan's ninja for a specific reason, which she kept to herself.
Regarding the ANBU ninja, their numbers were indeed limited. Most of them were dedicated to monitoring the village's internal affairs, leaving very few available for intelligence operations and activities in enemy-held territory. Given the constant need for ninja to carry out missions and assassinations, there were hardly enough resources to allocate to intelligence work.
She couldn't help but wonder how the Third Generation could evaluate his own actions, especially when he refused to relinquish control over the ROOT organization, preventing others from taking over this crucial power.
For a moment, an awkward silence filled the room.
"Ahem, once the Land of Rain battlefield concludes, we'll begin gradually bringing our ninja back to recuperate. The Land of Rain's climate is harsh on our Konoha ninja, and many of them have fallen ill," Mitokado coughed a few times in an attempt to ease the tension and share his perspective.
"This proposal is excellent. They indeed need some rest, and when they return after a victorious mission, various rewards should be arranged accordingly."
The Third Generation nodded, agreeing with Mitokado's suggestion.
"I also support this proposal, but hiruzen, what's going on with your talented disciple? He's a vital combat force in the village, but instead of returning to rest and receiving the hero's treatment, he's run off to take care of orphans from an enemy country. Should he be considered an enemy?" Koharu's asked with a cold tone.
The Third Generation felt a sudden change in mood upon hearing this, unsure of how to respond. Orochimaru's actions had been a problem in the past, and now Jiraiya was causing concern.
The two disciples he had trained were undoubtedly talented, but they lacked prudence and judgement. Orochimaru's past actions had made him ineligible to become Hokage, and the Third Generation had originally considered supporting Jiraiya for the position. However, Jiraiya's recent actions had raised new worries.
From this perspective, Tsunade's more cautious approach seemed to be the most reassuring.
Although the Third Generation was concerned about his apprentice, he still felt the need to protect him. He couldn't allow Jiraiya to follow in Orochimaru's footsteps.
As a result, the Third Generation quickly changed the topic, saying, "I will handle Jiraiya's situation and ensure he doesn't continue to act recklessly. Let's return to discussing the arrangements for various key personnel after the conclusion of the Land of Rain battlefield."
Seeing this, koharu's and Mitokado couldn't help but sigh inwardly. They missed Danzo and even Momoka, who had been driven away by their combined efforts.
If Danzo or Momoka were present, the Third Hokage wouldn't be able to show such favoritism as he did now.
On the other side, in the depths of Konoha Prison, in the office of the new leader of the ROOT organization, Danzo was pretending to be nonchalant while sipping hot tea and having a telepathic meeting with his subordinates.
"How is the investigation progressing?"
"Apologies, our naval power is quite limited, and we haven't been able to uncover many leads. However, our agents have noticed that whenever a cargo ship from a caravan experiences an incident, the Hidden Mist spies in the Land of Waves have secret interactions with mysterious individuals."
"Kirigakure...."