(Hiruzen Pov)
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After a walk around the village, I returned to my office, wearing the Hokage hat and cape.
Although it took three hours to return after exploring the village, boosting my villagers' morale by talking with them was worthwhile. Seeing their determined eyes made the time spent feel well-invested.
After finishing up some paperwork, I redirected my focus to the latest report detailing the village's status. As I delved into the document, my mind naturally shifted into strategic mode, assessing the situation of the war.
With Tsunade's recent accomplishment, I felt compelled to delve deeper into the state of Sunagakure.
'Progress seems promising,' I reflected, flipping through the report's pages.
Thanks to Tsunade's antidote development, the potency of Lady Chiyo's poison had been neutralized, resulting in a notable decrease in Sunagakure's offensive prowess. Many of their forces had retreated from active engagement.
Yet, I cautioned myself against complacency.
Despite Sunagakure's reputation as the weakest among the five great nations, its strength should not be underestimated. The looming presence of the One-Tail Jinchuriki remained unactivated, and with Lady Chiyo preoccupied with Amegakure and the Sandaime Kazekage preoccupied with Iwagakure, the possibility of its deployment is high.
Though, I do see an opportunity.
While the Shodai Hokage's approach to distributing tailed beasts seemed straightforward, when I asked my sensei, he shed light on a crucial aspect: he never gave them the necessary sealing jutsu to utilize the tail beast. This rendered the beasts unusable in the First Shinobi World War without robust sealing techniques where they had to painstakingly develop, spending resources to make sealing jutsu to make them usable.
Intelligence given by the coordination of Anbu Decryption subvision and Anbu espionage subdivision revealed the strength level of their seal used on the jinchuriki, which proved to be inadequate compared to the Four Symbol Seal or even inferior seals employed by other major villages. This vulnerability suggested a strategic opportunity: utilizing the Five Element Unseal to potentially break the seal.
The prospect of unsealing the tailed beast not only eliminates a significant threat but also incites chaos as the unleashed One-Tail would disrupt and would decrease sizable amount of Sunagakure's forces, tipping the scales in our favor.
However, executing this plan isn't a simple task. Applying the Five Element Unseal requires precision and time, a luxury not found amidst the chaos of battle. Hence, secrecy is paramount, ensuring the Jinchuriki remains unaware.
Otherwise Danzo wouldn't be in such a sorry state if it was that easy to use.
With only six individuals in our village versed in the technique, only one in my mind can do it.
Though he is even more cowardice than Danzo for his own life, as long as compensation is satisfactory and Anbu accompanying him are competent, he would do it.
As I sifted through the documents, my thoughts were drawn to Iwagakure and Amegakure, concerns about the potential threats they pose.
Unlike Sunagakure, both Iwagakure and Amegakure remain formidable, with Iwagakure particularly fortified by the formidable Explosion Corps, effectively stalling any attempts at advancement.
Thankfully, Danzo did manage to eliminate the Five-Tail Jinchuriki, who ambushed him during his arrival, which dealt a significant blow to their forces, alleviating some of the pressure on Konoha.
However, Danzo's lack of preparation resulted in a tragic loss of 25% of our Anbu Black Ops, diminishing our tactical advantage considerably.
Nevertheless, I agree with Akio's perspective that Danzo's accomplishments should be acknowledged discreetly within the village. While he may not be a revered figure, recognizing his contributions can bolster morale among our shinobi, instilling them with the bravery needed to undertake risks for the greater good of our village, in line with the philosophy of the Will of Fire left by the Shodai Hokage and my sensei to uphold.
Anyways, back to the topic, since our shinobi cannot make advancements, why not use summoning beasts?
The idea of utilizing summoning beasts appears promising. These creatures possess inherently robust bodies, offering a substantial increase in manpower to our conventional forces.
Once Orochimaru concludes his current mission, I intend to task him, along with my other two disciples, with deploying these summoning beasts to Iwagakure to disrupt the stalemate. However, caution is necessary, given the potential presence of Four-Tail Jinchuriki and worse, presence of Onoki, the Nidaime Tsuchikage's apprentice on the battlefield, who can deploy Dust Release to annihilate our force which are are not agile to dodge his attack. So I need to pay close attention in the battlefield to avoid major mishap.
In regard to Amegakure, their resilience is quite unexpected considering their smaller size compared to the three major villages. Despite their limitations, they have managed to hold their ground admirably. It's surprising to see such a small village competing on par with the larger ones.
If Amegakure weren't strategically located at a crossroads between us and them, they might have even risen to become the sixth major village, which would undoubtedly present challenges and complications for all involved.
Fortunately, both Suna and Iwa understand the significance of preventing such a scenario and are committed to thwarting any ambitions Amegakure may have of achieving major village status. This alignment of interests provides me with an opportunity to redistribute our forces, reducing the pressure here and reinforcing the battlefronts against Iwagakure.
Last but not the least, the situation with Kumogakure and Kirigakure is indeed troubling. Despite our efforts to gather intelligence, their silence and apparent lack of involvement in the war raise suspicions.
While it's not uncommon for ninja villages to send spies or gather information, the captured individuals offer little beyond a repetitive narrative, suggesting a coordinated effort to mislead.
This raises questions about their true intentions and what they might be planning. While we're unable to take direct action against them due to our policy of 'not attacking villages unless they attack us' it doesn't mean I will sit still.
If the task given to Orochimaru comes to fruition, it would alleviate some of my concern, where Kumogakure would be unable to participate effectively due to heavy losses by an 'accident'.
As for Kirigakure, inciting discord among merchants would be suitable for now until I come up with a better plan.
Of course, before finalising my decision, I have to consider several factors with the council. The battlefield is a dynamic environment where circumstances can shift unexpectedly. Therefore, staying informed and up-to-date is crucial for making an informed and timely decision.