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Grove.
"The First Gate... open!"
With a loud shout, turbulent chakra surged out, and airwaves swept across the area, creating bursts of wind pressure.
"Second Gate, the Closing Gate, open!!"
The airwaves suddenly intensified, sweeping away dust and leaves. The violent chakra fluctuations created even stronger wind pressure.
Hirito's eyes rolled, focusing intently on the inside of Might Dai's body.
He saw Dai's meridians swelling violently, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant, as if they were overwhelmed and on the verge of tearing apart.
"Dai, you should stop," Hirito said seriously.
"No!!" Might Dai clenched his fists, breathing heavily through his mouth.
"I think I'm okay..."
"Third Gate—Health Gate, open!!!"
Even more chakra surged out like a dam breaking. Might Dai's whole body swelled, veins bulging like green-black pythons coiled around him.
Blood rushed rapidly, causing his skin to turn dark red in an instant. Dai's whole body seemed to become the eye of a storm, with chakra shockwaves continuing to generate intense wind pressure.
"Ugh... hiss..."
But within five seconds, Dai let out a cry of pain, falling to his knees involuntarily.
"Dai! Stop!!" Hirito shouted sharply.
But he didn't help channel the violent chakra in Dai's body—this was something Might Dai had to endure, adapt to, and recover from using his own willpower.
"Huff... huff..."
As Might Dai exhaled heavily, his body shrank back to normal, and the violent chakra fluctuations immediately dissipated, with sweat pouring down in large drops.
"It's still... not enough..."
Hirito looked at Might Dai, not sure whether to feel relieved. He admired Dai's willpower, but even physical prowess required talent and potential.
Hirito had seen the notes and practice insights of the [Eight Inner Gates] in the Hyuga clan's secret records and shared them with Might Dai. These were highly confidential.
He had thought it might help Dai, but to his surprise, when Dai looked at the data, he only felt dizzy and overwhelmed.
"I really can't make sense of these..."
Might Dai's eyes seemed to be spinning.
He quickly shook his head to clear them. "A real man should use his body to remember this pain!!!"
He grinned, flashing his signature thumbs-up and familiar shining expression.
Hirito could see the determination of someone who refused to give up.
---
Hokage's Office.
Inside, several high-ranking officials of Konoha were gathered.
Tap, tap...
Sarutobi Hiruzen smoked his pipe, filling the entire office with a thick haze of smoke.
"Ahem... Sarutobi, can't you smoke a little less!" Danzo snapped with a grim expression.
They had barely begun talking, and the whole room was already full of the pungent scent of smoke.
"...How am I supposed to think without smoking?" Sarutobi Hiruzen defended himself but put out the cigarette anyway.
"According to intelligence, both Sand Shinobi and Rock Shinobi are sending more troops to the borders. This war seems inevitable..."
Danzo snorted coldly: "Then hit them hard! Hit them until they regret it! Hit them until they don't dare to scheme anymore!"
He was uncompromising in the face of foreign threats.
"Homura, Koharu, what do you think?" Sarutobi asked.
Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses and replied calmly, "Third Hokage, this battlefield is unavoidable. We have the advantage of geography and resources. Unlike the Land of Wind, which is full of sand, or the Land of Earth, which is barren, our economy will continue to grow in times of peace..."
As the one responsible for Konoha's financial affairs, Homura was well-informed about this.
Utatane Koharu chimed in: "Even though Cloud Shinobi and Mist Ninja aren't showing any unusual activity, we can't ignore them."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, in his prime and full of energy, nodded. "In that case, we'll have our border ninjas stand by. We need to select a commander for the operation."
His finger pointed to a location on the map.
"The Land of Rain?"
The Land of Rain's position was crucial, as it was located between several major countries, making it a strategic buffer zone for the war.
After a moment of thought, Homura agreed, "I concur. The Land of Rain is an ideal choice. This way, we avoid bringing the war directly to the Land of Fire. Sand and Rock Shinobi likely have similar thoughts."
In the end, all opinions aligned.
Koharu then mentioned, "Third Hokage, there's another issue. Due to the early graduation of academy students, there aren't enough Jōnin to guide them."
Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively glanced at Danzo. Danzo had originally advocated for early graduation for the fourth-year students, but Sarutobi had suppressed the idea.
Now, he was glad he had.
Danzo noticed Sarutobi's gaze, huffed, and closed his eyes.
"We can assign Special Jōnin and Elite Chunin to lead them," Sarutobi suggested.
He paused, then added, "I recall that the fifth-year students include the next generation of the 'Ino-Shika-Chō' trio, correct?"
Koharu checked the roster. "Yes. Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Chōza."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully but said nothing further.
Mitokado Homura then pushed his glasses up once more. "Third Hokage, have you decided on the commander for Sand and Rock Shinobi?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked around at the others. "What do you suggest?"
Koharu proposed, "What about Tsunade? She's strong, and as your student, with her status as a Senju, she should make a fine commander."
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "Tsunade is too young—famous, yes, but not yet prestigious enough. Her character is too impulsive, and she lacks the steady hand required for this role."
At this point, Tsunade was only in her early twenties and hadn't yet earned the title of "Konoha's Sannin." Her fame largely came from being the granddaughter of the First Hokage.
Koharu wasn't surprised by the rejection.
"To command, you need both strength and strategic vision," Homura said. "In that case, the only candidates are from the major clans."
The options included members from clans like the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga, families with elders from the Warring States period.
"No!" Sarutobi Hiruzen interjected strongly.
Realizing his tone was too harsh, he softened it. "These clan elders have already given most of their lives to Konoha. It's up to us now to protect it. And don't forget Tobirama-sensei's teachings."
Tap, tap.
He knocked his pipe against the table for emphasis.
"In that case, Danzo, you will handle Sand Shinobi. As for Rock Shinobi... let Torifu take charge."
Akimichi torifuh, a member of Tobirama's former shadow guard, was selected.
The room grew quiet. Everyone knew their old comrade's capabilities well.
(End of the Chapter).
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