Konoha
Hokage Mansion
After receiving the latest report from the battle in the Land of Soup, Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura, and Danzō gathered once again without hesitation, not even taking a moment to eat.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere in the conference room was unbearably heavy, as if a dark, oppressive cloud hung over them all.
They couldn't believe what was happening. Luo Lei had been in Kirigakure just a moment ago, appointing that girl as the Fourth Mizukage, showcasing the terrifying extent of his influence. And barely a moment later, he was already on the battlefield in the Land of Soup, massacring 8,000 ninjas, defeating the Raikage, and capturing most of the Cloud shinobi.
Such a horrifying and inexplicable feat left everyone stunned, their hearts pounding wildly.
They would have much preferred for Konoha's army to have been defeated in the Land of Soup than to witness Luo Lei turning the tide and crushing the combined forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
Helplessness, shock, disbelief, horror... all these emotions mixed in their hearts. Finally, their faces transformed into masks of pure fear.
From the beginning, they only wanted to win this world war. To that end, faced with an increasingly unpredictable Luo Lei, they chose to compromise, yield, retreat... again and again.
And what was the result?
As Luo Lei continued to amass victories and fame on the battlefield, their attempts to maintain control became futile. Luo Lei had grown so powerful that they could no longer handle him.
Now, with the crushing defeat of the combined forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure, the world war was coming to an end, and the Ninja God, Luo Lei, would return to Konoha. The invisible pressure that this reality generated was suffocating.
For the first time, Konoha's high command felt that winning the war so quickly was not a relief but a burden on their shoulders.
"Damn it!"
Koharu slammed the table in anger. "What kind of Kekkei Genkai does Luo Lei have?! How the hell has he become so strong in such a short time?!"
"The war is about to end, and we'll have to face Luo Lei here, in our village..." Homura muttered, his voice laden with terror. "We're not prepared for this."
Silence returned to the room, this time even heavier. Everyone was terrified. Their expressions darkened, filled with fear and despair.
Especially Danzō. Since his humiliating defeat at the hands of Luo Lei at Kikyo, though his physical wounds had healed, the shadow in his heart remained unbroken.
He had thought the war would last three to five years, but he never imagined it would end in less than two. More precisely, in just over a year.
"What do we do now?"
The three looked at each other, searching for answers that none of them had. It was the first time in years that they felt so powerless, facing something so overwhelming that it left them breathless.
"Sigh..."
Finally, Hiruzen, who had been silent the entire time, let out a long, weary sigh.
He took his pipe and began to smoke, his eyes filled with exhaustion.
The village remained the same; nothing had changed, but Luo Lei was no longer the same. Perhaps, from the moment they sent him to Kikyo Mountain for support, from the moment Homura betrayed his trust, all the bad seeds had already been planted, and now they were reaping the bitter fruits.
"Hiruzen, what do you say?"
The next moment, Koharu looked directly at Hiruzen, her eyes filled with urgency. "You are the Third Hokage! The God of Shinobi! Luo Lei's return to Konoha should concern you more than anyone else, don't you see?"
"Yes, Hiruzen." Homura added, his face gaunt. "Are we going to allow someone as powerful as Luo Lei to walk among us, as if he weren't an imminent threat?"
"That man is destined to clash with us!" Danzō, with a grim expression, looked at Hiruzen. "You are the Third Hokage, but Luo Lei is no longer just a simple ninja. He is now a god walking among mortals!"
Boom!
The sound of the table breaking echoed loudly, and Hiruzen's pipe shattered under the pressure of his trembling hand.
"I know!" He shouted in frustration. "I know better than anyone what Luo Lei represents... But now that things have reached this point, we have no choice but to proceed cautiously, step by step. We can't rush!"
After saying this, a look of defeat crossed his face. They had compromised so much, yielded so much, that now only obedience remained. He knew there were too many lessons from the past. He couldn't afford to gamble, nor did he even want to try.
"..."
It was the first time they saw Hiruzen so overwhelmed and lost. Koharu, Homura, and Danzō exchanged glances. They wanted to say something, but no words could change reality. They could only accept it.
With the power Luo Lei had achieved, there was no way to stop him anymore.
What else could they do?
All they could do was obey...
"Indeed."
After a long silence, Hiruzen looked at the remnants of his broken pipe and said, "Have you found a suitable option?"
"No," Koharu replied in frustration. "Aside from Kushina and Tsunade, the rest are either too young or too old. We have no options."
"Is that so?"
Hiruzen rubbed his temples, his expression darker than ever. "When Tsunade returns, I'll speak with her. She's been single for too long... It's time for her to settle down, whether she likes it or not."
"Oh?!" The others were stunned.
The last time they had mentioned something like that, Hiruzen had adamantly refused, stating that Tsunade herself would destroy the Hokage Mansion if they forced her. And now he seemed willing to accept it.
As expected of you.
"This time is different." Hiruzen resolved, his gaze dark. "We are on the brink of destruction. We can't afford to offend Luo Lei... not now."
"..."
Koharu, Homura, and Danzō said nothing more. They could only nod. They knew there was no other way out.
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