Ever since Akimichi Tofu was promoted and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was marked with Tsunade's approval, Akimichi Tofu had been engaging in strategic debates and struggles, opposing one thing today and another tomorrow.
This weakening of her influence left Utatane Koharu deeply dissatisfied.
Now, with another voice rising in opposition and offering criticisms, it was no surprise she found it difficult to bear. Her temper remained as fiery as ever.
Akimichi Tofu sighed:
"I mean the village should respond, but we can afford to wait and see how the Sand Village and the Rock Village react."
"The Sand Village initiated conflict but refrained from officially declaring war, indicating they didn't want the blame. Now that the opportunity has arisen, they won't be able to resist. The Rock Village doesn't need to lead, but Onoki has a notoriously short fuse."
Akimichi Tofu's point was clear: the Sand Village wanted to avoid the burden of being seen as the instigator but would not pass up a chance to act once someone else had stepped forward.
Now that the Rain Village had made the first move, the Sand Village could act without much criticism. The Rain Village's open declaration of war against the three major ninja villages had shocked the entire ninja world.
With the Rain Village stepping up first, the long-awaited opportunity had arrived for the Sand Village, which would surely act on it. Compared to the urgency of the Sand Village, Konoha could afford to hold back and observe the situation.
After stating his point, Akimichi Tofu cast a subtle glance at Utatane Koharu, sighing inwardly.
Ever since his appointment as an assistant to the Hokage, Utatane Koharu's temper had only grown worse. But it was understandable—he had taken control of the medical department that she once dominated. How could she not be angry?
Mitokadu Hamura, who still oversaw the logistics department, remained relatively unaffected. While he disliked Akimichi Tofu, he was not as overtly hostile as Koharu.
It wasn't that Mitokadu Hamura had a calm demeanor; rather, his authority hadn't been diminished. If Akimichi Tofu had taken control of the logistics department instead of the medical division, Mitokadu Hamura would have been the one fuming.
"Hmph, Fatty, you're growing softer by the day."
Utatane Koharu acknowledged that Akimichi Tofu's argument made sense, but she refused to admit it out loud.
Mitokadu Hamura simply smiled without commenting.
"Koharu."
The Third Hokage had to intervene, reminding her that personal frustrations shouldn't seep into their work.
"I think Tofu's suggestion is sound. The Sand Village won't hold back for long, so we should wait and observe. Besides, Onoki's temper is notoriously volatile."
If the Sand Village made an official declaration of war, it would undoubtedly provoke Onoki.
After the meeting, Akimichi Tofu left first.
Utatane Koharu, still dissatisfied, turned to the Third Hokage: "Hiruzen, are we really not going to release Danzo? With Tofu under Tsunade's wing, there are too many obstacles at the top."
"No."
The Third Hokage shook his head, sighing. "Tsunade has made it clear that she won't allow Danzo to be released, even under a new identity. Danzo's maneuver to use intelligence to sway Hanzo into assassinating Shinki deeply affected her."
"But…"
Koharu remained stubborn. It wasn't Danzo's freedom she cared about; it was reclaiming authority over the various medical departments.
"For now, let's leave it as it is. I'll speak to Tsunade personally soon."
Konoha had many administrative branches, but few matched the strategic importance of the medical division. Even if the Third Hokage wanted to offer compensation to Koharu, he didn't have much to give that was equivalent in value.
Tsunade would never relinquish control of the medical division unless other departments of equal weight were transferred to her authority.
The only departments that could match the medical division were the logistics department, the finance department, and the Anbu.
Mitokadu Hamura controlled the logistics department, so trading it for the medical division made no sense.
As for the finance department and the Anbu, they were untouchable.
The Anbu could potentially be shared with Tsunade, but not the finance department. If Tsunade gained control over finances, many dark secrets would come to light, permanently tarnishing Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation.
Perhaps a trade was possible?
Tsunade's medical division comprised many sub-departments. Maybe offering some of those to Koharu as compensation could work, allowing her to merge them with the logistics department to stabilize the leadership structure.
The finance department was out of the question, but splitting control of the Anbu was feasible. The Anbu reported directly to the Hokage, so even if Tsunade gained partial control, it wouldn't pose too much risk.
Five days after the Rain Village's declaration of war, the Sand Village seized the moment and declared war on the Rain Village, Konoha, and the Rock Village.
The provoked Rock Village also declared war, targeting the Sand Village, Konoha, and the Rain Village.
Konoha, which had held its position the longest, eventually declared war on all involved parties, including the Sand Village, Rock Village, and Rain Village.
With all major forces now embroiled in conflict, the Second Ninja World War officially began.
Konoha, the Sand Village, and the Rock Village sent continuous reinforcements to the Rain Country, intensifying the conflict. The entire ninja world was enveloped by the shadow of war, impacting villages and countries directly or indirectly.
Thousands of reinforcements were sent to the front lines, with the three major villages deploying over 2,000 troops to the Rain Country.
Don't underestimate that number—2,000 trained ninjas could wage a battle of considerable scale.
After an exhausting day, Tsunade visited the tavern where she usually met Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
The Third Hokage was already waiting for her, the table laid out with food and Tsunade's favorite sake.
Tsunade sat across from the Third Hokage, poured herself a drink, and downed it in one go. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly as she spoke: "Has that old woman been bothering you again?"
Utatane Koharu had been trying to reclaim control over parts of the medical division. Tsunade knew this but had chosen to ignore it.
The Third Hokage smiled faintly, took a sip of his drink, and said, "Tsunade, the village's medical system comprises many departments. I believe we can relinquish some control."
"Oh?"
Tsunade's curiosity was piqued. "And how would you compensate me, old man? With the logistics department or the finance department?"
"Ahem!!!"
The Third Hokage choked on his drink. While the medical division had many departments, its significance was on par with the logistics and finance departments. He couldn't just hand over those, making any offer of compensation almost pointless.
"You could take control of half the Anbu."
After regaining his composure, the Third Hokage made his proposal.
"The Anbu?"
Old man, are you serious?
Handing over half of the Anbu, even partially, meant Tsunade could involve herself in many operations, potentially turning the Anbu into her own force.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 170 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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