As soon as he returned to Konoha, Orochimaru went straight to the Hokage Office to report on his mission.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a sense of foreboding upon seeing Orochimaru's hurried demeanor as he entered.
Orochimaru had returned too quickly, and his appearance didn't suggest a successful mission.
"Teacher Sarutobi, the negotiations fell through; the mission failed. The attitude from the Ninja Sect is very abnormal," Orochimaru said with a serious expression.
Even though he had anticipated it, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh inwardly upon hearing Orochimaru's words.
"Describe the process of the negotiation in detail," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
Understanding the reason for the negotiation's failure was crucial; it would determine whether they could negotiate again or decide their next strategy.
"The Ninja Sect's attitude was inexplicably tough, as if they weren't afraid of going to war with us, Konoha."
Orochimaru recounted the entire exchange he had with Kakuzu during the meeting.
Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows after hearing the first part of Kakuzu's words; Kakuzu's attitude was indeed unusual.
When did small powers dare to threaten a Great Ninja Village with "whether to go to war is up to you", where did they get such courage?
Was it because they had fewer ninjas, or because their ninjas were less capable?
Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively took out his pipe, lit it, and took a few puffs, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"A diversionary tactic, perhaps..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen rhythmically tapped the table with his right hand, displaying a thoughtful expression.
Konoha could certainly intimidate the Ninja Sect, threatening them with war.
Because Konoha truly had the strength, but Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to play it safe and develop steadily.
The Ninja Sect's use of a diversionary tactic on Konoha was truly a gamble, betting that Konoha's gun wasn't loaded.
"Teacher Sarutobi, I think we can send a squad to conduct a detailed investigation of the Ninja Sect first," Orochimaru suggested.
There's no benefit to Konoha rushing to attack the Ninja Sect, especially since Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't seem eager for war.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
Before making the next move, they needed to determine whether the Ninja Sect was genuinely confident or merely bluffing.
...
Back in Konoha, Shisui dispersed his Shadow Clones to act separately and invited Kakashi and others to the Southern Border Forest to discuss the matter of the Ninja Sect.
"What do you all think we should do?" Shisui asked after explaining the situation.
The four fell into thought, and no one spoke for a moment.
"Actually, the issue with the Ninja Sect might be more severe than you think, Shisui," Kakashi said after thinking for a moment.
"The leader of the Ninja Sect killed a high-ranking member of Konoha. Even if it happened as the Ninja Sect ninja claimed, with Shimura Danzo being killed in self-defense, this outcome won't change."
What is a Ninja Village? It's a military organization for hire, not a guardian of justice in the Ninja World.
With a high-ranking member killed, regardless of the process, Konoha would hold the Ninja Sect accountable.
"This level of conflict is irreconcilable; either the Ninja Sect compromises, or the two sides go to war."
When the news of Shimura Danzo's death spread like wildfire, Kakashi had already been thinking about the Ninja Sect.
However, at that time, Konoha was busy with wars, so Kakashi didn't bring it up; compared to the matters between the Ninja Sect and the future Akatsuki, Mokgetsu's safety was more important.
"Doesn't that mean the Ninja Sect is destined to be destroyed?" Obito said regretfully.
He had a decent impression of Yahiko from the Ninja Sect.
"Almost. Even if Teacher Mokgetsu comes forward, it would only put his position in a problematic state," Kakashi nodded.
If the conflict between the Ninja Sect and Konoha were minor, Mokgetsu, as the Hokage Assistant, could naturally mediate, but Konoha had lost a former Hokage Assistant.
After thinking it through, Shisui realized that, indeed, as Kakashi had stated, Mokgetsu wasn't suitable for stopping the conflict between the Ninja Sect and Konoha.
Mokgetsu took the position of Hokage Assistant only after Shimura Danzo's death, so logically, Mokgetsu should be actively seeking to avenge the predecessor.
"Damn, if only I were Hokage, I wouldn't tolerate anyone secretly assassinating a leader of another power. I'd be the first to clean house!" Obito scratched his head.
Knowing that something bad was about to happen but being unable to prevent it made him very uncomfortable.
And the idea of another war looming right after a major battle, especially one provoked by their own village, made Obito even more uneasy.
"If you were to lead Konoha, I'm afraid the village would be forced to reduce its number of ninjas within a few years," Kakashi sighed.
Obito had indeed made progress compared to before, but his thoughts were still too idealistic.
If Konoha only accepted "just" commissions, how would it continue to grow and develop?
Nohara Rin hesitated to speak but ultimately remained silent.
In the past, it was always outside enemies invading Konoha, but now Konoha was targeting other powers.
"Stop dwelling on it; let's have a youthful and spirited battle! No matter the situation, being strong is always beneficial," Might Guy stood up abruptly, flashing a bright white-toothed smile, noticing the somber mood.
He didn't have the meticulous thoughts of Kakashi and Shisui, but he believed in Mokgetsu and his comrades, confident that as long as they continued working hard, they would surely succeed.
"Come to think of it, for various reasons, we haven't had an internal battle for quite some time," Obito said with an intrigued expression.
The purpose of their internal battles wasn't just fighting but mutual encouragement and strength enhancement.
So after the busy war period, internal battles were put on hold.
Combat on the battlefield was far more exhilarating than internal battles, satisfying their needs to improve their abilities.