If The Hidden Rock Village rashly engages with the Ninja Sect, they will definitely face dire consequences.
"Yes, thanks to the caution of the Third," Elder Shigeaki said with lingering fear.
If The Hidden Rock Village suffered severe losses because of this, they would become the culprits of the village.
"I think we can turn this to our advantage, using this to cause other Ninja Villages and the Ninja Sect to suffer mutual losses," said Hikari, the leader of the Jonin Squad, after some thought.
The unforeseen events by The Hidden Rock Village were likely also unforeseen by the other Ninja Villages. This gives them an information advantage.
"Isn't The Hidden Sand Village already wary of the Ninja Sect? Instead of joining forces to attack the Ninja Sect, we can collaborate with them in other aspects to mislead The Hidden Sand Village, letting them and the Ninja Sect fight to a mutual loss."
Onoki thought carefully, then nodded.
If this plan succeeds, it would be like killing two birds with one stone, eliminating the threat of the Ninja Sect and weakening The Hidden Sand Village.
...
Land of Fire, Konoha Village.
Hokage Building.
Upon receiving news of the high-level meeting, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura quickly headed to the conference room.
No matter their attitude towards the new Hokage, they had to perform their duties properly since this was the new Hokage's first time presiding over a high-level meeting.
As they approached the conference room, they encountered Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The three greeted each other and then entered the conference room together.
Mokgetsu and Minato had arrived at the conference room earlier. Seeing the senior members arrive, Mokgetsu nodded in acknowledgment.
After Sarutobi Hiruzen sat down, he curiously glanced at the documents on the table. Of the five seats in the conference room, only Mokgetsu's place had no documents; the others did.
"Ninja Academy Reform..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the document title, a sense of curiosity rising within him.
The Ninja Academy was where he first discovered Mokgetsu, and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that Mokgetsu had an inexplicable passion for the role of a teacher.
Perhaps due to this passion, Mokgetsu thought a lot about the Ninja Academy, offering numerous beneficial suggestions.
For instance, the introduction of the medical specialty students, although only implemented for a couple of years, was highly praised by the village's ninjas, who regarded it as an exceptionally wise decision.
However, this time Mokgetsu brought the Ninja Academy reform to a high-level meeting, which Sarutobi Hiruzen felt was likely not just about minor issues like the medical specialty students.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was very curious about what kind of reform plan this would be.
"Minato, if you please," Mokgetsu said, looking at Namikaze Minato.
Namikaze Minato nodded, coughed lightly, and said, "Next, I will explain this plan regarding the reform of the Ninja Academy."
Although Mokgetsu was more familiar with the plan, Mokgetsu was the Hokage and couldn't personally handle everything. Otherwise, why have Namikaze Minato as the Hokage Assistant?
"The current six-year system of the Ninja Academy will be changed to a four-year system, designated as elementary school. An additional three-year middle school section will be added; students can't become ninjas upon graduating from the elementary level. They must graduate from middle school to become official ninjas."
As Namikaze Minato explained, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others also perused the documents on the table.
Utatane Koharu's brows gradually furrowed.
This change was enormous, almost overturning the original concept of the Ninja Academy.
Moreover, Konoha would need to invest much more in the new Ninja Academy, and the process of nurturing ninjas would be lengthened.
"Assistant Minato, please pause for a moment. I would like to ask, what exactly is wrong with the current Ninja Academy that necessitates such drastic reform?" Utatane Koharu asked bluntly.
Although she knew this was Mokgetsu's proposal, it didn't stop her from challenging Minato.
"Changing from a six-year system to a seven-year one, how much will that extra year cost, how many fewer ninjas will there be? Have you calculated this, and also, middle school now requires students to master at least one C-rank ninjutsu?! This also raises the requirements for teachers' skills, accumulating into a significant additional cost."
Namikaze Minato's expression remained unchanged, as Mokgetsu, having assigned him the task, was fully prepared.
Namikaze Minato calmly explained, "The current teaching at the Ninja Academy is too lenient, resulting in inconsistent quality among the Genin..."
Before the meeting started, Namikaze Minato not only acquired the Ninja Academy's documentation but also personally inspected the academy, then took the summary report to consult with Mokgetsu.
Thoroughly familiar with each problem at the current Ninja Academy, Namikaze Minato could articulate them in detail, which took Utatane Koharu by surprise. She hadn't expected this but was not ready to relent.
"If there are so many issues with the Ninja Academy, how come Konoha can still produce so many talented ninjas?"
Since graduating from the Ninja Academy, Utatane Koharu hadn't paid attention to it, so she couldn't judge the truth of Namikaze Minato's words.
But over the decades, with so many emerging genius ninjas in Konoha, she felt the Ninja Academy shouldn't have any issues.
Namikaze Minato suddenly didn't know how to respond to Utatane Koharu.
Utatane Koharu's question was emotional and seemed irrational, yet it truthfully reflected reality.
"Advisor Koharu, could it be possible that we could have even more exceptional ninjas," Mokgetsu said calmly.
"Or are you saying that you believe maintaining the status quo in Konoha is sufficient, with no need to strive for better?"
This left Utatane Koharu at a loss for words.
Mokgetsu's sharp reproach was something she dared not acknowledge; to admit would be to confirm lazy governance lacking ambition in the higher-ups.
"Regardless, the past cannot be changed. Let's continue discussing our current reform," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile, signaling Namikaze Minato to continue the explanation.
In Sarutobi Hiruzen's view, both Mokgetsu and Utatane Koharu had their faults.
Mokgetsu was being too sharp and disrespectful towards a revered elder, whereas Utatane Koharu was neglecting the importance of the new Hokage, opposing the reform rudely at the first high-level meeting.
Namikaze Minato instinctively looked at Mokgetsu, who nodded, and Minato continued with the explanation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen treated him well, and Namikaze Minato respected Sarutobi Hiruzen, but in a high-level meeting, Mokgetsu was truly his ally.
After Namikaze Minato finished explaining, Mitokado Homura spoke:
"I believe the reform will indeed improve the quality of graduating Genin, but is this improvement worth the cost of the reform?"
After careful consideration, Mitokado Homura decided to stand with his old friend Utatane Koharu.
Mokgetsu's assertive stance was too much. If they conceded now, their influence in the village would be severely diminished.
That's something Mitokado Homura did not want. He supported Mokgetsu's rise to power because Sarutobi Hiruzen promised him a high-ranking position for six years.
In these six years, if Mokgetsu challenged them to strip them of their positions, Sarutobi Hiruzen would step in to stop it.
However, if they lost their voice in high-level meetings, what would be the point of the position? What significance would his high-ranking position hold?
Besides, the issue he pointed out was genuinely present in the reform proposal.
Sarutobi Hiruzen silently flipped through the documents without speaking.
If this were a proposal from someone else, his stance might be similar to Mitokado Homura's, but this was Mokgetsu's proposal for Ninja Academy reform.
Plans Mokgetsu proposed for the Ninja Academy had never been wrong.
So Sarutobi Hiruzen was actually inclined towards reform, but given the current situation, he was truly in a difficult position to speak up.
His support could indicate that the new and old Hokage reached an agreement, making Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's opinions insignificant.
He didn't want nor could afford to assist Mokgetsu by stepping on old friends.
After all, it's not as if reform can't be passed. They could always have another meeting to pass it later.
PS:
Sorry for the delay due to a minor issue.
The additional content over the last two days was a warm-up. In just another day, we'll have the exciting seven-day National Day fireworks.
The plan is to update with no less than 7-8k words each day, and I'll write even more if possible.