Unable to hold it back any longer, Danzo cut in before anyone else could speak.
"Hmph! If they want to come, let them come! It is precisely at times like these that we cannot show weakness. That will only encourage them to push their luck. The Hidden Leaf must never show a soft underbelly. If they want to play hardball, we will pay them back double! The Hidden Leaf has never feared anyone's threats or challenges!"
This was textbook warhawk philosophy.
And you couldn't say Danzo was entirely wrong.
When facing an enemy, showing weakness is indeed dangerous. It only signals that you are easy prey, inviting them to bully you further. However, you also can't just blindly headbutt a wall without a shred of logic or a bottom line.
If Danzo's hardline stance regarding the Sand Village and Menma had been arguably correct earlier, maintaining that same attitude now—facing the combined high-pressure front of the Three Great Ninja Villages—was just plain stupid.
It wasn't confidence; it was pure arrogance.
Could the current Hidden Leaf handle three Great Villages at once?
The answer was a resounding no.
This wasn't the golden era of the Third Hokage's reign. Back then, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime. Beneath him, he had the White Fang (Sakumo Hatake), the Sannin (Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru), and the rapidly rising Minato Namikaze. With that lineup, they could indeed take on two or three villages simultaneously and even come out victorious.
But Danzo clearly failed to recognize the reality.
He still believed the Leaf was that Leaf. He thought that even without those heroes, the village could still dominate the ninja world. He always believed the Leaf's stagnation wasn't due to a lack of strength, but a lack of leadership. He was convinced that if he were in charge, he could easily crush the other nations.
Tsunade, obviously, didn't share this delusional "confidence."
She had no intention of making enemies of the entire world, nor did she care about dominating it. She was the First Hokage's granddaughter; her late lover and brother, and now Naruto—who carried their will—were all hot-blooded believers in justice. Tsunade naturally hoped for peace for both the Leaf and the world.
So, the moment Danzo finished speaking, Tsunade's expression changed. She no longer bothered to suppress her dissatisfaction.
"Hardball?! Elder Danzo, do you hear yourself?! Just counting the forces gathering at our borders, the Three Great Villages have fielded over ten thousand ninjas! That number could increase at any moment. The Stone has deployed the Five-Tails Jinchūriki. Do you think the Cloud won't do the same? And the Mist?
"Your approach would drag the Hidden Leaf into a war of annihilation! If that happens, who takes responsibility?! You, Elder Danzo? Can you shoulder the weight of the village's destruction?!"
She fired back hard, her tone unyielding.
And this was Tsunade holding back. She was inches away from pointing right at Danzo's nose and calling him delusional.
Hearing Tsunade's merciless rebuttal, Danzo's expression turned dark.
She is just a junior...
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and cold.
Just as Danzo was about to retort...
"Yes, this is indeed a matter that requires comprehensive consideration. We cannot bear the pressure of three villages at once. So, Tsunade, what is your plan?"
Sitting opposite them, Homura Mitokado spoke up, cutting off the escalating argument.
"We use the captured Sand ninjas and the One-Tail Jinchūriki as bargaining chips to negotiate with the Hidden Sand. As long as they withdraw their troops, restore our previous alliance, and pay the appropriate reparations, we will return the One-Tail to them. This eliminates the threat on our western flank.
"As for the Cloud and the Stone, they have had irreconcilable differences since the Third Great Ninja War. We can exploit that rivalry. We may not be able to eliminate the pressure entirely, but we can certainly control it within a range we can handle."
Tsunade composed herself and spoke in a calm, leveled voice.
This wasn't just her idea.
It was a broad strategic outline proposed by Shikaku Nara. Executing it would require more detailed planning, but for now, it was the optimal choice for dealing with the three hostile villages.
There were concessions, but there was also strength.
It felt very much like the traditional lineage of Leaf Hokages.
"Yes, that is indeed a very reasonable approach."
"I agree."
Hearing this, Homura and Koharu Utatane felt a familiar sense of comfort.
This is how it should be.
At that moment, the way they looked at Tsunade was filled with relief and approval.
This is a Hokage we can recognize. She truly is Hiruzen's student.
The two advisors were satisfied.
Danzo, naturally, was not.
In his view, the Hidden Leaf had no need to make concessions!
Even if he took a step back and admitted that a strategic retreat was necessary, there had to be limits!
The One-Tail was a massive strategic asset—how could they just give it back?!
Especially since the Leaf had already lost the Nine-Tails! How could the greatest ninja village in the world have no Tailed Beasts and no Jinchūriki?!
That was unacceptable!
Danzo's expression grew even colder.
But with his two closest friends and fellow advisors "defecting" to Tsunade's side, Danzo knew that no matter what he said, it would be useless.
Following that, Tsunade quickly cut through the noise regarding Menma's issue, stating her attitude clearly.
"Finally, regarding Menma Uzumaki. He is, after all, the son of Minato and Kushina. It is inappropriate for the Leaf to make a loud spectacle of handling him, as it would be detrimental to our internal stability. I believe it is most appropriate to give Jiraiya full authority over this matter. Since Jiraiya was Minato's teacher, I believe there is still room for negotiation."
She didn't need to spell it out.
Homura and Koharu understood instantly. After exchanging a glance, they slowly nodded.
"Since you put it that way, Tsunade, we will leave it to Jiraiya for now."
They wanted to hold onto a shred of hope. From the advisors' perspective, they also believed Menma had been bewitched by Orochimaru, so perhaps there was a chance to bring him back.
Besides, even if it failed, was the situation really any worse than it was now?
Once again, a consensus was reached—leaving Danzo out in the cold.
Danzo's mood hit rock bottom. Originally, he had planned to unite with the two advisors to pressure Tsunade together. How had the tables turned so quickly?
Danzo didn't understand.
But more than that, he was furious. He was powerless to change the outcome, just as he had been when Hiruzen Sarutobi was in power.
Now...
Tsunade was the Hokage.
The thought made the flames of rage in his heart burn even hotter.
Hokage!
Hokage!
Hokage!
He must become the Hokage!
At this moment, the fire of ambition within Danzo burned to its absolute limit.