Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Fourth Raikage and Killer B had already arrived at the front lines with three thousand elite troops.
The reconnaissance squads dispatched by Yusuke Uchiha received the news immediately.
Through the communications unit, the intelligence was quickly relayed back to Konoha.
Faced with such an urgent situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not convene a full council meeting at once. Instead, he summoned only the so-called Konoha F4.
Konoha.
Hokage Tower.
Hokage's Office.
Homura Mitokado spoke first, his expression calm and unreadable.
"Hiruzen, Kumogakure's offensive is extremely aggressive this time."
"We should make preparations early."
By preparations, he clearly did not mean sending reinforcements to Yusuke Uchiha.
With the Fourth Raikage personally taking the field—combined with Killer B, the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, and Yugito, the Two-Tails jinchūriki—Yusuke Uchiha was, in their eyes, all but doomed.
Sacrificing Yusuke Uchiha suited them just fine.
The real problem was what came after.
Once Yusuke Uchiha was defeated, how were they supposed to make Kumogakure withdraw?
The Fourth Raikage was no benevolent monk. Without sufficient pressure, he would never retreat willingly.
Allowing Kumogakure to march straight through the borders of the Land of Fire was absolutely unacceptable.
The Konoha high command could accept Yusuke Uchiha's defeat—but not defeat in the war itself.
At worst, they could cede some利益 and sign a peace treaty.
But no further concessions were possible.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi still cared about his reputation.
He absolutely could not become a defeated Hokage.
Otherwise, Danzo Shimura would seize the opportunity to force him to relinquish the Hokage position.
Koharu Utatane stepped forward and added,
"The situation is urgent. Hiruzen, should we send someone to summon Jiraiya back again?"
Homura nodded in agreement.
Jiraiya's refusal to return last time had already left him dissatisfied.
Now that Konoha faced a crisis, Jiraiya surely had no excuse to stay away any longer—right?
In the corner of the office, Danzo, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stepped forward.
"It doesn't matter if Jiraiya refuses to return."
"This time, let me take command of the counteroffensive against Kumogakure."
"Hiruzen—what do you think?"
Danzo's算盘 was crystal clear.
Once Yusuke Uchiha fell, he would step in to turn the tide.
In that case, who would be the greatest contributor if not him?
With this wave of prestige in hand, the Hokage position might finally fall into his grasp.
Danzo had waited far too long for this day.
Hiruzen cast Danzo a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable.
If Jiraiya returned, resisting Kumogakure would naturally be Jiraiya's responsibility.
If not, wasn't there still him, the Hokage?
Since when did it become your turn, Danzo, to take center stage?
You're nothing more than a scapegoat—don't forget your place.
Hiruzen remained silent.
A flash of gloom passed through Danzo's eyes.
Though the Third Hokage usually indulged him, at critical moments Hiruzen always dragged his feet, which infuriated Danzo to no end.
Wouldn't it be easier to just hand over the Hokage seat?
So old, yet still unwilling to step aside!
In truth, Hiruzen wasn't unwilling to relinquish power—he simply refused to give it to Danzo.
If Jiraiya were willing to succeed him, Hiruzen would gladly retire and become a figurehead.
That was exactly how it had gone when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had taken office.
Danzo looked toward the two advisors, hoping they would speak up for him.
But Homura and Koharu were clearly closer to Hiruzen.
Back then, if not for the two of them singing in unison, how could Hiruzen have reclaimed the Hokage position he had already relinquished?
Aside from dealing with Kumogakure, the Konoha high command now faced another issue.
If they wanted to sit back and let Yusuke Uchiha and Kumogakure tear each other apart, they would need to tread carefully.
News of the Fourth Raikage personally entering the battlefield had already reached Konoha.
They needed an excuse to stall Yusuke Uchiha—delaying reinforcements for as long as possible.
Only then would events unfold according to the script they had envisioned.
Hiruzen spoke calmly.
"Who will repel Kumogakure can be discussed later."
"For now, let's talk about how to support the front lines."
He wore a righteous expression as he spoke.
In reality, he had no intention of sending support at all.
Hiruzen's greatest skill was never stating his true intentions outright, instead letting others act on his behalf.
That way, even if things went wrong, he would never bear the primary blame.
Otherwise, why was Danzo always the one taking the fall?
In terms of political instinct, Danzo was at least a tier below Hiruzen.
The two advisors were thoroughly professional.
The moment Hiruzen spoke, they immediately understood his meaning.
"Support is necessary, of course."
"But both Sunagakure and Iwagakure are currently eyeing Konoha like tigers watching prey."
"We simply can't spare enough manpower right now."
Hiruzen smiled faintly in agreement.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha had made enemies of both Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
Using them as a justification was perfectly reasonable.
With Hiruzen and the two advisors in agreement, Danzo could only leave in a huff.
If they wouldn't give him the chance, then he'd simply take matters into his own hands.
No sooner had Danzo left than the door swung open.
Fugaku Uchiha stepped inside.
"Lord Hokage, I hope my unannounced visit isn't an inconvenience."
Hiruzen immediately put on a warm, benevolent smile.
"Fugaku."
"Your timing is perfect—we were just about to have ANBU summon you for discussions."
Fugaku spoke urgently.
"Lord Hokage, the Fourth Raikage has personally taken the field. The front lines are in grave danger."
"We must dispatch reinforcements immediately!"
Hiruzen remained noncommittal.
Before he could speak, the two advisors jumped in.
Homura said gravely,
"Our patrol units just reported that both Sunagakure and Iwagakure are showing signs of troop mobilization."
"In my opinion, the Kumogakure front can still hold for some time. Deterring neighboring nations and stabilizing the rear is the real priority."
Koharu quickly echoed him.
"In the last war, Konoha developed deep grudges with both Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
"They may seize this opportunity to make a comeback. We have no choice but to stay vigilant."
Only after the two advisors finished did Hiruzen step forward.
"Fugaku…"
"I want to support the front lines as much as you do."
"But Konoha simply can't mobilize enough shinobi right now."
"The movements of Iwagakure and Sunagakure cannot be ignored."
"Once the situation stabilizes, I will immediately dispatch reinforcements to the Kumogakure front."
Fugaku opened his mouth, wanting to say more.
But the Third Hokage's expression brooked no argument.
Seeing this, Fugaku's face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
Just as Yusuke had said—Konoha's high command was nothing but a nest of underhanded schemers.
Fugaku let out a cold snort and turned to leave, slamming the door behind him.
His disappointment in the Third Hokage had reached a new low.
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