This Style Looks a Little Familiar

The so-called "conference" that Tsunade to was a ninja tournament that she had recently been planning to boost morale and inspire people.

The main part of the event is to recognize the ninjas who performed well in the Chunin Ninja Exams, especially to hold a rank-awarding ceremony for ninjas like Sakura Haruno who were promoted due to their good performance.

A typical political activity.

The purpose was to tell the Konoha Ninja that Konoha had recovered from the attack Chunin Ninja Exams, that the new strength had made up for the losses suffered during the attack, and that the village had become strong and prosperous again.

This is the first time in decades that Konoha has held such an event, leading some to question whether this is still in the style of Konoha Ninja.

--Yes, it's a bit like the style of the evening news program.

As for how this art style got into the Hokage world... Sakura Haruno says she's not taking the blame for that!

Honestly, she only remarked once while learning from Tsunade that ninjas were incredibly efficient, and meetings without unnecessary formalities were truly refreshing. Then Tsunade asked a few more questions, like where she'd heard the term "formalistic" and what it meant... and the rest was Tsunade's own interpretation.

In short, Konoha under Tsunade's rule had a completely different look from the Third's era.

Konoha during the Third's era was more conservative and steady, which was typical of the Third as an elderly man approaching his twilight years; while Konoha during Tsunade's era was more energetic and vibrant, which was inseparable from Tsunade's current proactive personality.

Of course, a very important point is that the Third had served in Konoha for so many Hokage, leaving a deep imprint on the Konoha. As his successor, Tsunade needed to break free from the shadow of the Third Hokage and his constraints, so she had to make a strong first impression and carry out reforms and adjustments throughout Konoha, leaving her mark on the village.

With the support of the Third Hokage, Tsunade's position as Hokage is much more secure than in the original story. At least the two Hokage Advisor, whose main responsibility is to give orders to the Hokage, have gradually come to acknowledge the Fifth Hokage's authority and will not openly oppose her decisions after she makes them.

Such activities wouldn't have been organized during the Third's time; he probably thought they were too abstract and extravagant. However, Tsunade did it. The Fifth Hokage, who had gradually established herself and gained prestige in Konoha with the Third's help, decided to engage in some more abstract activities.

The timing was very clever.

Firstly, by this time of year, the damage caused to Konoha by Orochimaru's invasion has been largely recovered, the injured ninjas have mostly healed, and a large number of new generation ninjas have emerged. Konoha may even be stronger than before the Chunin Ninja Exams. Tsunade's hard work over the past few months has yielded excellent results.

So she couldn't wait to show off to everyone—it's a woman's vanity, you know.

Secondly, by bringing out the ninjas who were severely injured during the Chunin Ninja Exams but have now recovered, they can be shown off and praised. The underlying message is that Princess Tsunade's medical skills are unparalleled, and everyone can rest assured to fight for Konoha. As long as they don't die on the spot, they can be saved.

Thirdly, in the recently concluded Sasuke rescue operation, Konoha essentially suppressed Orochimaru's restless activities unscathed. This was an operation conducted in the wild, a stark contrast to just a few months prior when Orochimaru dared to wreak havoc deep within Konoha's territory. This clearly demonstrates that Konoha has regained its former deterrent power...

To the ninjas who knew the inside story, this was utter nonsense. Orochimaru wasn't intimidated by Konoha; he was held back by other enemies, which is why he didn't appear on the battlefield.

However, it's enough to Yuichi most of the unsuspecting mid-level ninjas.

A clever propaganda strategy is to tell only part of the truth. In that mission, Konoha sent many elite ninjas, but Orochimaru didn't appear. They launched a much-hyped operation, suffering heavy losses and ending up with nothing. Why?

Use your imagination.

This kind of theoretical work is definitely not a waste of time.

After Orochimaru launched his Konoha Crush Plan, the Konoha's facade was instantly torn away, revealing its true nature of being outwardly strong but inwardly weak. As a result, many ninjas were filled with anxiety and did not know where to go.

Sakura Haruno dealt with so many defection incidents in the Anbu during that period largely because these people believed that Konoha was on the verge of complete decline, which led them to harbor wicked intentions.

Therefore, although Tsunade organized such activities under the guise of abstract discussions, they were actually very practical and driven by an urgent need.

The purpose was to reassure the worried mid-level ninjas, telling them that Konoha was still very strong, with plenty of talent and successors.

The big tree won't fall, so the monkeys don't need to look for a way out; they can just stay put. That's roughly the idea.

The final objective was to inject some personal agenda, such as having the newly promoted ninjas demonstrate their "specialized" Ninjutsu during the conferment ceremony. Sakura, for example, demonstrated her terrifying Wind Release: Rasengan Fūma Shuriken...

Of course, it wasn't the ordinary Rasengan Fūma Shuriken, nor was it the Spiral Vortex that almost demolished the Hokage Building before it was even activated, as it incorporated Water Release Nature Transformation.

--Using these two Ninjutsu, are they trying to wipe out Konoha ninjas again?

However, the Wind Release: Rasengan technique was already amazing enough.

Many mid-level Chunin rarely see such a magnificent Ninjutsu. The destructive power of the Rasengan was enough to impress them, drawing cheers from the audience and achieving outstanding results.

Those savvy ninjas, however, could see through the trick.

Sakura Haruno's title of "Ice Release Girl" has gradually spread among this group of skilled and discerning ninjas. Knowing that Ice Release is a fusion of Water Release Wind Release Chakra, they are not surprised that Sakura Haruno can use such a powerful Wind Release Ninjutsu. After all, she is a talented ninja who has mastered Ice Release not long after graduation. Developing such Ninjutsu will only amaze everyone with her talent, rather than make them doubt the origin of her Ninjutsu.

Danzo, seated in his high position, glanced at her for a moment before regaining his composure.

Root has already been secretly gathering information on Sakura Haruno. According to the available intelligence, Sakura Haruno has never used Wind Release in battle... Does developing such Ninjutsu indicate that she intends to develop in the direction of Wind Release in the future?

Of course, those who know Sakura Haruno almost all know what this move is all about... Kakashi even remembers the nonchalant expression on her face when she showed off this move to him.

This conference took place several days after Sakura Haruno nearly demolished the Hokage Building.

Ninjas value efficiency and have no red tape.

After formally showcasing Konoha's new recruits, strong individuals, and meritorious figures, Tsunade watched with satisfaction as the spirits of the lower- and mid-level ninjas below the stage were invigorated by the performance. Knowing she had achieved her goal, she directly announced the end of the event.

Kakashi and Might Guy had already agreed to hold joint training sessions, so taking advantage of the opportunity of everyone being together, they went to the training ground together after the meeting.

(This is the fifth update today!! Please subscribe!!!)

(This is the first update for Kun, who isn't a foodie. Eight more updates are still owed!)

(Fan fiction doesn't generate copyright revenue; the biggest revenue comes from subscriptions. I hope those who read pirated versions can come and support the official version... Originally, I planned to add an extra chapter if the first subscription exceeded 1000, but the first subscription for Water Release was 1950... so...)