"You can take missions. There's nothing wrong with trying to stay alive."
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Chisen slowly nodded. He knew full well that without missions, a shinobi village would lose its source of funding, and the remaining Kirigakure ninja might end up committing even greater sins.
"Yes!"
Hearing Uchiha Chisen's answer, Mei Terumi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although barely a tenth of Kirigakure's ninja remained, Mei Terumi believed that, given some time, she could help the village recover much of its strength. Besides, Kirigakure lay isolated across the sea, so it would not fall from its position as a major shinobi village just yet.
"Next is the capital of the Land of Water!"
"The fastest way to spread justice is to purge the entire Land of Water, then establish the Justice Order Laws to ensure that justice takes root in this land."
Konoha.
"Even Kakashi has sided with Tsunade?"
Inside the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked away from his crystal ball, his face deeply weary. Even his eyes betrayed a trace of bewilderment. After all, he believed Kakashi owed him a debt of gratitude.
Yet now, even Kakashi had sided with Tsunade...
The bewilderment on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face lasted only an instant before resolve returned.
"I am not wrong!"
"Absolute justice is too extreme. Perhaps they think it's good now, but making justice absolute leaves no room for emotion!"
"Besides, if a shinobi village wants to grow stronger, not everything its people do can possibly be just!"
Smoking his pipe, Sarutobi Hiruzen quietly tried to convince himself. But as more and more of Konoha's ninja clans and elite jonin chose to support Tsunade, he knew that once the Hokage election began, he would most likely lose.
In the past, Sarutobi Hiruzen could at least