The meeting * Sarutobi Sasuke

Hashirama spread both hands on the table. "Then, one last question: the fate of the Envoy."

After the Memorial Service, should we let them leave, or keep them here?

Shimura Clan Head almost without hesitation, "I still hold the same view: let them go. Send them back after the Memorial Service. Let's not cause any more trouble. Konoha can't afford a second accident."

Clan Head Sarutobi nodded. "I agree with Clan Head Shimura's opinion. It's not that we don't want to keep them, but at this critical juncture, every day we stay increases the risk. Who knows if there will be a second unexpected attack? Safety first."

"But..." Hashirama frowned, "It's a bit of a shame to let them go after all the trouble we went through to get them here."

The Nara Clan Head agreed, "I also disagree with letting them go like this."

"A Memorial Service alone is unlikely to change the overall impression. We have such a great opportunity to not only invite the Daimyo, but also keep the Envoys of the Four Nations here. Such a great opportunity does not come around often."

"If we just send them back like this, their impression will be 'Konoha was attacked, Konoha held Memorial Service,' and that's it."

"The real Chips that will excite them haven't been played yet; we need to refocus their attention on those."

"So what do you mean?" Hyuga Tennin turned his head to look at him.

"Let them stay, even if it's just for a few more days." The Nara Clan Head shrugged. "They don't need a complete itinerary, just a substantial ending so they can return home with that impression."

"Easy for you to say." Clan Head Shimura frowned. "What if something goes wrong again? What if an Envoy causes trouble at the Memorial Service, or what if something unexpected happens during the cleanup? Have you considered all of these possibilities?"

"We've considered it," the Nara Clan Head said calmly, "But the benefits outweigh the risks, so we have to give it a try."

"So, according to what you've said, how should we do it?"

"After the Memorial Service, we can arrange a small meeting where everyone can have some tea and chat, and let them raise any questions they have so we can address them one by one."

"Fear stems from the unknown; turning the unknown into the known naturally dispels fear. Even if they ultimately decide to leave, knowing what impressions they left with will be beneficial for future plans."

"This is indeed a solution..."

"No, we can't do that. That's coercion, and the nobles won't listen to that."

"But asking them to leave immediately..."

Just when everyone was undecided, Madara spoke up, "Let them decide for themselves."

All eyes turned to him at the same time.

"Those who want to leave, send guards to escort them safely out of the country; those who want to stay, follow Nara's arrangements. Whatever they choose, we'll make our stance clear," Madara said. "We're not afraid of trouble. If they want to attack, then attack; if not, we'll sit down and talk. It's that simple."

Tobirama thought to himself, "That's a typical radical idea."

He was too arrogant, but that's also a fact.

Even though their top combat strength is currently vacant and most of their Jonin are temporarily unable to fight due to serious injuries, Konoha's Ninjas are still stronger than those of other countries.

The Land of Land of Fire was the region with the most intense infighting among Ninja clans Warring States Period. Because the Land of Fire had no shortage of food or resources, the Ninjas who survived in this environment had a level of food, clothing, training intensity, and combat experience that Ninjas from other countries could not match.

Now that these people have joined forces, it would be too embarrassing if we still couldn't defeat them.

Everyone straightened their backs slightly, subconsciously agreeing with what Ban had said.

Hashirama clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him, and said cheerfully, "Then let's do as Madara says! After the Memorial Service, give the choice to the Envoy. Those who want to leave won't be forced to stay, and those who want to stay will be treated well. So, this meeting is adjourned. I'll leave the specific execution to you all."

The tribal Clan Head present all stood up.

Shimura Clan Head Shimura bowed slightly to Hashirama first, adjusted his right arm which was in a sling, and then turned to push open the paper door.

As they walked, Clan Head Sarutobi spoke in hushed tones with Clan Head Akimichi, seemingly discussing the compensation they had just received.

The Aburame Clan Head silently drifted past from the shadows and exited the door behind Hyuga Tennin.

In the blink of an eye, only Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama remained in the Meeting Room.

Tobirama tucked the clipboard under his arm and said expressionlessly, "I'm going to find Rokuhiko."

Then, the Flying Thunder God technique flashed and disappeared from the spot.

Hashirama watched the last Clan Head leave the Meeting Room, then slumped onto the table, his face pressed against the wooden board like a pancake, letting out a muffled sigh, "Next, I'm going to be drowning in documents again."

Ban lowered his eyes and didn't reply. He leaned back in his chair, his hair still untied, sticking out at his shoulder.

Standing behind him, Tadayo remained silent, his eyes fixed on the wood grain on the table, as if his mind was blank.

Hashirama propped his head up from the table and turned to Madara: "How's Izuna?"

"At home, still sleeping."

"Is the eye problem resolved?"

"Hmm. But I'm not sure if it will work; we'll have to wait until he wakes up." Madara frowned slightly. "Could you come and take a look? I want to know exactly when he'll wake up."

"Okay, let's go then."

The two left the Meeting Room one after the other, leaving Tadayo standing in the empty Meeting Room.

He gathered the teacups on the table to one side, rolled up the scattered scrolls and put them on the shelf by the wall, then closed the window, walked out of the Meeting Room, and headed towards Konoha Hospital.

When Tadayo walked out of the Hokage Building, the afternoon sun was shining down from the eastern mountain ridge, illuminating the streets and alleys of Konoha.

He first went to the Commercial Street and bought a bag of fruit.

The Tavern Keeper recognized him as an Uchiha Clan and slipped him two extra oranges. He didn't refuse and nodded his thanks.

He saw Sarutobi Sasuke on the way.

Sasuke's left arm was in a sling, and his right sleeve was rolled up to his elbow, revealing a stitched wound on his arm that hadn't been removed yet. He also had injuries on his leg, and was using a crutch to walk with a limp. He looked quite miserable.

He had the most bandages on him during the meeting, which made me take a second look at him.

Sasuke was walking towards the hospital entrance when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and glanced back.

Tadayo walked to his side, slowed down, and walked with him towards the hospital.

The two weren't exactly acquainted; they only knew each other's names. Uchiha and Sarutobi weren't allies during the Warring States Period, but they weren't mortal enemies either. After the village was founded, they belonged to different departments, and they rarely even saw each other.

But since we've already run into each other, let's chat.

They happened to have something in common.

"You've come to see someone?" Sasuke spoke first.

"Yeah, I was lying down making decisions, so I had to come and check on him." Tadayo glanced at him. "You... you're here to be admitted to the hospital?"

"Yes. I insisted that my husband bring me to this meeting, and now that it's over, I need to go back home and lie down."

"You... really need to lie down..."

"Ugh, I kind of regret going out. I feel terrible all over, and I'm going to get yelled at by the doctor when I get back. Sigh..."

Tadayo chuckled twice and said, "You deserve to be scolded. If I were injured like this, I wouldn't have acted like a brat."

Sarutobi Sasuke pouted, "Well, I was worried about Izuna, otherwise I wouldn't have come."

Tadayo paused for a moment.

He turned his head to look at Sasuke, his expression shifting from casual teasing to a more serious scrutiny. "You came for Lord Izuna?"

"Yes." Sasuke nodded matter-of-factly, his cane tapping rhythmically on the stone pavement. "Mu and I heard he was seriously injured, so we wanted to know the specifics so we could send him something useful."

He sighed, his tone tinged with frustration, "So your Lord Madara really is impervious to reason, not revealing a single word, really! Hey, aren't you from the Uchiha? You must have some inside information in your clan, right? Do you know anything?"

Tadayo did not answer immediately.

He switched the bag of fruit to his other hand, lowered his eyes as if deep in thought, "Why are you all so concerned about him?"

Sasuke replied matter-of-factly, "We're his friends. Shouldn't we care if our friend gets hurt?"

Then he lowered his head, "It's a pity we were all too incompetent. We couldn't even offer to help in that level of battle, and some people..."

He paused, his lips moved slightly, the name hovered around his lips, but he ultimately didn't say it.

He shook his head, then looked up at Tadayo again. "So what exactly do you know?"

Tadayo looked at him and remained silent for a while.

He wasn't familiar with Sasuke, but he knew that Lord Izuna now had some friends from other tribes. As a former friend of his, Tadayo was somewhat resistant to these new friends.

I never really felt they were true friends; after all, they were from other ethnic groups, and I couldn't possibly do any better than them.

But when he actually met them, he realized that they were the same.

They are a bunch of fools who would go to great lengths for their friends, even risking their lives.

"I can only tell you one thing," Tadayo said, "Lord Izuna's health should be fine."

Sasuke stopped and turned to stare at Tadayo, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean 'should be fine'? Your words are making me even more anxious."

Tadayo tilted his head slightly, carefully choosing his words: "I don't know the specifics either. I wasn't there at the time; it was Hikaku He who told me that Lord Izuna's mental state on the battlefield wasn't quite right."

Sasuke's expression immediately tightened. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Tadayo shook his head. "Hikaku didn't elaborate, and I didn't press him. But judging from his expression, it must be something serious."

"Hiss..."

"But there's no use in worrying. Now we can only hope that Clan Head Madara and the others can heal Lord Izuna."

Sasuke somewhat frustrated. "I still can't do anything..."

Tadayo reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

Tadayo and Sasuke chatted for a few more minutes, their conversation veerging from "what clothes to wear to the Memorial Service" to "the hospital food is so awful it tastes like Military Rations Pill." They chatted idly along the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of Konoha Hospital.

Then Sarutobi Sasuke was punished by his wife.

The woman had clearly been waiting at the door for a long time.

Her sleeves were neatly tied with cufflinks, her hands were on her hips, and her aura was like that of a black bear, full of overwhelming oppressive power.

Sasuke froze the moment he saw her again; his face instantly screamed, "I'm doomed."

"Sarutobi! Sasuke!" The woman's voice boomed like thunder.

"Mi- Miori! Let me explain--"

"Explain what? Explain that you snuck out of the ward to attend that stupid meeting!" The woman named Miori strode over and swiftly grabbed Sasuke's ear.

The force looked considerable; Sasuke was pulled to the side, nearly losing his cane.

The woman cursed and dragged him into the hospital. Her voice echoed in the hospital Veranda. A passing nurse saw this and looked slightly frightened. She unconsciously moved aside to make way for the couple.

Sasuke was dragged into the hospital by his ear. "Wife, I was wrong--Ouch--"

Tadayo was both amused and exasperated by what he saw, and carried the fruit to the ward where Hikaku and Setsuna were.

Sarutobi Sasuke was dragged into the hospital room by his wife Miori, from the Veranda to the bedside.

Miori steadily supported his arm, pressed him down to sit on the edge of the bed, then let go, put her hands on her hips, and looked down at him.

"You're injured like this and you're still running around aimlessly!" Miori's voice echoed in the ward, Sasuke shrank back.

The bandage on his left arm had loosened halfway during the struggle. She glanced down at it, then reached out and tightened it again with swift movements, but her words didn't stop. "Do you know how worried I was when I saw you weren't in the ward? I asked the nurses, and they said they didn't know. I asked your father, and he said you were in a meeting with the Clan Head. What kind of meeting would a wounded soldier like you attend! You finally survived that hellhole, is it so hard to lie down for a few days?!"

Sasuke opened his mouth, wanting to say that the meeting was really important, and that as the son of the Clan Head, he couldn't be absent.

But Miori's eyebrows were raised, and her eyes were red-rimmed; his words were stuck in his throat.

"... Well, I'm back now."

"Now that you're back, just lie still." Miori picked up an Oiled Paper from the bedside table, opened it, and inside was a roasted salamander, its aroma filling the air.

She held the salamander up to Sasuke, her expression shifting from anger to an undeniable concern. "Eat this. I've tried the hospital food; it's all watery and Clear Soup, with not a drop of oil. How can you recover by just eating that?"

Sasuke stared at the salamander, his lips twitching. This was Miori's special roasted salamander, said to be highly nutritious. He'd eaten plenty of it since he was a child, always forced into his mouth by her. The taste wasn't bad, but the presentation was just... well...

"Um, well, I'll eat later..."

"Eat now."

"Miori-- "

"Eat."

Sasuke took the salamander and took a bite under her gaze.

The outer crust is baked until crispy and crunchy.

He took another bite, then stuffed the remaining half into his mouth, mumbling "Delicious."

Miori watched him swallow the whole salamander, her expression finally softening a little as she reached out and ruffled his messy hair.

"I'm going to work now. I picked up a helper at the hospital, in charge of the lightly injured patients, in the row of wards next door. I'll come back after my shift." She walked to the door, then turned back and glared at him. "If you run again, I'll break your leg. You already have one crippled, one more won't make a difference."

Sasuke nodded, and Miori was extremely pleased with his obedient little face.

The wife's footsteps faded into the distance, swallowed up by the groans of other wounded soldiers and the footsteps of nurses.

The ward fell silent.

The smell of disinfectant mingled with the lingering aroma of roasted salamanders. Sasuke leaned back against the headboard and looked out the window.