Hiruzen Sarutobi Restarts the Council of Elders
"They're here, they're here!"
At the Konoha Gate, several villagers with sharp eyes watched the approaching troops slowly approaching in the distance and shouted loudly.
Today is the day when the Konoha troops stationed at the front lines will return.
Long ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi only released a message, and many villagers spontaneously came here to wait.
Immediately, the cannons placed high on the wall were fired.
Kakashi yawned as the group approached from afar.
"See? I told you you'd be there every time this happens."
Hearing this, Hagoromo rolled his eyes; he didn't even bother to talk about Kakashi anymore.
If the old man hadn't told me to stay put and come back with the group...
He wouldn't be in the team; wouldn't it be better for him to spend that time teaching students?
"Haha, Kakashi is right, Hagoromo!"
Jiraiya, patted Hagoromo on the shoulder, remarking that the old man was quite old and had taken on a disciple like Hagoromo.
It has indeed changed Konoha a lot.
Although it only affects a few people, these people are crucial to the future of Konoha.
"Come on, you two are the main commanders this time, I'm not going to take credit for your work."
At this moment, Hagoromo only knew that her head was throbbing, just like when she was in the front-line camp.
On my way back these past few days, it's been the same; there are always some Konoha ninjas coming up to greet me.
As the troops arrived at the gate, the cannons fired even more frequently, and countless confetti rained down on the ground and into the air.
This time was different from before; no villagers stepped forward, but instead looked on with admiration at the army slowly entering the gate.
"Tsk, it's been so long since I've seen a sight like this."
Even Jiraiya couldn't help but show a hint of nostalgia.
Hagoromo nodded in agreement. This time, the crowd was even more overwhelming than before; it seemed like the entire village had squeezed in.
Kakashi was somewhat dazed, after all, what if Obito were still here?
That scene before him should be enough to make him smug for a long time, right?
"Let's go, the old man is still waiting for us!"
Jiraiya urged Hagoromo and Kakashi beside him to quicken their pace, as the heavy responsibility of the front-line commander could not be truly relieved until they saw Hiruzen Sarutobi.
At the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi was standing with a high-ranking official from the Land of Fire.
This time, Konoha defeated Sunagakure and Iwagakure, and even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had to send his trusted confidants to show his respect.
"Lord Hiruzen, we have won this battle!"
Jiraiya walked at the front, his face solemn.
In such situations, no matter how uncouth he may be, he has to act this way.
"Well!"
Wearing a divine robe Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Jiraiya with a smile and patted Jiraiya on the shoulder.
Even though Jiraiya is rarely in the village, it's a good thing that he obeyed orders and held off Iwagakure for so long on the front lines.
Immediately afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi introduced himself to the high-ranking official from the Land of Fire beside him.
When it was Hagoromo's turn, I don't know if it was just my imagination.
Hagoromo felt that the high-ranking official in front of her was observing her more than he was.
However, not long after, the high-ranking official took his leave after getting to know the frontline commanders in turn.
Next, it's Konoha's own business; as an official of the Land of Fire, it's not appropriate for him to stay here for too long.
With a cheerful expression Hiruzen Sarutobi led Jiraiya and the others back to the Hokage Building.
Inside the enormous Jonin meeting hall, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head of the table.
Jiraiya and Hagoromo sat down beside him. Hagoromo looked completely bewildered and glanced at the person next to him.
Her eyes lit up, and she whispered, "Senior sister, what's going on?"
Tsunade, who had been summoned to the meeting, was casually crossing her arms when she heard Hagoromo's question and pursed her lips.
Don't worry, it's a good thing.
???
Upon receiving this reply Hagoromo Yi blinked. Why is everyone keeping her in suspense?
"Everyone--"
Inside the conference hall, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at all the seated Jonin and began to speak.
"In this battle, Konoha has truly shown its might!"
"The Sand Shinobi and Stone Shinobi have both signed surrender documents with us, and had already issued public apologies beforehand."
"In this battle, all the ninjas of Konoha demonstrated their professionalism!"
"As for our comrades who sacrificed their lives in this battle, we will hold a memorial service at the Memorial Stone tomorrow."
At this point, the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.
Although they were victorious, Konoha suffered a significant number of casualties this time, even though they had tried their best to eliminate some of their high-level combatants in the battle.
This is why Hiruzen Sarutobi insisted that Sunagakure and Iwagakure issue a public apology.
Konoha needs to give its villagers an explanation.
Victory alone is not enough; we must humiliate the enemy village and win back the unity of our own village.
This deal was very profitable.
"In this battle, we witnessed the emergence of a dazzling genius."
"He brought back the Four-Tails Jinchūriki during this battle, thus protecting the defenses of the Land of Rivers from the threat of the Tailed Beasts."
"Then, on the border of the Land of Grass, they defeated the Third Tsuchikage, securing a great victory for Konoha in this battle!"
After everyone, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, had calmed down, they spoke again.
Upon hearing this, Yu Yi's Hagoromo skipped a beat. What was the old man trying to do?
Jiraiya looked at Hagoromo with a smile. "Kid, isn't this a big surprise?"
As Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, the Jonin in the conference room all applauded.
No, it seems that Hagoromo also heard cheers loud enough to lift the Hokage Building.
Turning around, I saw a video camera hanging at the back of the conference room.
Hagoromo couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Really?
As the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up and pressed his hands down.
"Therefore, I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in the name of the Third Hokage, hereby announce the following appointments."
"Kakashi Hatake is hereby appointed as the vice representative of the Jonin Commander!"
Kakashi, who was sitting in his seat, was visibly taken aback by these words. What was going on?
Weren't we just talking about Hagoromo? How did it suddenly become him?
The meeting room erupted in applause, as the Jonin Commander needed one representative and two deputy representatives.
We hadn't had this before, mainly because we could manage it.
However, with the gradual reform of the Ninja Academy, there are more and more new generation ninjas, so it is normal for there to be an extra deputy representative at this time.
That wasn't all. Hiruzen Sarutobi took out another scroll and began reading from it.
"Jiraiya appointed as Council of Elders!"
"Tsunade is hereby appointed as Council of Elders!"
As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to look at Hagoromo, a broad smile on his face.
No way?!
"Sawada Hagoromo is hereby appointed as Council of Elders the Elder Council!"
Jiraiya to the side, also had beady eyes. What's going on?
He didn't receive a single message!
Seemingly sensing what Hagoromo and Jiraiya were thinking, Hiruzen Sarutobi placed his hands on the shoulders of the two disciples sitting down.
"I'm getting old too; I might have to retire in a few years."
"So the matter of the Council of Elders is also to share some of the responsibility for myself, so that when the next Hokage takes office, I can decide whether to stay or leave."
"It's all up to him."