Asuma's Scheme!

Konoha!

It now carried an air of desolation.

Ever since the Allied Forces had attacked the Tenshukaku a few months ago and been routed, everyone's confidence in "Konoha being the strongest" had vanished.

What a joke. In the past, Konoha's gods had descended and taken on four opponents alone. When had it become their turn to gang up on someone else?

Worse still, they had failed to beat them and been beaten in return.

Even the thickest-skinned villagers could no longer claim that Konoha was the strongest shinobi village.

Blazing Sun Country!

It was now universally recognized as the Shinobi World's strongest power.

Having lost the title of strongest while being so close to the other side, how could Konoha's villagers feel at ease?

From time to time, carts carrying departing villagers could be seen.

Migration!

In the past, people had always migrated to Konoha from elsewhere. Few villagers had ever been willing to leave.

Yet from a few months ago until now, over a thousand households had already departed.

Note that villagers were different from shinobi.

These people did not need the village higher-ups' approval to move away, nor did they need to ask permission.

Hokage Building!

"Jiraiya, we must find a way to stop those people from leaving the village. Once we lose these villagers, then Konoha..."

Utatane Koharu pushed open the door and entered, sternly warning the exhausted Fifth Hokage Jiraiya sitting in the Hokage's seat.

Ever since returning from that defeat a few months ago, he had become like this, as though he wanted to numb himself with this state.

It could not be helped. Konoha had lost far too miserably in that battle.

Leaving aside the loss of Nara Shikaku, the "Konoha Strategist," and Guy, the "Azure Beast," the damage to Konoha's reputation and honor