Compared to the original story, Tsunade, who had just become the Fifth Hokage, was riding high in every respect except for the village being somewhat battered from the previous battle.
With no high-ranking Konoha elder council constantly meddling in everything, all of Tsunade's policies could be implemented smoothly.
Under normal circumstances, Tsunade, having just become Hokage, could never have sent Yoru Machi on a mission that would keep him away from Konoha for such a long time.
While it was true that Konoha had repelled the combined assault of Sand Village and Orochimaru this time, the battle had still ended in a costly victory for Konoha.
The Third Hokage had died, and nearly thirty percent of Konoha's rank-and-file ninja and Anbu had either been killed or injured as a result of the incident.
Konoha would erect gravestones for those dead ninja, but how many people would remember their names?
Not everyone was a Hokage. When ordinary rank-and-file ninja died on the battlefield, they might not even cause the slightest ripple. Such was the cruelty of the ninja world.
Though the Third Hokage had been old, he possessed considerable prestige in the ninja world, enough to deter the other ninja villages.
But now that the Third Hokage was dead, the Fifth Hokage had only just taken office, and most of the village had been damaged in the previous battle, the other three great ninja villages would inevitably start getting ideas.
Konoha Village stood on the most fertile land. Every Ninja World War had eventually turned into the other ninja villages ganging up on Konoha, and in the end, Konoha had usually emerged victorious.
Konoha was currently in a period of weakness. Sending its strongest fighting force away at a time like this was clearly not a wise decision.
Taking that into