Konoha Prepares to Sacrifice Hyuga Shin, Danzo: Hiruzen, You Will Regret This!

Most important of all was absolute victory in the intelligence war.

As for vessels and such... Su Nuo didn't doubt that the shinobi world had the capability to create one.

After all, Fuinjutsu really did exist in this world.

So.

The intelligence absolutely could not leak.

This priority was extremely high.

What Su Nuo needed to do now was the same as Sukuna in his past life—wait for now, gather all kinds of intelligence, and then bide his time for the right moment...

Hokage Building.

"That concludes everything I saw and heard at the Hyuga compound. This is my investigation report."

Yamanaka Inoichi handed the report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe.

Wearing the distinctive robes of the Hokage, he quickly scanned the report.

"You've worked hard... What's your take on this?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Before coming here, Yamanaka Inoichi had gone to see Shikaku Nara, and now he already had a draft in mind.

"Hyuga Shin was likely attacked by someone. A third-party force of considerable strength is the true killer of A, but they deliberately spared Hyuga Shin. Hyuga Shin is a kind-hearted man with a good reputation. He bravely used A's corpse to save the remaining Konoha forces, preventing them from being annihilated by the larger number of Cloud Village ninja."

Hearing these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi already knew who Yamanaka Inoichi had gone to see.

But that was to be expected—the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had always been united.

Yamanaka Inoichi, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi were likely the future generation of Clan Heads.

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, dismissing Yamanaka Inoichi.

After that.

Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzō for a meeting.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura believed they should hand over Hyuga Shin, but not openly. They should order Hyuga Shin to the front lines against Kumogakure, while "accidentally" leaking the intelligence to Cloud, letting the Third Raikage kill the chūnin Hyuga Shin to appease Cloud's anger.

Shimura Danzō, on the other hand, thought Hyuga Shin should be brought into Root. After all, Hyuga Shin was from the Branch Family, and his combat strength was not weak.

"Hiruzen." Danzō said in a firm tone, "War is unavoidable! Kumogakure has started the war!! What we need is more war heroes, not to send heroes to their deaths! Give me Hyuga Shin!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent. Danzō's tone displeased him.

He thought back to when he had visited Sarutobi Hiyori, who had been very grateful to Hyuga Shin and spoken many good words about him.

But what Hiruzen Sarutobi really thought about was that letter.

The Third Raikage.

That Raikage, hailed as the strongest, had come to power with absolute strongman politics, making Kumogakure strong, waging war on all fronts, seizing vast resources, then expanding armaments and raising the strength of Cloud Village ninja.

A Raikage like that... wanted to kill his own son, Asuma Sarutobi.

Could he stop him?

The Hyuga Family's stance was already clear. Hyuga Shin was imprisoned, interrogated, and had his memories checked by Yamanaka Inoichi. In the eyes of those Main Family members, a Branch Family member ultimately had no standing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took two deep drags of smoke.

"Send Hyuga Shin to the front lines."

"Hiruzen!"

"Three votes to one, Danzō. You may withdraw."

"You... you're simply unbelievable! We're in the middle of a war! And Konoha is sending a hero to the enemy to die!?"

"Danzō, I am the Hokage!"

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"

Door: "Bang!"

However.

Even though the decision had been made to sacrifice Hyuga Shin.

Konoha still had its pride to maintain.

At this point, Hyuga Shin was a War Hero, his reputation was rising, and the war situation wasn't yet desperate—so a "rest period" was necessary.

There was no way Hyuga Shin could be sent out right after just returning.

Hiruzen Sarutobi discussed it with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, and set the date for three days later.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi began formulating a plan.

Though he had already resolved to sacrifice Hyuga Shin, this problem had another solution.

Kill the Third Raikage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sent a secret letter. After deliberation, he did not send it to Jiraiya, but to Orochimaru.

To execute this encirclement and assassination plan, Jiraiya was suited as a combat asset, while Orochimaru was better suited to participate in the scheming and plotting.

"Sigh... Poor Hyuga Shin."

"But this is the fate of a Branch Family member."

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Hyuga Shin was destined for sacrifice because he was a Branch Family member.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi did not do it, one day in the future, the Hyuga Main Family would.

This time.

The Third Raikage had escalated the war with unparalleled stubbornness, determined to avenge his son, and had set his sights on Asuma Sarutobi.

Between the village's interests and his son's life, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose compromise and concession.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi had not yet completely aged, so he still pulled underhanded tricks, secretly gathering Konoha's high-level combat power to attempt an ambush and kill the Third Raikage.

This was the lingering... unextinguished heroic spirit of the Shinobi of a Thousand Skills within Hiruzen Sarutobi.

All arrangements required time.

That was also why Hyuga Shin would have three days of rest.

In fact.

Generally speaking, after a ninja's injuries fully healed, they would still have a week of rest.

This was the current surplus of Konoha's ninja forces.

After all, the war had just begun—troops were strong, horses were sturdy, and logistics were robust.

If the war grew fierce... not only would all rest time vanish, but ninjas would even have to return to the front lines before their injuries fully healed.

Now.

Hyuga Shin would rest for three days, then go to the front lines under the pretext of "executing a mission," where he would be torn apart by the enraged Third Raikage...

Everything would be reasonable and justified.

The people of Konoha would have something to say.

At that time, both the village and the Hyuga Clan would step forward to express their condolences, lamenting the fall of a young hero, allowing Hyuga Shin to depart with dignity, and Kumogakure's fighting spirit would presumably subside as a result.

However.

What Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know at this moment was this.

Not only would Hyuga Shin not die at the hands of the Third Raikage.

Even if the Third Raikage succeeded and killed Hyuga Shin, he would not abandon his assault on Konoha because of "victory."

This was the difference between hardline politics and weak politics.

For the Third Raikage, for Kumogakure, winning and completing revenge would only drive them to advance with even greater fervor.

Only weak Konoha High Command and the Hyuga Main Family would believe that sacrificing a hero, trading a hero's life for peace, was a worthwhile and viable method of achieving peace.

Peace is preserved through struggle.

Throw one punch to avoid a hundred blows.

In truth.

Only by completely crushing Kumogakure could Konoha avoid the future scenario of being besieged on three sides.

Because the other villages would witness Konoha's strength.

Yet.

The decisions of Hiruzen Sarutobi's generation of leadership also ensured that the other villages would witness Konoha's weakness and choose to attack relentlessly.

Who wouldn't want to do business that turns a profit?

The older generation of politicians were all men who could clearly see where the interests lay.

Once they saw that Kumogakure had succeeded and that waging war to gain benefits was feasible, they too would fix their gazes, like jackals, upon the fertile land of the Land of Fire.