The Building Was About to Collapse

Books on Sensory Ninjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu both imposed extremely strict requirements for Chakra control. One had to avoid even the slightest mistake.

Both types of books contained little techniques for training Chakra control.

This was exactly what Shin wanted to see.

His life afterward consisted of reading every day, training his Chakra control, and, while he was at it, beating up his two younger clansmen at the training grounds.

Tokuma and Tetsu suffered beyond words. They wanted to refuse, but Iroha told them that constantly sparring with someone stronger than themselves would be a tremendous help in improving their strength.

More bad news soon arrived from the front lines. Konoha's forward camp had been discovered by Stone Ninja and suffered a large-scale assault. The three-thousand-man force had sustained devastating casualties.

As soon as news of this battle reached the village, all of Konoha was deeply shaken.

Konoha had originally managed to regain some ground during the Kannabi Bridge Mission, but now the scales of war had begun to tip entirely toward Iwagakure.

With the forward camp gone, all of Konoha's forces could only retreat, surrendering the entire Land of Grass battlefield and pulling back within the borders of the Land of Fire.

To outsiders, Konoha's defeat now seemed inevitable.

Inside the Hokage's Office, the long conference table was filled with people. They were the backbone of the village who had remained behind for the time being.

The meeting had already gone on for several hours without ending. Fierce arguments had broken out, and there had also been stretches of more than ten minutes when no one spoke.

Before long, someone knocked and entered, placing a letter before the Third Hokage.

Sarutobi opened it and read it, his expression growing increasingly irritated.

Mitokado Homura, seated beside him, took it and read it as well. His face immediately darkened. "This is outrageous! They actually dared to name such prices!"

It was a quotation sheet compiled from numerous mercenary organizations, but every single price was absurdly high.

Utatane Koharu also said angrily, "The Land of Fire has shown them no shortage of favor in the past, yet now they are taking advantage of our crisis!"

Sarutobi said nothing. When a wall was about to collapse, everyone rushed to push it over. He knew these mercenary organizations did not want to help Konoha fight. They all feared that if Konoha lost, Iwagakure would retaliate against them.

Another ninja entered the conference room and delivered a letter.

During this period, Sarutobi had received countless letters from all sides. Local merchant associations in the Land of Fire and several prominent clans had all expressed their willingness to provide Konoha with support in various areas.

This one was a letter from the Daimyo's Palace. After reading it, Sarutobi's expression eased slightly.

His own employer was still dependable. The letter said that a new batch of military supplies was already on the way, and that Konoha should immediately state whatever it needed.

The Daimyo's Palace had already sent several letters, asking after Konoha's situation in detail. Things there were likely far from peaceful as well.

"We need to replenish our forces. Otherwise, the front lines will only keep suffering defeat after defeat."

Danzo, seated at the head seat to Sarutobi's left, spoke slowly.

"What ninja are there left to send to the front?" Sarutobi said irritably. There were already very few ninja remaining in the village. If not for him personally holding down the fort, any attack on Konoha now could shake its very foundations.

"Aren't there still a batch of genin?" Danzo said.

"No!" Sarutobi immediately rejected the suggestion.

"Those genin have only just graduated. Are you sending them to the battlefield to die?"

Danzo's only visible eye narrowed slightly as he said blandly, "It is something they will have to experience sooner or later. It would be good for them to gain some early tempering on the battlefield."

Sarutobi glanced at Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu on the other side. Seeing that neither of them spoke, he knew they did not oppose it.

Everyone in the conference room looked at Sarutobi, waiting for his decision.

"No!" Sarutobi held firm to his bottom line.

Some of those newly graduated genin had never even fought in actual combat. Sending them to the battlefield would only turn them into cannon fodder. They were the village's future; doing this was no different from killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

Danzo sneered. "Must we wait until the Stone Ninja reach the village gates before letting them fight?"

Sarutobi had no answer. He wanted to continue refusing, but for no reason, he thought of the Warring States era before Konoha was founded. Children barely old enough to attend the Ninja Academy had indeed already been killing people on battlefields.

Once the thought appeared, he could not erase it from his mind.

Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh, closed his eyes, and gave no response.

What was the meaning of founding Konoha? Wasn't it to protect them?

This cannot be done. It cannot be done...

"Sarutobi, what are you hesitating over?" Danzo began pressing him.

"Do you want to lead Konoha to its death?!"

Seeing this, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu both kept silent.

"Sarutobi!"

"Make your decision, Sarutobi!"

Danzo's voice rang endlessly through the conference room, circling and echoing beside Sarutobi's ears like a demon's curse.

"Hokage!" Suddenly, another ninja spoke.

Sarutobi looked up at him. He was a young man, a Special Jonin from the village.

The man said, "My younger brother has only just graduated, but I have personally trained him all along. He has quite a bit of combat experience and can be sent to the battlefield."

As soon as he finished, another voice immediately followed. "Hokage, my son as well!"

Their words only made Sarutobi's heart feel heavier.

These people did not fear death for the sake of the village. Quite a few had privately asked him to transfer them to the front lines.

But someone had to remain behind in the village, so he had refused those requests.

A sudden knock sounded exceptionally clear in the silent conference room.

The oppressive atmosphere gave Sarutobi a chance to catch his breath. He spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Come in."

Another letter? Whose is it this time...

But the one who entered was not a ninja delivering a letter. He was a sinister-looking man with a slender build and shoulder-length black hair.

It was Orochimaru.

At the sight of him, a glimmer of light flashed through Sarutobi's eyes, only to quickly dim again.

When the people in the conference room saw Orochimaru enter, a rustle of quiet discussion arose.

Danzo remained calm as he closed his eyes upon seeing him.

"Orochimaru." Sarutobi spoke slowly.

"Are you preparing to go to the front lines... The village needs your strength very badly right now."

He withdrew his gaze, lowered his head slightly, and continued speaking to himself.

"Teacher Sarutobi."

"..."

"I have a way to repel the Stone Ninja."

The conference room erupted in an instant.

Sarutobi was also taken aback. He raised his head to look at Orochimaru and saw that he was dressed in combat gear today, with a forehead protector on as well.

"What way?"

"Form an alliance with Sunagakure."

Sarutobi frowned at this. "The alliance proposal was sent long ago. Our daimyo also sent one to the daimyo of the Land of Wind, but there has been no response from them."

"Let me go personally," Orochimaru said. "I will secure this ally for Konoha."

"You..." Surprise filled Sarutobi's eyes.

"I agree. Given the current situation, there is no harm in letting Orochimaru give it a try," Danzo said at this moment.

Sarutobi fell silent. It was not that he was indecisive; he had merely remembered many things.

Orochimaru continued, "Teacher Sarutobi, what do you think?"

At the sound of his voice, Sarutobi felt dazed. The figure standing before him seemed somewhat indistinct.

Teacher Sarutobi...

Teacher Sarutobi...