The meeting room was packed with influential figures.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat in the seat of honor. To either side were the Hokage's Assistant, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and the other elders, followed by Tsunade representing the Senju of the Forest, as well as the clan heads of the two great houses, the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan. Only after them came the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, Hatake, Inuzuka, and Kurama Clan.
Figures like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Dan Katō, who had mastered the Super S-Rank Jutsu, the Spirit Transformation Technique—even Konoha's ace combat strength—could only sit in the back.
Even the Hokage's personal disciples, the future Konoha Sannin, could only sit in the last row. That showed just how luxurious Konoha's lineup was at this time.
Yet in less than ten short years, Konoha would squander this luxurious lineup until it had almost no cards left to play.
If not for the future Yellow Flash rising to prominence, even if Konoha won the Third Shinobi World War, it would be an extremely difficult victory.
"Everyone's here. Let's begin the meeting."
Once all the Jonin capable of representing Konoha's upper echelon—those who, under special circumstances, could even bypass the Hokage and assign A-Rank Missions to other ninja—had taken their seats, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Shimura Danzō, the Hokage's Assistant, a look.
The latter immediately stood and walked to the blackboard behind Sarutobi Hiruzen, pulling down a scroll-like map of the Ninja World.
After drawing two circles on the map with a red pen, Shimura Danzō's next words changed the expressions of the Jonin present.
"According to intelligence relayed by our informants and verified by the Anbu, it has now been confirmed beyond doubt that Amegakure and Sunagakure have gone to war."
"So they did start fighting after all? Did