Merciless Gaze, Konoha Committee System's Initial Plan

How could one describe that expression?

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Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had discussed this in private before.

They called it mercilessness.

Whenever Senju Tobirama made a major decision concerning the village, he never considered family, friendship, morality, or even ethics. He only carried out purely rational logical deductions and weighed the pros and cons.

It was as though everything before him was merely a proposition requiring the optimal solution. Even his own life was nothing more than a superfluous variable that could be discarded.

Any rules and restrictions would be excluded.

If something benefited the village's development, then it would be carried out without reservation...

And in their eyes, although Hiruzen Sarutobi looked vastly different, he bore a terrifying resemblance.

It was as though their teacher had possessed him...

Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored the three stunned people and began smoking his Tobacco Pipe, his eyes narrowing slightly.

That was right...

After going through it all again, he became even more certain that his line of thinking was correct!

Reviving Senju Tobirama in an Uchiha body would not only give him a hidden piece that could work from within and without to completely bring the Uchiha under his control, but would also grant him another scholar capable of developing technology—as well as an important combat force.

Most importantly, there would be no possibility of him becoming the "Retired Emperor" looming over Hiruzen's head.

Since there were so many benefits, all that remained was to overcome the difficulties...

If he wanted Senju Tobirama revived in the body he had possessed in life, then Hiruzen Sarutobi truly had no good method in his memories...

In the Shinobi World, countless people had tried to do this, but only certain secret techniques that transferred life force were said to work when used immediately after the deceased lost their life.

The Sarutobi Clan Chronicles recorded an ancient saying passed down through the ages: For one long dead to have soul and original body restored and revived as before, it cannot be achieved without the power of a Sage.

But the problem was that Hiruzen Sarutobi did not need Senju Tobirama to revive in his original body. As long as the body was not excessively frail, he could slowly cultivate it afterward.

What he wanted was Senju Tobirama's intellect, his understanding of research, and his understanding of the Uchiha!

"The Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu can draw out the soul of the dead. That already solves one major hurdle..."

"What remains is how to transfer the soul into a physical body, as well as the issue of compatibility!"

"The Kato Clan's 'Spirit Transformation Technique' has tremendous reference value..."

"As long as I develop a technique similar to 'Soul Transfer' and prepare a body for Teacher, then he can return!"

"Even if soul and body are somewhat incompatible, I trust Teacher Tobirama can overcome it himself. This is a precious opportunity I carefully prepared for him. He'll definitely want the chance to be an Uchiha..."

Then he thought of another point.

Senju Tobirama had left behind a great many Forbidden Jutsu Notes during his lifetime, naturally including quite a few concerning the soul.

However, because his former self had worried that those unfinished forbidden jutsu would ruin everything, and because he had been utterly exhausted from serving as Hokage, he had sealed away both the Laboratory and those notes.

"Teacher, you left these behind as a hint for me to bring you back in an Uchiha body, didn't you?" The corner of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth curled upward.

Within the thin haze of smoke, light and shadow fell across his profile, leaving half his face illuminated and half obscured.

"Even more alike..." Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's hearts skipped a beat.

What was Hiruzen thinking about?

Shimura Danzō's thoughts, meanwhile, were rather amusing...

He was envious.

Back when he was in Root, Danzō had secretly stood before a Mirror and imitated Senju Tobirama's classic expression. He had even secretly asked someone to take pictures of him for comparison...

He was practically a fanatical fan imitating his idol.

"Hiruzen, are you going to get ahead of me in this as well? Still, I haven't admitted defeat..." Shimura Danzō thought to himself. "Merely looking alike is useless!"

"The one who has truly inherited Teacher Tobirama's will is me!"

"Sorry, I got a little absorbed. I was thinking about the Uchiha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi came back to himself and changed his expression in an instant, revealing a gentle smile. "I called you here today to discuss reforms to Konoha's ninja system."

"You have probably all noticed that the current ninja system no longer suits the present situation. The main issues lie in the range between Jonin and the upper ranks."

"Konoha's upper ranks offer no path for Jonin to advance, while the more than one hundred Jonin also need a management layer to make the village's work clearer."

Regarding Konoha's structure, Hiruzen Sarutobi had keenly noticed a problem.

That was the severe imbalance between the number of Jonin and the decision-making level.

The highest management level was said to consist of four people, but Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's positions as Advisors mainly involved participating in government deliberations and managing the Administrative Department.

The so-called Administrative Department served as a bridge between the Land of Fire and Konoha. It received the funds allocated to the village by the country while also reporting certain village matters to the Daimyo.

They did not directly manage the Jonin.

And although Shimura Danzō had once controlled Root, he had turned Root into his own private army...

This man could not be given personnel authority.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were the same. It was not that there was anything wrong with their character; rather, the Hokage ought to keep core combat strength like the jonin as firmly in hand as possible.

And have Hiruzen Sarutobi alone be responsible for over a hundred people?

That was impossible, and the consequences of doing so were plain to see.

The essence of management lay in the limits of a manager's energy and the complexity of those being managed.

Even with Shimura Danzō once helping Hiruzen Sarutobi shoulder some of the burden, he had nearly worked himself to collapse.

That was why a Buffer Layer had to be established.

With this additional layer, Hiruzen Sarutobi's management would become easier and more efficient, freeing up a great deal of time for new duties or training.

It would also give Konoha's ninja hope of advancement.

The benefits were manifold.

"I plan to establish twenty core jonin, tentatively called Konoha Committee Members..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, "They will be selected based on merit and overall ability. Each Konoha Committee Member will manage roughly five to six jonin and answer directly to the Hokage."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura instinctively frowned.

It was not that they only knew how to oppose everything.

Rather, like Hiruzen Sarutobi in the past, they held to the belief that "the ancestral laws must not be changed," believing that the system Senju Tobirama had left behind was flawless and should not be altered lightly.

But in Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, anything flawed naturally had to be reformed decisively.

Back then, Senju Tobirama had not managed a hundred people by himself either.

The members of their Guard Squad, along with the Senju Clan's jonin from the Warring States era, had essentially been serving as Konoha Committee Members.

They simply had not had the chance to institutionalize it during peacetime before he died.

In a sense, the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi had held on for so many years truly was a testament to his exceptional talent...

He really could endure.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance and were about to say something...

Hiruzen Sarutobi said expressionlessly, "Think it through before you speak. I want to hear something meaningful."

The two of them closed their mouths again and began to ponder seriously.

Only Shimura Danzō spoke in a deep voice. "Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"