How could one describe that expression?
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had once discussed this in private.
They called it mercilessness.
Whenever Senju Tobirama made a major decision concerning the village, he did not consider 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 problem requiring the optimal solution. Even his own life was an expendable, superfluous variable.
Any rules and restrictions would be cast aside.
If something benefited the village's development, then he would carry it out without sparing any effort...
And in their eyes, although Hiruzen Sarutobi looked vastly different, he resembled him frighteningly closely.
It was as if their teacher had possessed him...
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored the three stunned people and simply 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 the body of an Uchiha would not only give him a hidden piece within and without that could thoroughly bring the Uchiha under his control, but would also grant him an additional scholar capable of developing technology, as well as an important combat asset.
Most importantly, there would be no possibility of him becoming the "Retired Emperor" over Hiruzen's head.
Since there were so many benefits, all that remained was overcoming the difficulties...
If he wanted Senju Tobirama to revive in his original state, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly could not think of any good method from 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 a sentence passed down from ancient times: "For one long dead to have soul and original body restored as before, nothing less than the power of a Sage can accomplish it."
But the issue 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 cultivate it gradually afterward.
What he wanted was Senju Tobirama's intellect, as well as his understanding of research and 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 matter of compatibility!"
"The Kato Clan's Spirit Transformation Technique has immense reference value..."
"As long as I develop a technique similar to Soul Transfer and prepare a body for Teacher Tobirama, he can return!"
"Even if soul and body are somewhat mismatched, I believe Teacher Tobirama can overcome it himself. This is a precious opportunity I carefully prepared for him. Getting to be an Uchiha for once—he will definitely want it..."
He thought of another layer.
Senju Tobirama had left behind a great many Forbidden Jutsu Notes during his lifetime, naturally including quite a few concerning souls.
Previously, however, Hiruzen had worried that those incomplete Forbidden Techniques would ruin everything. Coupled with his exhaustion from serving as Hokage, he had sealed away the Laboratory and those notes together.
"Teacher, leaving these behind was your way of hinting that you wanted me to bring you back in the body of an Uchiha, wasn't it?" The corner of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth lifted slightly.
Within the thin haze of smoke, light and shadow fell across the side of his face, leaving it half-lit and half-dark.
"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.
Danzo had once secretly stood before a Mirror in Root, imitating Senju Tobirama's classic expression from back then. He had even secretly asked someone to take pictures of him for comparison...
He was practically a rabid fan imitating his idol.
"Hiruzen, are you going to get ahead of me too? But I have not admitted defeat yet..." Shimura Danzō thought to himself. "Just looking like him is useless!"
"I am the one who has truly inherited Teacher Tobirama's will!"
"Sorry, I got a little absorbed. I was thinking about the Uchiha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi came back to himself and changed expressions in an instant, revealing a gentle smile. "I called you here today to discuss reforms to Konoha's shinobi system."
"You have probably all noticed that the current shinobi system is no longer suited to the present circumstances. The main problem lies in the gap between jonin and the upper ranks."
"Konoha's upper ranks offer no advancement path for jonin, 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.
The ratio between the more than one hundred jonin and the decision-making level was seriously imbalanced.
The highest management level was said to have four people, but Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's positions as advisors mainly involved participating in and discussing government affairs, as well as 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 though Shimura Danzō had once controlled Root, he had turned Root into his own private army...
This man could not be given personnel authority.
The same was true of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. It was not that there was anything wrong with their character, but the Hokage ought to keep core combat forces like jonin as firmly in hand as possible.
But for Hiruzen Sarutobi alone to oversee more than a hundred people?
That was impossible, and the result of doing so was plain to see.
The essence of management lay in the manager's limit of energy and the complexity of those being managed.
Even with Shimura Danzō having once shared some of Hiruzen Sarutobi's burden, Hiruzen had nearly worked himself into collapse.
So a Buffer Layer had to be established.
With this additional layer, Hiruzen Sarutobi's management would become easier and more efficient, saving a great deal of time for new work or cultivation.
It could also ignite Konoha's shinobi with hope for advancement.
The benefits were manifold.
"I intend to establish twenty core jonin. The preliminary name I have in mind is 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 object.
Rather, like the former Hiruzen Sarutobi, they upheld the attitude that "the laws of the ancestors must not be changed." They believed the system Senju Tobirama had left behind was flawless and should not be altered lightly.
But in Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, anything with problems naturally needed to be reformed decisively.
Back then, Senju Tobirama had not managed a hundred people alone either.
Members of their Guard Squad, along with the Senju Clan's jonin from the Warring States era, had essentially served as the foundation. In essence, they had undertaken the duties of Konoha Committee Members.
They simply died before it could be institutionalized during peacetime.
In a sense, the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi had managed to hold on for so many years truly showed extraordinary talent...
He really could endure.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance and were about to say something...
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was expressionless. "Think carefully before you speak. I want to hear something meaningful."
The two of them closed their mouths again and began to think seriously.
Only Shimura Danzō spoke in a deep voice. "Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
Before you continue