The Daimyo of the Land of Fire was furious. He issued Hiruzen Sarutobi a death order, demanding that he personally go to battle and make sure he thwarted Kirigakure's plot against the peninsula.
If he couldn't do that, he could forget about keeping the Hokage Position.
At any other time, Hiruzen Sarutobi could have used his way with words to bluff and smooth things over, or even put on a show of strength.
But the situation was dire. If he couldn't handle this, he really would be driven from office.
At the very least, the Senju Faction would gladly support the Daimyo's order, and the badly weakened Uchiha would surely seize the chance to support it out of spite.
He didn't want to see things come to that, so he had no choice but to go to battle himself. Before leaving, though, he made a contingency plan.
"Father, go secretly approach the Daimyo's third son. We can help him take the throne and become the new Daimyo of the Land of Fire."
In the basement, after finishing his examination of Hashirama's Face on his chest and his Mangekyō Sharingan, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly spoke to his father.
He had to prepare a backup plan. If the war really went badly, he would have to resort to more drastic measures.
The Daimyo could influence the succession to the Hokage Position. In turn, Konoha could influence the succession to the Daimyo's seat.
There would be plenty of consequences if they did this, but if things came to that, he couldn't afford to worry about them.
"Shouldn't I go with you?"
Sarutobi Sasuke was very worried. This battle was bound to be brutal, and their odds of winning were poor. Even the best outcome would be a costly victory.
"No need. I can handle