"Homura, Koharu."
Sandaime took a puff of his pipe and said, "you two are certainly rare visitors."
Both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked somewhat embarrassed.
They had instinctively assumed that Sandaime was reproaching them for not coming to catch up with him lately.
"Hiruzen, you know there's been a lot going on lately. We have to keep everything in check," Mitokado Homura said, pushing up his glasses.
"After all, the Joint Security Plan is such a major operation. And you've barely involved yourself in it, Hiruzen, so we haven't had many opportunities to talk with you," Utatane Koharu complained instead.
Sandaime did not get angry. Women were naturally like that.
And it was true that he had not involved himself much in these matters. If Orochimaru had not come to find him, he would hardly have asked about them at all.
As Hokage Advisors, with so much going on, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu naturally had to stay busy revolving around the Hokage.
He was already the former Hokage. Orochimaru was the current Hokage.
Of course, that did not mean their old friendship had lost all value. Weren't they here now?
"Tell me. What is it?"
"Hiruzen." Utatane Koharu spoke first, her expression grave. "As Hokage Advisors, besides assisting the Hokage with administration, we must also restrain the Hokage from acting recklessly."
Those words were also a reminder that Sandaime was now a Hokage Advisor as well—having once been Hokage, he was still the chief Hokage Advisor.
"Koharu is right." Mitokado Homura picked up the thread, speaking seriously as well. "This time, we had no choice but to come to you. Hiruzen, with the intelligence gathered so far, do you know how much security fee revenue we can expect once the plan succeeds?"
Sandaime shook his head.
Mitokado Homura