An Old Dog's Futile Barking

"All right, it was just a minor conflict. Don't make it so serious."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and turned the page, then looked seriously at the others present. "Back to the main matter. What are your thoughts on my proposal?"

Thoughts?

Hyuga Riwo was nearly furious to death, yet he did not even dare let out a peep.

The example was right there. What thoughts could they possibly have? What thoughts would they dare have?

But war was not child's play. People died in war!

If ninjas were transferred from their clans, those who died would be their relatives, friends, brothers, sisters, lovers...

Thus, perfect silence filled the meeting room. Everyone seemed able to hear their own breathing, even their rapid heartbeats.

It was not until the Jonin from civilian backgrounds spoke up and expressed their willingness to obey the Third Hokage's orders.

"The Hyuga Clan is also at fault in this matter."

Hizashi Hyuga finally spoke, his voice heavy. "On behalf of the Hyuga Clan, I am willing to obey the Third Hokage's orders."

Hyuga Riwo opened his mouth beside him, but in the end, he could not say anything.

This meant that the authority to mobilize the clan's ninjas had been completely handed over to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Very good!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, his tone pleased. "The Hyuga Clan truly deserves to be called one of Konoha's great clans. You truly care about Konoha's safety!"

At the words "Konoha's great clan," Uchiha Fugaku's face twitched.

No matter how poor his political sense was, he could tell that this was aimed at the Uchiha Clan. He could only agree, just like the Hyuga Clan.

Among the crowd, Nara Shikaku sighed inwardly. At the same time as Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza beside him, he respectfully said, "Ino-Shika-Cho is the same."

With the Hyuga Clan and the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans taking a stand, even if the other ninja clans were unwilling, they could only pretend to agree gladly. In the end, they even began scrambling to declare their loyalty.

"..."

Watching this scene of people first acting arrogantly and then becoming obedient, Hyuga Yunchuan felt unusually calm. He even found it a little amusing.

Was he some loyal dog of Konoha himself?

No, of course not.

The reason people suffered was because they lived in this despicable world, troubled by its despicableness until even their own words and actions had no choice but to become despicable.

The reason Hyuga Yunchuan had agreed to become Sarutobi Hiruzen's spearhead was naturally not because he possessed any belief in sacrificing himself for Konoha.

It was because, in his view, the ninja clans of today were no longer the clans that had dominated everything during Konoha's founding.

This was also why Hyuga Yunchuan admired Tobirama Senju even more than Hashirama Senju.

Tobirama Senju's wisdom and talent lay not only in his ability to develop Ninjutsu, but also in the political wisdom and strategic foresight that surpassed his elder brother, Hashirama Senju.

Whether it was establishing the Ninja Academy and the Chunin Exam system to cultivate talent from civilians, taking the lead in openly teaching the Ninjutsu he developed so that the ninja clans whose techniques had been taken had nothing to say, or establishing the Anbu and Konoha Police Force to greatly strengthen the Hokage's centralized authority.

He had even guided the Senju Clan to abandon the glory and surname of "Senju" and marry civilians. This act could be said to have greatly improved the average talent of civilian-born ninjas at the grassroots level, truly turning into fertilizer and nourishment that fell into the soil and nourished the great tree that was Konoha.

Tobirama Senju had truly risen above the narrow perspective of a single clan and led by example. His reforms and ideals influenced the entire Senju Clan and even present-day Konoha. They were completely different from Uchiha Itachi's seemingly far-sighted but actually arrogant and extreme methods.

In truth, even without Uchiha Itachi's so-called righteous slaughter of his own kin, the Uchiha Clan would not have had the ability to overturn the Hokage faction. The ninja clans of today had already been cut down to half-dead by Tobirama Senju, unless the Uchiha Clan joined forces with every other ninja clan.

Then would the Uchiha Clan unite with the other ninja clans? Could the Uchiha Clan unite with the other ninja clans?

The answer was no, and they could not.

Because the Uchiha Clan could not lower their heads, and the other ninja clans were not fools either.

If the Uchiha Clan had been capable of lowering their heads and playing along hypocritically, they would not have been pushed step by step to the point where rebellion was almost their only option.

Even if Uchiha Fugaku truly could lower his head and beg the other ninja clans.

The other clan heads would probably smile and agree on the surface, then report it to Sarutobi Hiruzen the moment Uchiha Fugaku left. They would be terrified that another ninja clan might get ahead of them and label them accomplices in order to prove their loyalty.

Because the ninja clans had never been a united bloc. There were also "pro-Hokage factions" among them.

Hyuga Yunchuan even felt that Tobirama Senju's choice of Sarutobi Hiruzen as Hokage instead of Shimura Danzō was definitely not just because Sarutobi Hiruzen had spoken before Danzō, saying he was willing to stay behind and sacrifice himself to protect his companions.

It was because the Sarutobi Clan had close ties with the Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, and Yamanaka Clan. Only by placing Sarutobi Hiruzen in power could Konoha's major ninja clans be divided. Sarutobi Hiruzen's status was simply more suitable for that position.

Shimura Danzō still believed that he had missed out on the Hokage position only because he had hesitated for a single moment back then.

Heh. All that could be said was that his loss to Sarutobi Hiruzen was not undeserved.

"Very good."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept across the crowd. The weight in his heart eased considerably as he said seriously, "As long as everyone works together, neither Kumogakure nor anyone else can defeat us."

Konoha had indeed grown weaker.

But that did not mean those who had once lost to them had grown stronger.

And besides...

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Hyuga Yunchuan standing nearby, thought of the Uchiha Clan's Shunshin Zetsu, and thought of Naruto, who was still young and blank as a sheet of paper. A trace of comfort could not help but pass through his cloudy eyes.

Konoha still had a future.

The road ahead was bright.

Crack.

The meeting soon ended, and everyone left one after another.

Sarutobi Hiruzen kept Hyuga Yunchuan behind until the end. There was also someone else around his age.

Hatake Kakashi, an Anbu member and a Konoha Jonin.

Yunchuan saw those dead-fish eyes and immediately recognized the guy.

"Let me introduce you. This is Hatake Kakashi." Sarutobi Hiruzen introduced him with a smile. "Come to think of it, you two became Jonin at similar ages. Both of you are Konoha's future hope."

After the teasing, he became serious again and said in a low voice, "Hyuga Yunchuan, I hope you can join Hatake Kakashi's team and depart with the troops for the Land of Hot Water to investigate the so-called 'Abyss.' It has been tentatively classified as an S-rank mission. What do you think?"

The Abyss? The Land of Hot Water? An S-rank mission?

Hatake Kakashi glanced thoughtfully at Hyuga Yunchuan, wondering what exactly the so-called "Abyss" was.

It seemed that the escort team's failure and casualties had definitely not been caused by merely running into a Kumogakure ambush.

"I'm willing." Hyuga Yunchuan nodded without hesitation.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen had not brought it up, he would have taken the initiative himself. Being able to join Hatake Kakashi's team was an unexpected delight.

He knew very well who was in Hatake Kakashi's team.

The current "Yamato," and the future Uchiha Itachi.

Even if it was only for Yamato's Wood Release cells, Hyuga Yunchuan had to join Kakashi's team.

After reminding them of a few more matters, Sarutobi Hiruzen let the two leave.

He still had many things that needed to be done.

However, before Yunchuan left, Sarutobi Hiruzen patted his shoulder and whispered with a smile, "Before departing with the troops, remember to visit the Forbidden Jutsu Library."

At that, Hyuga Yunchuan's eyes flickered slightly. He knew this was compensation for him, as well as an inducement to win his loyalty.

The Forbidden Jutsu Library and the Scroll of Seals were truly good things.

Crack.

A moment later, Hyuga Yunchuan walked out of the meeting room and saw Hyuga Riwo standing outside the door.

The wound on Hyuga Riwo's face had nearly healed by now, but that injury, along with its humiliation, remained carved into his heart.

"Hyuga Yunchuan."

Seeing Hyuga Yunchuan leave the meeting room, Hyuga Riwo threatened coldly, "Do you think I can do nothing to you just because the Third Hokage values you?"

Hyuga Yunchuan did not answer. He did not even glance at Hyuga Riwo, ignoring the man's gloomy stare as he brushed past him.

If Hyuga Riwo had dared to activate the Curse Mark the moment he stepped out of the meeting room, Hyuga Yunchuan might have been somewhat surprised and looked upon him more highly.

Now?

He was nothing more than an old dog's futile barking.

Hyuga Riwo watched helplessly as Hyuga Yunchuan left. His entire body trembled, the veins on his forehead bulging, yet he could do nothing.

The moonlight outside the window shone on his temples, which had already turned white.

He truly did not dare to make a move.

He truly was old.

Morning light streamed into the Raikage's office in Kumogakure when a violent bang shattered the morning silence.

Bang!!

The solid wooden desk was smashed apart by a dark, thick fist. Papers and documents scattered across the room, while the residual force of his punch left web-like cracks in the floor.

"How dare Konoha?!"

The Fourth Raikage was wrapped in lightning, his hair standing on end. Other than fury, only shock remained on his face.

Mabui beside him wore an equally grave expression as she looked at Konoha's declaration of war in her hand.

The Fourth Shinobi World War had begun.

The news began spreading throughout the Ninja World, instantly causing upheaval everywhere. Forces both open and hidden were shaken by it.

Many people were astonished by Sarutobi Hiruzen's swift reaction and decisive actions. While responding immediately, they sent people to the Land of Hot Water to investigate and contacted spies planted in Konoha to learn the situation.

An indecisive Sarutobi Hiruzen and a decisive, hard-line Sarutobi Hiruzen were completely different levels of threat.

They wanted to know what exactly had happened between Konoha and Kumogakure to make Sarutobi Hiruzen make up his mind so quickly, and to make him unite the opinions of the other ninja clans so rapidly.

Aside from Kumogakure and Konoha, the only ones who knew part of the reason were the Akatsuki, who were still lurking in Amegakure and had yet to seize power.

However...

"With Sarutobi Hiruzen's personality, shouldn't he have been indecisive and worried about gains and losses when facing a situation like this? Why was he suddenly so decisive this time?"

In the Land of Rain, within a curtain of darkness and rain, a hoarse, suspicious voice sounded, but it quickly became calm.

"Nagato, it seems the plan has changed. You must act immediately."

(Please, this is the last recommendation slot. If I can get it smoothly, I can release the chapter this weekend and update explosively. Otherwise, I'll have to wait another week, so please make sure to keep reading tomorrow, Monday! Please! And while you're at it, please vote with monthly tickets too, QAQ!)