In the spacious, brightly lit Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat upright in the chair that symbolized supreme authority.
His eyes were slightly closed, his expression peaceful as he rested. He lightly propped his chin on his hands, as if deep in thought about something important.
Standing at his sides were the three elder advisors: Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura.
The group had been fairly relaxed outside, but the moment they stepped into the Hokage Office, they felt an invisible pressure bearing down on them. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy and oppressive.
Faced with this, everyone chose to remain silent. No one dared to break the quiet. They silently found suitable places to stand, then waited without making the slightest unnecessary sound.
This was one of the methods commonly employed by those in positions of power. By creating a tense atmosphere, they could not only establish their authority but also take the opportunity to observe the subtle changes in the expressions and moods of everyone attending the meeting.
Time passed, and the hands on the wall clock slowly pointed to nine. Just then, a shadow suddenly appeared in the office like a ghost. It was an Anbu Ninja, dressed in a black bodysuit and wearing a mask.
The Anbu Ninja hurried to Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, bent down, and whispered a few words to him.
After hearing the Anbu Ninja's report, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally opened his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted in a barely perceptible smile. He looked around at everyone present and asked quietly, "Has everyone arrived?"
The office was so quiet that even a pin dropping could have been heard. The atmosphere was tense.
In the dead silence, a loud, clear voice suddenly broke the quiet: "Representing the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō are here!" The voice rang out like a bell, echoing throughout the office.
The one who had spoken was Uchiha Kō himself.
The others looked puzzled and confused. They wondered to themselves, Is Lord Hokage blind? Can't he see who's come in? Why state the obvious?
But the thought only crossed their minds briefly. Someone soon realized that things might not be so simple.
Nara Rokumei's eyes suddenly lit up, and his normally serious expression gave way to a sly smile.
Then he lifted the corners of his mouth and imitated Uchiha Kō's tone: "Representing Ino-Shika-Cho, Nara Rokumei, Yamanaka Unkai, and Torifu Akimichi are here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a low ripple of laughter spread through the room, though most people looked at Nara Rokumei thoughtfully.
Nara Rokumei couldn't help but laugh to himself. As expected of Kō. That simple sentence wasn't just an announcement of who had arrived. It was a declaration of allegiance.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been sitting behind his desk, smiled and nodded. Then he said to the newcomers, "Come, come. Clan Head Hirotomo, Kō, and Rokumei, come sit up front. Don't stand so far away."
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Uchiha Hirotomo, Uchiha Kō, Nara Rokumei, and the others walked over to the seats at the front of the office and sat down in turn.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on them, filled with complicated emotions: curiosity, doubt, and, in some cases, wariness.
For a moment, the office was filled with a tense, subtle atmosphere, as if a fierce contest were about to begin...
Tsunade also spoke up. "Teacher, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya are here!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and beckoned them over. "Come sit down!"
Tsunade grinned, then walked over to Uchiha Kō and took the seat beside him.
Now everyone understood. Sarutobi Hiruzen had been asking which clans were willing to stand with him. So far, the Uchiha and Ino-Shika-Cho had joined the Hokage's faction: one was a clan with a thousand years of history, while the other was a family known for placing its bets wisely.
Tsunade and the others were Sarutobi Hiruzen's students. There were still plenty of seats, but fewer and fewer remained near the front.
While the clan heads hesitated, Hyuga Akagi spoke up. "Hyuga Akagi and my youngest son, Hyuga Hiashi, are here!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with a smile. "Please, have a seat." He pointed to the few remaining seats at the front.
Hyuga Akagi nodded and sat down. Seeing that the Uchiha and Hyuga had both declared their positions, the other clans followed suit one by one.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled slightly and even gave Uchiha Kō a look that said, Well done. Uchiha Kō nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting.
After each clan had made its position clear and taken a seat, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke. "First, as Hokage, I want to thank every clan for sending its ninja to fight in the Land of Rain."
"This victory belongs to all of us!" Nara Rokumei began applauding first, smiling as he looked at Uchiha Kō. Uchiha Kō understood and joined in.
Led by the two of them, the others began to applaud. The applause continued for three minutes before Sarutobi Hiruzen cheerfully gestured for everyone to stop.
The applause gradually faded, and Sarutobi Hiruzen continued. "I had planned to publicly reward each clan, but last night I received an urgent report!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened as he spoke. "Sunagakure has already mobilized its forces and is marching toward Konoha. A major battle is about to begin. We can only record your previous achievements for now and reward you after the fighting is over. Does anyone have any objections?"
Everyone shook their heads. Who would object? With a major battle imminent, dealing with Sunagakure was the priority.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then slowly said, "Since no one has any objections, I invite you all to speak freely and share your thoughts on the current situation."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tsunade rose to her feet. With a grave expression, she looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said seriously, "Teacher, based on my firsthand experience on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, I believe we should assign more medical ninja to combat units. Every three-person squad should have at least one medical ninja. That would greatly reduce the number of casualties!"
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brow.
Everyone knew that medical ninja were exceedingly rare in every country.
If these precious medical ninja were assigned to individual squads, they could easily be killed if they encountered a powerful enemy.
That would be unwise... Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, rejecting Tsunade's proposal. He replied bluntly, "Tsunade, your intentions are good, but given the current situation, this approach won't work!"
Tsunade was taken aback. She froze, then slowly lowered her head, disappointment and dejection showing on her face.
Just then, Uchiha Kō, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up and declared, "Lord Hokage, I believe Lady Tsunade's proposal is well worth considering."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had clearly not expected Uchiha Kō to support Tsunade's view, and he froze for a moment. When he recovered, he frowned slightly and asked, "Kō, tell me: why do you think this proposal is workable?"
It wasn't just Sarutobi Hiruzen. The clan heads and heirs all turned to look at Uchiha Kō, curious to hear what he had to say.
Before you continue