Severed Beliefs (Part 1)

Late November, Konoha 44. The Land of Fire was experiencing its coldest weather in years.

"I really want to go home and curl up under a kotatsu. The academy should just cancel classes already."

During the lunch break, Obito eyed Rin Nohara's bento while clutching his bread, complaining loudly. Ever since his grades improved, he had become lax again.

The girl, who was working harder and harder in the Medical Corps, heard this and immediately corrected him earnestly:

"We agreed to graduate early together, Obito. Don't forget, I'll be watching you!"

"Sorry."

Obito, caught under the girl's gaze, turned his head away in embarrassment. Seeing Asuma Sarutobi slumped over his desk with a dejected look, he asked curiously:

"What's wrong with that guy Asuma? He's been like this lately."

"The Hokage couldn't make it to the last assessment because of work. Maybe Asuma is disappointed since he took first place."

Ebisu, who had quietly leaned in, pushed up his small sunglasses and whispered a response. Obito was startled, but after hearing this, he felt a strange sense of bitterness:

"What a boring thing to be troubled by..."

Longing for a warm family, Obito couldn't empathize with Asuma. In his eyes, no one in the class was more fortunate than that guy!

"Hey! Shizune, your bento is so lavish!"

"It's so refined, it looks especially delicious!"

Shizune, who had just opened her bento, blushed upon hearing the exclamations from Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yuhi. She didn't have the skills to make this:

"It's lunch prepared by Tsunade-sensei. She happened to pack one for me too..."

With three types of meat, plus fried foods, vegetables, and some refreshing side dishes, the bento was extremely nutritious.

"That's amazing. I'm completely hopeless when it comes to cooking."

Kurenai Yuhi sighed with envy, and soon the three girls began whispering to each other.

Seeing this, Obito, still holding his bread, completely lost his appetite. He put his arms behind his head and complained in his heart:

"Even when they aren't at school, how do they still manage to steal the spotlight!"

In the afternoon, inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe and frowned slightly. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and no one spoke for a long time.

Although Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado understood Hiruzen Sarutobi, as advisors, they still offered their own perspectives:

"The mission failed. The secret outpost on the front lines of the Land of Grass has been destroyed."

"The supply lines were also sabotaged. The transport team and two squads were wiped out. Given these consequences, the village must issue a punishment."

Koharu Utatane, eyes narrowed, offered her suggestion. Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, and Homura Mitokado reminded him with a solemn expression:

"Although we don't need to cater to the Daimyo's emotions, we still need to provide them with a passable explanation."

"..."

Sakumo Hatake's failure in this S-rank mission had impacted the village's reputation, and along with the news came the Daimyo's questioning.

"With Iwagakure and Sunagakure involved, there were some issues with the intelligence."

"As for Sakumo, let him rest for a while. Don't worry about the Daimyo; they have no right to interfere in the village's internal affairs."

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly looked up and decisively announced his decision, then stared at the inconspicuous Danzō Shimura and reminded him in a low voice:

"The specific details of this mission must not spread within the Jonin Division."

"Root has overstepped its bounds in this matter."

Seemingly surprised that Hiruzen Sarutobi could detect his petty schemes so early, Danzō, his head wrapped in bandages, finally opened his eyes and said expressionlessly:

"I only wanted to take this opportunity to give all the jonin a warning: mission failure must be punished."

"No one can be above the interests of the village. This incident proves once again that Sakumo Hatake lacks the Hokage mindset..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not expect his old friend to "quibble" under such circumstances, so he immediately interrupted:

"I will issue a gag order. This matter ends here!"

"Hiruzen, you are becoming weak. Once a war breaks out, if this happens again..."

Before Danzō could finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him again:

"Sakumo knows what to do in wartime. Remember, I am the Hokage!"

"All actions must be approved by me. I don't want to receive any more unwanted news from the Anbu."

The growing Root was already under Anbu surveillance, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had even dispatched Orochimaru to keep watch; everyone in the room was well aware of this.

Unable to say "You will regret this," Danzō stood up directly, turned, and walked away.

The meeting ended on a sour note. Homura Mitokado also felt that his old friend's punishment was too light, so he tried to stop Danzō, turning to persuade him:

"Danzō, we still need to discuss the response to the Daimyo."

"Does a master need to look at a dog's expression? Root still has matters that require my attention."

"Bang..."

As the door closed, Danzo narrowed his eyes upon leaving the room. The Hokage faction was accelerating its recruitment of talented shinobi, and it was clear that his old friend's wariness toward him had only deepened.

Sarutobi Hiruzen continued to puff on his pipe, exhaling clouds of smoke. Thinking of the power currently in Danzo's hands, he felt a measure of dissatisfaction regarding Orochimaru's work.

Fortunately, he was not yet too old and still had time to resolve these issues. Noticing the expressions of his two old friends, he shifted the topic:

"Tsunade has completed quite a bit of work during this period; the cultivation of the new medicinal herbs is excellent."

"The secret medicine has already begun to be utilized. It seems Shu's talent far exceeds our expectations; no wonder he has been able to gain the recognition of so many."

"..."

Faced with a formidable Hokage, the two advisors ceased their arguing. With the support of the Sannin, the major shinobi clans, and the Anbu, Sarutobi Hiruzen still held a firm grip on all power.

By evening, the sky had turned dark. In the Medical Corps laboratory, Tsunade lazily stretched her body in her seat and looked at her disciples working diligently nearby, saying with a smile:

"The weather is so cold, I really want to have a cup of hot sake right now!"

Shizune was organizing the data on herb cultivation, while Shu Furukawa was continuously reviewing the feedback on the secret medicine, summarizing useful information.

"Teacher, not long ago, Captain Shikaku reminded me about the Three Prohibitions of Shinobi..."

Hearing Shu Furukawa's words, Tsunade immediately curled her lip. She stood up, walked over to the two of them, and said nonchalantly:

"Has that boy from the Nara clan not taught you about balancing work and rest?"

"Teacher, the data is all organized!"

Shizune stood up and obediently handed over the documents. Tsunade's mood became even more pleasant. Thinking of the comfortable life she had enjoyed over the past month, she decided to proactively answer the question Shu Furukawa had mentioned earlier:

"Ordinary shinobi cannot accumulate chakra, but for outstanding medical-nin, there are ways to solve this problem."

"You have both performed well recently without slacking off, so I have decided to teach you the Strength of a Hundred Technique in advance!"

"This is an ancient technique that has been passed down since the time the Sage of Six Paths was still alive. After my continuous improvements and by combining it with other techniques, it has formed a unique S-rank medical ninjutsu!"

"The first stage is the accumulation of chakra. I will teach you the basic principles of the technique..."

Tsunade, speaking eloquently, noticed the look of reverence on their faces and felt even better. As she continued to praise them, Shu Furukawa's thoughts were already drifting elsewhere:

"I hope this technique can accumulate senjutsu chakra and solve the problem of being unable to sense natural energy."

"..."