In Konoha, inside a small conference room in the Hokage Office Building, the four people who held the village's highest authority sat around a square table.
This was a closed-door meeting, and none of Konoha's other clan heads had been invited, because the subject they were about to discuss was not suitable for them to hear...
"It's been three months, and there's been no news of Orochimaru. It looks like he's left the Land of Fire." Mitokado Homura spoke first, holding a report provided by the Anbu.
The four of them held the highest authority in Konoha. Though Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu received little attention in the original story, no one could change their status as members of the village's highest echelon.
Mitokado Homura, for instance, was a former subordinate of the Second Hokage. He now oversaw Konoha's foreign affairs and logistics, and even its finances.
Policies toward other villages and official statements all required his approval, and he was the one primarily responsible for them. Logistics and finances went without saying; they were the foundation of the village and its highest priorities.
As for Utatane Koharu, she also held considerable authority. She was solely responsible for communications with the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire, and after Tsunade left Konoha, she was put in charge of the village's medical system.
Shimura Danzō and the Third Hokage needed no introduction. The original story had made their authority perfectly clear.
Utatane Koharu picked up the conversation. "As one of Konoha's strongest shinobi, Orochimaru had built up a tremendous power base over the years, so it's no surprise he managed to escape. But he was injured while breaking out of the village, and his disappearance without a trace is truly puzzling. Could another faction be sheltering him?" Her words carried