"Sarutobi, I absolutely disagree!"
Suddenly, an angry roar echoed throughout the entire office.
Danzo abruptly rose to his feet and slammed his palm against the table so hard that it seemed to tremble slightly.
His eyes were wide as he glared ahead, his face filled with fury and dissatisfaction.
"Not only is this course of action incredibly risky, but if the other hidden villages catch wind of it, we will inevitably become targets of public criticism. When that happens, they will surely unite and attack us! The consequences would be simply unimaginable!"
Danzo's voice was deafening, as though he were about to blow the roof off the room.
At the same time, Utatane Koharu turned her gaze toward the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—who sat quietly there with a pipe between his lips.
Her expression was grave as she said sternly, "Hiruzen, I understand how you feel, but this is no trivial matter. If mishandled, it could very well lead to extremely serious consequences. As the leader of a village, you must be cautious—more cautious than ever!"
Yet in the face of their fierce opposition, Sarutobi Hiruzen merely slowly raised his head. His eyes were as calm as still water as he looked at the two close friends who had once fought at his side.
Then, he shifted his gaze toward the clan heads and the many Jonin present. His weathered face still revealed neither joy nor anger.
Just then, a voice full of disdain and contempt rang out.
"Hmph, you two cowards! You can't even protect the younger generation of your own village, yet you have the nerve to call yourselves the number one hidden village? And you still have the face to speak of the Will of Fire? What a joke!"
Everyone followed the voice and saw that the speaker