High-level meeting
Eiji has secured a place in the upper echelons, and it's more accurate to say that Great Families are now paying close attention to Eiji every move.
After all, he can be considered the strongest person in the Shinobi World and the Future Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Any opinion he holds may become an important decision ten years later.
The meeting officially began after the two were seated.
"As you all surely understand, the war has intensified. The Sunagakure and Iwagakure Ninja ostensibly intend to invade the Land of Rain, but their true aim is to plunder the Land of Fire. If we don't direct the battle there, they will definitely find a way to raid the Land of Fire Land of Rain! It is the duty of Ninja to protect their Village and countries; we absolutely cannot allow them to act with impunity in the Land of Fire!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a heavy tone, and the Ninja from Great Families below the stage also looked serious.
Eiji looked thoughtful. Indeed, according to the contract between the Village and the Daimyo, the Daimyo provided funds to the Shinobi Village for its development, while in return, the Shinobi Village was responsible for protecting the people of the Land of Fire from the ravages of war.
This could be considered a mutually beneficial arrangement. Imagine if Konoha hadn't joined the war; the Ninja from Sunagakure and Iwagakure could have taken the opportunity to invade the Land of Fire and plunder it.
Of course, they wouldn't do it so openly; they could disguise themselves in various identities and rob local wealthy merchants and nobles.
At that time, turmoil will break out within the Land of Fire, Konoha will inevitably face the wrath of the Land of Fire Daimyo.
The meeting quickly shifted from the current situation to Konoha's predicament, as Konoha was now facing a major headache due to the poison created by Chiyo.
Ultimately, it's a lack of Medical Ninja, Eiji couldn't help but think.
During his days on the Frontline in Konoha, he encountered all sorts of bizarre doctors. Not only did they not know how to use the Mystical Palm Technique, but they also forgot to administer anesthesia during surgery. They were all like living devils.
Just then, Tsunade stepped forward and said in a serious tone, "I will try my best to make an antidote for the poison in Sunagakure as soon as possible, but in order to ensure the medical standards at the Frontline, I suggest that Konoha should start training Medical Ninja. If there are Medical Ninja in the squads, at least they can be guaranteed to hold out until they are sent back to camp for treatment!"
"The enemy's Poison Gas was troublesome, but it wasn't the key factor in the Ninja's deaths. Ultimately, if they could receive immediate emergency medical care on the battlefield—"
"That's true, but this is wartime, and the enemy won't give us that kind of time," Hiruzen Sarutobi said seriously. "Training Medical Ninja and purchasing large quantities of medical equipment are things that require a lot of financial resources, and the enemy won't give us that kind of time."
Eiji nodded to himself. Although the words were somewhat harsh, they were the truth.
It would be correct to invest money in this area before the outbreak of war, but it is obvious that investing in medical care during the outbreak of war will not yield immediate results.
Training Medical Ninja takes a long time, and medical equipment is not cheap.
The Ninja from the Great Families present remained silent, for this money didn't come from thin air.
If they want to invest funds, they will definitely have to contribute money, and they also need to use that money to train their clan's Ninja. They will not agree to this proposal unless absolutely necessary.
"How could this happen..." Tsunade, then said urgently, "If this continues, won't we just have to watch those Ninja who could have been saved die in vain!?"
But that's the fate of Ninja. Nawaki only survived because of good luck; most people wouldn't have that kind of luck. Tsunade is too idealistic.
However, Eiji doesn't dislike Tsunade's personality; kindness is never a flaw, no matter the circumstances.
It was precisely because of his kindness that he trusted Tsunade and Grandma Mito; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to live in the Senju Ancestral Home in the first place.
But speaking of which, it's time for that person to speak, isn't it?
"I agree with her. We don't want all the Ninja who have died to this day to have wasted their lives in vain. We should learn from their mistakes."
A handsome young man with long, light blue hair stood up and spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant tone.
Eiji glanced at him sideways.
Kato Dan, in the original work, is the man who became Tsunade's pillar of support after Nawaki's death.
To be honest, I had a question myself at the time: with Great Families remaining silent, was it really okay for Kato Dan to express his opinion like that?
In the original story, after Kato Dan finished expressing his views, the scene immediately jumped to the end of the meeting, Tsunade ran to find Kato Dan, without showing much about what happened during the meeting.
As Kato Dan finished speaking, his words immediately silenced the conference room.
Sensing the change in his surroundings, Kato Dan's expression became somewhat uneasy.
Eiji understood; upon closer reflection, he realized that those words had put him in a very difficult position.
Kato Dan's family is not prominent, so this expense will not fall on him. This statement implies that he is being generous with other people's money, so the Great Families will certainly not be happy about it.
However, this statement also gave Tsunade a way out, which can be considered as sacrificing his own face to save Tsunade's face, showing that he is a very sensible person.
Just then, Eiji felt many eyes on him.
He looked around with his Six Eyes and found that whether it was Uchiha Somei, Hyuga Soichiro, or the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho, Inuzuka Clan, Aburame and other middle-class clans, they were all looking at him. Some Ninja sitting in the back row whose names he didn't know were also looking behind him.
Finally, even Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze over and said, "Eiji, what's your opinion?"
Although Eiji is considered one of the younger generation in Konoha, even he himself is unaware that he already has this level of influence.
He felt it would be wrong not to say something, but what could he do if the Great Families refused to spend money? He couldn't just conjure up a lot of money as soon as he opened his mouth.
Eiji could only stand up and say, "Although this will cost a lot of money, I support this proposal, and I hope everyone can support it as well."
Sigh, that's how meetings are all about saying superficial, half-hearted things.
"The Uchiha Clan supports this Proposal!"
"The Hyuga Clan agrees!"
Just as Eiji was about to sit down, still wondering if his words had been too perfunctory, Uchiha Somei and Hyuga Soichiro spoke almost simultaneously.
Their voices were extremely loud, echoing throughout the conference room. Then they looked at each other, their eyes seemingly sparking with electricity.