Within Konoha, the atmosphere stood in stark contrast to the turmoil outside, marked by a rare sense of slackness and emptiness.
The streets held fewer ninja hurrying about than usual, and many shops closed early. There was a wartime stillness, yet it was not oppressive. Instead, the village felt sluggish, as though its core had been hollowed out.
Ever since the decision to take a hard line against the great nations, the village's entire war machine had been running at full speed.
Most of its elite fighters, logistics personnel, and even some key administrative staff had been deployed elsewhere.
Some were stationed in occupied territories, while others maintained communications and supply lines.
Konoha's internal defenses had not been depleted to the point where they could fall at a single blow, but they were certainly much thinner than at the village's peak.
The leadership, however, did not seem particularly worried.
Konoha was now fighting the great nations. Few other forces still dared-or could spare enough manpower-to attack its home base. Doing so would be tantamount to suicide.
As a result, the village felt strangely at ease in the blind spot beneath its own lamp. Or perhaps it was simply the inevitable quiet left behind when its strength had been drawn away.
The power structure had also become delicate and loosely defined.
After the former Hokage had been resurrected, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had taken full charge of the village when Naruto headed south.
Before the First launched his attack on the Land of Wind, he had left the Second, Tobirama Senju, in charge.
Once these two founders had returned to the Pure Land in succession, Hyuga Hiashi and Inoichi Yamanaka began taking turns overseeing the village's day-to-day operations on a temporary basis.
Why Hiashi and Inoichi?
Why not the more