The old barriers had stood for so many years that their defenses had grown weak. To Orochimaru, they were no different from a sieve riddled with holes.
Unless they were completely overhauled and upgraded, tonight it was the Hyuga who suffered, and tomorrow the Hokage Building, the Core Archives, and the Secret Technique Repository would be infiltrated one after another. Konoha would never be able to keep people like Orochimaru out.
The two wasted no time. They rushed back to the Hokage Office, found Hiruzen Sarutobi, and told him how Orochimaru had infiltrated the village that night, caused havoc, and stolen the Byakugan. They also proposed an overhaul.
An entirely new Composite Perception Barrier, Warning Barrier, and Defense Barrier had to be installed, with three overlapping layers of protection to seal every gap an infiltrator could exploit.
Renovating the barriers on such a massive scale, rebuilding the formations, replacing materials, and supplying the labor would cost an enormous amount. It was an exceptionally expensive undertaking.
Tsunade had no money, but her stance was firm. She demanded outright that the Sarutobi Clan bear the full cost of every additional expense incurred by the overhaul.
The reason was simple: Hiruzen Sarutobi had left this mess behind, so the Sarutobi Clan ought to foot the bill.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard the astronomical cost, his heart gave a painful twinge.
The Sarutobi Clan was a prominent clan in Konoha, but even they could not withstand such a massive, unexpected expenditure. It was tantamount to losing most of the clan's savings for nothing.
Yet he had nothing to say, nor did he dare object.
Orochimaru's infiltration and rampage that night had stripped the Hyuga of their dignity and exposed Konoha's defenses as practically nonexistent, already dealing a heavy blow to the village's prestige.
Besides, Hiruzen