An office beside a window in the Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage seemed to have given up smoking. He picked up the Mission Report and narrowed his eyes slightly.
According to the Mission Report, Oto's Fire Squad had traveled throughout the Land of Fire over the past few days. Although they had not found the Akatsuki's new base, they had confirmed that a major internal conflict had indeed erupted within the organization.
The Akatsuki's infighting was undoubtedly good news for Konoha.
Nagato had deployed most of the Akatsuki's forces to attack the village, only to return in defeat. After this internal conflict, the threat they posed to the village would diminish further, making it unnecessary to remain on a wartime footing.
But new problems followed. What should they do if Jonin undertaking missions outside the village came under attack by the Akatsuki?
Would the shinobi villages that had formed an alliance at the Five Kage Summit deliberately leave the enemy alive to preserve their own leverage now that the Akatsuki posed less of a threat?
An absence of six months or a year would not matter much. But after several years, the wounds inflicted by the Akatsuki would be forgotten, and the various nations might gradually grow accustomed to life without tailed beasts or jinchūriki.
Then Konoha and Kumogakure, which still possessed tailed beasts, would stand out all the more.
Moreover, those reckless brutes in Kumogakure might use their jinchūriki's power to launch wars of annexation against the small ninja villages around them.
The thought gave the Third a headache. He looked at the Jonin before him and asked, "Tell me, how should the village deal with the Akatsuki next? Should we take the offensive or stay here and defend the village?"
Zou Hyuga stepped forward and said, "Lord Third,