The intelligence report was not very long. It soon made the rounds and returned to Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped the report onto his desk and asked solemnly:
"How do you think we should deal with this Hidden Jun Village?"
Everyone exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.
Shimura Danzō, who had one eye wrapped in bandages, narrowed his remaining eye and said:
"Lord Hokage, in my opinion, we should eliminate it early, while the village is still small."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head slightly and swept his gaze over everyone.
"What about the rest of you? Do you agree?"
Nearly half of the Konoha High Command in the room nodded silently.
The emergence of such a powerful shinobi village had already "threatened" Konoha's fundamental interests. Eliminating it early was the best choice.
Between nations, and between shinobi villages, interests were all that mattered. "Benevolence and righteousness" were merely a joke.
The more they hesitated, the more likely they were to invite destruction.
Just then, a white-haired Konoha ninja, whose forehead protector was worn at an angle to cover one eye, spoke:
"Lord Hokage, a shinobi village with Kage-level strength is already a force we cannot underestimate."
"What's more, it easily wiped out another village that also had Kage-level strength. That makes its potential even more frightening."
"It has only been a little over a decade since the three Shinobi World Wars. The wounds Konoha suffered have only just begun to heal."
"I don't think we should go to war now. At the very least, we mustn't be the ones to start it."
Whoosh!
A tall, heavily bearded man quickly spun the ninja blade in his hand around his fingers, then slipped it into its pouch.
"Father, I agree with Kakashi."
The previous speaker was none other than Kakashi Hatake.
The burly