After a brief analysis, Shikaku Nara concluded that he had been overthinking things.
The two senior advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, might have had some ulterior considerations, but their main reason was that they truly hated Kabuto Yakushi.
So he chose the mildest wording and spoke with great caution. "Lady Koharu, Lord Homura, I understand your positions perfectly."
"Kabuto Yakushi's crimes are indeed difficult to forgive. No matter how we look at it, executing him is a perfectly reasonable option."
Then he changed tack, his voice growing steadier. "However, we also need to consider a few practical issues."
"What issues?" Mitokado Homura asked coldly.
"First..."
Shikaku raised one finger. "Kabuto Yakushi's strength!"
"Even if we exclude the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, Kabuto Yakushi's own strength has now reached a level that is difficult to match."
At this point, he also glanced at Shihōin Naraku.
Naraku nodded and offered a reminder. "Kabuto Yakushi's strength... well, aside from me, Naruto, and Sasuke, there probably isn't a ninja in the shinobi world stronger than him."
The moment Naraku said this, the air in the meeting room seemed to freeze.
This...
Although everyone present had already revised their estimates of Kabuto Yakushi's strength upward, they still had not expected him to have become this strong.
"How is that possible?" Utatane Koharu was utterly baffled. "Kabuto Yakushi was nothing more than one of Orochimaru's pawns. Even if he inherited Orochimaru's legacy, how could he possibly..."
"There's nothing impossible about it!"
Naraku interrupted her calmly. "Lord Orochimaru certainly gave Kabuto a very high starting point, but Kabuto reached where he is today through his own efforts."
"Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode, the tempering of actual combat, his already considerable talent, and his almost obsessive research into ninjutsu..."
"None of those are things he could have obtained