Hiruzen Sarutobi had made far too many mistakes in this Shinobi World War.
First, Kumogakure had run circles around him with a feint, then he had let Kirigakure's ninja invade the Land of Fire outright.
Speaking up for Sarutobi now would just be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?
Besides, was it worth offending the new Hokage and that monster, Hatake Xuanzhe?
"No objections?"
The daimyo looked around, his gaze deliberately settling on the four members of the Elders Council.
The wrinkles on Utatane Koharu's face twitched, and she instinctively moved to stand.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi reacted quickly, catching her sleeve under the table and signaling with his eyes for her not to act rashly.
"Not just the position of Hokage."
Nawaki, the Senju Clan's leader, spoke up, unable to suppress the satisfaction in his voice. "The captains and commanders-in-chief of the Intelligence Department, Anbu, and Root, as well as the senior advisors, all have to be replaced."
Those words made it clear that he intended to uproot Konoha's entire existing leadership.
"What did you say?!"
This time, even Hiruzen Sarutobi failed to stop her in time. Utatane Koharu sprang straight out of her chair.
Even Danzo's expression changed.
He had far too much hidden in the shadows. If it all came to light, Tsunade's first act upon taking office would be to skin him alive.
Hiruzen Sarutobi kept his voice low. "The current leadership has held office for decades. Replacing everyone at once will definitely disrupt Konoha's operations. Doing this... isn't appropriate."
Compared to a useless fool like Utatane Koharu, who could do nothing but lose her temper, Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly far more composed.
Nawaki curled his lip, looking utterly unconcerned. "You're no longer-"
"Nawaki, shut up."
Xuan Zhe's voice was mild.
"Uh... all right, brother-in-law. Whatever you say."