The Third Hokage's injuries weren't severe. By the next day, he had already regained consciousness. That said, the senior doctors at the medical center were unanimous. Given his age, he would need a long period of rest.
Despite that, his hospital room was anything but quiet.
The space was packed with people, most of them jōnin. And not just any jōnin. Standing at the front were the village's highest authorities: advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, along with the head of Root, Shimura Danzō.
The advisors and Danzō were locked in a heated argument, their topic unmistakable. The fate of the three captured Sand siblings.
Homura and Koharu argued that, to avoid triggering a full-scale war and to respect the old agreements regarding the distribution of the tailed beasts, the Sand trio should be returned. Of course, that didn't mean letting the Sand off for free. Compensation could still be demanded.
Danzō disagreed completely.
In his view, the three should be executed immediately. The One-Tail should be extracted and used as a weapon. If the Sand wanted war afterward, all the better. Konoha could demonstrate its strength directly.
The argument went in circles.
On the bed, the Third Hokage rubbed his temples, clearly exhausted. The surrounding jōnin looked oddly unfazed, as if scenes like this were routine.
Finally, he coughed.
"Enough."
That alone was enough to quiet the room. Regardless of disagreements, he was still the Hokage.
Once the noise died down, the Third Hokage spoke slowly. "Fujimoto Tōma has already reported the situation to me. We've discussed some preliminary responses. My condition doesn't allow me to speak for long, so…"
He gestured toward Tōma.
"Tōma, speak in my place."
The room stirred.
That single sentence carried weight. Several jōnin instinctively glanced at Danzō. Some eyes held curiosity. Others carried faint mockery. A few didn't bother hiding their schadenfreude.
By the window, Jiraiya, who had been leaning with his arms crossed and eyes closed, opened them sharply and looked at the Third Hokage in surprise.
Danzō's face darkened. "Hiruzen. He's thirteen."
"I know," the Third Hokage said mildly. "I'm just unwell. He's helping me explain things."
Danzō snorted but said no more.
Homura and Koharu studied Tōma carefully. On paper, he fit. Jiraiya's student. Trusted. Powerful. And his contributions during the crisis had been undeniable. His future potential was obvious.
Still…
He was young. Too young to shoulder something like this.
Tōma, for his part, felt no pressure. He scanned the room. Familiar faces were everywhere: Hyūga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, Yamanaka Inoichi. Clan heads and key figures, all present.
He went straight to the point.
"You all know who I am, so I'll skip introductions. I'll speak on the Hokage's behalf about what Konoha needs to do next."
He paused briefly.
"Before addressing the Sand, we need to talk about Konoha's reputation. Our counterattack was effective, but the Chūnin Exams were still a disaster. No matter the reasons, this damages our standing. Other nations will question our strength."
A few jōnin nodded.
"To counter that, Konoha needs to show its power. From now on, I ask everyone to take on more B-rank and higher missions. Success rate comes first, but efficiency matters too."
He outlined the deployment clearly. Special jōnin in teams of two to three. Jōnin in teams of one to two. Each group free to arrange accompanying chūnin and genin as needed.
"We'll stay busy," Tōma concluded. "And we'll complete these missions cleanly. That's how we stabilize the village and rebuild confidence."
There were no objections. Especially among jōnin from civilian backgrounds, this was welcome news. Fewer missions meant fewer resources. This plan kept the village running.
Seeing no dissent, Tōma continued.
"As for the Sand. The Hokage's stance is to avoid a war between villages."
Danzō scoffed. "Naive. You think forgiving them will earn gratitude? They broke the alliance once. They'll do it again."
"I'm not finished," Tōma said flatly, not bothering to hide his disdain.
Danzō bristled. "You—"
"You're in no position to interrupt," Tōma cut in coldly. "Root didn't act during the invasion. Would you like me to ask everyone here who else held back their forces?"
The room went quiet.
Eyes shifted toward Danzō. The looks weren't friendly.
Danzō clenched his jaw. He fell back on his usual justification about 'protecting Konoha's foundations', but the damage was done. He stayed silent.
The Third Hokage let out a faint, weary smile. He remembered clearly how Tōma had asked for Root's assistance and been refused. It wasn't just Tōma who was disappointed.
Tōma resumed.
"We won't start a war with the Sand. But we also won't forgive them lightly. Face and利益 both matter."
Homura and Koharu frowned but listened.
"First, the One-Tail must be returned. Keeping it would make the Sand our outright enemy. Worse, we already house the Nine-Tails. Holding two would alarm every other village. The One-Tail cannot stay."
Danzō's expression grew uglier, but even he couldn't deny the logic.
"However," Tōma continued, "we won't give it back for free. The Sand must agree to one condition."
He looked around the room.
"They will eliminate Orochimaru's base. The so-called Sound Village."
Koharu spoke up immediately. "Isn't that still provoking conflict?"
"No," Tōma replied calmly. "This isn't a village war. Neither Konoha nor the Sand recognizes the Sound as a legitimate village. It's a rogue ninja's base."
He went on. During the exams, several daimyō had also been affected. None of them would object to the destruction of Orochimaru's forces.
"In the end, the Sand will be destroying the hideout of the traitor who manipulated them."
He looked at the advisors. "Any objections?"
Homura and Koharu exchanged a glance, then shook their heads. Framed that way, it was acceptable.
Their opinion of Tōma rose sharply. Especially compared to how he had treated Danzō.
Tōma pressed on.
"The spoils from the operation will be split sixty-forty. Konoha takes sixty."
"Will the Sand accept that?" Homura asked.
"Not willingly," Tōma said. "Which is why we'll demand compensation first for their breach of the alliance. Their finances are strained. If they can't pay, this condition becomes very reasonable."
He sighed theatrically. "If I weren't worried about pushing them too far, I'd ask for everything."
Several jōnin felt a chill. This wasn't someone to offend. Petty. Calculating. And very good with numbers.
Finally, Tōma raised the last point.
"The Sand suffered heavy losses. Their combat strength is weakened. So Konoha will 'kindly' send one shinobi to assist them."
He smiled faintly.
"That shinobi's real task is to display Konoha's power. Someone strong enough that, the next time the Sand considers breaking an alliance, they'll remember that person and hesitate."
He paused.
"And as for who that shinobi will be—"
"Enough."
Danzō cut in sharply.
He had already set his sights on that role.
The chapter ended there.