"Are we sure it was us?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, raising a hand to stop them from spiraling.
Koharu Utatane answered immediately, fast and clipped, as she set the Hidden Cloud's condemnation in front of him. "They didn't provide evidence, but their attitude is extremely hard-line. They're insisting we're under heavy suspicion…"
Homura Mitokado's brow was tight. "All the major nations and hidden villages are waiting to see how we respond."
Hiruzen read through it slowly.
A moment later, he let out a cold little laugh.
"Sensei," Orochimaru said, rising to his feet, "we can continue this another day. There are a few things I still need to report."
"No need to leave," Hiruzen said, waving him down. He slid his pipe between his teeth and began packing tobacco with unhurried fingers. "Stay. You should see this too."
Orochimaru's lips curved. "Then I'll listen to you."
Not long after, there was a sharp, impatient knock.
The instant Hiruzen's "Come in" landed, Danzo Shimura strode through the door like he was marching into battle.
"Hiruzen," he barked, "we need to prepare for full-scale war. Mobilize the shinobi."
Orochimaru, as naturally as breathing, handed the document over with one hand.
Danzo's brow furrowed. Instinctively, he wanted to crush this rival on principle.
This was a high-level Konoha meeting.
But Hiruzen was right there, calm as stone, and Danzo swallowed it.
He wasn't stupid. He could see Hiruzen was supporting Orochimaru, pushing him into the race.
And yet Danzo couldn't even summon real anger.
Because Hiruzen had spelled it out for him in advance.
He would guarantee Danzo had the qualifications.
He would not guarantee Danzo the seat.
On top of that, Hiruzen had been teaching him, directly and indirectly, what it meant to act like a Hokage. It wasn't favoritism. It was a kind of fairness that carried weight.
Even for Danzo Shimura.
Danzo skimmed the paper, then lifted his gaze, expression stiff. "Orochimaru, did your side leave traces?"
His voice hardened. "Anbu has no problems. I've checked repeatedly."
It wasn't just an attack for the sake of it. If information had leaked, someone had to be held responsible, and you started by grabbing the source by the throat.
Orochimaru gave a quiet snort. "My side doesn't have problems either. And watch how you address him. You should be saying 'Third' or 'Hokage,' not using Sensei's name like that."
The air went sharp instantly.
Needle to needle. Neither of them gave an inch.
"If you're both saying there's no problem," Hiruzen said, tapping the desk once, "then there's no problem."
His tone was flat, almost bored. "Don't fall into a trap and start panicking just because the enemy bluffed you."
Orochimaru and Danzo each snorted, but they both went still, turning the words over.
Homura frowned, thinking. "Third… you're saying the Hidden Cloud is bluffing?"
"Very likely."
Hiruzen tilted the document slightly, as if making them look with him. "Notice something? They never said the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is dead. The wording is loud and rough, they're putting on a show of fury, but if you strip the bark away, it's pressure. Nothing more."
He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, openly disdainful.
"Put yourself in their position. Hidden Cloud Village has taken a massive blow, and they can't find a target."
"What do they do, then? Hide? Of course not."
"If they retreat into silence, their enemies, and everyone who might become their enemy, will smell weakness."
"So they have to do the opposite. They have to act even tougher."
"They need the entire shinobi world to believe their village is still strong, that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki can still strike at any time…"
He flicked ash into the tray.
"And us? Konoha's had a reputation for leaning toward peace for a long time. People call that being reasonable. Other villages call it being easy to push around."
"If we back down, they get what they want."
"And if they're lucky, they might even squeeze compensation out of us."
The room went quiet.
Koharu and Homura both felt heat creep up their faces.
Partly because they'd been too quick to react, too sloppy for advisors.
And partly because during the last war, they'd been the ones pushing to end things fast, to avoid excessive reparations, to stop the bleeding as soon as possible.
"This situation isn't the last one," Hiruzen said, waving it off like it wasn't worth the guilt. "Back then, decisions were made for the environment we were in. Don't overthink it."
He looked at Danzo briefly, then back to both advisors.
"And don't jump straight to war every time someone raises their voice. Our real advantages are technology and talent. Those things need time to mature."
Being hard-line for the sake of being hard-line wasn't automatically "better."
Doves and hawks were just different angles. Neither side owned the truth.
Danzo's face stayed dark, but he still spoke up. "I agree with the Hokage."
He knew exactly who that had been aimed at.
Danzo felt a spike of regret. He didn't actually want to start a war right now. He'd just wanted to make it sound dire, then shove the blame onto Orochimaru while everyone's nerves were high.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, looked at Hiruzen with something like admiration. "Sensei… your analysis is correct."
This was what a Hokage was supposed to look like.
Always calm.
"The Hidden Cloud's provocation is an opportunity," Hiruzen said, voice dropping. "It buys Konoha time. That's what you need to see."
"And we can use this chance to intimidate the other villages at the same time."
He leaned forward slightly.
"For a long time, there's been a shared assumption in the shinobi world that Konoha 'leans toward peace.' Because of that, other villages are unlikely to fully believe the Hidden Cloud's accusations."
"This time, we show enough strength that nobody mistakes restraint for weakness."
"We uphold the First Hokage's belief in peace, but we make it clear we are not soft."
"We're hoping the other villages will choose the same attitude."
His eyes sharpened.
"But if anyone dares to break that peace…"
"Konoha, which has already tasted suffering once, will use everything to defend our home."
He paused, letting the weight settle.
"Including, but not limited to, forbidden techniques."
"And we will make them pay a price they'll regret for the rest of their lives, in accordance with Tobirama-sama's will."
One hand held up the First's banner of peace.
The other hand held up Tobirama's shadow.
Outside the village, the Senju brothers' "credibility" was almost perfectly split, one overwhelmingly positive and one overwhelmingly terrifying.
But who said negative fear had no value?
Hiruzen intended to squeeze every drop of it into authority.
"Draft a statement according to my intent," he ordered, voice leaving no room for debate. "The wording must be precise. Inform the entire shinobi world."
"As fast as possible."
Koharu and Homura straightened immediately. "Understood!"
The two from the Administrative Department moved at once.
Hiruzen turned back to Orochimaru. "Now. Continue your report. No need to wait for another day."
"Yes, Sensei."
Orochimaru's tone shifted back into business. "The modified medicine can already be produced at a preliminary scale. The samples are ready. The Nara and the Akimichi put real effort into it."
Hiruzen nodded slightly.
Once he established a diplomatic advantage through this Hidden Cloud situation, negotiations with the Land of Fire and the daimyo would get much easier.
"And," Orochimaru continued, "your concept is excellent, but it will take time to complete."
"Certain specific cases may be faster," he added, careful with his phrasing, "but if you want it to be broadly applicable…" He shook his head. "It won't be simple."
He meant suppressing Hashirama Cells.
With Danzo in the room, Orochimaru deliberately kept it vague.
On purpose.
Let the man know he was doing something, but not what.
Let it gnaw at him.
"One step at a time," Hiruzen said calmly. "It's a long-term project. I understand."
"I'll prepare the materials you need."
As he said it, something in Hiruzen's mind shifted.
A "specific case" was enough.
According to Tobirama's notes, the compatibility between Izuna Uchiha and Tobirama Senju had been shockingly good.
"Thank you for understanding, Sensei. Then I'll get back to work."
Orochimaru glanced at Danzo, smiled, and walked out of the office.
Danzo ground his molars silently.
He'd remember this.
The "Darkness of the Shinobi World" didn't forget grudges.
And just like Orochimaru expected, once Danzo realized Orochimaru was working on something, an ugly anxiety took root in his gut.
But Orochimaru reported directly to Hiruzen. Danzo couldn't interfere, and he couldn't even comfortably spy.
The Anbu under his control listened to him as the head…
But they also listened to their squad leaders and deputy commanders.
And those people were Hiruzen's.
If Danzo tried to use them like the old Root private army, just one person, Sakumo Hatake, who'd impeached him before, would be enough to make Danzo choke on it for days.
"Danzo," Hiruzen said, patting his shoulder, "focus on village security and internal defense."
"And send scout teams to the borders. I want coverage. Prevent enemy infiltration."
He looked him in the eye, steady. "Your work isn't any lighter than Orochimaru's."
Danzo's mood lifted instantly.
Work was good. Work meant he could see things.
Then, a beat later, a strange feeling surfaced. Something was off.
Hiruzen's smile stayed mild. "And don't worry. The public-facing parts won't leave you out."
"Set everything up," he added, voice casual, "and prepare to come with me to the Land of Fire. I'll give you a surprise then."
The moment he heard that, Danzo stopped caring where the unease came from.
"Leave it to me, Hiruzen!"
Then he couldn't help complaining again. "You should rein in Orochimaru. I've called you by your name for decades. He's a junior and he dares question me. He's completely out of control."
Hiruzen just smiled and nodded, saying nothing.
Without competition, where did urgency come from?
And bringing Danzo to the Land of Fire wasn't a lie.
Danzo's reputation, even among the daimyo and nobles, carried a certain… influence.
Three days later.
Konoha's response reached the entire shinobi world.
And every hidden village erupted.
That strong?
.....
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