No matter what, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane had spent their entire lives inside the village. Their words still carried weight.
If those two old veterans openly opposed Tsunade, they might not be able to do much to her directly, but they could still make things deeply unpleasant and even interfere with the smooth execution of her orders.
Fortunately, while the two of them could be annoyingly persistent, when it came to major issues they were still firmly on Tsunade's side.
Looking at the way Tsunade seemed almost unconcerned, both advisors let out heavy sighs, the lines on their faces bunching deeper together.
"The jinchuriki is one of the village's most vital assets. The Akatsuki are running around like mad dogs collecting Tailed Beasts. If something happens to Naruto, can you bear that responsibility?"
"And once we lose the Tailed Beast as a deterrent, the neighboring powers watching us like wolves will bare their fangs at Konoha the very next day."
Tsunade lifted her head and fixed them with a blazing stare, her tone absolute.
"Naruto is not as fragile as you make him out to be. And I'm sending Yamato to watch over him around the clock. You're worrying too much."
The two old advisors shook their heads firmly.
"The current shinobi world is too unstable. We absolutely do not approve of this kind of gamble. And why are we supposed to go to all this trouble chasing after Sasuke, the last remnant of the Uchiha?"
"When that boy deserted the village, the fact that we didn't immediately label him a missing-nin was already the greatest concession we could make out of respect for the Third Hokage."
Truthfully, while their words sounded harsh, they were not wrong.
In any other hidden village, abandoning the village without permission would have been a capital offense.
Konoha had even sent people after Sasuke in good faith, only for him to reject them outright without the slightest gratitude.
If Tsunade had not personally protected him against public pressure, Sasuke would have ended up on ANBU's kill list long ago. He certainly would not still be walking around free.
The two advisors understood perfectly well that the Third Hokage had indeed intended to raise Sasuke as something precious. Otherwise, they would never have tolerated Tsunade's stubborn indulgence in the matter.
At the end of the day, though, whether they approved or not did not mean that much in the face of absolute power.
At first, even Akira had assumed the Third Hokage might have harbored unease toward Sasuke.
But after thinking it through carefully, he understood that unless Hiruzen had lost his mind, he would never truly distrust Sasuke. On the contrary, he would have poured resources into cultivating him.
The reason was harsh, but practical.
At this point, aside from Sasuke, the Uchiha Clan was extinct.
Back then, the real reason the Third had insisted on assigning Kakashi to Team Seven was to have him pass on the essence of the Sharingan to Sasuke.
The old man had sincerely hoped Sasuke would become the final echo of the Uchiha Clan, the sharpest blade in Konoha's hand.
What the Third feared was the Uchiha Clan as an armed political force, not Sasuke as a lone survivor. A solitary wolf could be guided, shaped, and entrusted with responsibility.
In that respect, the Third and Danzo had fundamentally different attitudes toward the Uchiha.
The Third's political philosophy came from the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Remain cautious, keep your guard up, but still give them a place to live and a place to serve. After all, the power of the Uchiha was simply too useful to waste.
If the Fourth Hokage had not died so young, then with his charisma, Konoha's leadership might actually have managed to reconcile with the Uchiha Clan in a way no one else could.
At the very least, things would not have hardened to the point where annihilation became the only answer.
That was why the Third had placed so much hope in Sasuke.
A lone Uchiha with no clan behind him could never stir up much trouble. There was no need to fear that he would threaten Konoha's rule.
Raise Sasuke well, and Konoha gained another top-tier combat force. If the Third could not see that simple equation, then he had no business sitting in the Hokage's chair.
Kakashi's first duty with Team Seven had always been to teach Sasuke. Keeping an eye on Naruto had simply been an additional benefit.
On this point, the two advisors had quietly accepted the Third's judgment as well.
That was also why, after the Third Hokage died, no one inside Konoha had moved against Sasuke in secret.
If the village leadership had not shared that silent understanding, then Danzō the schemer would have snatched Sasuke into Root long ago and turned him into an emotionless killing machine through brainwashing.
The talent Sasuke had displayed during the Chunin Exams had already proven that he was a nearly perfect piece of raw material.
Even if someone reduced him to a human weapon, the strategic value would have been immense.
After all, the promise the Third Hokage made to Itachi had only been that Sasuke would live. It had never been a promise that he would live gently or comfortably.
But this time the issue involved Naruto, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and the advisors' nerves were instantly pulled tight.
A Tailed Beast was essentially a strategic weapon. They absolutely would not gamble the village's safety on recklessness.
Hearing Tsunade's defense, one of the advisors frowned even harder and pressed in with greater severity.
"The Akatsuki are all Kage-level criminals. Have you already forgotten how the Kazekage of Sunagakure was abducted in full view of his own village?"
"He was taken from his own territory, in front of an entire hidden village. And you think someone like Yamato alone is enough to stop enemies of that level?"
Tsunade slammed her palm down on the desk, glaring at them with open fury.
"Then what do you want me to do? Lock Naruto in a cage? He is going on this mission, and that is final!"