Some were curious, some speculated, and some simply felt that the scene was awe-inspiring.
But they could not enter.
Because today, only Chunin and above are qualified to attend. Even ordinary Chunin were not enough; it had to be experienced Chunin who served as team leaders.
Inside the conference room, all three thousand people were seated.
At the very front, in the central position, sat the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Wearing the Hokage robes, his hands rested on his knees, his gaze calm as he looked toward the empty podium.
To his left were the two advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
To his right sat an unexpected figure.
Danzo Shimura.
The leader of Root, who rarely appeared in public, now sat there expressionlessly.
Konoha's higher-ups were all present today.
Silence.
All eyes were fixed on the empty spot at the podium.
They were all waiting for that person to appear.
The door at the back of the conference room was pushed open, and everyone's gaze turned in that direction at the same time.
Within the light and shadow of the doorway, a figure walked in.
Shinichi Higashino.
He wore the standard Konoha green flak jacket, neatly dressed, with his forehead protector properly tied.
Three thousand gazes fell upon him at once.
Among those gazes were curiosity, scrutiny, expectation, complexity, and even pride.
Shinichi walked forward along the central aisle. His footsteps sounded especially clear in the quiet space. On both sides, older ninjas followed his figure with their eyes, watching him step by step as he approached the podium.
He reached the front, stopped, then turned around to face those three thousand gazes.
Shinichi took a deep breath and began to speak. His voice was clear, neither loud nor soft, yet it carried distinctly to every corner of the silent room.
"First, I would like to thank the third Hokage-sama and the three advisors."
He bowed slightly toward the front row.
No matter what, thanking the leadership first was always correct.
"Entrusted by the third Hokage-sama and the three advisors, I stand here to discuss the coming war with all of you seniors and colleagues."
"My knowledge is shallow, and my experience limited. I should not be speaking recklessly here."
His gaze swept across the faces before him, those eyes that were weathered, sharp, or steady.
"But since I have been entrusted with this task, I will share some of what I have seen and thought with all of you."
The third Hokage sat in the front row, a pleased smile on his face. He raised his hands, about to applaud.
However…
"Clap, clap, clap!"
The crisp applause rang out, lonely, yet especially loud.
The third Hokage's hands froze midair, and he was stunned.
Many people in the hall were also stunned.
Because the one clapping was seated in the front row, on the right.
Danzo Shimura.
The Root's leader, who was always gloomy and stern, never showing his emotions, now sat there, clapping slowly, his expression still cold and unreadable.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance, seeing the same thought in each other's eyes: What the hell.
The third Hokage's expression stiffened slightly. His raised hands paused midair as his gaze lingered for a second on Danzo's emotionless face.
I haven't even started clapping yet. Why are you clapping?
In Konoha, who's in charge, you or me?
This thought only passed briefly through the third Hokage's mind before he resumed clapping, his movements natural, his smile gentle, as if nothing had happened.
As his applause began, the entire conference room seemed to ignite. The clapping spread like a tide.
Everyone in the first row followed, then the second, then the third. Soon, the applause of three thousand people merged into one, shaking even the lighting fixtures on the ceiling slightly.
Shinichi stood on the podium, bathed in light.
He lowered his eyes slightly, taking in everything below.
Danzo, being the first to applaud, was somewhat unexpected, but only somewhat.
His expression did not change. He merely bowed slightly in acknowledgment to all sides, but his eyes casually swept across the faces below.
Those who applauded, he might not remember them.
But those who did not… Heh.
When the applause completely subsided and silence returned to the conference room, Shinichi turned around and looked at the massive white screen behind him, nodding slightly.
Whoosh!
The projector lit up, and a huge, detailed map of the Shinobi World appeared clearly before everyone.
The Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, the Land of Water, each of the Five Great Shinobi Countries is marked in different colors.
The smaller countries between them, the Land of Rivers, the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Rain, the Land of Hot Water, none were missing.
Mountains, rivers, coastlines, border fortresses, and important towns, every detail was clear.
Shinichi stood before the map, the overhead light casting his shadow onto the screen behind him.
He raised his hand and pointed to the western position on the map, the Land of Wind.
"Please look."
As his voice fell, three thousand gazes in the room shifted in unison to the massive screen.
Then, Shinichi began speaking.
He started with the Village Hidden in the Sand, analyzing in detail why Rasa had to go to war, why the target would certainly be Konoha, and why it would happen at this specific time.
From the power structure to the economic foundation to the geographical environment, he dissected each factor one by one, stripping everything bare.
Below the stage, some frowned deeply, some fell into thought, and some nodded unconsciously.
Minato Namikaze's gaze rested on the young boy on the stage. His expression gradually shifted from focused to solemn.
Jiraiya, seated beside him, crossed his arms, frowning as he stared at the map and the boy before it, saying nothing.
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, his golden snake-like eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shinichi. The corner of his mouth slowly curled upward, and he unconsciously stuck out his tongue, licking his lips.
Tsunade, seated in the front row, never took her eyes off Shinichi. She watched him stand there, facing three thousand people, calmly analyzing the coming war.
Light poured down from the ceiling, enveloping him in a bright halo, merging him with the vast map of the Shinobi World behind him.
For a brief moment, Tsunade felt dazed.
Her disciple… was shining!
"So! The Village Hidden in the Sand's target is only one, and can only be one, that is Konoha!"
Shinichi's analysis continued. As he thoroughly broke down the logic behind the Village Hidden in the Sand, inevitably going to war, and inevitably choosing Konoha, many of the ninjas in the conference room revealed expressions of sudden realization, as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun.
Too concrete and too in-depth.
Starting from the rigid demands of power consolidation, the tangible figures of economic pressure, the objective constraints of the geographical environment, and even the universal tendencies of human nature, he constructed an irrefutable chain of causality.
Listening to the calm narration of the young boy on stage, whatever faint hopes of maybe or not necessarily, in many people's hearts were completely extinguished, replaced instead by a cold and clear consensus.
If the Village Hidden in the Sand did not go to war with Konoha, that would instead be something that defied its own logic of action and survival.
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