Bang!
Akimichi Choza slammed his fist on the table, fury written across his face.
"Outrageous! Those treacherous Sunagakure rats! They dare to tear up the alliance treaty!"
"For money they scheme against our Konoha—and ally with that traitor Orochimaru!" Homura Mitokado barked.
In an instant the council chamber's mood swung from bewilderment to shared rage.
Sunagakure's move had struck a raw nerve for Konoha.
Hmph!
Utatane Koharu scoffed coldly, sweeping her gaze across the room. "These so-called alliance treaties are just scraps of paper before real profit. If they weren't, how could the ninja world have had three great wars?"
The brutal truth doused their fury and made the air heavier.
Alliances… in history, how many times had they been torn apart?
Nara Shikaku slowly lifted his head and continued Koharu's line of thought.
"Elder Koharu is right. And… if this Sunagakure–Orochimaru plot succeeds—or even if it merely escalates into full conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure…"
He paused, then voiced the possibility that clenched every heart.
"…after more than a decade of recovery, every nation's strength has returned or surpassed pre-war levels. Once we and Sunagakure—and Otogakure—are fully at war, what will Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure do? By then it won't be just two villages caught in the flames."
—Fourth Great Ninja War!
Though Nara Shikaku didn't speak the words, every senior present saw them blaze across their minds.
What they faced was not merely an attack on the village, but a fuse that could ignite the entire ninja world's powder keg.
One misstep and the consequences would be unimaginable.
"So," Hyuga Hiashi murmured, fists clenching inside his wide sleeves, "war… is coming again?"
In that whisper he thought of the younger brother who had died for him—and for the village—Hyuga Hizashi!!!
One life traded so millions might escape the flames.
'Was such a choice right?!'
"Not 'coming again,' Lord Hiashi," Shikaku said wearily. "We're already on the cliff's edge."
"Sunagakure's betrayal and Orochimaru's madness have pushed us here. The question is no longer whether war will come, but how we respond to minimize the cost—and perhaps turn this crisis into opportunity."
With that he turned his sharp gaze to Hiruzen Sarutobi at the head of the table.
His words stirred the chamber anew.
"If they dare come, make sure they never leave!"
"We must raise border and village defenses at once."
"Activate every spy network; watch every suspicious move."
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances and voiced their own views.
"With our current village forces alone, facing both Orochimaru and Sunagakure—especially if the jinchuriki of Shukaku, the One-Tail, joins—our risk remains high."
"Time to act, Hiruzen. Dispatch elite squads immediately to bring back Jiraiya and Tsunade! With those two here our odds improve greatly!"
The room filled with mobilization plans—troop deployments, veteran recalls, defense arrays… Tejima Shinichi sat quietly beside Hiruzen, calmly watching the council that would decide the village's fate.
It was his first time at this level of meeting… yet it felt no different from conferences he had attended before!!!
Hiruzen listened, brows locked tight, pipe smoke curling around him.
Recalling Jiraiya and Tsunade was vital, but one wandered the world chasing "research," the other had fled far away stricken with hemophobia…
Hiruzen sighed heavily.
"I'll send teams at once to track down and recall Jiraiya. As for Tsunade…"
His words died, a complicated look crossing his face.
Tsunade's hemophobia was top secret; almost no one here knew, so how could he explain refusing to summon the greatest medical ninja?!
In the silence, Tejima Shinichi's cool voice rang out at the perfect moment.
"Don't bother searching for Jiraiya."
Every gaze snapped back to him.
"While tracking Yakushi Kabuto I sensed a powerful ninja—later confirmed as Jiraiya—and ignored him," Shinichi explained. "He's already in the village, probably gathering 'Writing Material.'"
The unexpected news first stunned them, then brought delighted relief.
"Excellent!" Akimichi Choza slapped his thigh. "With Lord Jiraiya our top-tier strength is secured!"
"Indeed, it saves search time," Nara Shikaku agreed. "Then about Lady Tsunade…"
"No need."
Tejima Shinichi cut in, hands folded before him beneath every puzzled stare.
"As for Tsunade—she will not be recalled!!"
"Hm?"
"Why?"
Confusion rippled: recall two of the Legendary Sannin to face the third—wasn't that the best solution?!
Beside him Hiruzen was about to speak, but then decided to stay silent....curious how his pupil would answer.
Tejima Shinichi's gaze swept across every senior, finally settling on the two advisors, and said slowly,
"I will replace Tsunade!"
Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Viki2