At this crucial moment for Konoha's very survival, Sarutobi Ryo managed to capture the Five-Tails Jinchuriki from Iwagakure all by himself. This was no small thing; it was a huge achievement. It was as important as Namikaze Minato rescuing Kushina from Kumogakure.
Because he had done such a great thing, everyone agreed with Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision to make Sarutobi Ryo the Jonin Commander. Nobody could say Sarutobi Ryo got the job because of who his father was. He truly deserved it.
But with things changing so much, Namikaze Minato couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Just because Young Master Ryo was now the Jonin Commander didn't mean he couldn't still try to become Hokage. In fact, it might make it easier for him if he decided to run.
In all of this, the Third Hokage hadn't shown any special favor to his son. Young Master Ryo had gotten where he was through his own smarts. Even Minato had to admit that.
But...
Just because things seemed okay on the surface didn't mean there wouldn't be problems. Senior Sakumo and Young Master Ryo's careers would both affect his chances of marrying Kushina. And that would affect Naruto's birth.
The balance was shifting, and Namikaze Minato was really worried.
"Congratulations, Young Master Ryo..."
People kept congratulating Sarutobi Ryo, and they were starting to smile and feel hopeful again. But they still looked troubled. Even though Iwagakure had been beaten back for now, Konoha had suffered a lot.
Even if Iwagakure didn't attack again, they still had to worry about attacks from other Shinobi Villages. The Land of Fire was weaker than ever, and Konoha was always in danger of being destroyed.
The big question was: What should they do next?
"Sarutobi Ryo, tell us, what do you think we should do in this situation?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked his eldest son this difficult question. He wanted to show everyone that Ryo had the brains to hold the position, not just the strength.
Sarutobi Ryo saw his father looking at him expectantly and nodded. "Everyone, we've lost too many people, and we can't afford another big war..."
This was the truth. Konoha was running out of Ninja. There were barely enough left to protect the Village.
"So, we need to change our strategy to smaller operations..."
Since it was a fight where one side's gain was the other's loss, they needed to find ways to win with targeted attacks.
"We should create several Reconnaissance Squads to constantly patrol the Land of Fire, avoiding direct fights with the Enemy as much as possible..."
Direct fights meant people would die, and lots of them. So, the remaining Konoha Ninja should focus on scouting and gathering information. They would switch from big battles to guerilla warfare.
"We should leave the toughest enemies to Sakumo-sensei..."
What if a powerful enemy leader attacks?
The answer was to send in Hatake Sakumo to assassinate them. Let him figure out how to do it.
"Senior Orochimaru is very good at getting into places unnoticed..."
Sarutobi Ryo looked at Orochimaru, who nodded slightly. Orochimaru was proud of his skills. He believed he could sneak into any place he wanted to.
So, when the Reconnaissance Squads found out that a powerful leader was leading troops to attack, Orochimaru would go to the enemy camp to get information. After he had the information, Hatake Sakumo would move in.
"Of course, we also need to create distractions. Minato and I are good at harassing and distracting the Enemy..."
Namikaze Minato had the Flying Thunder God Technique. And Sarutobi Ryo had the Swift Release and great strength, along with the Eight Gates Formation and Lightning Release Chakra Mode for explosive power. They could both easily handle weaker enemies.
Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to his eldest son quickly come up with a good plan and couldn't help but nod. He realized that the Great War was entering its final stage. Most Shinobi Villages were just trying to break even.
In this situation, sneaking in and assassinating people became a good option. Small fights would become the main focus.
"Good... very good..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. He felt like he had underestimated his eldest son. Sarutobi Ryo hadn't liked to talk or show off when he was younger, and he seemed a bit lonely. But now people would see that he was just as capable as any outgoing Ninja.
"Young Master Ryo's plan is the best one for us right now."
Nara Shikaku agreed, unable to find any flaws in the plan.
With Hatake Sakumo's strength as their main weapon and others supporting him, they could turn things around in the late stages of the war.
Everyone knew how strong Hatake Sakumo was. His record of assassinating important people was well-known. In the battle the day before, Hatake Sakumo had moved through the enemy ranks countless times, killing three Elite Iwagakure Jonin, which was proof enough.
With a plan in place, everyone looked relieved.
Namikaze Minato stayed quiet.
He couldn't argue with the plan. Because Hatake Sakumo could do everything he could do and more. He could do assassinations that Minato couldn't.
----
As the others left, congratulating Sarutobi Ryo and smiling and feeling hopeful again...
Kushina noticed that her boyfriend was acting strangely.
"Minato, what's wrong? Are you sad about the people who died?"
Kushina thought that Namikaze Minato was feeling sad about the tragic war the day before.
But really, Namikaze Minato was worried about whether Naruto would be born. If things kept going like this, Naruto might never be born... Even if he did marry Kushina eventually, if the timing wasn't right, their child wouldn't be Naruto...
"Minato..."
Jiraiya walked over and patted his student on the shoulder.
He thought the same thing as Kushina. And Jiraiya felt even more regret that he hadn't been there for his student back then, which led to the deaths of his other two students. Minato must be feeling emotional right now, right...?
"Kushina, Jiraiya-sensei..."
Namikaze Minato's eyes darted around, and he felt more and more worried. He thought of all the possibilities and realized that his chances of marrying Kushina were very small.
If Senior Sakumo became the Hokage, he would have to guard the Jinchuriki. And since he wasn't related to Kushina, he definitely wouldn't be able to marry her.
Maybe Young Master Ryo would marry Kushina. Or maybe Kushina would live her life alone. He couldn't let that happen...
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[T/N:
Latest Chapter translated on Patreon - Chapter 297 (Vol 2 Ch 239) (+146 Chapters Ahead!)
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 182 PS
Goal : Reach +50 Total PS = +2 Bonus Chapters next day! 🚀
Here are the novels I'm currently translating:
-> Naruto Paradise: An Evil Uchiha's Rise
-> One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!
-> Young Master, Please Become Hokage!
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