What the hell did he mean by that?!
As soon as Heiyan spoke, everyone in attendance froze momentarily before many of them quickly becoming furious.
Konoha, ranked as the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages, was a source of pride for every Konoha ninja. And now Heiyan, serving as advisor to the Hokage, rather than thinking of ways to save the village during this difficult time, had actually ridiculed it openly? Saying that Konoha no longer had any reason to exist?
The Shimura Jonin immediately seized upon this opportunity, joining with the opposition faction to attack Heiyan, each pretending to be outrageously offended.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fugaku, and Hiashi had always trusted Heiyan — they knew he never spoke without purpose. Yet even they were baffled. Why would Heiyan say something so outrageous?
For a moment, everyone waited for Heiyan to continue speaking, anxious to hear his explanation.
However, what no one expected was—
Whoosh!
In an instant, Heiyan flashed his body, directly activating the [Flying Thunder God Technique], disappearing from the meeting room entirely. This action immediately stirred up even greater uproar within the crowd.
Luckily, Heiyan quickly returned again, both hands resting respectively on the shoulders of a young boy and girl, bringing them back together with him.
Minato and Kushina blinked in surprise, utterly taken aback by the crowd. They exchanged glances, silently asking each other the same question: What are we doing here?
"Don't be nervous."
Heiyan patted Minato's shoulder, then raised his voice, publicly asking him, "What's your name? Introduce yourself to these people."
"My name is Minato Namikaze. I'm eight years old this year. I graduated from the Ninja Academy last year, and now I'm a Genin..."
Encouraged by Heiyan, Minato followed instructions and turned toward everyone in the meeting room, giving a brief self-introduction.
However, before he could finish speaking, someone rudely interrupted him.
It was still that same Shimura Jonin. Stepping forward through the crowd, he aggressively confronted Heiyan face-to-face:
"Uzumaki Heiyan, exactly what do you think you're doing? Bringing a Genin here out of nowhere like this, wasting everyone's time—what's the meaning behind this? None of us here care about this insignificant little brat."
The moment those words left his mouth, his allies jumped on the bandwagon, hurling abuse at Heiyan with increasing venom.
"Hearing you all speak like this truly disappoints me."
Heiyan sighed, casting a mocking glance toward the group before ignoring them completely and continuing to ask Minato:
"Were you present during the Uzugakure campaign? Tell us exactly what happened."
"At that time...I'd just become a Genin not long ago when I got sent to the front lines, ordered to defend against the army of Earth Country shinobi."
Following Heiyan's prompting, Minato honestly recounted his entire experience at the battlefield. He mentioned how while patrolling within the Land of Grass, he was ambushed by shinobi from Iwa, single-handedly wiping out an enemy team before finally encountering Jonin Kitsuchi and barely escaping with his life.
This thrilling experience caused murmurs among everyone present, making several of them take another curious look at Minato.
This civilian-born boy seemed unimpressive at first glance, but turned out to be a genius.
But why did Heiyan have Minato speak these words in public?
At this moment, Heiyan finally began expressing his thoughts. He fixed his gaze on everyone present in the meeting room and slowly spoke:
"Minato Namikaze's experience isn't unique. Besides him, other children from the village were also sent to the battlefield. But unlike Minato, they lacked both strength and luck. Many never came home from the battlefield."
His voice was calm, yet filled with sorrow.
He stepped forward, eyes burning with intensity, unleashing a series of deeply probing questions upon those assembled:
"Hidden Leaf, hailed as the greatest among the Five Great Ninja Villages, dares to send children under ten years old into combat. Has no one noticed how wrong that is?
I ask each of you here—would any of you willingly see your own child sent to the battlefield at such a young age, dying by enemy blades?
And Kushina—so young yet burdened with the Nine-Tails inside her. She has endured pain year after year, while facing discrimination and isolation from the villagers.
If Minato and Kushina were your own children, would you want them to be treated as mere sacrifices?"
These words made everyone fall silent, stunned into silence.
Heiyan paused briefly, scanning the room with his gaze. He took a deep breath before his tone gradually grew more impassioned:
"Long ago, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, founded Konoha with the hope of world peace—to protect children from cruel wars so they could grow up peacefully.
He said that the youth are the hope for the future, and we, the elders, must protect and believe in them. Our sacrifices are like firelight illuminating the village, inspiring the young and allowing new leaves to sprout.
Wherever leaves dance, fire burns eternally. That is the Will of Fire within Konoha.
But what do I see now?
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire wages war for personal gain. To satisfy the Daimyo's Mansion, Konoha has resorted to militarism, even sending children onto battlefields.
Does this current Hidden Leaf still possess the so-called Will of Fire?
What reason does this village have left to exist when it has completely betrayed its original ideals?
I ask you all to answer me!"
His words rang out powerfully, shaking the meeting room like the toll of a mighty bell.
Heiyan turned his gaze toward the Shimura Jonin, speaking coldly:
"Now, please repeat once again—do you still insist Minato Namikaze, who fought bravely for the village's benefit and nearly sacrificed his life on the battlefield, is just an insignificant brat?"
At his words, the man's face turned pale as he staggered back several steps, utterly speechless.
Speechless too was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.
At this moment, having heard Heiyan's words, deep shame flooded his expression.
In that instant, he recalled his mentor—the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Though Tobirama had repeatedly insisted that because one was Hokage, one had to remain without sentiment, when faced with enemy pursuers in his final moments, he chose self-sacrifice to cover his subordinates' retreat, entrusting the future of the village to them.
This great Hokage used his death to teach Sarutobi Hiruzen and other subordinates the true meaning of the Will of Fire.
But now, more than a decade later,
the village had actually sunk to the point of sending children to the battlefield. As Hokage, failing to prevent this was undoubtedly a grave dereliction of duty—one that could never be forgiven.
As the Third Hokage, he had failed to protect the Will of Fire.
Heiyan's words failed to persuade everyone.
"This is simply the fate of ninja."
An elderly man with white hair stood up. Glaring at Heiyan, he solemnly declared, "It's a ninja's sacred duty to complete missions. To fulfill tasks assigned by the Daimyo's Mansion, ninja like Minato Namikaze must go to war, regardless of their age. If they truly die on the front lines, they may even receive an honorary medal directly from the Daimyo. For a ninja, this would be the greatest possible glory!"
"Absurd!"
Hearing this, Heiyan coldly laughed, then countered, "Who gave the Daimyo the right to define a ninja's honor?"
"Because the Daimyo are descendants of gods—born noble and destined rulers. Only under the governance of the Daimyo's Mansion can our nation prosper and peace be maintained."
Faced with Heiyan's youthful defiance, the old man sharply retorted without yielding in the slightest. Using the wisdom and experience of a seasoned elder, he earnestly warned Heiyan:
"Don't forget—the history of ninja villages spans only thirty years, while the Daimyo's Mansion has endured for over a thousand. From the ancient warriors, to the ninja clans during the Warring States period, and even today's ninja villages—we have always remained loyal to the Daimyo. This is perfectly natural. It has always been this way."
"So..."
Heiyan locked eyes with the old man, pressing forward with relentless logic, "Does something being always this way make it right?"
"Huh...?"
The elder was momentarily speechless, finally stumped by the question with no idea how to reply.
Because not only him—but everyone else present too—had never before considered asking such a question.
For thousands of years, people in this world had developed deeply ingrained class consciousness.
The son of a Daimyo will always become the next Daimyo; the child of a civilian remains a civilian; a ninja's offspring stays a ninja forever. The gap between different classes was innate—no one ever questioned whether there was anything wrong with it.
After all, a person's duty is to know their place—and never overstep their station. Otherwise, they would be condemned in the afterlife.
Yet now, Heiyan had shattered this ideological taboo, daring to ask this question for the first time:
"Just because something has always been that way—does that make it right?"
"Even if it's not right, what can we do about it..."
The elder finally replied after a long pause, avoiding Heiyan's question and steering back toward the original issue of the meeting.
"Regardless, the Daimyo's Mansion is the very foundation that sustains Konoha Village. Without loyalty to the Daimyo, we'll soon starve. If we don't send these kids to fight, they'll still eventually die of hunger anyway. At least dying in battle counts as a glorious end."
"There is a solution!"
Heiyan immediately responded. This was the perfect moment he'd been waiting for.
"What kind of solution?" The old man was taken aback, instinctively asking.
"Today's Konoha needs a comprehensive transformation to achieve self-reliance and completely break free from dependence on the Daimyo's Mansion."
Heiyan addressed everyone in the meeting room, his voice resolute and commanding. "Ninja don't necessarily have to sell their martial prowess for profit by creating carnage and chaos. Ninja abilities can also generate great rewards when applied appropriately in other fields—for instance..."
"For instance," Tsunade seized the moment, stepping forward to continue where Heiyan left off, "by saving lives."
"In the past few years, Konoha Hospital has frequently been overcrowded with patient shortages in beds. This is because many patients travel thousands of miles to seek treatment here specifically for Medical Ninjutsu—the best available care.
However, our current number of Medical Ninja remains severely inadequate; we don't even have them assigned to ninja teams, let alone enough to treat regular civilians in hospitals.
Therefore, I propose establishing a Medical Division to mass-train Medical Ninja and expand Konoha Hospital. We will then advertise widely, attracting patients from across the world to come here for treatment. That kind of move would keep the money rolling in nonstop."
Tsunade laid it out clearly and concisely—a plan that could make Konoha real money.
When she finished speaking, Heiyan looked around at everyone before supplementing her argument:
"Decades ago, the First Hokage ordered the Senju Clan to intermarry outside the clan and integrate into various powerful clans of Konoha under assumed identities. Many people present today carry the Yang Release chakra inherited from the Senju Clan, fully possessing the conditions necessary to learn Medical Ninjutsu. Being a ninja isn't all about fighting and killing—saving lives counts too."
"That's right," Tsunade continued after him, dropping a major bombshell with her declaration: "I, Tsunade, am willing to offer all the Medical Ninjutsu techniques of the Senju Clan for free. Anyone willing to become a Medical Ninja may come to me to receive training."
Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd, everyone deeply moved by Tsunade's boldness.
In the world of shinobi, the most precious thing has always been ninjutsu techniques.
The six-year Ninja Academy curriculum teaches only the very basics—the Three Body Techniques—and absolutely nothing else. If shinobi want to learn additional techniques, they must either rely on family teachings, find a mentor, or earn jutsu scrolls through combat achievements.
A single A-rank secret technique was enough for a clan to carve out its own place in the shinobi world.
And the medical techniques mastered by Tsunade were originally developed by the God of Ninja, Hashirama Senju, and refined over decades through generations of the Senju Clan—including Tsunade herself—culminating in a unique and unparalleled system.
At barely over twenty years old, Tsunade had already become the most famous healer in the entire ninja world.
Now, publicly declaring her willingness to share these priceless techniques? That was huge.
The future Tsunade painted was truly something to get excited about.
"This is a good idea."
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had remained silent until now—spoke up, expressing his support for Tsunade's proposal.
Although Tsunade had previously raised this issue regarding Medical Ninja several times with him, Hiruzen could clearly see that this time she was more serious than ever before, displaying unwavering determination.
It looked like Heiyan was backing Tsunade's idea too.
At this point, if the village's Kage refused to back it, no one would find it acceptable.
"However, even if Tsunade is willing to provide Medical Ninjutsu techniques and training guidance, becoming a qualified Medical Ninja remains a difficult endeavor—it's a talent few possess."
Hiruzen Sarutobi summarized briefly before continuing to address everyone, "Therefore, besides cultivating Medical Ninjas and building medical services, are there any other ways for Konoha to generate income?"
"Developing tourism could also be a solid choice."
Heiyan spoke up again, drawing everyone's attention.
"Konoha Village sits at the very heart of the Land of Fire—and perhaps the entire world of shinobi. Its geographical advantage is unmatched, and its scenery breathtaking. After so many years of development, it has attracted increasing numbers of tourists. Yet the village still lacks personnel engaged in the tourism industry."
After summarizing the current state of Konoha's tourism sector, Heiyan proposed a suggestion:
"I believe some ninja can transition into becoming tour guides. Additionally, places like the Naha River belonging to the Uchiha clan and the Nara clan's forests could also be moderately opened to visitors. While generating tourism revenue, we'd simultaneously promote Konoha's ninja culture and attract even more tourists from across the world of shinobi."
"I agree!"
As soon as Heiyan finished speaking, Fugaku stepped in with strong support, publicly declaring, "The Uchiha clan will open our restricted areas and the Naka Shrine to tourists, introducing them to the history and culture of the Uchiha clan. We'll also produce other tourism-related merchandise to expand the Uchiha's influence within the civilian world."
"The Hyuga clan holds the same position."
Hiashi of the Hyuga clan quickly voiced his agreement as well. Not only to back Heiyan—but because he had keenly realized Heiyan's proposal was entirely feasible and brimming with business potential.
As Fugaku and Hiashi expressed their support one after another, others couldn't help but feel intrigued too.
Developing Konoha's tourism industry aggressively actually sounded like a golden opportunity.
But just then—
"After talking so much, what exactly can you do for Konoha?"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>