As dawn broke, a gloomy atmosphere hung heavy in the Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu sat together. Not only was each of them injured, but their expressions were grim, and a heavy silence filled the room.
After a long while, the Third Hokage tapped his fingers on the desk, took a deep breath, and was the first to speak. "What happened last night was the most vicious enemy invasion since the founding of Konoha. For this, I bear the full responsibility. I have brought shame to the title of Hokage. I intend to step down and appoint a worthy successor!"
"Hiruzen, we all know you did everything you could. The enemy was simply too powerful," Mitokado Homura said. "The village cannot afford to lose you right now. No one else could command the respect of the people as Hokage, especially not while Konoha is facing threats both from within and without. You must continue to bear the responsibility of Hokage."
"He's right. Even if we were to select the next Hokage, it would have to wait until we have purged our enemies and the village is back on the right track," Utatane Koharu added, glancing at Danzo. "Danzo, wouldn't you agree?"
Danzo looked up, his gaze sweeping over the exhausted Third Hokage. A faint smile touched his lips. "Heh. Hiruzen, you're not one to be defeated so easily. Have you forgotten the promise we made together? Now is the time for you to truly act as Hokage. You cannot shirk your duty."
"Hah..."
Encouraged by his old comrades, the Third Hokage let out a long breath, a flicker of his usual resolve returning to his face. "Since you all have such faith in me," he said, his voice deep and resolute, "it would be ungracious of me to refuse. Very well. I will work to atone for this failure. I will use all of my strength to help Konoha emerge from this darkness and grow strong once more!"
"That's the spirit!"
The atmosphere in the office lightened considerably.
"First, let's address the losses we suffered from this invasion." The Third Hokage picked up a report. "Last night, the enemy attacked seven primary locations. The first was the assault on Nawaki. The man calling himself Otsutsuki Zeroshiki successfully extracted most of the Nine-Tails' chakra from Nawaki's body and used it to become a formidable being that even I could not defeat."
"The casualties there were the highest. Eleven Anbu were killed in action, and nearly a hundred others sustained injuries ranging from critical to minor."
"Hiruzen, if even you were powerless against him, who in the world are these Otsutsuki?"
"From what Enma told me, the Sage of Six Paths, who founded ninshu and spread chakra and ninjutsu throughout the world, was a member of the Otsutsuki clan."
"What? The clan of the Sage?!" The other three were stunned by this revelation.
"Does the Sage's bloodline still exist in this world?"
"Why would the Sage's own clan attack Konoha?"
"To reclaim the power of the Nine-Tails, I imagine," the Third Hokage said. "It is said that the nine Tailed Beasts were also created by the Sage of Six Paths. That would explain how he knew how to wield its chakra."
"And what is his purpose for collecting the Tailed Beasts? Is it simply to gain power?"
"I don't know. Perhaps we will only learn his true goal when he has gathered the power of all the Tailed Beasts."
"So, you're saying he might attack Konoha again for the small amount of the Nine-Tails' power that remains inside Nawaki?"
A shadow passed over everyone's faces. The thought of being targeted by such a powerful individual was deeply unsettling.
"There is no need to worry excessively," the Third Hokage said calmly. "After absorbing the Nine-Tails' chakra, his power did indeed reach the pinnacle of the ninja world, and he possessed the ability to absorb ninjutsu. However, he vanished after unleashing that final technique last night. This suggests he no longer had the strength to take the rest of the Nine-Tails' power from Nawaki."
"You suspect there's a limit to how he can use the Nine-Tails' power?"
"Correct. If he loses that power, I can defeat him on my own."
The Third Hokage's words were a much-needed reassurance.
"Should we share this intelligence with the other four Great Nations?"
"No!" Danzo shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, we could. But we are at war. If the other great nations learn that we have lost the Nine-Tails, they will see us as vulnerable. The Land of Lightning is already hostile toward us. And the Land of Water, which has remained neutral in the war thus far, would likely not miss an opportunity to take advantage of our weakness."
"Therefore, not only must we not volunteer this information, but we must also ensure that nothing about last night's events leaks out. I have already dispatched Root to secure all major roads and restrict the entry and exit of villagers."
"Danzo has a point. We will proceed as you've suggested for now," the Third Hokage nodded.
"Besides this Otsutsuki Zeroshiki, many others participated in the attacks. I suspect the enemy who caused the commotion at my residence was a diversion to draw our attention. Their real targets were valuable items within the village. The most devastating losses were at the Hokage Tower and the storeroom for sealed artifacts. A large number of ninjutsu scrolls were stolen. Fortunately, the Second Hokage's scroll of forbidden jutsu remains untouched."
Despite this small piece of good news, no one in the room could feel happy. Konoha's losses had been truly staggering.
"In this situation, should we continue the war with the Land of Wind? Should we consider withdrawing our troops?" Utatane Koharu asked.
"No, we cannot withdraw," Mitokado Homura countered. "On the contrary, we must have our forces on the front line press their advantage even harder. We must ally with the Land of Rain and aim to defeat the Land of Wind as quickly as possible."
"Only by doing so can we maximize Konoha's interests."
"Indeed. I was being too conservative," Koharu conceded with a nod.
"This is Konoha's most difficult hour. I hope we can all unite and contribute our utmost." The Third Hokage rose to his feet, his voice ringing with conviction. "The Will of Fire will not be extinguished! Konoha will recover and be restored!"
In a cave more than ten kilometers from Konoha, Kaito's chakra clone regrouped with his numerous shadow clones. His face broke into a wide grin as he looked over the vast spoils they had brought back.
"It's true what they say," he mused. "Raiding is the fastest way to get rich."
Although, it came with a few risks.
Last night, he had used the Tailed Beast Bomb without any practice, an error that had nearly cost him. It had forced him to end the operation prematurely. Otherwise, his shadow clones could have plundered even more loot.
"What a pity I couldn't find the Second Hokage's book of forbidden jutsu. That thing contains the culmination of his life's research. It really is hard to get things done without an inside man."
He would just have to wait until he could turn Orochimaru to his side.
After sealing all the spoils into a large scroll, the chakra clone wiped a hand over his face. His features rippled and reformed, transforming him into a stout man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, completely unrecognizable from his previous form. As a being made of pure chakra, his true body was the Chakra Plate, allowing him to alter his appearance at will.
"Hmm, I feel like there's still one more thing I need to do."