Black lines instantly appeared across Koharu Utatane's and Homura Mitokado's foreheads.
They did have objections, but… did they dare voice them?
Of course not.
The two exchanged a glance, then shook their heads as if they were rattling drums.
"Yes, very good!"
"It seems we're in agreement, so tomorrow we'll proceed as planned."
"I'm tired now, so I'll be heading home to rest."
Hiruzen smiled and nodded.
Then, picking up the Hokage hat and placing it firmly on his head, he walked straight out of the office, heading home.
He needed rest.
The whole day had been nothing but a mess, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.
At this moment, he didn't want to think about anything—only to go home, enjoy a cup of tea, and then sleep deeply, fully relaxed.
Unfortunately… fate had other plans.
When Hiruzen returned to his tea room and prepared to brew his beloved tea to unwind, something felt off the moment he took a sip.
Then, realization struck him like a bolt.
His favorite tea set—gone.
His finest new tea, Jade Top-Spiral—gone.
All of it had been swiped by that bastard Uchiha Kai!
Goddammit!
The more Hiruzen thought about it, the angrier he became, until he hurled the teacup in his hand with a crash.
"U! Chi! Ha! Kai!"
"Why the hell are you everywhere? Don't you ever stop?"
"Even if it costs me everything, I'll make sure to kill you, you bastard!"
"Damn it, I'm going to bed!"
After a furious outburst, Hiruzen stomped off, too irritated to even bother with tea anymore.
Meanwhile, back at the Hokage building.
Though Hiruzen had gone home, Koharu and Homura couldn't just throw down their work.
After all—
The peace treaty with Hidden Stone would be signed tomorrow, and they had to stay up all night finalizing the details. Otherwise, it would be far too late by morning.
"Homura, tell me…" Koharu muttered hesitantly, "are we really going to follow Hiruzen's plan and let Hidden Stone off without paying any price?"
"I'm worried the shinobi of the village won't accept it once word spreads."
"After all, so many of our comrades died fighting Hidden Stone. If we sign such a humiliating treaty, we'll be nailed to the pillar of shame in history!"
"Shouldn't we wait until Hiruzen cools down, then talk to him about it again?"
Yes—
Koharu was deeply conflicted.
She was right: this treaty was far too lopsided.
If it became public knowledge, the reputation of Konoha's leadership would plummet overnight.
And she still had her pride.
As an elder of Konoha, she truly hated the thought of putting her name on such a disgraceful document.
But goddammit—
Hiruzen wouldn't listen to a word! And that left her completely stuck.
So, turning to her old comrade, she finally let her frustrations spill.
Homura, busy scribbling notes at the desk, froze at her words.
Then he sighed heavily.
Of course he'd thought of the same thing.
Once such a humiliating treaty was signed, the reputation of Konoha's leadership would take a catastrophic hit.
But Hiruzen was clever.
He was already planning to retire after the war ended, conveniently stepping aside and propping up Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage.
When that happened—
Sure, Hiruzen's own name might be tarnished a little. But with his gesture of "selfless abdication," coupled with his past contributions to the village, most villagers wouldn't nitpick too harshly. After all, the man would've already stepped down.
And beyond that—
Even without the Hokage title, Hiruzen would still be "Hokage's Advisor," holding real power.
The new Hokage would still be under his thumb.
In truth, he'd lose nothing but the name.
But what about them?
Koharu and Homura had no such escape route.
If they retired, they'd truly be pushed aside to obscurity, left to rot away in their clans.
For them, that was absolutely intolerable.
But if they didn't retire, the blame would naturally fall squarely on their shoulders.
What choice did they have?
If they wanted to cling to power, they had no option but to take the fall—and bear the scorn of the whole village.
Koharu's anger stemmed from this very truth.
Because let's be honest—
Neither of them really cared whether the treaty benefited Konoha.
They'd been lining their pockets for years with the Daimyō's annual stipends. Resources and money? They had more than enough.
Homura finally spoke, voice calm but weary:
"Koharu, stop thinking about it."
"This time, the blame is ours to shoulder."
"It's the price we have to pay to hold power, isn't it?"
"When Hiruzen first rose to the Hokage's seat, he needed our full support. But those days are long gone."
"Don't bring up this 'brotherly bond' nonsense. To people like us, that's meaningless."
"Remember Kagami? How much did he help Hiruzen?"
"But once Hiruzen secured his power, Kagami was quietly removed."
"Some say it was because Kagami was an Uchiha. But what about Akimichi Torifu?"
"The Ino–Shika–Cho were tied to the Hokage faction. And yet? Torifu still disappeared into obscurity."
"He technically holds the title of Elder, but have you seen him step out in years?"
"If he dared compete for power, I guarantee he'd have 'died mysteriously' on some battlefield."
"Among all of us disciples, only you, me, and Danzo managed to keep real power."
"And why can Danzo butt heads with Hiruzen without being punished harshly? Do you think it's because of brotherly affection?"
"No. It's because Root does the dirty work for Hiruzen—silencing enemies in the shadows."
"But us? Why do we hold these Elder seats? Because our clans are weak. Aside from us, they have no top-tier powerhouses."
"That weakness makes it easy for Hiruzen to control. That's why we were chosen."
"Our very existence is to be his scapegoats."
"And now that it's time to take the blame—if we refuse, we'll lose all our usefulness."
"And without usefulness… Do you think Hiruzen will keep us around?"
"So forget it."
"No point in fussing. Just carry the blame quietly."
"As long as we can hold onto authority, keep raking in benefits for our clans, and nurture our successors—that's what really matters."
"A little reputation? If it's gone, then let it go."
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