Danzō could no longer restrain himself.
"Hmph. If they intend to come, then let them come," he said coldly, his cane tapping lightly against the floor. "The more critical the situation, the less we can afford to show weakness. Any sign of hesitation will only invite further provocation."
"Konoha must never display weakness."
"If they wish to be tough, then we will return it to them twice over. Konohagakure has never feared threats or challenges from anyone."
This was a pure, uncompromising martial doctrine.
And strictly speaking, it could not be said that Danzō was entirely wrong.
When facing an enemy, revealing weakness often encouraged aggression. A soft stance could easily be interpreted as vulnerability, emboldening opponents to push further and further.
However
Strength without restraint was not confidence.
It was arrogance.
If Danzō's approach had been understandable when dealing with Sunagakure and Uzumaki Menma, then the current situation was entirely different.
Now, Konoha faced simultaneous pressure from three of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
To stubbornly persist in such a posture was not courage, it was recklessness.
Could Konoha, in its current state, confront three major villages at once?
The answer was obvious.
No.
The present Konoha was no longer the Konoha of the past.
During the era when the Third Hokage was at his peak, the village possessed Sarutobi Hiruzen in his prime, Hatake Sakumo, the Three Legendary Sannin Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru and later, the rapidly rising Namikaze Minato.
At that time, Konoha truly had the strength to contend with two or even three villages simultaneously and emerge victorious.
But that era was gone.
Danzō, however, had never truly accepted this reality.
In his heart, Konoha was still the same supreme power. Its stagnation, in his view, was not due to declining strength, but to flawed leadership.
As long as he were in control, the entire shinobi world would inevitably submit.
Tsunade could never share such delusions.
She was the granddaughter of the First Hokage someone who had personally witnessed the cost of endless war. Her lost lover, her fallen brother, and the sacrifices of the past were etched deeply into her heart.
And now, standing before her was Naruto a child who embodied both human will and the Will of Fire.
Tsunade's ideals were not conquest.
They were stability.
They were survival.
They were peace.
And so, when Danzō's words fell, Tsunade's expression finally hardened.
She could no longer suppress her displeasure.
"Tough?" she said sharply. "Elder Danzō, do you even understand what you're saying?"
"Just counting the shinobi already deployed along our borders, the combined forces of the three major villages exceed ten thousand."
"This number could increase at any moment."
"Iwagakure may even deploy the Five-Tails Jinchūriki."
"And Kirigakure has yet to reveal its hand."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze piercing.
"Do you intend to drag Konoha into an all-out war?"
"Who will bear that responsibility?"
"You?"
"Can you bear it?"
Her words were rigid and unyielding.
This was Tsunade exercising restraint.
Otherwise, she might have pointed directly at Danzō and accused him of grossly overestimating both himself and Konoha.
Danzō's face darkened immediately.
To be lectured so bluntly by a junior no less was a humiliation he could barely tolerate.
Just as he was about to speak again
"Well," Mitokado Homura interjected calmly, "this is indeed a matter that requires careful consideration."
"We cannot withstand the combined pressure of three major villages."
He turned toward Tsunade.
"So, Hokage-sama, what is your proposed course of action?"
Tsunade took a slow breath, collecting her emotions before responding.
"Use the captured Sunagakure shinobi and the One-Tail Jinchūriki as leverage," she said evenly. "Negotiate with Sunagakure."
"As long as they withdraw their troops, restore the former alliance, and compensate Konoha for its losses, we will return the One-Tail Jinchūriki."
"In doing so, the western threat will be eliminated."
"The Cloud and Stone villages still harbor unresolved grievances from previous wars. We can exploit that tension."
"While the pressure will not disappear entirely, it can be reduced to a level Konoha can manage."
This was not Tsunade's decision alone.
It was the framework proposed by Shikaku an overarching strategy that would later be refined with detailed execution plans.
Concession paired with deterrence.
This approach had always been the hallmark of Konoha's Hokage.
"Well… that is a very reasonable strategy," Homura nodded.
"I agree," Utatane Koharu added softly.
For a brief moment, the two elders felt a familiar reassurance.
Yes.
This was the Hokage they recognized.
Hiruzen's disciple, without a doubt.
Their expressions toward Tsunade now held approval.
Danzō, however, was deeply dissatisfied.
In his eyes, Konoha had no need to compromise.
Even if concessions were unavoidable, they should be limited.
How could such a critical bargaining chip be surrendered so easily?
Especially now
When Konoha had already lost the Nine-Tails.
How could the strongest village stand without a tailed beast?
Without a Jinchūriki?
This was unacceptable.
Danzō's expression grew colder still.
But with both advisors now siding with Tsunade, he knew further protest was pointless.
Just like before.
Just like during Hiruzen's reign.
Then Tsunade spoke again, her tone firm.
"Lastly, there is the matter of Uzumaki Menma."
"He is the son of Minato and Kushina. Konoha should not handle this issue with excessive force. Doing so would only destabilize the village internally."
"I propose granting full authority over this matter to Jiraiya."
"Minato was his student. There is still room for resolution."
No further explanation was needed.
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances, then nodded slowly.
"Very well," Homura said. "We will leave it to Jiraiya for now."
In their view, Menma had merely been misled by Orochimaru.
There was still hope.
Even if the situation worsened, it would not be beyond recovery.
Another consensus had been reached.
Danzō's emotions churned violently.
He had intended to use the advisors to pressure Tsunade.
Yet everything had slipped from his grasp.
Once again, he was powerless.
Once again, the Hokage seat was occupied by someone else.
Hokage.
Hokage.
Hokage.
The word echoed endlessly in his mind.
The fire of ambition within Danzō burned hotter than ever.
He must become Hokage.
No matter the cost.
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