The moment the Third Hokage invoked Lady Mito's name, the mood in the council chamber shifted. The clan heads exchanged glances, their expressions recalibrating in the face of this emotional and political trump card.
In the end, it was the head of the Nara clan—the current leader of the influential Ino-Shika-Cho alliance—who broke the impasse, offering a nod of support. His endorsement carried weight, prompting a ripple of similar gestures from the other Jonin.
Seeing that support for the Hokage's resolution had already tipped past the halfway mark, Uchiha Yohei, though his face remained a mask of displeasure, gave a curt, begrudging nod of agreement.
Observing this, the Third Hokage's mood visibly lightened. A faint, satisfied smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"Since that is the case, I will inform you all of the chosen reinforcement personnel in due course," Hiruzen said, his voice regaining its steady authority. "The proposal is passed. Does anyone else have a proposal to bring before the council?"
Uchiha Yohei opened his mouth, a question about the consequences of all-out war on the tip of his tongue. But his eyes fell on the Hyuga clan head, sitting in serene, unflappable silence. The words died in his throat.
'Hmph! Even if war does break out, so what? he thought,' a surge of arrogant pride momentarily overriding his frustration. 'Is the Uchiha clan supposed to be afraid?'
With a disdainful curl of his lip, he leaned back in his seat, adopting an air of detached superiority, as if the entire weighty discussion was now beneath his notice.
"I propose," a clear, confident voice cut through the settling quiet, "that we begin training Medical Ninja, starting now."
All eyes swiveled to Tsunade.
Though only sixteen and bearing the Senju name only by blood, not by official surname, no one in the room could overlook who she was. As the First Hokage's granddaughter and the Third's student, she held every right to speak here.
Some of the smaller clan leaders even began to wonder if this was the Hokage's own will, a carefully orchestrated signal that he was beginning to pave the way for his student.
However, the heads of the major clans and several members of the elder council frowned.
Unfazed by the intense scrutiny, Tsunade continued, her voice calm and level.
"The clouds of war are gathering over the shinobi world. If we can train a team of qualified Medical Ninja and integrate them into our squads, we can dramatically reduce casualties. Training even a single medic could save the lives of several—even a dozen—of our shinobi."
The Third Hokage's brow furrowed in thought.
The proposal itself was sound. Medical Ninja was a field Konoha had historically undervalued. A proper medical corps would be an invaluable asset if war came.
The problem was feasibility. Training an excellent medic consumed resources and time equivalent to producing several combat-ready Jonin. With Konoha's current allocations… it was a tall order for the short term.
'Unless I can squeeze more funds from the Daimyo,' Hiruzen mused.
But Konoha's recent rapid development had already stretched the Fire Daimyo's generosity over consecutive years. Asking for more, especially for an untested program, might breed resentment.
'Tsunade, Tsunade,' he sighed internally. 'For something so significant, you couldn't have consulted me before springing it on the entire council?'
He didn't immediately state his position, instead resting his chin on his hand, quietly gauging the room's reaction.
Yuta wasn't surprised. He knew Tsunade would make this proposal eventually; it was her destiny. The only variable was her age.
A proposal from Tsunade the Legendary Sannin in her twenties carried a different gravity than one from a sixteen-year-old prodigy, no matter her lineage.
"Konoha currently lacks the resources and time to train a cohort of Medical Ninja," stated Homura Mitokado, the elder responsible for the village treasury, pushing his glasses up his nose. His tone was measured, not dismissive. "Furthermore, medics are not produced on a whim. However… the concept has merit. A proper medical corps would undoubtedly be a boon to the village."
"Indeed," Utatane Koharu added from beside him. "But the situation in Uzushiogakure is pressing and must take precedence."
"But—" Tsunade began, ready to argue, but Yuta's hand shot out, his fingers closing gently but firmly around her forearm, silencing her.
He knew how these things worked. Establishing an entirely new branch of the military wasn't something decided in one open session.
At the very least, it would require private discussion among Konoha's de facto ruling quartet—the so-called "F4"—after the meeting.
That was where Danzo would do his work, convincing the other two elders and whispering in the Hokage's ear. It was the arrangement Danzo had promised Yuta before the meeting.
Not that Yuta felt he owed the old man anything. By his count, after all the difficult, high-profile missions he'd completed for Root over the years, Danzo was the one deeply in his debt. This was the least the old hawk could do.
What Yuta hadn't anticipated was an unexpected intervention.
"I support Jonin Tsunade's proposal," declared Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Hokage's son who had earlier challenged Uchiha Yohei. "Even in peacetime, A Medical Ninja would drastically reduce mission casualties. The 'resources' and 'time' Elder Homura mentioned aren't insurmountable walls—they are problems for us to solve."
Sakumo Hatake's support was characteristically concise. "I also believe Jonin Tsunade's proposal is sound."
For the small, elite Hatake clan, whose members often fought in ways that left them vulnerable to severe injury, improved medical support wasn't just an abstract good—it was a potential lifeline for their dwindling numbers.
'Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sakumo Hatake…' Yuta mused. He didn't know much about either man. But their immediate, public endorsement was a game-changer.
'Could it be… that this proposal might pass right here, right now?' he wondered, a spark of hope igniting. 'Without even needing Danzo's backroom machinations?'
Seizing the moment, Yuta's eyes lit up. He acted on pure instinct, shifting his weight and driving the heel of his boot down squarely onto Danzo's foot under the table.
Danzo: "???"
'You ungrateful, impertinent brat!' A silent roar of outrage echoed in Danzo's mind. 'At a solemn Jonin Council, with me, a Hokage Advisor, you dare to assault my foot?!'
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