The moment Julian White stepped out, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly summoned Konoha's top warriors for a discreet meeting.
It was a secret, heavily guarded gathering, one that would determine whether the alliance could survive or receive support.
After all, the fate of entire ninja clans rested on this; Hiruzen needed to hear every voice.
The meeting took place in a hidden room adjacent to the Hokage's office, a place unseen by the public.
The space was small, barely enough for twelve people.
Yet this was the heart of Konoha's power layers of seals etched into the walls, shielding, protecting, and isolating everything within.
Most of the village's critical decisions were forged here, only later issued as commands.
This meeting was no different.
As soon as Hiruzen dispatched the ANBU to gather the participants, they arrived in numbers, awaiting the session's start.
The process took less than ten minutes.
The moment Hiruzen spoke, the secret chamber fell into a suffocating silence.
The pleas from the Uzumaki lands hit them like a boulder thrown into a dark pond, rippling with force.
It was obvious: this was critical.
Anyone could see that this was the spark that could ignite the coming war.
A long silence hung over the room.
Danzo Shimura broke it first, offering his perspective.
At this time, he had not yet become the somber elder known in later years; his face was handsome, posture straight, and his gaze sharp, tinged with melancholy.
Daily, relentless training had forged his muscular, resilient frame.
Clad in battle armor, standing tall, his voice low yet commanding, he said:
"Rescue is necessary, but timing must be considered when to act is another matter."
Danzo lowered his eyelids, his voice soft yet carrying the weight of an abyss: "War approaches swiftly. I can already feel its presence in the air.
"The Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques are their lifeblood; they will never surrender easily, and they certainly won't protest silently."
Therefore, now is not the time. We must wait for circumstances to shift, then reap the rewards once the battle ends.
"That is a reasonable point," Enma Mito said, adjusting his glasses, "an immediate rescue would exhaust our forces. Even if we save the Uzumaki clan, where would we place them? Can outsiders truly integrate into Konoha, especially when clouds of war loom and even our own safety is uncertain?"
"Moreover, injured individuals will drain our already strained medical resources," Nehara Koharu added calmly and firmly.
"You old fools have you forgotten that the Uzumaki are our allies? Grandma Mito herself stands with us!"
Tsunade slammed her palm onto the wooden table, the solid wood groaning under the impact.
"Besides, the Uzumaki's constitution is legendary. With my Medical Ninjutsu, they can recover and be battle-ready within days instantly boosting our strength!"
Jiraiya stood silently, arms crossed, his gaze meeting Orochimaru's; the unspoken alliance of the Three Legendary Sannin was clear.
"I think we should move," Nara Riko whispered, studying Hiruzen's expression. "The question is timing. We could wait until the other villages finish looting and withdraw.
"At that point, a smaller force could intervene, saving them at their most desperate making their gratitude toward Konoha even stronger."
He didn't finish speaking, yet everyone understood: this was a debt to leverage.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Riko realized that others shared this thought but felt embarrassed to admit it the scheme was opportunistic, bordering on a betrayal of the Will of Fire.
So they masked their true intentions with polite avoidance.
Shikimaru Hatake had been waiting long enough. The quick, decisive man, efficient and disciplined with a samurai-like demeanor, rose.
"Master, please give the order. Whatever you decide, we will obey."
The bustling council instantly fell silent.
All eyes fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi, nearly ten pairs in total, awaiting the Hokage's verdict.
Hiruzen, cloaked in his Hokage robes, drew on his pipe slowly, one puff after another.
He had been waiting for this moment a chance to cleanse Konoha's shame.
When he inherited the village from the Second Hokage, it had been in disrepair.
Many of its systems were the Second Hokage's designs, leading some to claim Hiruzen had contributed nothing.
But those systems were only blueprints; the results had yet to mature.
He was the farmer who planted the seeds, waiting year after year for harvest.
He had waited to avenge the second generation!
He had waited to prove to the world that Konoha could flourish!
He had waited to show that the trust placed in him by the Second Hokage was not misplaced!
These thoughts pressed down on him, every step feeling like he walked the edge of a cliff.
Thus, in the original story, in his youth, he acted boldly, even recklessly intelligent and decisive, earning the title "Professor"; in old age, each decision drained him, hesitation earning him the nickname "Old Bear."
Even now, he hesitated to risk deploying any elite forces, fearing their loss.
Each one was irreplaceable.
Yet Julian White's arrival gave the "Professor" the space to act.
The long-awaited strategy could finally be set in motion.
It was a bold gamble of a man with nothing to lose timid yet genuine.
Facing the hall of champions, all waited for his decision, pride swelling in their hearts.
The fate of thousands, the trust of the entire village, now rested on him.
The weight did not crush him; it forged his resolve.
With no retreat, he drew courage and stepped forward despite all obstacles.
He inhaled deeply, exhaled a long plume of smoke, and stood.
"Tomorrow, a small team will be dispatched for the rescue. Abandoning allies in peril is not the Will of Fire!
"Caution alone cannot prevent this war. If they wish to fight, we will meet them head-on!"