Chapter 150: We Are Cowards, But Hiruzen Is a Warrior!
"Lord Hokage!"
"Sensei!"
As Hiruzen Sarutobi walked into the conference room, the Konoha High Commissioners all stood up to welcome him subconsciously.
Orochimaru let out a long sigh of relief, smiling from the bottom of his heart.
These past few days had annoyed him to no end!
Although there hadn't been any malicious incidents like Danzo losing control again, the atmosphere of the meetings was still extremely tense, with swords drawn and bows bent. No one yielded an inch, and they couldn't even coordinate on the most basic qualitative issues.
"Yo, the atmosphere here is quite lively!"
Hiruzen scanned the High Commissioners present and said with a smile, "It looks like everyone has put in a lot of effort. You're all red in the face and thick in the neck from the exhaustion—"
"Are the meeting minutes ready? Let me appreciate everyone's results—"
Hizashi appeared silently beside Hiruzen, handing the documents over with both hands.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hizashi—"
Hiruzen nodded and slowly walked toward the main seat, his back to the crowd.
And at the moment he made eye contact with Orochimaru, Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
The implication was: Brat, how does it feel to act as the Hokage?
Orochimaru was taken aback. Then he shook his head with a sigh, straightening the chair for Hiruzen. "Sensei, please sit down!"
After this trial, Orochimaru clearly understood that his prestige and political base were far from solid enough. Even if his sensei asked him to become Hokage right now, Orochimaru would choose to refuse.
Orochimaru had previously told Hiruzen that he hoped he would continue to serve for another fifty years, but in his heart, he had still been thinking that in a few years, he could actually start taking over the position.
At least ten years—I must let Sensei keep doing this for at least another ten years no matter what! Orochimaru thought to himself. Doing it for another twenty or thirty years would be pretty good too. Anyway, Sensei's body is getting better and better—
As for the idea of "how can there be a fifty-year crown prince in this world"—Orochimaru's acceptance of this was very high. The treatment and research environment under his sensei's wing were so favorable, and his lifespan would obviously be different from ordinary people, so why rush?
Orochimaru even felt that his past self had been a bit foolish—what was the rush!
Danzo stared blankly at Hiruzen, not daring to make a sound, not even moving. He was afraid that making the slightest noise would disturb Hiruzen, who was reading the meeting minutes.
Thinking of the question he had just been asked—
Hiruzen flipped through the meeting minutes and smiled inwardly.
It was exactly as he had thought—under his leadership, the current Konoha was growing stronger and stronger, but this also meant that once a situation of a group of dragons without a leader occurred, the intensity of internal friction and infighting would greatly increase.
During the three days he was away, he was both letting Orochimaru test the intensity, and using PR to tell the High Commissioners of Konoha—the village needed him too much!
"Why aren't you speaking, Danzo?" Hiruzen flipped through the records, circled a few points he was interested in with a pen, and said leisurely, "I'm asking you about the Hokage Guard Platoon."
Danzo's face turned slightly pale, and cold sweat silently covered his back.
This was the most hidden dead spot deep in his heart! It was also the nightmare that had always welled up in his mind for decades!
Isshin Uchiha and Tenzo both tried their best to keep poker faces, not daring to show the slightest expression.
This matter in Konoha was a topic that absolutely could not be brought up! Even Tsunade and Mito Uzumaki would avoid talking about it.
Although everyone knew that Hiruzen had no problems—he was, after all, the successor who grew up having his head patted by Hashirama and Tobirama—this matter did indeed have the angle of a conspiracy theory.
Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, had died, but the members of the Hokage Guard Platoon survived completely intact and even became the village's high-level executives.
The Will of Fire could certainly explain it, but the dark side of human nature objectively existed. And although Tobirama's reputation in the village was solid, the act of proactively staying behind to cover the retreat for the Hokage Guard Platoon didn't quite fit his stereotypical image in the eyes of the public.
"Hokage Guard Platoon—"
"Hokage Guard Platoon—" Danzo swallowed unconsciously, fine beads of sweat oozing out on his forehead.
The scene from that day, like a genjutsu, echoed forcefully in his brain once again!
Orochimaru watched this scene, clicking his tongue in wonder. The Danzo who was like a fierce beast, whom no one could subdue during the High Commission meetings—Sensei comes back, and a single sentence terrifies him to this extent?
I am too far behind— Orochimaru's eyes flickered.
However, he was also very curious about this top-secret matter. What exactly happened back then?
"Danzo, pull yourself together. You are the Hokage's Assistant and the Anbu Commander." Hiruzen said indifferently, "No matter what happens, you must calmly examine yourself and the problem—this is what Lord Second entrusted to us before he died."
"You shouldn't have forgotten, right?"
Danzo's heart trembled. How could he forget Tobirama-sensei's instructions before his death?
As long as he was not out on a mission, every day before going to bed, Danzo would stare at Tobirama's photo and recall every detail of that day. If he didn't do so, nightmares would most likely entangle him at night—helping him remember!
"The duty of the Hokage Guard Platoon is to protect the Hokage at all costs, and to step in front of the Hokage without hesitation when encountering strong enemies—" Danzo clenched his fists and replied in a low voice.
Danzo didn't care about the conspiracy theories that once circulated in the village—because the loyalty of the Hokage Guard Platoon members to Tobirama was recognized by the vast majority of Konoha.
Even if there were some sensitive rumors and gossip, they couldn't affect the big picture.
But Danzo knew very well that he hadn't fulfilled his duty as a Hokage Guard.
Tobirama Senju chose to cover the retreat because he, as the Hokage, possessed the Will of Fire. Using his own life, he chose to believe in the village's youth.
It wasn't to say that the Hokage Guard Platoon was derelict in their duty for not listening to the Hokage's orders. The problem was that as a member of the Hokage Guard Platoon, when asked who would stay behind to cover the retreat, Danzo should have raised his hand decisively!
But he didn't!
Hiruzen's heart moved, and he was just about to continue, but Torifu Akimichi leaped in front of Danzo and said loudly, "Hokage, please let me tell this story! After so many years, some rumors should have ended long ago!"
"Let me face my own cowardice once again, so that I can protect the village with the strongest posture in the future!"
Torifu had fallen into inescapable guilt due to his terrible performance when Tobirama stayed behind, and had been reflecting behind closed doors for all these years. It wasn't until Hiruzen initiated the Sovereign Sage Pills project and needed to requisition the Akimichi clan's pharmaceutical manuals that Torifu came out of seclusion under the Hokage's comfort.
Now, as the head of the Akimichi clan, he was seated as one of the Konoha High Commissioners.
"Torifu, why bother?"
"Besides, I haven't suffered any grievances, justice naturally lies in the hearts of the people."
Hiruzen smiled inwardly. An idle chess piece he placed casually was actually playing a major role at this time! Some words, coming from his own mouth, would have the wrong flavor—he needed a mouthpiece with sufficient status!
"No, Hokage!"
"Please give me this opportunity. With your broad mind, you surely don't care, but it is truly important to me!" Torifu said firmly.
Torifu found it unbearable to endure the faint, strange atmosphere that permeated the conference room whenever the Hokage Guard Platoon was mentioned—so, Hiruzen sighed lightly and nodded.
As for Danzo on the side, he only felt his body grow alternately cold and hot, his pores as if brushed by a blade. An indescribable sense of tension surged from his heart.
Recalling it himself—and having a former participant speak it out in front of everyone, were completely different things!
But Danzo couldn't muster any anger towards Torifu—because he could empathize with Torifu's desire to release his guilty conscience.
For so many years, Danzo had worked day and night on the front lines in Root. A large part of his motivation was to make up for his fear of facing death back then.
Danzo even somewhat envied Torifu! If he had been able to actively speak out when Hiruzen asked him just now, perhaps he would feel much better in the future?
Am I a step late again? Danzo's pupils trembled.
Torifu took a deep breath, calming his emotions. The Konoha High Commissioners were incredibly quiet, all holding their breath waiting for this sudden big revelation.
"During the First Great Ninja War—"
"On the way to sign the peace treaty with the Second Raikage, the Gold and Silver Brothers, who were in charge of security, suddenly launched a rebellion. The unprepared Second Raikage was left on the verge of death on the spot, and Lord Second was also heavily wounded—"
"Lord Second led us in a breakout, but having been attacked by the Sage of Six Paths' Treasured Tools, his chakra was greatly restricted, making the use of the Flying Thunder God Jutsu very strained—"
"And the Gold and Silver Brothers, leading Kumogakure's elite rebel forces, pursued us—"
"The situation at that time was exceptionally critical."
Torifu took a deep breath. "Homura thought we couldn't handle it, while Koharu disagreed with Homura, suggesting an ambush followed by waiting for an opportunity to break through—"
"But actually, they were both wrong. Kagami's judgment was correct. He said that in that situation, someone had to act as a decoy to split their forces, so that the others could survive!"
The original face of history, under Torifu's narration, was slowly revealed. Why did the Second Hokage, who mastered the Flying Thunder God, die on the battlefield? A large part of the reason was caused by the Second Raikage's stupidity.
The Second Raikage's negligence regarding the Gold and Silver Brothers' rebellion resulted in Tobirama Senju being caught in an armed rebellion like a turtle in a jar alongside him, heavily injured by a sneak attack with the Six Paths' Treasured Tools right from the start.
"And after Kagami proposed this idea, everyone present, including Lord Second, agreed."
"But I was terrified by the fear of death, and in such a situation, I actually said words like 'whoever goes will definitely lose their life'!"
Torifu squeezed these words through his teeth, as if all his strength had been exhausted.
The expressions of the Konoha High Commissioners all changed slightly. These words were indeed a bit too out of line—in a situation of sacrificing oneself to cover a retreat, not only not encouraging comrades, but also demoralizing them?
Putting it that way, even someone with courage would probably become hesitant.
No wonder Torifu Akimichi has kept his doors closed for so many years. Let alone an advisor position, he hasn't even participated in any village affairs, just letting other clansmen act as proxies— Orochimaru nodded slightly.
If he had been this embarrassing when fighting Hanzo, he wouldn't have had the courage to see Sensei either.
"Everyone was silent at the time."
"I was looking at everyone's expression, whether it was Koharu, Homura, or Kagami, or Danzo—"
"They were all hesitating."
"But only the Hokage! My comrade Hiruzen Sarutobi!" Torifu's voice suddenly rose: "He started laughing, he actually laughed!"
"Hiruzen laughed and said he would go! He said despite how he looked, he was the strongest among us! He told us not to worry, saying he wouldn't die—"
"Hiruzen also told Danzo that everyone would be entrusted to him from now on—"
Torifu slowly shed two streams of hot tears. "Every time I think of this scene, I just feel that I'm completely unworthy to be Lord Second's disciple or Hiruzen's comrade!"
"What makes my heart block up even more is that there are actually people who slander Hiruzen because of this!"
"Taking this opportunity, I must clarify the truth of that year. I know that some of you sitting here didn't change your expressions when Hiruzen mentioned the Hokage Guard Platoon, but in your hearts, you were probably already thinking of the rumors from back then—"
"I am a coward, and there are not many things a coward can do. The only thing I can do is to stand up and tell everyone that we can all be called cowards, but only Hiruzen is a warrior without hesitation!"
Torifu spoke slowly, "Hiruzen has governed the village to become increasingly prosperous today. The various ninja clans and shinobi are working together in harmony. Even if Lord Second were resurrected and saw it, he would be endlessly amazed—"
"In the past, Hiruzen didn't explain the truth of this matter, maybe because he didn't care about the gossip, or maybe because he didn't want to stimulate the hearts of us comrades—"
"But now it absolutely cannot be concealed any longer!" Torifu suddenly shouted sternly. "I will not allow even the slightest bit of suspicion, which he doesn't even care about himself, to stain Hiruzen because of us dragging-behind comrades!"
The conference room was silent. Danzo, listening quietly on the side, had long since had his back drenched in cold sweat. The old-school tough guy image he had always established in Konoha seemed to be destroyed at this moment!
"Danzo, I'm sorry," Torifu said.
Danzo didn't say anything; he just tightened his expression forcefully and waved his hand in a slightly pained manner, indicating that it didn't matter.
Torifu had ruined his persona and image. But Danzo couldn't hate him, because deep in his own heart, he thought the same—Hiruzen's reputation shouldn't be dragged down by them because of this matter.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sighed deeply and walked to Torifu's side.
"What Torifu said is exactly the same as the scene back then without a single deviation," Homura said in a low voice.
Koharu said softly, "Hiruzen argued with Lord Second several times, insisting on acting as the decoy—"
"But Lord Second said that each generation has its own mission. He told Hiruzen not to rush, saying his moment would always come. He told him to protect the shinobi who admired the village, and cultivate them until they could be entrusted with the next era. Using the name of the Hokage, he forcefully ordered Hiruzen to retreat with us—"
This matter was also a knot in their hearts. The Konoha High Commissioners silently watched the Hokage—From then on, the conspiracy theories regarding the Hokage Guard Platoon were broken without being attacked. This could barely be considered a small black mark buried on Hiruzen.
And the next focus lay in the comparison between Yashiro Uchiha and people like Danzo and Koharu.
Hiruzen, naturally, had no problems. As a Hokage Guard, he immediately wanted to rush out as a decoy, and even fought for it with Tobirama several times—and Tobirama forcibly ordered the retreat in the name of the Hokage and the Will of Fire, could he really disobey?
It had nothing to do with right or wrong here; it was just that Tobirama's Will of Fire burned fiercely. But the others were different. Tobirama could cover the retreat, but as the Hokage Guard Platoon, their duty was to raise their hands immediately!
But they didn't.
"Danzo, did you fulfill your duty as the Hokage Guard Platoon?" Danzo's lips moved silently. At this moment, the Naturally Evil Assistant seemed to become very fragile, and he shook his head imperceptibly.
"Koharu, Homura, Torifu, what about you?" Hiruzen said softly. The three of them lined up in a row, like students waiting to be reprimanded in front of the Hokage, shaking their heads silently.
The atmosphere at the scene became eerie. Isshin and Tenzo exchanged a glance. If Hiruzen stripped these three people of their authority at this moment, leveraging this momentum, no one would stop him.
In fact, many people would even applaud! A harsh glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. When he was on stage acting as Hokage, he had been disgusted to no end by Danzo, and now he was back in the audience!
Just as Orochimaru was about to speak, he met Hiruzen's serious gaze. Orochimaru thought for a moment and kept his mouth tightly shut.
According to common sense, it was right for him to kick them while they were down at this moment. But the problem was, his sensei did not have the mindset of an ordinary ninja, and he couldn't guess what he was thinking.
"Tobirama-sensei covered our retreat back then—"
"The core lies in that he believed once we grew up, we could become the mainstays entrusted with Konoha's next era. This was full of his trust in us—"
Hiruzen slowly stood up, a lit cigarette appearing in his hand at some unknown time. Through the smoke, he stared at Tobirama's photo in the conference room.
"For a long time, just like you, I would often dream of Tobirama-sensei at night."
"Because I was also plunged into fear, a fear more terrifying than death. From the moment I became Hokage, I was extremely worried that I had failed Tobirama-sensei, failing to become the Hokage he envisioned in his heart—"
"I told Orochimaru and Tsunade that I was once tortured by this fear uncontrollably. At that time, my biggest dream was to fight the enemy to the death on the battlefield. That way, I could earn the beautiful reputation of dying as a martyr for the village, and also relieve myself of this burden."
Hiruzen spoke softly. But these words smashed into everyone's heart like a heavy stone. So even the incredibly powerful Lord Hokage had a vulnerable side in the past?
"You might be wondering, why did I change?"
"Because I figured out one thing. Tobirama-sensei protected me, hoping I would do my best, not expecting me to never make a mistake."
"Making mistakes is a normal part of growth—making mistakes is not scary. What is scary is losing the brave heart to advance because of the fear of making mistakes, being trapped by the status quo and not even daring to do the right thing!"
Hiruzen said slowly, "Tobirama-sensei said we must cultivate the next generation so they can become shinobi entrusted with the new era. Therefore, we must be able to tolerate shinobi in the village making mistakes, as long as it's not a major issue of principle."
"To handle mistakes with the most severe punishment doesn't conform to Tobirama-sensei's Will of Fire, nor does it conform to the normal growth trajectory of a normal shinobi."
"Shinobi are people who require patience and love from HR to tolerate their growth, not tools to be discarded if they are unhandy."
"If we extend the 'tool theory', does that mean any shinobi or ninja clan that has shown signs of opposing the Hokage or the village should be treated with capital punishment?"
"But if that were the case, where would the Will of Fire be? What would be the meaning of Konoha's establishment?"
Hiruzen's gaze fell on Isshin and Tenzo successively, and he paused. This startled the two old foxes. They were old-school shinobi who supported the tool theory.
But the Hokage's words startled them. Hyuga and Uchiha were both clans that had clashed with the village openly and covertly in the past. If they followed the mindset of the tool theory, the ninja clans were nothing more than supersized shinobi. Then it would be only natural for the Hokage to strike a lethal blow against these disobedient shinobi.
"Lord Hokage, Isshin completely agrees with you!"
"Lord Hokage, the Hyuga clan will always follow closely in your footsteps!" Isshin and Tenzo said loudly, their expressions showing fear mixed with relief.
The fear came from the fact that they always insisted on the tool theory, yet hadn't seen the threat this tone posed to their own clan—the relief came from the fact that the Hokage was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Getting back to Danzo, Homura, Koharu, and Torifu—they did indeed hesitate back then."
"But I think it was only because of the panic of encountering the extreme incident of the Gold and Silver Brothers assassinating the Second Raikage, suddenly facing a life-and-death crisis when originally harboring intentions of peace talks."
"If they had been allowed to calm down, perhaps in just a few more moments, I believe each of them would have had the conviction to sacrifice themselves."
"We cannot demand that a shinobi not even possess emotions of hesitation and fear when facing a life-and-death crisis—this is a natural human reaction, it's not a mistake. But I absolutely believe that every Konoha shinobi dares to fight with their life against enemies invading the village!"
Danzo and the others were stunned. Was Hiruzen actually absolving them?
"For example, Danzo, after I said I would cover the retreat, he also stepped forward—" Hiruzen glanced at Danzo. "But Danzo, if Tobirama-sensei viewed you with the mindset of a tool, could you have lived to see today?"
"I'm not talking about letting you cover the retreat, but during our growth process, Tobirama-sensei tolerated our mistakes many times, which allowed us to continuously improve and achieve minor success."
"If it were like you say, that failing a mission once means you must die, you would have returned your soul to the Pure Land when you were ten."
Danzo said hesitantly, "But, Yashiro Uchiha brought significant losses to the Land of Fire!"
"You can't demand an individual to bear extreme situations—the mysterious shinobi that Yashiro Uchiha encountered, even if it were you who ran into them, could you guarantee that you could protect the ancient mirror?"
Hiruzen shook his head noncommittally. "When a shinobi fails a mission, accountability must be enforced. But determining responsibility doesn't depend on how huge the final loss is, it solely depends on whether they fulfilled their duty and gave it their all—if the loss is caused by overwhelming external force, unrelated to personal actions, you cannot deduce culpability from the result."
"Such a loss should be borne by the village." Hiruzen said lightly. "Isn't using collective strength to compensate for individual limitations exactly the purpose behind Konoha's establishment?"
"As for Yashiro protecting his comrades, it had nothing to do with whether he could protect the bronze mirror in the end—it was just a subconscious act of protecting comrades, elevating it to an issue of principle has no meaning."
"You were holding a meeting earlier—then shall the meeting continue?"
Hiruzen scanned the High Commissioners present, taking a drag from his cigarette. "If there are issues, speak them now. Three days of meetings is enough, we are setting the tone today."
"I'll put the ugly words upfront: if you don't speak during the meeting but go back and question things with the shinobi, then the nature of the problem will be very serious—"
The Konoha High Commissioners were silent for a moment, then slowly began to applaud for their Hokage! No one objected; they also supported Hiruzen from the bottom of their hearts.
Hiruzen smiled slightly and waved the meeting minutes in his hand. "Your meetings were an absolute mess, like shrews cursing in the street. But that's fine too. Blushing and breaking a sweat with each other can be considered enhancing your relationship."
"This is the itinerary record of my trip to the Land of Fire, concerning the nobles' donations, the tax base, the further distribution of the Sovereign Sage Pills and the sales of the Sage Cosmetics, as well as the new version of the mission rules reached between Konoha and the nobility."
Hiruzen took out a notebook; this was his summary from the road. With a point of his finger, the itinerary record turned into twenty copies. The principle was similar to the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Hizashi understood implicitly and distributed them, hurrying to read it intently himself. This was the handwritten document of Lord Hokage!
And upon looking at it, Hizashi and Shikayama Nara, who were in charge of records, looked up with astonished expressions. The itinerary record made by Hiruzen was rigorously organized, with clear primary and secondary points, obviously showing profound skill! However, this was not obtained from Hiruzen's training in the ninja world, but rather his old foundation.
"As expected of Lord Hokage—" Shikayama Nara sighed sincerely.
A moment later. The Konoha High Commissioners slowly closed the itinerary record, their eyes full of shock. During the three days they had been wrangling—Lord Hokage actually went to the Land of Fire and accomplished such a huge feat?
The donations alone added up to nearly one billion Ryo! Adding the increased production of the Sovereign Sage Pills and the estimated preliminary sales of cosmetics, it meant that Konoha's financial revenue this year had doubled again!
And it was visibly clear that the Land of Fire's funding for Konoha next year would also increase.
"Sensei, what does it mean here that you have become the 'Nation-Defending General' of the Land of Fire? In wartime, you command all treasuries, and can independently investigate and execute lawbreaking nobles on the spot?"
Orochimaru felt several question marks pop up over his head. Sensei, you've done way too much these past few days, haven't you? Even excluding the output value brought by the Sovereign Sage Pills and other scientific research products—you brought back nearly a billion Ryo in donations alone, and even became a Great General managing everything in the Land of Fire?
Killing a noble wasn't a big deal for a shinobi. But to facilitate deep cooperation between the nobility and shinobi, using systems and infrastructure to make the nobles willingly pull out their silver, cooperate, and even view the Hokage as a member of their own system—this was unprecedented in thousands of years!
There was a fundamental difference between coercion and willingness; the ROI and stability were worlds apart.
Orochimaru's doubts were naturally the doubts of the other Commissioners—After three days of not seeing each other, Lord Hokage had become the Nation-Defending General? Was this right!
"It means literally what it says—" Hiruzen's lips curled up. "The nobles of the Land of Fire all deeply recognize Konoha's Will of Fire. They strongly support that shinobi and nobles should engage in deep cooperation, becoming a tight and inseparable entity."
"I actually refused being bestowed this title, but the nobles were too enthusiastic. Let them shout as they please; I will always be the Hokage of Konoha."
Hearing this, Danzo's eyes went dark. He was still wondering when he could catch up to Hiruzen! Even if he became Hokage, if Hiruzen retired and switched tracks to become a General, what then?
Just as Danzo was letting his imagination run wild. His and Hiruzen's gazes collided, and several scenes suddenly surfaced in his mind.
It seemed like Hiruzen had reminded him several times to pay attention to Root's past issues? But he didn't take it seriously and brushed it off.
At this moment, Danzo finally realized that Hiruzen had actually told him long ago to wrap up Root's mess! Just like Orochimaru and the Iburi and Tsuchigumo clans—if he had gone to talk to Hiruzen himself, how could there have been the subsequent incident of Shisui impeaching him?
What was I even thinking! Why didn't I listen to Hiruzen? Danzo let out a breath of stale air, wishing he could time-travel back and give himself a heavy punch!
He wasn't a child; he knew it was impossible for Hiruzen to handle everything for him. If he couldn't even detect the problems, what kind of Hokage could he be? Danzo couldn't help but regret it so much that his intestines turned green. If he had listened to Hiruzen earlier, then the one presiding over Konoha these past few days should have been him, not Orochimaru!
This is Hiruzen's teaching to me! Just as Lord Tobirama said, cultivating me to become someone who can be entrusted with the next era—I am really a disappointment! Danzo's face turned alternately red and green.
He thought again that in the sensitive incident of the Hokage Guard Platoon, Hiruzen still mentioned that he had also offered to cover the retreat—this was already showing the utmost benevolence and righteousness.
And at this moment. Hiruzen spoke indifferently, "Danzo, do you know your mistake?"
Danzo said without hesitation, "Hokage, I was wrong! I am willing to bear any punishment! Please instruct me!"
The Konoha High Commissioners looked at Danzo in surprise. This was the first time they had ever seen Danzo admit a mistake, and face-to-face at that! But it was also outside the bounds of reason yet within expectations.
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction. "As for punishment, that won't be necessary—"
"Root was established too early, and the environment at that time was relatively complex. It can be considered a problem left over from history."
"As the Hokage, I failed to supervise you well, so I also bear responsibility. I have already spoken with the members of Root, compensated their treatment, and awarded them medals personally issued by Lady Mito. Everyone in Root feels comforted."
"The new Root has been reorganized. But unlike before, the members will no longer be people who discard everything—instead, they are heroes with special talents, willing to immerse themselves in darkness for the village!"
"Danzo, this is the last time. I won't bicker with you over historical issues, but if you violate the Will of Fire again—"
Hiruzen sighed, looking a bit tired. "Hiruzen shedding tears while executing Danzo sounds unpleasant to the heart, but please supervise me, everyone!"
Danzo's heart was like a churning sea. Had Hiruzen already taken care of everything for him? And even invited Lady Mito—this sentiment was far, far heavier than handling the Iburi and Tsuchigumo clans for Orochimaru!
I really am a disappointing piece of trash! Rarely, Danzo cursed himself in his heart.
He said solemnly and loudly, "If I reoffend, Lord Hokage, please make sure to be my Kaishakunin!"
"I will absolutely never disappoint you!"
"It's not disappointing me, it's disappointing the village, disappointing the Will of Fire!" Hiruzen shook his head slightly.
"Also, there's no need to refer to me so formally every time. I'm very unaccustomed to hearing it; it always gives me the feeling that you're treating me like Tobirama-sensei—"
Hearing this, Danzo was stunned. He had actually felt exactly that way in his heart just now—even though he and Hiruzen were supposed to be eternal rivals!
"To prevent extreme situations from happening again, I plan to extract five percent from the shinobi's mission commissions to establish an emergency risk fund pool, named the Konoha Mutual Aid Fund."
"If an incident similar to Yashiro's happens again, we will allocate funds from it."
Hiruzen said slowly, "But the village will also provide a subsidy, the amount also being five percent of the commission, setting up special individual accounts to enact mandatory savings for the shinobi."
"It can only be used when it involves medical treatment, ninja tools, battlefield emergencies, and weddings or funerals."
Shikayama Nara's heart moved. Konoha's total annual mission quota nowadays was around fifteen billion Ryo—a five percent village subsidy, accounting for redundancy, would be eight hundred million Ryo.
And the expanded production of the Sovereign Sage Pills and the revenue from the cosmetics project were conservatively estimated to bring in an additional 2.2 billion Ryo—this wasn't even counting the cash flow from the nobles' donations—bearing this burden was completely stress-free!
"Lord Hokage, I completely support this plan!"
"This way, the shinobi suffer no losses, yet gain a safety-net system for when missions fail—"
"Compared to simply handing out money, requiring individuals to contribute can strengthen their sense of belonging to the village, while the village holds the initiative for emergencies. If a catastrophe or huge loss occurs, there is no need for temporary apportioning; it is resolved directly through the system!"
"Not only that, but mandatory savings can also act as a safety net for the shinobi's poor spending habits. The percentage subsidy rule is also beneficial to their enthusiasm for taking on missions—"
Shikayama Nara said while shaking his head in intoxication. As a tactician, hearing such a system always felt like drinking fine wine.
Hiruzen also cast an approving glance at Shikayama Nara. There were smart people in the ninja world! He belonged to the very few in this psychiatric hospital who could actually be communicated with.
And after Shikayama Nara's explanation, many of the "martial general" type Konoha High Commissioners realized with hindsight. So that's what it was all about!
"Send the notification down—"
"In three days, during dinner time in the evening, I will use the Crystal Ball Jutsu to talk to all the shinobi in the village."
"I hope they will sit by a warm fireplace, eating hot meals with their families, while listening to me, their Hokage, chat with them about everyday affairs—"
"The village has experienced some disturbances, so I need to give everyone a reassurance pill. If I can personally explain some of the new welfare and mission systems, they will naturally be more trusting."
Hiruzen said slowly, "This also includes some of the pain point issues collected by the Commissioners. I want to chat with everyone about them, and discuss the situation of the ninja world. Let's call it the 'Hokage's Fireside Chat'!"
"This system needs to be retained long-term and conducted on an irregular basis. I want my voice to be heard by the shinobi, and I also want the shinobi to know that the Hokage can hear their voices—"
"I will also irregularly have a certain Commissioner accompany me to chat with the shinobi. Danzo, you must prepare well!"
Danzo asked subconsciously, "Me?"
"Yes, you."
Hiruzen said seriously, "Firstly, you not only need to write a self-criticism to me, but you also need to conduct self-reflection with all Konoha shinobi to gain everyone's understanding."
"Secondly, the Mutual Aid Fund is the joint property of all shinobi in the village. Therefore, in the future, each Commissioner will be responsible for reviewing claims reports. You will take the lead and form a core evaluation team with Orochimaru and Sakumo to conduct random checks—"
"Your reputation in the village is relatively unique; it can have a deterrent effect on some unhealthy tendencies," Hiruzen teased.
Hizashi couldn't help but nod. He was just thinking of saying: Do not underestimate the evil of human nature! He was terrified that Lord Hokage was too benevolent and might be taken advantage of by shinobi with ulterior motives.
And if the shinobi knew that their mission failure reports might be randomly checked with Danzo taking the lead—then their thoughts of doing bad deeds couldn't be said to be completely extinguished, but they would be near zero. This was the special usage of the Naturally Evil Assistant!
Such an important power cannot be handed over to Danzo alone. Letting me and Sakumo keep him in check—Sensei's considerations are very thorough— Orochimaru thought to himself.
Danzo, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised in his heart. Hiruzen hadn't abandoned him, but instead handed him a mission that had to be him, one that no one else could replace.
As for apologizing—just looking at Hiruzen's face, what did it matter to act softly with those shinobi? It was only right!
Three days later.
Evening. The twilight wrapped in warm light blanketed Konoha. The normally bustling village was dead silent.
Firelight burned in fireplaces in every household. Meals were already laid out on the tables, yet no one touched their chopsticks. Families sat gathered around the hearth, waiting with bated breath.
Everyone in the village was waiting quietly, waiting for the Hokage's voice to sound.
However, there were always those who were impatient. For example, a certain enthusiastic Konoha citizen, Mr. Madara, who wished to remain anonymous.
He was currently frowning, grilling meat, connected to a White Zetsu brand radio, and said in annoyance, "Why hasn't it started yet!"
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