This time, Danzo and Konoha's F3 (a group of high-ranking advisors and officials) responded far faster than Hyuga Soushu had anticipated.
Just before noon on the second day after dismissing Aburame Tatsuma—which was also the very day Sakumo Hatake officially convened the Jonin Unit meeting—Tatsuma returned once again to Soushu's command post.
And this time, he truly came bearing sincerity.
"Lord Soushu," Aburame Tatsuma said, "after reviewing Danzo's proposal, the Hokage has decided to appoint you as Supreme Representative and Negotiator of the Ninja Forces."
Unlike his usual habits, Tatsuma wasn't wearing his mask. He hadn't worn Root Division's standard cloak either, nor had he painted any disguise makeup on his face. Instead, he simply wore a common Jonin vest, looking significantly more approachable compared to his previously gloomy appearance.
That was actually Danzo's idea.
He believed that since Soushu clearly disliked people wearing masks in his presence, why not just eliminate all elements that might displease him, avoiding unnecessary quarrels.
"To actually grant such superior authority—this is indeed unexpected."
Hyuga Soushu didn't mind Tatsuma's presence at all. After carefully examining the commission letter signed by the Hokage multiple times and finding no flaws, he finally said, "In that case, I shall head north tomorrow to join the negotiations!"
Adaptable under pressure, and skilled in both strategy and combat—in every aspect except for his rather ugly appearance, Danzo's performance easily qualified him as the second most important figure among Konoha's F4.
By comparison, if Homura Mitokado or Koharu Utatane were in the same situation, they would likely prefer diplomatic compromises rather than proactively seeking cooperation and support from someone they considered a political rival like Soushu.
"Then we're counting on you, Lord Soushu."
Aburame Tatsuma immediately bowed respectfully and said with courtesy: "If that's settled, I will return first to report this good news to Danzo!"
"Don't let me keep you."
Hyuga Soushu raised no objection.
As for how Danzo managed to persuade Konoha's F3, he genuinely didn't care.
But now that he held the title of Supreme Representative and Negotiator, he could openly intervene in the Konoha Ninja Forces still stationed near the Land of Lightning!
Bathed in the scorching summer sun, Konoha glittered brilliantly, regaining its vitality. With the cooling down of warfare, the village rapidly restored its pre-war prosperity. Wealthy merchants and noble elites from countries across the Ninja World continuously poured into this land—not only selling rare treasures from every corner of the Ninja World, but also bringing numerous mission requests desperately needing completion.
Before long, Konoha ninja had fallen back into their hectic mission routine. Especially for those with moderate or lower-level skills, although workloads increased sharply, it was exactly through enduring these challenges and pressures that they continuously honed themselves amidst mixed feelings of pain and joy. In their weariness, they also tasted the happiness brought by harvests and achievements.
This was summer in Konoha—prosperous without noise, bustling without superficiality, filled with passionate life and beautiful visions of peace.
Yet, beneath the surface, unseen undercurrents quietly surged.
Especially now, the proposal for a jonin-led direct election of the Hokage put forward by Sakumo Hatake had already caused quite a stir within the Jonin ranks. Although Sakumo hadn't announced it outright himself, those civilian jonins who visited his house had already spread the news that very night using the "I'll tell you a secret—don't tell anyone else" approach. Thus, almost every jonin with access to any source of information already knew about it.
Under these circumstances, since Sakumo Hatake was the leader of the Jonin Unit and hadn't officially disclosed the content of the proposal through formal channels beforehand, even if certain members within Konoha's leadership council wanted to intervene, they found it difficult to locate effective methods to stop him—in the end, convening and presiding over the Jonin Unit meeting was one of Sakumo's official prerogatives.
But this didn't mean the Hokage faction was entirely without options.
Jonin Unit meetings often devolved into battlegrounds centered on numbers, especially when discussing and deciding important issues requiring collective voting by all jonins. In such cases, overwhelming numbers became particularly critical.
Therefore, faced with Sakumo's sudden initiative, the clan forces of the Hokage faction represented by Sarutobi, Ino–Shika–Cho actively mobilized their registered jonin members while urgently contacting civilian jonins influenced by them, intending to gather sufficient votes during the upcoming Jonin Unit meeting and deal a powerful blow against Sakumo Hatake's proposed motion.
Though fully aware that his proposals and ideas would certainly face resistance, Sakumo still calmly wrote out the full text of the direct-election proposal and patiently rehearsed his speech several times.
This was a battle for his ideals.
Sakumo also firmly decided that if today he couldn't push through village reforms via normal means, then it would indicate that an idealistic Will of Fire wasn't suitable for Konoha's current situation. If truly so, he would revise and redefine the connotation and significance of the Will of Fire based on his own ideals and lived experiences, transforming it into a genuine tool capable of uniting allies.
"The time has come to gather and speak of an important matter."
At the Jonin Unit meeting room as scheduled, the much-anticipated Sakumo Hatake took the stage: "The Hokage is the village's supreme leader; their decisions and strategies shape the fate of Hidden Leaf itself."
Although many jonin were mentally prepared beforehand, hearing these words directly from Sakumo's mouth still sent tension rippling through the crowd.
Sakumo was just too damn blunt—not a shred of subtlety or diplomacy left!
"Yet although the current system of nomination selection for the sitting Hokage has its strengths, it simultaneously contains considerable drawbacks."
Once spoken, this remark caused even greater unrest among the jonin.
The jonin representing the Coalition of Ninja Clans had already received instructions from their clans and stood firm in their own positions, hence remained calm and composed like old dogs unshaken.
The jonin belonging to the Hokage faction clearly showed discontent but refrained from interrupting Sakumo's speech.
As for the civilian jonin standing with Sakumo—whether for shared interests or loyalty—they erupted into cheers, shouting that only the White Fang could restore Konoha to greatness!
"Therefore, I propose that the Hokage be directly elected by the jonin—to choose one who truly serves the village's interest and wields outstanding leadership!"
Sakumo Hatake spoke seriously, "The above is a personal proposal from Sakumo Hatake, a Jonin of Konoha. We will now proceed to vote."
The Jonin assembly stirred with murmurs before reaching for the envelopes in front of them and pulling out the pre-prepared ballots. Each Jonin cast their vote on these ballots marked "Agree," "Disagree," and "Abstain."
Standing on the stage with both hands leaning on the table, Sakumo Hatake gazed expressionlessly at the whispering crowd below.
He had long grown indifferent to further dealings with such vermin.
Either cut through the mess once and for all, or die for the Ninja Way.
There was no other path.
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