Even though they often disagreed with the Third Hokage over village affairs, they had to admit that the Third was a Hokage worthy of respect.
That was exactly why, twelve years earlier when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had died, and the Third decided once again to take on the role of Hokage, the elders had shown expressions of relief without hesitation.
Because they believed in him—in spite of his age—as long as he remained here, he would be a force all enemies needed to take seriously.
A trace of nostalgia flickered across Koharu Utatane's gaze, but it quickly hardened again.
"But the will of the village must continue forward."
Inside this dimly lit room, no one made a move to turn on the lights.
Homura Mitokado stood by the window, silently watching the fading glow of sunlight over Konoha.
Even in times of war, Konoha wouldn't suffer significant damage.
Perhaps Sunagakure had been too presumptuous.
"Then what do we do now?"
Homura Mitokado emerged from his melancholy and calmly stared at Koharu Utatane.
"We go to war!"
Though usually a face of mild compassion, Koharu Utatane's expression turned firm in this moment.
The two words she uttered were as sharp as steel blades.
Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi was gone, she, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo were clearly the only ones who determined the village's course.
Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had no reasonable grounds to oppose them in such circumstances.
Ninja villages have always held high autonomy—they were, after all, the true bearers of the nation's military power.
Usually calm, Homura Mitokado hesitated briefly, then firmly nodded in agreement.
"It's time we wage war."
If Konoha still hesitated to engage in open conflict under these conditions, its status within the shinobi world would surely plummet.
Likewise, the volume and quality of mission assignments available to Konoha would drop accordingly.
Its current position couldn't even be guaranteed.
In addition, with the Third Hokage gone, many rival factions would certainly start stirring up trouble.
Therefore, a major victory was essential to counteract the negative consequences of this war.
On the other hand— their personal feelings were also a factor.
From a personal standpoint, they both wanted to strike down those responsible for Hiruzen Sarutobi's death.
"So, our target is..."
Homura Mitokado asked, although the answer had already formed in his mind. He merely sought Koharu Utatane's opinion.
Koharu Utatane replied in a low, hoarse voice, "Sunagakure!"
Such betrayal from Konoha's strongest ally was unforgivable.
It would require bloodshed as payment.
Compared with the alternative—attacking Oto village—it was clearly the more favorable choice.
First, unlike Sunagakure, Otogakure was just a small ninja village.
Second, Orochimaru was there. With that man present, the cost of attacking Oto would not decrease—
It would likely increase significantly.
In the end, war with Sunagakure was unavoidable.
Even if Konoha had no intention of striking first, would Sunagakure believe that?
Once the war had begun, it meant the conflict between the two nations would only escalate further.
"The first unit should have reached the border of the Land of Wind by now, right?" Mitokado Homura took off his glasses and gently rubbed his tired, aching eyes with his fist.
In truth, they hadn't specifically ordered this; it was simply Konoha's natural wartime response.
They had practiced many times before, precisely to avoid having to divert forces from elsewhere when another ninja village launched an attack on Konoha.
The battlefield shifts in an instant—by the time official orders arrive, there might already be irreversible consequences.
"Then prepare to deploy the next wave."
Koharu nodded, satisfied with the current situation. Suddenly, she seemed to recall something else. "As for Danzo, tell Root to commit even more forces in this war. Even though we can't afford to abandon Danzo's power right now, he must take responsibility for this incident. No exceptions—even if he can provide undeniable proof that he wasn't in the village at the time!"
"That goes without saying. But what about that child, Shiki Uzumaki?"
Mitokado suddenly remembered something too—Shiki Uzumaki's performance during Konoha's recent defense had been particularly impressive.
He also showed excellent crisis-handling skills.
"Shiki Uzumaki?" Utatane Koharu lowered her head in thought. "After all, the Third made it clear beforehand—no matter what happened after his death, we must never let Shiki Uzumaki fall into Danzo's hands. We just didn't expect the Third to leave us so soon."
"Then, along with rejecting Danzo's nomination as Fifth Hokage, this punishment for his negligence in the war will serve as a warning."
Mitokado put his glasses back on. Despite his old age, he carried himself firmly and decisively.
"Yes. After all, that child, Shiki Uzumaki, has shown potential worth our effort to protect. Plus, he seems capable of inspiring those around him. Perhaps we should give him more authority—but first, he needs to prove himself."
"If that's the case, why not include him in the second wave heading toward the Wind Country border?" To be continued...
Chapter 204: Facing Kabuto Once More
Thud!
Shiki Uzumaki shut the wooden door behind him and trudged tiredly into his house.
But he had barely taken a few steps when someone rushed over and stared at him anxiously.
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