Actually, Homura Mitokado's worries were not unfounded.
In fact, it could be said that due to the current arrangements for various war matters, the Substitute Hokage Council had a significant impact on the personnel arrangements and material adjustments originally managed by the Advisor Group.
The conflict between the two sides was constantly escalating due to the current war.
"Slurp."
A tongue, as delicate and smooth as rope, slowly glided across his lips, while golden snake eyes quietly focused on the intelligence report in his hands.
"Third Raikage attacked again, Hatake Sakumo led a team to confront him, resulting in sixty-seven casualties."
Further down were the detailed accounts of the battle.
His face was as still as water.
At this time, only Orochimaru and Tsunade were in the Hokage Office. Below the original sign, another sign that read "Village Wartime Administrative Agreement Group" had been added. Only Jiraiya's seat was empty.
Various documents, originally meant for the Hokage, were categorized by political, economic, and military aspects and placed on their desks, stacked high. Occasionally, personnel from various departments of the Hokage Building would bring in corresponding files, placing them in stacks on another empty table, continuously accumulating.
By now, six or seven stacks had accumulated.
It certainly didn't look like it could be finished in a single day.
It was already dinner time.
In the entire office, only the subtle rustling of pen tips and the thudding sounds of stamps landing on documents could be heard, silent, without a single human voice.
Although the Sannin were often secretly labeled with names related to gambling, prostitution, and drugs by the Ninja in the Village due to their peculiar hobbies, they were genuinely brilliant students.
Even Jiraiya, who was widely considered the most 'clumsy' among the three, graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of six and, based on his strengths, created various Ninjutsu without hand seals, and even a unique method of performing hand seals with his feet, leaving numerous high-precision Ninjutsu research reports in Konoha's secret archives, aside from his erotic novels.
There's no need to mention Orochimaru and Tsunade; one became a top expert in biology and material technology before the age of thirty, while the other was Konoha's universally recognized medical master, deciphering many toxins that caused various difficult problems on the battlefield and developing different forms of medical Ninjutsu.
However, the two individuals, standing at the pinnacle of the Village's intellectual pyramid, both looked grim and at a loss when dealing with these trivial reports and documents.
The reason was simple.
Someone in the Hokage Building was deliberately causing them trouble.
After a while, another Ninja entered, carrying a thick stack of documents, and reported, sweating profusely:
"Lady Tsunade, the frontline material dispatch department said—"
However, before he could finish his sentence.
Tsunade, who was already buried in official duties and had no time for drinking or playing cards, suddenly put down her pen and slammed her fist hard against the office wall behind her.
The stone wall, entirely made of Earth Release, shattered like a fragile fortune cookie under that punch, emitting a deafening roar of collapse. Fine, spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions, and with creaking sounds, large chunks of small stones and dust crumbled off.
The documents on the desk were blown into the air by the violent aftermath. Orochimaru swiftly extended his arm, holding down his categorized files, and the entire office seemed to be experiencing a heavy snowfall.
The young Ninja, who had been about to continue his report, was so startled by the punch that he swallowed all his words.
"Damn it!"
"Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu, those two inherently evil old bastards, I'm going to personally—!?"
Tsunade's eyes were wide, and she was gritting her teeth, filled with intense hatred.
Five days.
She hadn't been home for five whole days.
Every day, she ate and slept in this accursed office, even her bed was a metal cot.
How was this any different from being on the battlefield?!
What was even more unbearable was that it wasn't due to her incompetence, but because those old geezers in the Advisor Group were deliberately manipulating the departments they controlled, constantly pushing problems that should have been resolved at lower levels all the way up.
Now, how did these two look like they were serving as Hokage?
They were clearly taking on the responsibilities of half the Hokage Building!
Originally, she wanted to fire all those useless idiots, but when those old geezers in the offices stood before her, the words to dismiss them suddenly wouldn't come out.
Some of them were disabled veterans from the First Great Ninja War; some had lost an arm, some a leg, and others an eye and a hand. They couldn't participate in normal Ninja work. Most were former Chunin and Jonin, colleagues and comrades of Homura Mitokado's generation.
Others were orphans of martyrs whose parents had sacrificed themselves on the battlefield—much like Sawara Kiri's initial status. However, compared to the Sawara family, these orphans had a bit more connections, able to reach out to old acquaintances from the previous generation who were still in high positions.
If these people were dismissed, lightly speaking, it would undermine the livelihood of disabled veterans and those who dedicated a generation to Konoha; more severely, it would shake the morale of frontline Ninja and damage the Village's credibility.
Could they be moved? It was difficult to move them.
And if they were moved to marginal positions and new talents were selected, who would bear the expense of supporting so many people for free?
Konoha's economic system was already severely strained due to the war. The livelihoods of hundreds of people were at stake, and it wasn't something that could be solved by just talking.
It's somewhat ironic that Konoha, occupying the rich lands of the Land of Fire, possessing the largest population and resources in the entire Ninja World, and also holding the title of the strongest Ninja Village, was later marked as "Economy: ☆ ☆" in the "Ninja Village Details."
On the other hand, Kumogakure, with its complex plateau terrain and three-star population, managed to create four-star military power and five-star economy.
This clearly showed the extent of corruption within Konoha's internal system.
This kind of problem, clearly, couldn't be solved by just getting rid of one or two people.
"Tsunade, calm down."
Orochimaru looked at the documents on the table that were almost blown away, cold sweat dripping, and quickly stopped her.
At the same time, he turned to the young Ninja at the door and instructed, "Put the documents there, and secure them."
"Yes, yes!"
The young Ninja immediately felt as if he had been granted a reprieve, quickly put down the documents, and ran off.
Tsunade's face was still a distorted mess. If those old fogies from the Advisor Group were here right now, she'd probably tear them apart and eat them alive on the spot.
How could Konoha be managed well with these insects around?!
Seeing her like this, Orochimaru understood her feelings, but he couldn't agree with her emotional approach.
Once Tsunade had calmed down a bit, he handed her the file he had been holding and said:
"Take a look at this."
"To hell with it!"
Even though she was still cursing, Tsunade, with her strong sense of responsibility due to her current duties, still reached out to take it.
Just one glance, and Tsunade, who had been full of rage just moments before, immediately calmed down. Her expression gradually shifted from anger to worry, and she pondered for a moment:
"How is Sakumo's situation now?"
Tsunade looked up at Orochimaru.
"Because Minato was there, nothing major went wrong. He only sustained minor injuries, but…" Orochimaru paused mid-sentence.
However, the remaining Ninja units responsible for support suffered heavy casualties.
It's true that Hatake Sakumo possesses extraordinary speed, but his offensive power is a significant weakness compared to Lord Third.
His weakness is essentially the same as Namikaze Minato's in later generations.
His attack method, relying solely on sword techniques, is naturally irresistible when facing ordinary Ninja. However, when facing a powerful individual like Third Raikage, who possesses Lightning Release Armor and is also an Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, the offensive power generated by his small blade is essentially negligible.
He couldn't break through their defense.
Tsunade's brows furrowed deeper: "Where is Sawara Kiri's deployment order?"
"It's still going through the process."
Orochimaru's voice was calm, but the implication in his words made Tsunade even more agitated.
"He's at my house right now! He's so bored he's practically farting all day, and I need a deployment order for him to go to the battlefield?!" Tsunade cursed for a while, but then quickly quieted down, pacing back and forth in the office with her hands on her hips, annoyed.
Even though she had just lost her temper like that, Tsunade knew very well in her heart.
Deploying a Ninja to the battlefield is fundamentally a very serious matter.
Because anyone who goes to the battlefield can be injured, disabled, or killed—no matter how strong they are, these problems cannot be avoided.
If, during wartime, one were to ask a colleague to go to the battlefield to confront a powerful enemy on a personal basis, and that person accidentally died, whose problem would it be?
Even if he didn't die, what would his identity be once he stepped onto the battlefield? Would the Konoha Ninja on the battlefield need to provide him assistance?
Intelligence, supplies, Ninja tools, encampments.
These are not just Lady Tsunade's personal belongings.
Furthermore, even though Sawara Kiri has indeed achieved remarkable results, neither Tsunade nor Orochimaru harbor the notion of 'Sawara Kiri, invincible!' in their hearts.
Their teacher, Lord Third, lived a legendary life, didn't he?
And now he's just lying in a coffin?
All sorts of problems intertwined, ultimately leading to the current situation.
Stuck in limbo.
Everyone knows the current situation is critical; it's evident from the battlefield map alone. The entire Kumogakure army formation, under the continuous assault of the Third Raikage, has created a distinct salient along the entire Land of Hot Water front, pushing the entire front line forward point by point.
On the sand table, a seemingly simple insertion and removal of labels represents the transfer or casualties of hundreds or thousands of Konoha Ninja.
During this period, without a combat force equivalent to the Third Raikage to serve as a fulcrum and support the entire front line, Konoha's front against Kumogakure was like a massive wound on Konoha Village's body, continuously bleeding.
However, those infuriatingly foolish old men were completely indifferent, spouting phrases like 'war inherently means sacrifice,' which sounded righteous.
Damn it, wasn't this sacrifice caused by you?!
The more Tsunade thought about it, the angrier and more anxious she became.
Orochimaru continued to lower his head and deal with the official duties that would likely take him all day to finish.
Finally, Tsunade's footsteps suddenly halted. She turned to Orochimaru and asked, "Orochimaru?"
"Hmm."
"You're saying that our Substitute Hokage Council is currently acting as the Hokage's office?"
"Yes."
"And our Substitute Hokage Council members now have the same level of authorization for actions as the Hokage?"
"That's right."
"Then, let me hypothesize: if I were to lead the Hokage Guard, in the name of the Substitute Hokage Council, and proactively head to the battlefield to meet the enemy, would that allow me to bypass the various procedures currently underway and join the current combat sequence?"
"That's a good idea, isn't it?"
Orochimaru's pen, which had been scribbling across the paper, suddenly stopped. He looked up in astonishment at the crazy woman in front of him.
His face, usually as expressionless as a eunuch, for the first time displayed such rich and full emotion in front of others, even his golden snake eyes widened involuntarily.
He hesitated for a moment before asking in confusion, "But, your condition...?"
When Tsunade heard this, her expression seemed to falter imperceptibly for a moment, but she quickly adopted her usual carefree and nonchalant attitude, scoffing, "You're stupid! I'm just leading the team to the battlefield. Once we're there, I'll stay in the camp."
"How can a lady like me get involved in fighting?"
"With that brat Sawara Kiri's strength, forcing back the Third Raikage is more than enough for him alone!"
While she chattered on, Orochimaru didn't respond, merely watching her quietly.
Once her voice ceased, Orochimaru calmly spoke, "You will die, Tsunade."
"..."
After a long silence, Tsunade suddenly covered her forehead with a hint of helplessness: "Then we can't do nothing, can we?"
"Or do you have any other ideas?"
Even though she always spoke as if she didn't care.
But Orochimaru knew very well that Tsunade had always been this way—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She appeared indifferent to everything and her own image, but in reality, she loved this Village, founded by her grandfather, the most.
Naturally, she also cared the most about those who died silently on the battlefield.
If not for that, why would she have stubbornly given up the numerous Ninjutsu and forbidden Jutsu passed down from the First Hokage and Second Hokage to become a medical Ninja dedicated to saving lives?
This was no accident, but a certainty caused by Tsunade's 'soft' personality.
Orochimaru's thoughts were always so calm and rational.
After saying all he needed to say and informing her of this possibility, he lowered his head again and picked up the pen on the table.
"However, you truly trust that young man."
"The Eight-Tails-transformed Third Raikage—that's a true monster even Lord Third couldn't handle."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade seemed to suddenly freeze.
It was as if she herself hadn't realized how naturally she had spoken just now, as if Sawara Kiri could immediately take down the Third Raikage as soon as he stepped in.
Tsunade herself couldn't quite pinpoint where this 'naturalness' came from.
Perhaps it was because he had suddenly saved her that day;
Or perhaps it was that tiny bit of encouragement when her spirits were low;
Or perhaps it was the series of achievements he demonstrated after resolutely heading to the battlefield.
"Ha."
"Who knows."
Tsunade leaned back in her office chair, her gaze slightly lowered.
Senju Residence.
After resolving a few minor issues, Sawara Kiri arrived home just in time to eat the dinner Yuki had cooked.
At the dinner table, Yuki chattered about what she saw while grocery shopping today, casually mentioning her progress in medical Ninjutsu and how even Tsunade had praised her talent for becoming a doctor.
Shizune was also eating beside them, making 'awu awu' sounds.
Although Sister Yuki always liked to tease her, if there was such delicious food every day, then being teased occasionally didn't seem like a big deal—Lady Tsunade's cooking was edible, but the taste was hard to describe.
Perhaps Sawara Kiri had spent too much time on the battlefield recently, as he now inexplicably enjoyed this seemingly ordinary daily life.
He had only eaten halfway when his expression suddenly paused.
"Bond Level Increased ↑"
"Tsunade Bond Level: Two → Three"
Mr. Sawara's face immediately showed a somewhat bewildered expression.
What's going on?
What happened?
Mount Myōboku.
Jiraiya turned his head, looking at the streams flowing in the distant lowlands, the waterfalls visible everywhere, and the giant leaves growing in the hollows.
He inhaled the moist air, carrying a scent of peace and tranquility, and felt a sense of melancholy unknowingly.
There must still be many troubles to solve in the Village now, right?
"You certainly look troubled, little Jiraiya."
Fukasaku, the Sage, who was guiding him while perched on his shoulder, seemed to sense his change in mood and spoke into his ear, drawing out his words.
This summoned beast, looking only the size of a small toad and wearing a drab cloak, had actually lived for hundreds of years and mastered the power known as Sage Mode.
Even within all of Mount Myōboku, he was at the very top, second only to the Great Toad Sage.
"Yes."
Jiraiya clearly hadn't paid attention to what he said, responding casually before immediately saying: "Lord Fukasaku, the kind of Jutsu I mentioned about healing souls, could it be—"
"Oh, my!"
Fukasaku, the Sage, perched on his shoulder, responded with some impatience: "Haven't I told you several times along the way? You'll have to ask the Great Toad Sage about that."
"I heard that our Mount Myōboku used to have a magical tool called the 'Sage's Talisman,' but later it was used up for some unknown reason."
"If we had that, even the dead could be resurrected."
"Really?!"
Jiraiya suddenly became excited.
Fukasaku, the Sage's face darkened: "Didn't I just say it's already been used up?"
"Alright, alright, the Great Toad Sage is just ahead. Hurry up."
"Got it!"
When the man and beast rushed into the hall where the Great Toad Sage resided, they saw that enormous toad, showing clear signs of aging but still colossal, sitting there like a human, maintaining a sleeping posture.
The crystal ball on his head, resembling a scholar's cap, and the snot bubble on his nose, swayed with his movements as he slept.
It wasn't until Jiraiya and Fukasaku reached him that it suddenly burst with a 'pop' sound.
Seeing him awake, Fukasaku, the Sage, was about to do as usual—first humor the old ancestor through his muddled period, then proceed to the serious matters.
However, this time, things were different.
The Great Toad Sage's previously squinted eyes suddenly opened, and with an unprecedentedly solemn gaze, he looked down at the young Jiraiya, muttering in a low voice:
"It's over, it's all over now."
"Gods... so many terrifying gods, why are they descending so quickly?"
Jiraiya, Fukasaku: "Huh?"