Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, the swirling smoke blurring his weary eyes.
How could he not understand?
This time, Ryo had gone too far.
Stealing the Scroll of Forbidden Jutsu was a forbidden act that challenged the bottom line of every hidden village.
The stronger Ryo appeared, the deeper the other villages' wariness toward Konoha would become. That fear would only turn into united hostility.
He felt a crushing weight pressing on his shoulders.
"I know, Danzō." Hiruzen's voice was thick with exhaustion. "That brat Ryo… his actions this time really were too much. Kumo's accusations may be exaggerated, but the core facts are undeniable. We have to respond. But how? What the other villages want is nothing less than crippling Ryo, or handing him over. Is that even possible?"
"Why not?" Danzō immediately interjected, a cold glint flashing in his lone eye. "For the sake of the village's peace and stability, no individual, no matter how powerful, should be above discipline. He ignored village rules, acted without authorization, and caused a massive incident. Shouldn't he be held accountable? Hiruzen, your hesitation is dragging Konoha into deeper crisis! If we cripple him now, we lose a fighting force, yes, but we can appease the others and maintain peace. Otherwise, once the four great villages unite—"
"Enough, Danzō!" Mitokado Homura cut him off sharply, frowning. "What's the point of saying such emotional nonsense now? Cripple Ryo? Even if we could… do you think the other villages would stop there? They'd just see Konoha as weak and push for more outrageous demands! And think about Sakumo. That incident wasn't long ago! If we sacrifice another hero who contributed greatly to the village just because of outside pressure, our foundation will truly crumble! When morale is gone, even the strongest village will collapse!"
Danzō snorted coldly, tapping his cane hard against the floor. "Sentimental drivel! This isn't about emotions! Ryo's power has already surpassed logic and balance. He's a bomb waiting to explode. What the other villages fear isn't Konoha. It's him, Kamiyama Ryo! Only by eliminating this unstable factor can true peace be achieved. Or would you rather see Konoha become a target for all four major villages?"
"Eliminate him?" Hiruzen's voice suddenly rose, tinged with suppressed anger. He stared directly at Danzō. "How? You tell me, Danzō! You and I both know Ryo's strength. He can split a meteor with one sword. Kumo could only lower its head before him. Who in Konoha can suppress him? Who can 'cripple' him? You? Me? The rest of us old relics combined? Even if we somehow succeeded, what would it cost Konoha? How many would survive? What would be left of the village?"
His questioning silenced the entire office.
Danzō's expression grew darker, his eye flashing with cold light, but he said nothing.
Homura and Koharu remained quiet too. They knew Hiruzen was right.
Ryo's power had already reached an incomprehensible level. To suppress him by force would cause internal destruction Konoha could not afford.
Just then, the door to the office was lightly knocked.
An Anbu appeared in a flash, kneeling in the center of the room, holding a scroll in both hands. "Hokage-sama, an urgent report from Tsunade-sama, sent from the direction of the Land of Lightning."
Hiruzen's spirit was lifted. He quickly took the scroll.
A timely rain.
He unrolled it swiftly and read through the contents.
Tsunade detailed her encounter in the Land of Lightning. Kumo shinobi had attempted to kidnap Kushina, and Ryo acted to protect her, which escalated into a direct conflict with Kumo. Taking the Scroll of Forbidden Jutsu was a response to Kumo's failed attempt at coercion.
After finishing the report, Hiruzen let out a long sigh. The deep furrow in his brow finally relaxed.
He handed the scroll to Homura and Koharu, then looked at Danzō, his voice calm again, now carrying a hint of confidence.
"Danzō, Homura, Koharu. Take a look. Tsunade confirmed the root of this incident. It was Kumo trying to steal our Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Kushina. Ryo's actions were retaliation, and protection."
Homura and Koharu read the report and visibly relaxed.
Homura nodded. "I thought so. It makes perfect sense now. Kumo provoked us first, trying to seize our jinchūriki. That's an unforgivable act of war. Ryo was protecting Kushina and counterattacked. Entirely reasonable! In fact, he crushed Kumo's scheme and safeguarded Konoha's security. His merits outweigh his faults!"
Koharu added, "Exactly. From the village's standpoint, Ryo did no wrong. From a personal standpoint, protecting his lover… it's all the more justified."
Danzō's face turned extremely ugly.
He hadn't expected Tsunade to send such a report at this critical moment, completely cutting off his leverage to attack Ryo and undermine Hiruzen.
He quickly scanned the contents, a flash of anger and frustration in his eye, but he forcibly suppressed it.
"Hmph! So what if Kumo provoked us first?" He slammed his cane down. "Ryo's power is far too shocking. It's already broken the balance of the shinobi world! Do you think the other villages will stop pressuring Konoha just because of Tsunade's explanation? No, they'll only think we're covering for Ryo! The crisis isn't over!"
"That part," Hiruzen said, "is indeed true." He picked up his pipe again, his gaze turning deep. "Ryo's combat strength… is overwhelming. The power he's displayed has made the other villages feel an unprecedented level of threat. Konoha already has a reputation for producing geniuses and holds the strongest position among the five villages. Now, with someone like Ryo—an Asura beyond reason—how could they not be fearful, not want to join forces to weaken us?"
He paused, fingers tapping lightly on the desk. Then he made a decision.
"But precisely because of that, Konoha must not falter. We must not yield to external pressure. The incident with Sakumo is fresh in our minds, and the lesson was painful. If we bow to fear and unreasonable demands again, and dispose of Ryo, then Konoha's backbone will truly snap. Morale will crumble. And with that… so will the village."
He looked at the three of them, his tone growing more solemn. "And Ryo… is not someone we can suppress even if we want to. Has he ever shown much respect to us as elders? We can't command him."
Those words hit like a hammer.
It was true. That young man was unruly, defiant, and his strength defied imagination. He wouldn't obey their orders. Forcing him would only backfire.
"So," Hiruzen's voice turned firm, "publicly, Ryo protected the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and thwarted Kumo's plot. Konoha must stand with him. Privately, he's a Konoha shinobi who protected the woman he loves. We have even less reason to betray him. What we need to do now is unite and face outward. Get through this moment together. As for Ryo… we'll handle that later, once the storm passes."
Danzō was speechless. Though unwilling, he knew this was the only option they had.
He scowled. "Hmph! Then what do you propose we do now? The pressure from the four villages is already mounting!"
A gleam flashed in Hiruzen's eyes. He picked up a brush and swiftly wrote a document.
"If they want to talk, then we'll talk! Rather than wait for them to set up their summit, let's take the initiative and propose a Five Kage Summit ourselves! We'll hold it in the neutral Land of Iron. We'll make our case. Present the facts that Kumo provoked us first. Justify Ryo's actions. And more importantly, show Konoha's resolve and strength. Make them understand—Konoha will not sacrifice its heroes under any pressure!"
He handed the letter to the Anbu. "Immediately send a formal message, in the name of the Hokage, to Iwa, Suna, Kiri, and Kumo. Invite the Four Kage to the Land of Iron for a Five Kage Summit! The topic—current shinobi world tensions and peaceful resolution methods."
"Yes!" The Anbu took the scroll and vanished.
Watching the Anbu leave, Hiruzen sank back into his chair. Fatigue flooded his body again, but his gaze was resolute.
He knew, an unprecedented storm was about to erupt in the Land of Iron.
And Konoha had to hold firm through it.
Danzō watched Hiruzen's movements, his face even darker. He suddenly stood, pointing his cane at Hiruzen and bringing up old grievances again, trying to strike at the Third's authority.
"Hiruzen! When it comes down to it, this entire incident is your fault! You never should've allowed the Nine-Tails jinchūriki to leave the village! Then none of this would've happened! As Hokage, you bear full responsibility!"
The accusation carried heavy blame, aiming to corner Hiruzen.
Hiruzen looked at Danzō, gaze calm but filled with unshakable authority.
"Danzō, blaming anyone now is pointless. What matters is solving the problem. The Five Kage Summit is our best option. As for responsibility, once this is over, I will account for everything to the village."
Danzō flinched, realizing Hiruzen wouldn't budge. Continuing to argue was useless. He snorted heavily, then turned and left the office.
Homura and Koharu exchanged a glance, nodded silently to Hiruzen, and also left without a word.
The office was left with only Hiruzen.
He leaned back in his chair, looking out the window toward the glowing lights of Konoha.
He knew, Ryo was a double-edged sword. And right now, Konoha had no choice but to hold that blade, even if it might cut their hand.
Under the same night sky, thousands of miles away on the border of the Land of Lightning, the atmosphere was completely different.
Far from Kumo's tension and Konoha's gravity, the air was filled with the scent of sulfur from the hot springs and the aroma of food.
In the open-air courtyard of a charming hot spring inn, mist lingered gently in the air.
Ryo wore only a simple yukata, reclining against the smooth rock edge of the pool, eyes closed, completely relaxed.
The warm water wrapped around his body, washing away the fatigue of the past few days.
Beside him, Kushina was like a playful red fish, scooping up water with a small wooden ladle and splashing it onto Ryo's chest.
"Hehe, how's the temperature, Ryo?" Her face beamed with carefree joy, red hair wet and clinging to her cheeks and neck, adding a touch of allure.
Ryo smiled faintly, opened his eyes, and rubbed her wet hair indulgently. "Yeah. Feels good."
On the other side, Mikoto sat quietly in the water, only her smooth shoulders and delicate collarbone visible.
Her head was slightly lowered, black hair cascading into the water like a waterfall. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat, like a ripe peach.
Most of her gaze lingered on Ryo. Whenever their eyes met, she would show a shy, satisfied smile.
Tsunade, meanwhile, leaned on the edge of the pool, slightly farther away.
Also soaking in the hot spring, her golden hair was tied up, revealing a long, elegant neck.
But unlike Kushina and Mikoto's relaxed moods, her brows were lightly furrowed. Her gaze often drifted in the direction of Konoha, distracted.
"Tsunade-nee, don't space out! Try this!" Kushina swam over with a wooden tray holding skewers of sizzling dango. "These are super tasty!"
Tsunade snapped out of it, forced a smile, and took one. "Thanks, Kushina." She took a bite, and the savory flavor spread through her mouth, but the worry in her heart didn't lessen.
She set down the skewer and looked at Ryo. She finally couldn't hold back. "Ryo, are we… really not going back to the village right away? The Kumo incident must've spread across the shinobi world by now. Konoha must be—"
Ryo picked up the sake cup from the small table by the pool, took a slow sip, and lazily replied as if discussing something trivial. "What's the rush? We've only been out a few days. It's rare to take you all out. I'm not finished relaxing."
He set the cup down, gaze drifting over Kushina and Mikoto's content faces. "As for Kumo… I know what taking their Scroll of Forbidden Jutsu means."
His tone was indifferent, as if it were only natural. "Let them bark. What can they do to me?"
Kushina nodded vigorously, raising a small fist with admiration. "Exactly! Ryo is the strongest! If they dare show up, just drop a few more meteors and scare them silly!"
She didn't take the turmoil in the shinobi world seriously. In her mind, as long as Ryo was around, even the sky falling wasn't scary.
Mikoto also nodded gently, her voice soft. "Mm. If Ryo-kun says everything's fine, then it must be fine."
Tsunade looked at the two girls' almost blind trust and reliance on Ryo, then at Ryo's indifferent demeanor, heart full of emotion.
She knew Ryo's strength was beyond comprehension, capable of brushing off most threats.
But she was the Princess of Konoha, one of the Legendary Sannin. Unlike Kushina and Mikoto, she couldn't completely abandon her sense of duty and concern for the village.
The pressure Konoha faced now was real. The four great villages were united in their demands.
After a moment of hesitation, she said, "But… I'm worried about the village. That old man Hiruzen must be scrambling right now. The other villages won't let this go. I… I've already sent a report of what happened in the Land of Lightning back to Konoha. Hopefully, it'll help explain the cause of all this."
Ryo glanced at her, his gaze softening. "Mm. You did the right thing, Tsunade. At least the higher-ups will understand that Kumo provoked us first." He paused, then added confidently, "But you don't need to worry too much about Konoha. As long as I'm standing, Konoha is safe. If anyone wants to threaten it… they better be ready to pay the price."
He smirked coldly. "Let them jump around. I'm curious what kind of tricks they'll try to pull at the Five Kage Summit. If they're smart, they'll know who in this world can't be messed with right now."
His tone was calm, but it carried an overwhelming sense of dominance.
Tsunade looked at his confident side profile. Listening to his steady, powerful words, her anxiety eased significantly.
Yes, with this man, Konoha truly had nothing to fear.
"Alright, alright, Tsunade-nee, stop thinking about annoying stuff!" Kushina swam over and hugged Tsunade's arm, shaking it. "Look, the hot spring is amazing, the food is great! Let's enjoy ourselves! Come on, eat some more!"
Tsunade looked at her energetic, cheerful face and smiled helplessly. She took another bite of dango. "Alright, alright. I'll listen to you. No more thinking."
She decided to temporarily put her worries aside and enjoy this rare moment of peace.
After all, with Ryo around… maybe even the sky wouldn't dare fall.
In the courtyard, steam rose gently. The aroma of food and happy voices filled the air once again.
Kushina chirped excitedly about their travel experiences. Mikoto occasionally added softly. Ryo listened lazily, content.
Even Tsunade gradually melted into the relaxed atmosphere, putting aside the turmoil of the shinobi world for now.
(To be continued.)