Chapter 15: An Eye for an Eye, Blood for Blood!
Hiruzen's killing intent was thick enough to choke the air in the room.
Even Koharu and Homura were stunned. They had just been discussing administrative reforms—how did the conversation shift so violently toward total war?
The Hiruzen Sarutobi they knew was a lifelong "Dove." During the Second Great Ninja War, even when the Sand Village was on the ropes, Hiruzen had pushed for an equal peace treaty. He didn't demand reparations or territory; he just wanted the fighting to stop so everyone could go home. At the time, that decision had caused massive friction within the village's military ranks.
But now? Looking at the fire in Hiruzen's eyes, Danzo felt a thrill he hadn't felt in years. As Konoha's premier "Hawk," Danzo lived for this kind of aggression.
"Leave it to me!" Danzo barked, his voice eager.
"Shouldn't we reconsider?" Homura asked, his voice cautious. "Perhaps we should wait until the new 'Commission' is established before we launch a black-ops mission of this scale?"
Koharu nodded, her expression grim. "What if this sparks a full-scale war? Is the village truly ready for another front?"
Danzo whirled on them, his eyes narrow. "You two are always so damn hesitant! You think playing nice works? Diplomacy is useless without a sharpened kunai!"
"Danzo, you're being reckless!"
"War isn't a game! We have to consider every variable!" Homura and Koharu snapped back, the three elders falling into their decades-old bickering routine.
"Enough," Hiruzen commanded.
The room went silent.
"The retaliation is mandatory. And make no mistake: this isn't about starting a war. It's about preventing one."
Koharu and Homura looked confused. Assassinating a Jinchuriki prevents war?
"Let me give you an analogy," Hiruzen said, pointing at Danzo. "Suppose Danzo here slowly starts taking over all the Anbu's authorities. He strips away my power bit by bit, and I don't say a single word. What do you think his next move would be?"
The two elders shared an awkward look. That's obvious. He'd keep going until you were a puppet.
Danzo stiffened. Seriously? Is that the only metaphor you have?
"He would eventually march into this office and tell me I'm incompetent," Hiruzen laughed, clapping a hand on Danzo's shoulder. "He'd give me a lecture on 'centralizing power' and 'the duties of an assistant,' but mostly, he'd be thinking about how weak I am. Am I right, Danzo?"
Danzo gave a forced, dry chuckle. "Hmph. Naturally."
Is he joking, or is he warning me? Danzo wondered.
"Danzo is my oldest friend. If even he would perceive my silence as weakness, what do you think an enemy nation would see?" Hiruzen's voice turned cold.
"They won't come here to give me a lecture. They'll see a village they can bully. They'll realize that if Konoha is willing to roll over when its future Jinchuriki is almost stolen, then we'll roll over for anything."
"That is why we strike back now. We must be relentless. We have to show them the weight of Konoha's iron fist so they never even dream of touching us again."
Koharu and Homura sat in silence for a moment, weighing his words. Finally, they nodded.
"If that is the goal, then I agree," Homura said.
"Agreed," Koharu added. "But do you have a specific plan, Hiruzen?"
Arata (Hiruzen) leaned back. He knew his two old teammates weren't bad people; they were just stuck in a "Traditionalist" mindset. If he gave them a logical, high-stakes reason to act, they were excellent administrators.
"I'm moving against their Jinchuriki," Hiruzen said. "Kidnapping Kushina tells me one thing: the Cloud Village has a problem with their own Tailed Beasts."
"Danzo, what's the recent intel on the friction between the Cloud and the Stone?"
"The Stone Village (Iwagakure) has been provoking them for the last two years," Danzo replied instantly. "Surprisingly, the Raikage has been uncharacteristically restrained. My Root agents have been tracking the data."
"Exactly," Hiruzen nodded. "The Cloud and the Stone have a blood feud. It's a geographical and historical certainty. For a man with the Raikage's temper to show restraint, there has to be a massive internal crisis."
"The fact that they broke international protocol to target our Jinchuriki suggests their own system is on the verge of collapse. They're desperate."
The three elders leaned in. The logic was sound.
"Danzo, verify this as quickly as possible. But here is the mandate: This will not be a military assassination. We aren't going to go in with an army."
"We are going to subtly sabotage the seal on the Eight-Tails. We release the beast from within. We leave no evidence that Konoha was ever there."
"Officially, the world will see it as a tragic accident—a failure of the Cloud's own sealing techniques. But internally? The Raikage and his inner circle will know it was us. They will realize we reached into the heart of their village and pulled the plug. That is the kind of fear that keeps an enemy at home."
Danzo smirked. He wasn't just a brute; he appreciated the elegance of a black-ops sabotage. It sent the message without giving the Four Nations a casus belli for a coalition war.
"Once the intel is confirmed, we'll have a final tactical briefing. They need to pay in blood. It's the only way to offer some small measure of 'restitution' to Lady Mito and the Uzumaki clan."
At the mention of Mito Uzumaki, the mood in the room darkened.
During the Second War, Konoha had been stretched thin, fighting on multiple fronts. In the chaos, they had failed to protect their oldest ally—the Whirlpool Village. The massacre of the Uzumaki clan was a stain on Hiruzen's legacy.
Sure, there were logistical excuses. Whirlpool was on an island, they refused to relocate to the mainland, and the support was too far away. But at the end of the day, Konoha's "Golden Ally" was wiped off the map on Hiruzen's watch.
Then, to have the only surviving Uzumaki noble in the village nearly kidnapped? It was an insult to the memory of the alliance.
"Kushina Uzumaki's status must be elevated immediately," Hiruzen commanded, pointing at Koharu.
"Koharu, I want you to handle this. Make sure she knows the village regrets the lapse in security. I want her to feel like Konoha isn't just a place she's staying—it's her home. I want her to know the Hokage is personally invested in her safety. Do you understand?"
"We can't change the past, but it's never too late to fix our mistakes. We owe the Uzumaki that much."
Koharu nodded solemnly. "Understood, Hiruzen."
"Alright. Get to work."
As the three left, Hiruzen stood by the window, looking out over the village. His eyes drifted toward the Senju compound.
There was one more person he couldn't ignore. Someone who surpassed the rank of shinobi and entered the realm of legend: Lady Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage and the current Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.
She was the "Matriarch" of the village. And Arata knew that if he wanted to truly stabilize Konoha, he needed the blessing of the woman who remembered the founding days.
I need to fix the mess the old Hiruzen left with her, he thought. Maybe that child who survived the Hashirama Cell experiments is the key...
The elderly and the Jinchuriki... they tend to be lonely. But I can't go to her empty-handed. I need to show her results first.
Hiruzen exhaled a long cloud of smoke, but he didn't feel tired. He felt alive. He was starting to enjoy the game of shadows.