As for Sakura, the Third Hokage had issued a strict order that everything concerning her was to be kept secret.
The ANBU who had accompanied the Third Hokage that day were all his direct guards and utterly loyal to him.
As a result, aside from the Third Hokage himself and the ANBU who had witnessed everything firsthand, no one in Konoha knew anything about Sakura.
After witnessing Sakura’s extraordinary abilities—abilities completely unlike those of an ordinary shinobi—the Third Hokage had made up his mind about how to deal with Kumogakure’s continued demands.
The very next day, he summoned the Council of Elders and the heads of Konoha’s major clans for a meeting.
“As for the matter concerning Kumogakure, this is my decision.
You may discuss it and vote on whether we should go to war or seek peace!” The Third Hokage made his intention to take a hard line against Kumogakure clear without stating it outright.
For a moment, everyone looked at one another in bewilderment.
Hadn’t the Third Hokage always advocated resolving conflicts peacefully, relying on compromise to preserve the peace?
Why had he suddenly changed his stance?
Yet after their initial surprise, the hardliners led by Danzo were especially excited.
They had always wanted Konoha to respond to Kumogakure with force, but the Third Hokage had repeatedly hesitated to approve such a course of action.
Now, unexpectedly, he had taken the initiative himself and was preparing to stand firm.
To them, this was an unexpected stroke of good fortune.
Most of the clan heads also agreed with the Third Hokage’s decision.
This was particularly true of Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyūga.
Hiashi needed no explanation.
Kumogakure was trying to abduct his beloved daughter.
If he had possessed the power to do so, he would have charged straight into Kumogakure and annihilated the village himself.
As for Fugaku, the Uchiha clan’s innate pride had always made them rather dissatisfied with the Third Hokage’s previous diplomatic policies.
Seeing the Third Hokage finally adopt a hard-line stance naturally excited him as well.
Of course, where there were supporters, there would inevitably be opponents.
The opposition came from the two members of the Council of Elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Both had been disciples of the Second Hokage and teammates of the Third Hokage and Danzo.
Yet unlike the Third Hokage, they had not inherited Tobirama’s political acumen, nor had they inherited Danzo’s willingness to employ darker methods.
Instead, they had become little more than indecisive fence-sitters.
Apart from occasionally causing trouble for the Third Hokage, their existence seemed to serve little other purpose.
“Sarutobi, we cannot agree with this course of action!” Homura Mitokado spoke first.
“Konoha cannot afford another war right now.
If you do this, you’ll drag Konoha into an abyss!” “That’s right.
Once we go to war with Kumogakure, the other great shinobi villages will certainly take the opportunity to surround and attack Konoha.
Konoha doesn’t have the strength to fight four villages at once!” Koharu Utatane immediately followed.
In truth, the reason the two of them opposed the idea wasn’t really because Konoha lacked the strength.
It was because there was nothing in it for them.
In previous wars, other shinobi villages had always been the ones to start the conflict, leaving Konoha in a passive position where it had no choice but to fight.
And after winning, Konoha could demand substantial compensation.
They had no objection to that.
But if Konoha deliberately initiated a war this time, there was nothing for them to gain.
And if Konoha were surrounded by the other villages, defeat would be almost certain.
They would gain little from such a war, while being forced to send their clan’s shinobi onto the battlefield.
It was simply a losing proposition.
“I also oppose going to war.” An old man with the Byakugan spoke from among the Council of Elders.
“Great Elder…” Hiashi stared at the old man in disbelief.
If Konoha chose to compromise, members of the Hyūga clan would ultimately be sacrificed to appease Kumogakure.
As clan head, Hiashi certainly wasn’t going to die simply because Kumogakure demanded it of him.
But the lives of the other clan members mattered too.
How could they simply be sacrificed in such a humiliating manner?
“War is not an option.
Since this matter originated with the Hyūga clan, let the Hyūga clan resolve it themselves.
We still have a corpse to offer them.” The Great Elder of the Hyūga clan spoke calmly, as though the matter had nothing to do with him.
“This war may never even happen.
I merely proposed how we should respond to Kumogakure’s demands.
There is no need for the Hyūga clan to make such a great sacrifice.” Sarutobi frowned.
“A shinobi of Konoha must never abandon their comrades.
That is a principle Lord Hashirama passed down to us.
We cannot sacrifice our own comrades merely to obtain a brief period of peace!” He had never expected that, at the crucial moment, the problem would come from the Hyūga clan itself.
And yet Kumogakure’s demands were specifically directed at the Hyūga.
If the Hyūga clan was determined to make a certain decision, it would be difficult even for the Hokage to oppose them.
“Rest assured, Hokage-sama.
The Hyūga clan will naturally make its own decision.” The Great Elder remained unmoved.
After saying this to the Third Hokage, he grabbed Hiashi and left.
“Let’s adjourn for now…” The Third Hokage sighed wearily.
Whenever he wanted to compromise, a whole group of people opposed him.
Whenever he wanted to take a hard line, another group opposed him.
It was truly giving him a headache.
“If war really does break out, the Uchiha will give Konoha our full support.” Fugaku Uchiha was the last to leave.
His voice was calm.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, he genuinely wanted to repair the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha.
Unfortunately, there was Danzo meddling in the affairs of the village’s leadership.
He never gave Fugaku an opportunity to repair the relationship.
“If you have the time, Fugaku, you could have Sasuke invite some of his friends over to your home.” The Third Hokage naturally understood what Fugaku meant.
He was also willing to repair the relationship between the village and the Uchiha.
Unfortunately, Danzo was his old comrade, and Sarutobi found it difficult to openly reprimand him.
Caught between the two sides, there was only so much he could do.
“Sasuke?” Fugaku suddenly remembered the strange accessories Sasuke had been wearing lately—one different from the next.
Hmm… He really is starting to look more and more like a daughter.
“Hmm.
That little girl named Sakura should be able to help you.” The Third Hokage smiled knowingly.
After everything he had witnessed, he no longer regarded Sakura as an ordinary child.
Some of her insights had even astonished him.
When it came to the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha, he felt that Sakura might have a solution.
He rather hoped that she would come up with one.
“Then, I shall take my leave.” Fugaku’s heart stirred.
The Third Hokage would not say something like that without reason.
Could the future of the Uchiha really depend on that little girl named Sakura?
After everyone had left, the Third Hokage sat behind his desk, smoking with a troubled expression.
The Great Elder of the Hyūga clan’s opposition had genuinely left him at a loss for what to do.
“Yū, go to Ichiraku Ramen and bring Haruno Sakura here.” The Third Hokage had finally decided to summon Sakura and hear what she thought about the situation.
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