"Lord Hokage, what's happening on the front lines again?" Hyuga Hiashi, wearing a straw hat, couldn't contain his curiosity, wondering what kind of trouble had emerged. Ever since receiving the hasty meeting notes from the front eight days ago, the higher-ups of Konoha were stunned!
The Fourth Mizukage captured?
The Fourth Mizukage had been controlled by a mysterious person for a long time?
The mysterious person claims to be Uchiha Madara?
The Nine-Tails' attack five years ago was connected to this mysterious figure claiming to be Uchiha Madara?
The war between the Mist Village and Konoha was also orchestrated by this figure behind the scenes...
The meeting notes were brief, but the information was shocking and unsettling. When Akimichi Torifū saw the name Uchiha Madara, he nearly choked. The thought of that terrifying man still being alive made even the acting Fifth Hokage lose his appetite.
Thankfully, the notes were accompanied by a report from Uchiha Sougen, summarizing his thoughts on the war and offering a speculation that the mysterious man was likely *not* Uchiha Madara.
Even if Madara were alive, he surely wouldn't be at his peak strength anymore. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed hidden for so long after the First Hokage's death.
With that thought, the acting Hokage's mood improved slightly.
"Good news!" Akimichi Torifū opened a letter and quickly scanned it.
At last, a smile appeared on his previously troubled face.
"The Fourth Mizukage has agreed to our terms and is willing to cooperate with us to deal with the mysterious figure claiming to be Uchiha Madara and any organization or force behind him." As he spoke, Torifū glanced around at the others.
Akimichi Torifū had immediately issued a gag order about the possibility of Madara being alive. Only the village's top officials were allowed to know, as revealing it would likely cause panic.
"As expected of Sougen, achieving such remarkable results so quickly," praised Hyuga Hiashi with a hint of envy. As a clan leader, he had to admit that Uchiha Sougen surpassed him in both strength and boldness.
No, the most crucial factor was strength.
The power gap made Hiashi lack the boldness that Sougen possessed. His efforts to reform the Hyuga clan had met immense resistance from both the main and branch families. The centuries-old system was deeply ingrained in most clan members.
The main family believed that the branch families existed to protect them, while many branch members saw it as their life's purpose, even considering it an honor.
Hiashi sighed deeply once again. The road to reform was long and difficult.
"So, does this mean the war is ending?" Uchiha Genshi asked.
He wasn't too concerned about the complexities—he just missed his grandchildren, whom he hadn't seen in nearly half a month.
"Not so fast," Torifū shook his head.
"The Fourth Mizukage's situation is complicated. There are bound to be unidentified parties trying to stir up trouble. The war's end will likely take some effort. But regardless, this war with the Mist Village is essentially our victory!"
With that, Torifū's mood became even more cheerful.
This news was even more uplifting than the report from eight days ago. He waved the letter, signaling to the nearby ANBU agents holding lanterns to come closer, and carefully reread the text, falling into deep thought.
Though the war wasn't over, unless something catastrophic happened, their victory was assured.
And this victory would be a highlight of his tenure as acting Fifth Hokage.
"Shikaku, help me draft an order," Torifū said. "Tell Uchiha Sougen that I'm granting him full authority to act on my behalf on the front lines. Every decision he makes, I will back him. Make it clear that I need an indisputable victory to silence those annoying elders."
Although Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu had lost their advisory roles, the Council of Elders still existed. It was filled with old veterans from the Second and Third Ninja Wars. Torifū himself had once been a member.
These elders, though stripped of most of their power and weakened by age, had earned their place through past contributions. A few of them were even older than Torifū himself.
Whenever they spoke, even if people didn't want to listen, they had to at least pretend to pay attention. Lately, these elders had been criticizing Torifū, accusing him of being power-hungry and waging war with the Mist for personal glory, disregarding the lives of his comrades.
Shikaku Nara was shocked. So were Hiashi and Genshi. This order meant Torifū was fully aligning himself with Uchiha Sougen—either they both succeeded, or they both failed.
Torifū cut off Shikaku's unspoken advice.
"...Yes, Lord Hokage," Shikaku hesitated but ultimately agreed, thinking that since the war was almost won, this shouldn't lead to any serious problems.
With the war decided, Torifū's attention shifted back to the matter of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Shikaku, have you come up with a way to stabilize the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
What could he do? The previous Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Mito and Kushina, were both from the Uzumaki clan. Uzumaki Mito, as the First Hokage's wife, controlled the Nine-Tails with ease, and Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains were equally effective.
But now, despite inheriting part of the Uzumaki bloodline, Naruto had neither their sealing techniques nor their experience. Plus, he was too young. The biggest issue was finding someone close to Naruto who could communicate with him.
If they sent the wrong person and triggered a loss of control, what then?
No one wanted to take that risk, however small.
Naruto's social circle was almost nonexistent due to Hiruzen Sarutobi's handling of his upbringing. Only Sarutobi had visited him regularly, and they couldn't exactly dig up Sarutobi now.
"Lord Hokage, we need someone who can communicate with Naruto," Shikaku said helplessly. Without someone to talk to him, they were stuck.
"Who has interacted with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Torifū asked, but the room fell silent. Everyone had kept their distance from Naruto, never expecting this situation.
Uchiha Genshi stroked his beard, thinking that, technically, he had interacted with Naruto. The boy had visited his house to play with his granddaughter, and they had even eaten at the same table...
But he wasn't fond of the kid, not because Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but because he didn't like boys hanging around his precious granddaughter.
After a moment, Genshi decided to stay silent. No need to invite trouble. Latest content published on NoveI~Fire.net
"Grand Elder Genshi, if I recall correctly, Naruto is friends with your granddaughter. He should know you, right?" The typically quiet Shibi Aburame spoke up. Though expressionless behind his sunglasses, he was genuinely concerned about Naruto's safety.
If he hadn't feared for Naruto's life, Shibi wouldn't have brought Uchiha into this.
All eyes turned to Genshi, including Torifū's.
"I can try, but I can't guarantee results," Genshi said reluctantly. If things went wrong, he wouldn't take the blame.
"This is a decision we've all made together. If anything goes wrong, it won't be solely on you," Torifū assured him grandly, signaling Genshi to proceed without fear. If something went wrong, they'd all bear the responsibility.
"Grand Elder, please," Hiashi said politely.
With Hiashi taking the lead, the others also spoke up, making it clear that they were all in this together.
"Let's hope it goes well," Genshi sighed, jumping off the roof and heading toward the park.