Traveling through three generations: Making Konoha great again!

Chapter 151 We are cowards, but Hiruzen is a warrior! (1-word chapter!)

"Hokage-sama!"

"teacher!"

When Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the meeting room, the Konoha committee members instinctively stood up to greet him.

Orochimaru let out a long sigh of relief and laughed from the bottom of his heart.

These past few days have really annoyed him!

Although no further egregious incidents like Danzo losing control occurred—

However, the atmosphere at the meeting remained extremely tense, with heated arguments and no one willing to back down, failing to even reach a consensus on the most basic qualitative issues.

"Wow, this atmosphere is really lively!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the Konoha committee members present and said with a smile, "It seems everyone must have put in a lot of effort, you're all red-faced and swollen from exhaustion—"

"Have you finished the meeting minutes? Let me take a look at everyone's work—"

Hiashi silently appeared beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, offering his hands.

"Thank you for your hard work, Japan courier—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and slowly walked to the main seat, his back to the others.

When his eyes met Orochimaru's, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

That means: Hey kid, how's it like being Hokage?

Orochimaru was startled.

He then shook his head with a sigh and straightened the chair for Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Teacher, please sit down!"

After this experience—

Orochimaru realized that his prestige and base of support were far from solid enough.

Even if his teacher offered him the position of Hokage right now, Orochimaru would still refuse.

Orochimaru once told Hiruzen Sarutobi that he hoped Hiruzen would serve for another fifty years.

But I still think that in a few years, I can actually start taking over the business.

"At least ten years—I have to make sure my teacher keeps going for at least ten years!" Orochimaru thought to himself. "It wouldn't be bad to keep him going for another twenty or thirty years, anyway, my teacher's health is getting better and better—"

As for the question, "Is there really such a thing as a crown prince who reigns for fifty years?"—

Orochimaru is very well accepted.

With such excellent treatment and research environment under his teacher, and his lifespan obviously going to be extraordinary, why rush things?

Orochimaru even felt that his past self was a bit foolish—

What's the rush!

Danzo stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi, not daring to utter a sound or even move.

He was afraid of making the slightest noise and disturbing Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was reviewing the meeting minutes.

I remembered the question I had just asked myself—

Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the meeting minutes and smiled to himself.

It was pretty much what he thought—

Under his leadership, Konoha has become increasingly powerful, but this has also led to a situation where, if a leaderless state were to occur, the intensity of internal strife and infighting would greatly increase.

He was gone for three days.

This was both to let Orochimaru test this level of strength and to inform the Konoha committee members—

The village needs him so much!

"Why aren't you saying anything, Danzo?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the records, circled a few points that interested him with a pen, and said leisurely, "I was asking you about the Shadow Guard."

Danzo's face turned slightly pale, and cold sweat silently crept up his back.

This is his deepest, most hidden Achilles' heel! It's also the nightmare that has haunted him for decades—

Both Isshin and Tenzo tried their best to keep poker faces, not daring to show any emotion.

In Konoha, this is a topic that cannot be mentioned at all!

Even Tsunade and Mito Uzumaki would avoid discussing this matter.

Although everyone knows that Hiruzen Sarutobi is fine—after all, he was the heir who was raised with Hashirama and Tobirama's pats on the head—there is indeed a conspiracy theory aspect to this matter.

The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, died, but several members of the Shadow Guard survived unharmed and even became high-ranking members of the village.

While the Will of Fire can explain it, the dark side of human nature also objectively exists.

While Tobirama Senju also had an excellent reputation within the village.

However, his act of taking the initiative to cover the rear for the Shadow Guards doesn't quite fit the stereotypical image he has in the public's mind.

"The Shadow Guard—"

"Shadow Guard—" Danzo unconsciously swallowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The scene from that day, like an illusion, was forcibly replaying in his mind once again!

Orochimaru watched this scene with awe and wonder.

Danzo, like a ferocious beast, was unstoppable in the Konoha Council meetings—

Did the teacher's return and a single sentence scare him into this state?

"I'm far behind—" Orochimaru's eyes flickered.

However, he was also very curious about this top secret. What exactly happened back then?

"Danzo, cheer up! You're the Hokage's assistant and the head of the Anbu."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "No matter what happens, you must calmly examine yourself and the problem—this is what the Second Hokage told us before he passed away."

"You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Danzo felt a chill run down his spine. How could he possibly forget Tobirama's last words of advice?

As long as he wasn't out on missions, every night before bed, Danzo would stare at Tobirama Senju's photograph, reminiscing about every detail of that day—

If he doesn't do this, then nightmares will most likely haunt him at night—

Help him remember!

"The duty of the Shadow Guard is to protect the Hokage at all costs, and to stand in front of the Hokage without hesitation when facing a powerful enemy—" Danzo clenched his fists and replied in a low voice.

Danzo didn't care about the conspiracy theories that used to circulate in the village.

The loyalty of the Shadow Guard members to Tobirama Senju was recognized by the vast majority of Konoha people.

Even some sensitive rumors and gossip cannot affect the overall situation.

Danzo knew very well that he had failed in his duty as a member of the Shadow Guard.

Tobirama Senju chose to cover the retreat because he, as Hokage, possessed the Will of Fire.

He chose to believe in the village's young people, even at the cost of his own life.

It's not that the Shadow Guards were derelict in their duties simply because they didn't obey the Hokage's orders.

The problem is...

As a member of the Shadow Guard, when asked who would cover the rear, Danzo should have raised his hand without hesitation!

But he didn't!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to continue speaking.

Akimichi Torifu leaped in front of Danzo and shouted, "Hokage, please let me tell you about this! After so many years, these rumors should have ended long ago!"

"It also forced me to confront my own weakness once again, so that I can protect the village with the strongest spirit from now on!"

Akimichi Torifu was consumed by guilt over his poor performance when Tobirama Senju covered the retreat, and had been reflecting on it in seclusion for many years.

It wasn't until Hiruzen Sarutobi initiated the "Sacred Ground Maru" project, which required the Akimichi clan's drug preparation manual, that Torifu returned to the world of martial arts after being comforted by the Hokage.

Now, as the head of the Akimichi clan, he is one of the "Konoha Committee Members"—

"Why bother trying to catch the wind?"

"Besides, I haven't been wronged at all; justice will prevail."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled to himself. A seemingly insignificant move he had casually placed had unexpectedly played a crucial role at this moment!

Some words, when spoken directly, just don't sound right.

We need a qualified mouth double!

"No, Hokage!"

"Please give me this chance. I'm sure you wouldn't mind, but it's really important to me!"

Akimichi Torifu said firmly.

Akimichi Torifu found the faint, strange atmosphere in the meeting room unbearable when the Shadow Guard was mentioned.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly and nodded.

Danzo, standing to the side, felt his body alternate between hot and cold, as if his pores were being brushed by a blade.

An indescribable sense of tension welled up inside him.

Recall it yourself—

It's completely different when the person involved speaks about it in front of everyone!

But Danzo couldn't muster any anger towards Akimichi Torifu—

Because he is empathetic, Akimichi Torifu wanted to release his feelings of guilt.

For so many years, Danzo has been working tirelessly day and night on the front lines at Root.

A large part of the motivation stemmed from compensating for his past inability to face death.

Danzo even envied Akimichi Torifu!

If he had been able to tell the truth when Hiruzen asked him, he might have felt much better about it later.

"Am I too late again?" Danzo's pupils twitched.

Akimichi Torifu took a deep breath, calming his mind.

The Konoha committee members were completely silent, holding their breath as they awaited this sudden bombshell revelation—

"During the First Shinobi World War—"

"On the way to sign the peace treaty between the Second Hokage and the Second Raikage, the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku, who were in charge of security, suddenly launched a rebellion. Caught off guard, the Second Raikage was on the verge of death on the spot, and the Second Hokage was also seriously injured—"

"The Second Hokage led us in a surprise attack, but after being attacked by the Six Paths Treasures, his chakra was severely restricted, making the Flying Thunder God Technique very difficult to use—"

"Meanwhile, the Golden Horn and Silver Horn brothers led the elite rebel army of Cloud Village in pursuit—"

"The situation was extremely critical at that time."

Akimichi Torifu took a deep breath: "Yan believes we are unable to cope, but Koharu disagrees with Yan and suggests lying in ambush and then breaking through when the opportunity arises—"

"But actually they were all wrong. Jing's judgment was correct. He said that in that situation, someone had to act as bait to split the troops so that the others could survive!"

The true face of history is slowly revealed through Akimichi Torifu's narration.

Why did the Second Hokage, who mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, die on the battlefield?

A large part of the reason is due to the stupidity of the Second Raikage.

The Second Raikage's neglect of the Gold and Silver Brothers' rebellion led to Tobirama Senju being caught in a trap during an armed uprising, where he was immediately and severely injured by a sneak attack from the Six Paths Noble Phantasms.

"After Kagami proposed this idea, everyone present, including the Second Hokage, agreed with it."

"But I was terrified by the fear of death, and in that situation, I actually said something like, 'Whoever goes there will surely die!'"

Akimichi Torifu squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, as if he had used up all his strength.

The expressions of the Konoha committee members all changed.

That's indeed a bit too abstract—

In a situation where someone is willing to sacrifice themselves to cover the rear, instead of encouraging their comrades, they should discourage them?

That being said, even the most courageous person might hesitate—

"No wonder Akimichi Torifu has remained secluded for so many years. He doesn't even take on the role of advisor, nor does he participate in any village affairs. He just lets other clansmen act on his behalf—"

Orochimaru nodded slightly.

If he were this humiliated when fighting Hanzo, he wouldn't even have the courage to face his teacher.

Everyone fell silent.

"I was observing everyone's expressions, whether it was Koharu, En, Kagami, or Danzo—"

"They are all hesitant."

"But only the Hokage! My comrade Hiruzen Sarutobi!" Akimichi Torifu's voice suddenly rose: "He laughed, he actually laughed!"

Hiruzen laughed and said, "He'll go! He said that despite his appearance, he's the strongest among us! He told us not to worry, that he himself won't die—"

"Hiruzen also told Danzo that from now on, everyone would be in his care—"

Akimichi Torifu slowly shed two hot tears: "Every time I think of this scene, I feel that I am completely unworthy to be the Second Hokage's disciple and Hiruzen's comrade!"

"What makes me even more upset is..."

"Someone actually dared to slander Hiruzen because of this!"

"I must take this opportunity to clarify the truth of what happened back then—"

"I know that some of you here didn't show any change in expression when Hiruzen mentioned the Shadow Guard, but you probably already remembered the rumors from back then—"

"I am a coward, and there are not many things a coward can do."

"The only thing I can do is stand up and tell everyone that we can all be called cowards, but only Hiruzen is a fearless warrior!"

Akimichi Torifu slowly said, "Hiruzen has now brought the village to a great height, with all the ninja clans and ninjas working together in harmony. Even if the Second Hokage were to be resurrected and see this, he would be full of praise—"

"The reason Hiruzen didn't explain the truth about this matter in the past might be that he didn't care about the rumors, or it might be that he didn't want to upset us, his comrades—"

"But we absolutely cannot continue to hide it!" Akimichi Torifu suddenly shouted sharply, "I will not allow Hiruzen to have even the slightest suspicion about him, something he himself doesn't care about, because of us, his comrades who are holding him back!"

Silence fell over the meeting room.

Danzo, who had been listening quietly to the side, had already drenched his back in cold sweat.

His old-school tough guy image, which he had always cultivated in Konoha, seemed to be destroyed at this moment!

"Danzo, I'm sorry," Akimichi Torifu said.

Danzo didn't say anything, but he forced a straight expression and waved his hand in slight pain.

He indicated that he was fine.

Taking the wind ruined his public image and persona.

But Danzo couldn't bring himself to hate him, because deep down he felt the same way.

Hiruzen shouldn't have his reputation tarnished by them because of this incident.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sighed and walked to Torifu's side.

"What Toruka said is exactly the same as the scene back then," Mitokado Homura said in a low voice.

Koharu Utatane said softly, "Hiruzen and the Second Hokage argued several times, insisting on acting as bait—"

"But the second generation said that each generation has its own mission."

"Tell Hiruzen not to rush, that his time will come eventually. Tell him to protect the ninjas who admire the village and train them until they can be entrusted to the next generation. In the name of the Hokage, I forcibly ordered Hiruzen to lead us in retreat—"

This matter is also a thorn in their side.

The Konoha committee members watched the Hokage silently—

From this point on, the conspiracy theories surrounding the Shadow Guard were completely disproven.

This can barely be considered a small flaw hidden in Hiruzen Sarutobi's character.

And the focus now is on...

The key lies in the comparison between the Eighth Hokage of Uchiha and Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and others—

Hiruzen Sarutobi is definitely no problem.

As a member of the Shadow Guard, he immediately wanted to rush out as bait, and even tried to persuade Tobirama Senju several times—

But with Tobirama Senju in the name of Hokage and the Will of Fire, he forcibly ordered a retreat. How could he possibly disobey?

This is not about right or wrong; it's simply that Tobirama Senju's Will of Fire has been burning fiercely—

But it's different for others—

Tobirama Senju could cover the rear, but as members of the Shadow Guard, their duty was to raise their hands immediately!

But they didn't—

"Danzo, have you fulfilled your duties as the Shadow Guard?"

Danzo's lips trembled slightly. At this moment, Shinobi Darkness seemed to become very vulnerable, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"Koharu, En, Torifu, what about you?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked softly.

The three of them stood in a row, like students waiting to be reprimanded in front of the Hokage, silently shaking their heads.

The atmosphere at the scene became eerie—

Isshin and Tenzo exchanged a glance. If Hiruzen Sarutobi were to strip these three of their power now, no one would dare to stop them, given the momentum they were in.

Many people even applauded!

A fierce glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

While he was on stage, Danzo disgusted him terribly, but now he's back offstage!

Just as Orochimaru was about to speak, he met Hiruzen Sarutobi's serious gaze.

Orochimaru thought for a moment, then kept his mouth tightly shut.

Logically speaking, it would be right for him to kick someone when they're down.

The problem is, his teacher doesn't think like an ordinary ninja, and he himself can't figure out what he's thinking.

"Tobirama-sensei covered our retreat back then—"

"The core of his belief is that once we've grown up, we can become the pillars entrusted with the next era of Konoha, which embodies his trust in us—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly stood up, a lit cigarette now in his hand.

Through the smoke, he stared at the photograph on the doorway of the conference room.

"For a long time, like you, I often dreamed of Tobirama-sensei at night."

"Because I was also gripped by fear, a fear more terrifying than death. From the moment I became Hokage, I was extremely worried that I had let Tobirama-sensei down and failed to become the Hokage he envisioned—"

"I told Orochimaru and Tsunade that I was once tormented by this fear to the point of being unable to control myself. At that time, my biggest dream was to fight to the death with the enemy on the battlefield—"

"That way, I can earn the reputation of sacrificing myself for the village and also be relieved of this burden."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly.

But these words struck everyone's heart like a heavy stone.

So even the mighty Hokage had a vulnerable side in the past?

"You might be wondering, why did I change?"

"Because I've figured something out—"

"Tobirama-sensei protected me because he hoped I would do my best, not because he would never make a mistake."

Making mistakes is a normal part of growth—it's not terrible to make mistakes, what's terrible is losing the drive and courage to improve because of the fear of making mistakes, becoming trapped in the status quo and not even daring to do the right thing!

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said, "Teacher Tobirama said that we should nurture the next generation so that they can become ninjas entrusted with a new era—"

"Therefore, we must be able to tolerate the mistakes made by the village's ninjas, as long as they are not major issues of principle."

"To punish someone for making a mistake with the most severe punishment is not only inconsistent with Tobirama-sensei's Will of Fire, but also with the normal growth trajectory of a normal ninja."

"Ninjas are people who need to be nurtured with patience and love as they grow," not tools to be discarded if they don't suit your needs.

"If we extend this argument to the concept of tools, then shouldn't all ninjas and ninja clans who have harbored resentment towards the Hokage, the village, or any other ninja be subjected to the most severe punishment?"

"But if that's the case, what will become of the Will of Fire? What will be the purpose of establishing Konoha?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze fell on Isshin and Tenzo in turn, then paused.

This startled the two seasoned veterans.

They were old-school ninjas who supported instrumentalism.

But the Hokage's words startled them.

Both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans had previously clashed with the village, both openly and covertly.

If we follow a tool-based perspective, the ninja clan is nothing more than larger versions of ninjas, so it's only natural for the Hokage to take drastic measures against these disobedient ninjas.

"Hokage-sama, I wholeheartedly agree with you!"

"Hokage-sama, the Hyuga clan will forever follow in your footsteps!"

Yixin and Tianzang spoke loudly, their expressions a mixture of fear and relief.

What's frightening is that I always insisted on the instrumentalist view, yet failed to see the threat this argument posed to my own ninja clan—

Fortunately, the Hokage was Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly: "Back to Danzo, En, Koharu, and Torifu—they did hesitate at the time."

"But I think it was just because they encountered the extreme case of Kinkaku and Ginkaku killing the Second Raikage. They were originally in the mood for peace talks but were suddenly faced with a life-or-death crisis."

"If we let them calm down, perhaps in just a few moments, I believe each of them will have the conviction to sacrifice themselves."

.

"We cannot expect ninjas to be completely free of hesitation and fear when facing a life-or-death crisis—this is a natural human reaction, and it is not a mistake."

"But I absolutely believe that every Konoha ninja is willing to fight to the death against the enemy who invades the village!"

Danzo and the others were stunned.

Is Hiruzen actually trying to comfort them?

"For example, Danzo, after I said I would cover their retreat, he also stepped forward—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Danzo: "But Danzo, if Tobirama-sensei had viewed you as a tool, would you have survived to this day?"

"It's not that I'm telling you to stay behind, but rather that during our growth process, Tobirama-sensei has been very tolerant of our mistakes, which has allowed us to continuously improve and achieve some success."

"Like you said, if you fail to complete a mission, you will die. You passed away when you were ten years old."

Danzo hesitated before saying, "But the Eighth Hokage of the Uchiha clan caused significant losses to the Land of Fire!"

"You can't expect an individual to bear the burden of extreme situations—even if you encountered the mysterious ninja that the Eighth Hokage of Uchiha met, could you guarantee you could protect the ancient mirror?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head noncommittally: "If a ninja mission fails, accountability must be pursued."

"But in determining responsibility, we don't look at the extent of the final loss, but only at whether we fulfilled our duties and did our best. If the loss was caused by excessive external force and was unrelated to personal behavior, we cannot use the result to infer guilt."

"The village should bear the loss."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "Isn't the very purpose of Konoha to compensate for individual limitations with collective strength?"

"As for Yatsushiro protecting his companions, it has nothing to do with whether he can ultimately protect the bronze mirror—it's just an instinctive action to protect his companions, and there's no point in making a big deal out of it."

"You were in a meeting—shall we continue?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the Konoha committee members present, took a drag of his cigarette, and said, "Speak now if you have any questions. Three days of meetings are enough. Let's set the tone today."

"Let me make this clear from the start: if I don't address this in the meeting but then question it to the ninjas later, then the nature of the problem will be very serious—"

The Konoha committee members were silent for a moment, then slowly began to applaud for their Hokage!

No one objected; they genuinely supported Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled slightly and waved the meeting minutes in his hand.

"Your meeting was a complete mess, like a shrewish brawl—"

"But it's good, blushing and sweating together helps to strengthen our relationship."

"This is a summary of my itinerary in the Land of Fire, including donations from nobles, tax base, further distribution of Holy Land Pills and sales of Holy Cosmetics, as well as the new mission details agreed upon by Konoha and the nobles."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took out a notebook, which contained his notes from the journey.

With a gesture, the itinerary notes increased to twenty.

The principle is similar to the Shadow Clone Technique of a shuriken.

Hijiri understood perfectly and distributed the documents, then busied himself reading them intently.

This is a handwritten note from the Hokage!

Upon seeing this, Hijiri and Nara Kayama, who were in charge of recording, looked up in surprise.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's itinerary notes are meticulously organized and clearly prioritized, demonstrating his profound skill!

However, this was not something Hiruzen Sarutobi acquired through training in the ninja world, but rather his original foundation.

"As expected of the Hokage-sama—" Nara Shikayama exclaimed sincerely.

A moment later.

The Konoha committee members slowly closed the itinerary, their eyes filled with shock.

During the three days they argued—

The Hokage actually went to the Land of Fire to handle such a big matter.

The donations alone amount to nearly one billion yen. In addition, with the increased production of the Holy Land Pill and the preliminary sales forecast for cosmetics, it means that Konoha's fiscal revenue this year has doubled again!

And it's clearly visible that the Land of Fire's funding for Konoha will increase next year—

"Teacher, what does it mean that you've become the patron general of the Land of Fire? Does it mean that during wartime you have complete control over all treasuries and can independently investigate and execute lawless nobles on the spot?"

Orochimaru felt like several question marks had appeared above his head.

You've had so many things to do these past few days, haven't you?

Even excluding the output value brought by "Holy Land Pill" and other scientific research products—

He raised nearly a billion taels just from donations and became the Grand General of the Land of Fire, overseeing everything.

Killing a nobleman is not a big deal for a ninja.

However, what could foster deep cooperation between nobles and ninjas, and use systems and institutions to make the nobles willingly part with their money?

To cooperate, and even to make Huoying Film and Television a part of their own system—

But he is the first person in thousands of years to achieve this!

There is a fundamental difference between coercion and voluntariness, and the benefits and stability are vastly different.

Orochimaru's doubts were naturally shared by the other committee members.

Three days have passed, and the Hokage has become a general who protects the country?

Is that right?

"Literal meaning—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips curled up: "The nobles of the Land of Fire highly recognize Konoha's Will of Fire and strongly support in-depth cooperation between ninjas and nobles, making them a close and inseparable whole."

"I actually refused this title, but the nobles were too enthusiastic—"

"Let them shout all they want, I will always be the Hokage of Konoha."

Upon hearing this, Danzo's vision went black.

He was still wondering when he could catch up with Hiruzen!

Even if he becomes Hokage, what if Hiruzen steps down and becomes Shogun instead?

Just as Danzo was lost in thought...

His eyes met Hiruzen Sarutobi's, and several images suddenly flashed through his mind—

It seems that Hiruzen reminded him several times to pay attention to the past issues of the Root?

But he didn't take it seriously and brushed it off.

At this moment, Danzo realized that Hiruzen had actually told him long ago that he needed to clean up the mess left by Root!

Just like Orochimaru and Iburi, and the Tsuchigumo clan—

If he had spoken with Hiruzen, how could there have been any subsequent impeachment of him by Aozumi?

"What was I thinking! Why didn't I listen to Hiruzen?" Danzo exhaled a sigh of frustration, wishing he could travel back in time and punch himself in the face!

He wasn't a child; he knew Hiruzen couldn't handle everything for him.

If you can't even notice the problems, what kind of Hokage are you?

Danzo was filled with regret. If he had listened to Hiruzen earlier, he would have been the one in charge of Konoha these past few days, not Orochimaru!

"This is Hiruzen's teaching to me! Just like Tobirama-sama said, to nurture me into someone who can be entrusted to the next era—"

"I'm such a disappointment!" Danzo's face was flushed red and then turned pale.

He then recalled that, in the sensitive matter of the Shadow Guard, Hiruzen had also mentioned that he would cover the rear—

That's already more than enough.

And at this moment.

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke calmly, "Danzo, do you realize your mistake?"

Danzo replied without hesitation, "Hokage, I was wrong! I am willing to bear any punishment! Please give your instructions!"

The Konoha committee members looked at Danzo in astonishment.

This was the first time they had ever seen Danzo admit his mistakes, and it was in person!

But it was both unexpected and yet within the realm of possibility.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

"No need for punishment—"

"The roots were established too early, and the environment at that time was relatively complex, so it can be considered a historical problem."

"I, as Hokage, failed to supervise you properly, and I also bear responsibility. I have already spoken with the members of Root and provided them with compensation and a medal personally awarded by Lord Mito. Everyone in Root is relieved."

"A new root has been formed, but unlike before, its members are no longer those who have abandoned everything—but heroes with special talents, willing to plunge the village into darkness!"

"Danzo, this is the last time."

"I won't hold your historical issues against you, but if you offend the Will of Fire again—"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed wearily, "Hiben slays Danzo with tears in his eyes—it's unsettling to hear, but please keep an eye on me!"

Danzo's heart was in turmoil.

So Hiruzen had already prepared everything for him? He even asked Mito-sama for help—

This sentiment is far more significant than dealing with Iburi and the Tsuchigumo clan on behalf of Orochimaru!

"I'm such a useless piece of trash!" Danzo cursed himself in his heart, a rare occurrence for him.

He solemnly declared in a loud voice, "If I offend again, Hokage-sama, I beg you to be my second!"

"I will never let you down!"

"It's not that you've let me down, it's that you've let the village down, it's that you've let the Will of Fire down!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head slightly.

"Also, there's no need to address me with such formality. It makes me feel uncomfortable, like I'm being treated like Tobirama-sensei—"

Upon hearing this, Danzo was taken aback.

He had actually had that feeling in his heart just now—

He and Hiruzen should be eternal rivals!

"To prevent extreme situations from happening again, I plan to set up an emergency risk fund pool by taking five percent of the ninjas' mission commissions, called the Konoha Mutual Aid Fund."

"If another incident similar to the Yashiro incident occurs, funds will be allocated from it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said, "But the village will also provide subsidies, amounting to five percent of the commission, and will set up special personal accounts for the ninjas to make mandatory savings."

"It can only be used in cases involving medical treatment, ninja tools, battlefield emergencies, and weddings and funerals."

Nara Shikayama's heart skipped a beat.

Konoha's total annual revenue is currently around 15 billion ryo.

The village receives a 5% subsidy, which, including any surplus, amounts to 800 million taels.

The expansion of "Shengdi Dan" and the revenue from the cosmetics project are conservatively estimated to be an additional 2.2 billion taels.

This doesn't even include the cash flow from noble donations—

It's absolutely no problem to afford it!

"Lord Hokage, I fully support this plan!"

"In this way, the ninjas suffer no losses, but they gain a safety net in case of mission failure—"

"Compared to simply handing out money, requiring individuals to contribute strengthens their sense of belonging to the village, while the village retains the initiative in emergency response. In the event of a major disaster or significant loss, there's no need for temporary apportionment; the problem can be resolved directly through established systems!"

"Furthermore, the mandatory savings system can cover the ninjas' bad spending habits, and the percentage subsidy rule will also encourage them to participate in missions."

Nara Kayama shook his head in rapture as he spoke.

As a strategist, hearing about such a system always feels like drinking fine wine—

Hiruzen Sarutobi also cast an approving glance at Nara Shikayama.

There are intelligent people in the ninja world!

He was one of the few people in the mental hospital who could communicate with others.

After Nara Kashiyama's explanation, many Konoha committee members who were "military generals" belatedly realized what was going on.

So that's what happened!

"Pass the message down—"

"Three days from now, at dinner time in the evening, I will use the Crystal Ball Technique to speak with all the ninjas in the village."

"I want them to sit by a warm fireplace, eating hot meals, with their families, listening to me, the Hokage, chat about everyday things—"

"The village has experienced some turmoil, and we need to reassure everyone. If I can explain the new welfare and task systems, they will trust us more."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly said, "I also want to talk to everyone about some of the pain points that the committee members have collected, and discuss the situation in the ninja world—"

"Let's call it the Hokage's Fireside Chat!"

"This system must be maintained long-term, and conducted periodically, so that my voice can be heard by the ninjas, and so that they know that the Hokage can hear them—"

"I will also occasionally have a committee member accompany me to talk with the ninjas."

"Danzo, you'd better be prepared!"

Danzo asked instinctively, "Me?"

Yes, it's you.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said seriously, "Firstly, you not only need to apologize to me, but also need to reflect on yourself with all the Konoha ninjas and gain everyone's understanding."

"Secondly, the mutual aid fund is the common property of all the village's ninjas, so from now on, each committee member will be responsible for reviewing the claims reports. You will lead the core evaluation team, together with Orochimaru and Sakumo, to conduct spot checks—"

"Your reputation in the village is rather special, and it can have a deterrent effect on some bad practices," Hiruzen Sarutobi joked.

Hizashi nodded in agreement. He had just been thinking of saying, "Don't underestimate the evil in human nature!"

They were afraid that the Hokage was being too kind, and that some unscrupulous ninjas might take advantage of the situation.

And if the ninjas knew that their mission failure reports might be subject to random checks led by Danzo—

So the desire to do bad things can't be said to be completely extinguished, but it's almost zero.

This is the special use of the Darkness of Ninja!

"Such important power cannot be given to Danzo alone. Let me and Sakumo restrain him. Teacher has considered things very carefully—" Orochimaru thought to himself.

Danzo, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

Hiruzen did not abandon him, but instead entrusted him with a mission that no one else could take his place in.

As for the apology—

What's wrong with giving in to those ninjas just for Hiruzen's sake?

Of course!

#

Three days later.

As evening fell, the twilight, bathed in warm light, blanketed the fallen leaves.

The usually bustling village was eerily silent.

Fires burned in the fireplaces of every household, and food was already laid out on the tables, but no one touched their chopsticks.

The family sat around the stove, holding their breath and waiting.

The entire village waited quietly, waiting for the Hokage's voice to ring out.

However, there are always some people who get impatient.

For example, Mr. Madara, a kind-hearted citizen of Konoha who wishes to remain anonymous.

He was frowning, grilling meat, and plugging in his White Zetsu radio when he said irritably, "Why isn't it starting yet!"