Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

"Hiruzen! A serious situation has occurred!"

It was also at this time that Hiruzen Sarutobi was planning to have Kakashi 'escort' Danzo out of the office, temporarily confining him to the Hokage Building, and then send someone to summon Homura Mitokado to temporarily take over all matters of Root.

"boom!"

The office door was pushed open forcefully.

Then, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, both with solemn expressions, strode in.

Seeing such expressions on the faces of the usually composed two.

A very ominous premonition arose in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, and Danzo, who was about to move aside, also stopped at this moment.

"What happened? Yan!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked this question directly.

"One of the Cloud Ninja has died, and it was the vice-leader of the delegation—the Jonin Ritsu. He was killed by Hiashi. According to them, this vice-leader Jonin of the Cloud Village sneaked into the Hyuga clan's territory without permission, attempting to kidnap Hiashi's only biological daughter—Hinata Hyuga. During his escape, he was discovered by Hiashi, and in the ensuing fight, Hiashi accidentally killed the Cloud Ninja!"

This is a shocking 'surprise' that's utterly despicable!

Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't yet recovered from Danzo's unauthorized dispatch of Root members to hunt down the Iwagakure delegation led by Shoji Uchiha, and was still considering how to handle the aftermath when the Hyuga clan unexpectedly gave him such a big 'surprise'!

At this moment, even the most composed and stable Hiruzen Sarutobi almost burst into a tirade. The atmosphere became completely stagnant, and the expression on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face became extremely heavy.

"First it was the Iwa ninja, and now it's the Kumo ninja!?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not the type of leader who would complain or blame others. Although he often appeared indecisive and even occasionally made foolish mistakes, at least as a Kage, his will was very firm. However, even so, this Third Hokage, who was already somewhat exhausted when he encountered the Hyuga incident in the original work, had to deal with the attack on the Iwagakure delegation in this life. Hiruzen Sarutobi was really on the verge of losing his composure.

Even Danzo, who was sitting to the side, was no longer in the same mood as before. At this moment, his expression also became somewhat ugly. The reason why he dared to attack the Iwagakure delegation, including Uchiha Shoji, was because he was certain that his own village was going to make peace with Kumogakure. In a one-on-one situation, his own village didn't need Iwagakure at all. But now, with Kumogakure facing a major problem, even someone as arrogant as Danzo could see how serious the situation was.

Don't talk about things like the Cloud Ninja being in the wrong first. Issues between countries can never be explained or reasoned out with 'logic'. They will only see that their deputy leader of the delegation, a Jonin, died in their Hidden Leaf Village.

Even a fool could guess that the Cloud Village side would unleash a thunderous barrage of questions and fury.

If handled carelessly, Konoha will inevitably face a pincer attack from two major ninja villages, a scenario that Danzo himself did not want to see.

"What? Iwa ninja? Hiruzen? What is this?"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were already somewhat surprised to see Danzo there, but when they heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's soft whisper, their expressions changed slightly, and a sense of foreboding rose from the depths of their hearts.

Almost at the same moment.

"Danzo dispatched nearly two hundred members of the Root to hunt down the Iwagakure delegation, but they failed completely, with only one person surviving. As early as tomorrow, the Iwagakure side may begin to issue accusations!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi also spoke with a heavy expression and an extremely tired tone.

"what?"

"Danzo? You!?"

Just as the news brought by Mitokado Homura left Sarutobi Hiruzen speechless, the words he spoke at this moment also greatly shocked Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, their faces showing expressions of shock.

Subconsciously, both of them turned their heads to look at Shimura Danzo, whose face was already very gloomy. At this moment, even though they knew very well that this was indeed something their close friend would do, it was precisely at such an extremely critical moment.

And such a terrible situation has broken out!

Yan and Xiaochun were both itching to crack open Danzo's head and see what was going on in their best friend's brain.

'surprise!'

This is an absolutely unexpected and huge 'surprise'!

It truly gave the four Konoha high-ranking officials—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, Danzo Shimura, and Koharu Utatane—an indescribable feeling. At this moment, their mood became extremely grim and heavy.

The air seemed to freeze instantly.

Iwa-nin (Iwa-nin), Kumo-nin (Kumo-nin)?

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu really didn't know what to say at this moment. They thought it was a rare chance for their village to catch its breath, but they didn't expect it to become even worse than before. To be honest, if Danzo hadn't been their close friend for many years, Mitokado Homura would have had a hard time guaranteeing that he wouldn't do something 'excessive'.

After all, without Danzo's involvement, even the death of this deputy leader of the Cloud Village would at most bring Konoha and the Cloud Village back to their previous mode of conflict. Given the current chaos in the ninja world, it is impossible for the Cloud Village to actually declare a full-scale war against Konoha. In fact, if they negotiated terms, there would still be a possibility of continuing peace.

But now, the situation is very different.

The combined pressure from the two major ninja villages is immense. Konoha is no longer the Konoha of the pre-World War III era, capable of taking on two opponents single-handedly. Anyone can clearly see how difficult the situation their own village will face next will be.

Kakashi, who was standing to the side, had already quietly disappeared when Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu arrived. It was an extremely critical moment, and these people could not easily be present to listen in on the high-level discussions.

Mitokado Ero and Utatane Koharu were well aware that excessive questioning was pointless; the most important thing was how to handle the immediate crisis. They both possessed the calmest and most rational understanding.

"Hiruzen, now is not the time to hesitate. We must make a decision. Both sides could exert pressure at any time. Although dealing with both sides would be the best solution, I think stabilizing one side first is the most realistic approach. We can only focus our energy on one side. We need to prepare for the other side in advance. My personal opinion is to focus our efforts on the Cloud Ninja!"

Mitokado Homura looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said.

"Yes, I agree with Yan's view. We should continue to push forward with the negotiations with the Cloud Ninja, even if it means paying some more price. The premise is to keep the Cloud Ninja in check, and then continue to send more troops to the Land of Grass!"

Koharu, who was turning the room, also nodded and said.

Peace has become a word that is completely out of reach. If they still hold the idea that all conflicts and disputes can be resolved through negotiation, then it can only be said that they have wasted their decades of life. It is obvious that the two great ninja villages will not let this go.

Our own ninja village must also prioritize making the corresponding psychological preparations.

The worst-case scenario would undoubtedly be fighting both major ninja villages simultaneously, but that is something Konoha cannot afford at present. Therefore, they must take a step back, stabilize one side, and at most fight the other side.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's opinion was that they should continue to make peace with the Cloud Ninja. Even though some Cloud Ninja had died, no Iwa Ninja had died. Logically, it should be the Iwa Ninja who had a basis for negotiation.

But this matter cannot be viewed so simply.

Undoubtedly, the name Uchiha carries too much weight in this matter. Even though Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu did not agree with Shimura Danzo's views and actions before, they have now been "coerced" by Danzo and have to prioritize abandoning the Iwa ninja side.

God knows what kind of decision they will make.

From the perspective of these two advisors, it would be very difficult for Konoha to make peace with Iwagakure. In addition, the most direct point is that the more than two hundred Root members who died in the battle are also difficult to settle accounts with.

Focusing on the Cloud Ninja is the most reliable approach.

"Yes, I understand. As for the Cloud Ninja, Yan, get ready and go negotiate immediately. Take the body of that Cloud Ninja Jonin with you, and be able to relax the specific conditions a bit. Have Shikaku go with you. Also, be careful to downplay the Hyuga clan issue as much as possible, understand?"

While he may have seemed somewhat indecisive at other times, Hiruzen Sarutobi was remarkably decisive in these matters. Almost before Homura Mitokado even spoke, the Third Hokage had already made a decision in his heart: to temporarily 'abandon' the Iwa ninja, prepare for battle, and then do his utmost to continue dragging out peace negotiations with the Kumogakure. Even if it meant completely ceding the Land of Hot Springs and compensating the Kumogakure in other ways, it wouldn't be out of the question!

There's only one core idea anyway.

We must achieve a 100% success rate in making peace with the Cloud Ninja.

By stabilizing the eastern front, Konoha can focus entirely on dealing with the potential outbreak of conflict on the western Iwa ninja front!

"Xiaochun, I'm leaving the logistics to you. We must send reinforcements to the western front as quickly as possible to prevent a sudden attack from Iwagakure. Also, please inform the heads of all the major ninja clans to come to the Hokage Building for a meeting immediately!"

This is the worst-case scenario that must be prepared for. If the Fourth Shinobi World War were to break out, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have to reach an agreement with the other shinobi clans in the village and get them to send troops together. Don't be fooled by Konoha's reputation as the strongest shinobi village, with more than 20,000 shinobi. Nearly half of them are from the various shinobi clans. If a war were to break out, the support of the various shinobi clans would be the biggest foundation for Konoha to win the shinobi war!

It is also very important to communicate with the leaders of these ninja clans in advance.

"Yes! I understand!"

"Don't worry, Hiruzen!"

Mitomon Homura and Utatane Koharu both nodded in agreement, then hurriedly came and hurriedly left. The situation was so urgent that every second gained could give their village a slight advantage. If they waited until the enemy was at their gates, it would be too late to regret it.

The plan was quickly agreed upon, and this time, unusually, none of the three consulted Danzo's opinion. Danzo also remained silent, even though the situation seemed to be unfolding as he had initially predicted. His own ninja village was indeed likely to go to war with Iwagakure, but this was the outcome.

But that's not what Danzo wanted to see.

As mentioned earlier, no matter how arrogant Danzo was, he still had some basic judgment. He was well aware of how critical the situation of his village was, and that a single misstep could lead to its downfall. This was the first time in many years that he regretted his rash actions.

Of course, Danzo's deep resentment stemmed primarily from his hatred of the Cloud Ninja's greedy actions and the 'evil deeds' of Uchiha Shoji and even the Uchiha clan. In Danzo's view, these two points were the main reasons for the crisis that had befallen his village.

This is also the most realistic portrayal of Danzo's sinister nature.

A necessary measure under duress.

These are the various actions that need to be taken immediately.

Aside from Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu each acting on Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders, Danzo also stayed obediently in the Hokage Building for the first time, no longer acting recklessly.

The location of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Cloud Village delegation.

Although the relevant information was not obtained immediately, after waiting for a considerable period of time without receiving any information from Liedou, the vice-leader of their delegation, Maya, as the leader, clearly realized that their delegation's second objective was bound to fail!

Failure is not terrible; what is important is that they must immediately proceed with the next step of their plan. Even if they had made the necessary preparations from the beginning, especially after the plan failed, they should have let Ritsu kill himself to facilitate the next move of their own ninja village. However, there are always unexpected events. If Ritsu is only captured alive by Konoha, the situation may not be so favorable for Kumogakure.

Regarding this point.

Maya also needs to prepare some countermeasures in advance.

Before the delegation set off, Tsuchida, the 'strategist' of Kumogakure, had already taken this into consideration and made corresponding arrangements. In any case, the worst outcome would be to continue the previous peace negotiations, at most the Kumogakure ninja would make some more concessions, and in the end, the Kumogakure would still benefit, the only difference being the extent of the benefits.

Therefore, Maya was not in a hurry at all and continued to make other arrangements in an orderly manner. The first priority was to send the information back to his own ninja village, and then to truly determine the fate of Ritsudo and prepare for the next round of negotiations with Konoha!

We all thought it would take some effort to get this information.

But I didn't expect that.

Konoha is so single?

Before dawn, Mitomon Homura brought Rikuto's corpse to the inn where the Cloud Village was staying. Ma Yi initially thought that they were going to completely annihilate their delegation and break off relations with the Cloud Village.

But I didn't expect what Mitokado Yan would say next.

This was far beyond Mayo's expectations.

First he was stunned, then he was overjoyed.

Although Maya didn't know that the biggest reason that prompted Hiruzen Sarutobi and other Konoha leaders to make this decision was the pressure from the Iwa ninja, it didn't stop Maya from immediately seizing this opportunity to put pressure on Konoha!

Since they've so easily given in and even handed us leverage, there's no reason not to seize the opportunity!

Immediately, Rima Yai, following the original plan, represented his own ninja village in condemning Konoha's indiscriminate killing of their delegation's deputy leader. With a very cold expression, he threatened Konoha with war.

Mitokado En had anticipated this before he arrived.

He was not angry, and tried his best to appease the Cloud Ninja delegation led by Maya, even hinting that the previous negotiation conditions could be further relaxed. He just hoped that the two ninja villages could continue the previous peace negotiations and not let this cause the peace to break down.

343. Common Goal

After the initial emotional turmoil, Ma Yi gradually calmed down and did not directly reply to Mitokado Homura. After all, he did not have such authority. The initial plan was to kidnap Hinata Hyuga and then the group would retreat. As the one who covered the rear, even if he died in Konoha, as long as Ritsuto and the others could successfully bring the Byakugan bloodline back to their own village, it would all be worth it. Even if it meant that the two villages would continue to fight, he was willing to do so. In any case, the value of the Byakugan bloodline was, in the eyes of the Fourth Raikage and Tsuchikage, worth making such an exchange.

Moreover, they all felt that as long as the plan went smoothly.

Konoha will definitely break Blood Fang and swallow the blame.

Of course, this is the optimal solution. Although the kidnapping plan has failed, the death of Ritsudoku still gives the Cloud Ninja a certain advantage. Don't say that the Cloud Ninja was the one who attacked first and coveted the other's bloodline limit. They were in the wrong first, but Ritsudoku's death is an unavoidable and important issue. This is something that the Cloud Village can do. However, how to deal with it properly is something that Maya also needs to wait for further instructions from her own village.

He hasn't even sent any concrete news back to the village yet. Mitokado Homura naturally understands this as well. The future of the relationship between Konoha and Kumogakure ultimately depends on A, the Fourth Raikage, who is located in Kumogakure in the heart of the Land of Lightning.

After initial negotiations and the return of Rikito's body, Mitomon Homura left with Nara Shikaku.