Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

This was a difficult choice for Hiruzen Sarutobi to make!

Fortunately, Shikaku, far away on the western front, gave a rather significant hint. Although he didn't see it clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Shikaku's meaning, which gave them some room to maneuver. It meant that the situation might change again compared to before, but at least it was still within a manageable range.

The only concern is whether the greed of the Hidden Cloud Village will grow even further. News has already come from the front lines that the main force of the Cloud Ninja is approaching the vicinity of the Hot Spring Mountain stronghold. It is not surprising when war breaks out.

"Hiruzen, are you really going to agree to the Fourth Raikage's request? No, I absolutely disagree. If it might have been barely feasible before, in this situation, we need to consider the problems on the front lines!"

Mitokado Homura, somewhat misunderstanding the situation, thought that Sarutobi Hiruzen was planning to compromise further. He hurriedly spoke words to stop his close friend, the Hokage. Even someone as steady as Mitokado Homura could see that the greed of Kumogakure had expanded infinitely. He had been worried about this when they handed over Hyuga Hizashi before, and now, sure enough, they were threatening war to force them to hand over Hyuga Hiashi. Not to mention that doing so could easily cause a huge internal crisis of trust and chaos in the village.

Even if we hand it over, will it really stop the greed of the Hidden Cloud Village?

Mitokazu expressed doubt!

"Don't worry, Yan, I'm not that confused. Other conditions are negotiable, but handing over Riji is absolutely impossible!"

Regardless of what Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking before, or whether he had initially considered handing over Hiashi directly, at least now, as he himself said, he would never make the choice to hand over Hyuga Hiashi. Putting aside everything else, just doing so would completely alienate the Hyuga clan from the village. Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't dare to do that, since the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan was still the highest level of reconnaissance and security force on the western front.

Who knows if the Hyuga clan will do the same crazy thing as the Uchiha clan tomorrow after they hand over Hiashi today? Even if the probability is infinitely close to 0, as long as there is even the slightest possibility, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never do it.

The drawbacks and potential costs involved are far too great!

It was so great that Hiruzen Sarutobi simply couldn't withstand it.

In any case, the disastrous consequences of such a choice would not be much better than confronting two major ninja villages head-on. With both choices being equally bad, this seemingly difficult situation actually left Hiruzen Sarutobi with only one option—to choose not to hand over Hiashi Hyuga!

Of course, this does not mean that Hiruzen Sarutobi should blatantly refuse the Fourth Raikage's demands and stand up to the main force of Kumogakure. Rather, he should take a roundabout approach to delay the situation. At least until the western front issues are stabilized or even resolved, he should not really turn against Kumogakure.

To reiterate, whether or not they can withstand the pressure is one thing, but if Konoha were to truly confront two major ninja villages head-on, they would definitely suffer a severe blow.

After hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer, Homura Mitokado's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but the worry on his face remained. The immense pressure from Kumogakure was truly making it hard for Konoha to breathe.

"So how do you plan to allocate the forces on the Eastern Front? Hiruzen, you sent another batch of reinforcements to the Western Front yesterday, didn't you? Can you really ensure that Shikaku's plan will be executed smoothly? Also, has there been any news from the Anbu who were sent out to find Tsunade?"

The western front reinforcements led by Shikaku, which were previously dispatched, numbered a total of 5,000. This time, another batch of reinforcements was recruited and dispatched, bringing the total number of Konoha ninjas gathered on the western front to 9,000, approaching the 10,000 mark. This already accounts for nearly half of Konoha's strength!

While it's true that if Konoha were to truly engage in militarism and deplete the entire village, it could still produce an army of nearly ten thousand ninjas, but that would inevitably require almost completely abandoning the defensive lines against Sunagakure on the west and Kirigakure on the southeast.

Once they do this, it means that Konoha is determined to withstand the two great ninja villages. Only by conscripting a full 20,000 troops can Konoha possibly withstand the simultaneous attack of the two great ninja villages, and this would likely require the Third Hokage to personally go to the front line.

Mitokado Homura was very worried about this, which is why he was very concerned about Tsunade's whereabouts. This grandson of the First Hokage and another disciple of the Third Hokage was one of the few people Konoha could rely on. If she could return in time like Jiraiya, it would at least boost the morale of the ordinary ninjas in the village.

"No, there's still no news from Tsunade. The eastern front can remain as is. I've already assigned Suzaku and Inoichi to each control their respective flanks, and I've also given them instructions beforehand. If it becomes difficult to defend, the defenses around Yuzumi Mountain can be abandoned, and we can simply retreat to the Fengzui Mountain area. Moreover, the Cloud Ninja shouldn't really be launching a southward offensive in the short term."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his cigarette holder and said with a slightly profound look in his eyes.

As Tsunade's mentor, Hiruzen is one of the few people in Konoha who knows that Tsunade left the village not only because of the deaths of her lover and younger brother, but also because, as a medical ninja, she developed hemophobia. While it didn't mean she had to completely abandon her identity as a ninja, at Tsunade's level, even a small injury would significantly weaken her strength, let alone the fact that her hemophobia, though not the most extreme form, was still quite severe.

Before she draws blood, Tsunade is a true Kage-level powerhouse. But once she draws blood, even an ordinary Jonin might be able to bully her. You can see this from her battle with Kabuto in the original work. Tsunade was trembling all over and it was impossible for her to return to the battlefield.

So unlike Jiraiya, who seems to be away from the village for a long time, traveling around the world, but still collecting various intelligence for the village, Tsunade is a complete wanderer. She takes a niece and a pig, and goes wherever she goes, gambling wherever she goes. This departure lasted for more than ten years without returning to the village. She has never gone back even once.

It's normal that the Anbu couldn't find Tsunade's trail. It would be a miracle if Jonin could easily find the whereabouts of a Kage-level figure. In the original work, Jiraiya and Orochimaru seemed to be able to find Tsunade easily, but that was because Tsunade was a gambler and could pinpoint several areas, and both of them possessed the corresponding strength.

If it were anyone else, even if Tsunade were in a close position, they might not be able to spot her.

Moreover, even if Tsunade were found, it wouldn't be of much significance if her hemophobia wasn't resolved or alleviated, and Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't really be bothered by it.

If all else fails, his old bones can still contribute a little more. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi does have many flaws and even black marks, at least this Third Hokage still had the courage and boldness to fight and die for Konoha.

"So, Hiruzen, you're planning to just..."

Upon hearing the Third Hokage's words, Mitokado Homura frowned, about to say something more.

"In my opinion, if the Cloud Ninja are truly greedy, they should just use that technique. Hiashi Hyuga absolutely cannot hand it over. Konoha absolutely cannot allow others to bully them like this. That technique was prepared for this moment. I think the Second Hokage developed that technique because he had considered such a possibility in the past!"

"That Impure World Reincarnation technique!"

On the left, Shimura Danzo, who had been silent from the beginning, suddenly spoke up. Almost as soon as he uttered the first word, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane all changed their expressions. As disciples of Tobirama Senju, they knew very well what Danzo meant by 'that technique,' and Danzo ultimately uttered the name of the technique.

Let's leave aside Mitokado and Koharu Utatane for now.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly darkened, and he looked at Danzo with a cold gaze, saying, "Danzo, this technique has already been sealed away by Tobirama-sensei. This technique defiles the souls of the dead and must never be used!"

The technique of reincarnation in the Impure World.

This is a forbidden ritual involving the deceased.

It is one of the ultimate techniques developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. It can summon the souls of the dead from the underworld by sacrificing the souls of the living and using their bodies as a vessel. The person who is summoned back can have an almost indestructible body and endless chakra!

This is the most powerful aspect of this technique.

The only problem is that the summoned souls can only exert limited power. Just like the First and Second Hokage that Orochimaru summoned in the Konoha Crush plan in the original work, the flaws in the technique meant that the two former Hokage who were resummoned were probably not even half as strong as they were at their peak. In addition, their personal consciousness was erased by Orochimaru with kunai, which further limited their strength.

otherwise.

How could an old and frail Hiruzen Sarutobi possibly withstand the attacks of the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and Orochimaru? Even so, it is clear that Hiruzen Sarutobi at his peak possessed the strength of a peak Kage, which is why he was still able to suppress these three even in his old age.

They used the Reaper Death Seal to deal with the souls of the First and Second Hokage, and to seal Orochimaru's hands.

The advantages and disadvantages of this technique can be seen from the original text.

As the highest leader of Konoha Village and known as the "Ninja Doctor," Hiruzen Sarutobi must be familiar with this technique. It's even possible that he knows it himself. After all, knowing it and not using it is one thing, and not knowing it at all is another. At least the former leaves some room for maneuver.

The only thing that is certain is...

Shimura Danzo definitely wouldn't know this technique. If he didn't, given his character in the original story, there's no reason he wouldn't use it. A few human sacrifices wouldn't be of any concern to the 'great' Shimura Danzo.

In this respect, even if he was unwilling to admit it, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had some bottom line.

"Hiruzen, now is the time. When was the past? I believe the Second Hokage will agree with our approach. Wasn't this technique created by the Second Hokage to save Konoha from its crisis? There are so many hardened criminals in the prison. We just need to use these people as sacrifices to resurrect the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and..."

Clearly, Danzo strongly disagreed with Hiruzen Sarutobi's 'outdated' approach. In his view, this technique was so powerful that it was tailor-made for this very moment. In fact, if used properly, it might even be able to directly overthrow the two great ninja villages!

So he spoke again, but he hadn't finished speaking yet.

"Danzo! I've said it before, this technique is absolutely forbidden. It's an insult to and a mockery of the First and Second Hokage's souls! It's an act of utter disrespect that cannot be tolerated!"

He was interrupted by Hiruzen Sarutobi's stern rebuke.

"Danzo, I also think Hiruzen's approach is correct. If we use this technique to summon the First and Second Hokage, how should we face them then?"

"Yes, this technique was sealed away by Tobirama-sensei back then, and we as his disciples must never attempt to use it!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu echoed at this moment. Of course, their agreement with Hiruzen Sarutobi was still somewhat influenced by their own beliefs. The reason why these two advisors and elders agreed with Hiruzen Sarutobi's approach was probably because their own ninja village was far from being in dire straits. If they were really facing a crisis of destruction...

It's hard to say what stance these two advisors take, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi's choice at that point was questionable!

It's really hard for people to know what choices they will make until they reach the extreme point. Humans have always been fickle creatures. It's not that there aren't any steadfast people in this world; there are, and more than just one or two. It's just that they are too rare compared to the huge human population.

Most humans, when faced with a situation that pushes them to their limits or becomes unbearable, are prone to acting in ways completely opposite to their usual behavior. This is simply because humans are inherently such creatures.

"Humph!"

The simultaneous opposition from the two advisors, and most importantly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's disapproval, forced Danzo to swallow his words once again. Ultimately, it was because he himself did not know this technique. If he had mastered this supreme secret, it was obvious that Danzo's Root would be filled with all sorts of reanimated impure beings. In any case, in the eyes of this dark figure of Konoha, only the result mattered; as for the process and methods, did they even matter?

No, it doesn't matter at all!

"Let's not bring this up again. I have other plans for Kumogakure. At least we can hold them off for a while. The reason the Fourth Raikage insisted on handing over Hiashi is because of the Byakugan bloodline limit. Since that's the case, let's take another step back and hand over our Byakugan to Kumogakure."

After taking a deep breath, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly revealed his plan.

The Hidden Cloud Village wanted the Byakugan bloodline limit, right? Well, here you go. Although letting such an important bloodline slip out is a great loss for the village, it seems insignificant compared to the value and significance of Hiashi Hyuga. Anyway, this isn't the first time the Byakugan bloodline limit has been leaked. The Hidden Mist Village already had one, which was taken from a lone member of the Hyuga clan's main branch during World War II.

This time, it's just another pair being given away.

As long as we can temporarily stabilize Kumogakure, everything will be fine!

"Should I just hand over my Byakugan? But... well, it's really the only option. But will the Hyuga clan accept Hiruzen?"

Mitokado Yan's expression changed at first, then he sighed softly, and then asked with a worried look.

"I will personally negotiate with the Hyuga clan on this matter. I believe that the Hyuga clan will most likely understand and accept it. This is already the best compromise!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a very cold expression.

357. The pressure that needs to be felt

The clan leader was handed over.

This is the greatest disgrace of the clan. For the Hyuga clan, it is absolutely unacceptable for Hyuga Hiashi to be handed over to Kumogakure in this way. However, it is also foreseeable that it will be extremely difficult for Konoha to withstand the pressure from the two major ninja villages. Even Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War had never truly experienced facing the main forces of two major ninja villages at the same time, let alone at this moment.

This is why Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to remain patient from the very beginning. If he hadn't felt that the Uchiha clan was in Iwagakure and there was little chance of negotiation, the Third Hokage would have genuinely intended to make peace with both sides simultaneously. As long as it didn't jeopardize Konoha's core interests, he was willing to negotiate any terms.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't think handing over a pair of Byakugan to the Hidden Cloud Village was a big problem. He believed that since Konoha had protected Hiashi Hyuga so much, the Hyuga clan should understand the village's good intentions. If they weren't even willing to give up a pair of Byakugan, then it could only mean that the Hyuga clan really had ulterior motives!

When Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, the three of them nodded slowly after a brief silence. Even Danzo, who was standing to the side with a gloomy face and seemed unwilling to express his opinion, felt in his heart that Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan was indeed feasible.

This was originally the core requirement of Kumogakure. Hyuga Hiashi didn't care about it; what he valued most was the Byakugan bloodline. The reason the Fourth Raikage was angry was that, as a member of the branch family, Hiashi's Byakugan would be completely destroyed by the Caged Bird Seal upon his death, preventing Kumogakure from obtaining the true Byakugan bloodline. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter much who was given the bloodline; the Byakugan was the key.

"In addition, we can inform Zhuque and the others to give up the Tangquanshan stronghold in an orderly manner, but we cannot easily withdraw from the Fengzuishan area. We must hold it there until the end of this month, and wait for the results on the western front!"

It's already June. Unlike wars between ordinary armies, wars between ninjas rarely last long, unless it's a localized clash. If a major war breaks out, the conflict between two countries often ends in a few months, or even less. The three previous Shinobi World Wars seemed to last for several years, but that was because the major powers clashed in turn. It didn't mean that one country was really fighting another country for three or four years!

The same applies to this clash between the three major ninja villages.

Especially on the western front where heavy troops were concentrated.

The decisive moment of the battle is within this month. Although this overturns the previous plan, after the loss of the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold, Hiruzen Sarutobi will also have to bear enormous pressure from Kyoto. In any case, the Hokage still needs to obey the Daimyo's orders in name, and Konoha Village is also an integral part of the Land of Fire.

They still need the Fire Country's support in various materials; it's impossible for them to completely ignore their demands.

It is important to understand that the appointment process for the Five Kage, even if it is only symbolic, requires the appointment and removal by the daimyo of their respective homeland!

"Hiruzen, do you mean we should have a decisive battle on the western front?"

Mitomon En's pupils contracted slightly, and he asked with a serious expression.

"This is a decision made in a critical moment, so we must do everything in our power to stabilize Kumogakure, no matter the cost! I will handle Kumogakure. Yan and Xiaochun, you must ensure the logistical support for the western front. The next period will be the most crucial!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently at Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane and said in a deep voice.

Two plans.

A different development.

Ultimately, the core principles are the same. Although both sides have to consider the opinion of Kumogakure to some extent, the latter plan gives their side more initiative. That's right, if this plan can be executed smoothly, without saying too much, defeating the invading Iwagakure army head-on and retaking the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold will strategically allow them to regain the initiative. The so-called alliances in the ninja world are very illusory!

As long as we can defeat Iwagakure, Konoha won't need to be too afraid of the remaining Kumogakure, at least we'll have more room to maneuver.

Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo all understood the resolute intent in Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, and their expressions simultaneously turned extremely cold.

"I understand, don't worry, Hiruzen!"

"Ok!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu nodded in unison at that moment, while Danzo remained frowning as he stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen, as if trying to discern something from his close friend, the Hokage.