Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

"Iwagakure and Kumogakure are clearly trying to take advantage of our misfortune. They won't stop until they've taken a few pieces of our flesh."

"And then there's Kirigakure. The Mizukage is taking advantage of our current predicament to act this way."

“I think her goal is very clear: to make us further… elevate the status of Senju Seigo, or rather, to force us to bow down and compromise with him.”

"Bowing down to him? Why should we?!" Koharu shrieked.

"Right now, he's the only one who might be able to break this deadlock." A calm voice came from the office doorway.

"Inoichi, why are you back?" Mitokado Homura was so shocked he almost jumped up, his first thought being that something had happened on the western front.

The visitor was none other than Yamanaka Inoichi, the most important deputy to Nara Shikaku, the commander of the western front.

Haiyi looked even thinner than a few months ago, with sunken eyes, clearly under a lot of pressure.

"Haiyi, you..."

The Third Hokage frowned, and with a relatively calm expression, cast a questioning glance at Yamanaka Inoichi.

"Lord Hokage, and the two advisors."

Yamanaka Inoichi bowed and said, "I came here on Shikaku's behalf. The situation on the western front is worse than reported."

"The mobilization of Iwagakure is not a bluff."

"They are indeed preparing a medium-sized raid, likely targeting several of our key supply points and forward outposts."

"Whether Onoki has personally arrived cannot be confirmed with 100% certainty at present, but the efficiency of the command system at the Iwagakure front has suddenly increased by a level, which is definitely not normal."

"We...must prepare for the worst."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three men with grim expressions, and continued:

"I know the village's difficulties; it is unstable internally and surrounded by external pressures."

"But that's precisely why we need a 'signal' that can break the deadlock and deter all sides."

"What signal?" the Third Hokage asked in a deep voice, having roughly guessed what Shikaku meant.

“Let Jonin Aogo come with me to the western front,” Yamanaka Inoichi said. “This is also Shikaku’s idea.”

As expected... the Third Hokage's left hand trembled slightly.

"What?" "Absurd!!"

Koharu Utatane and Erokazu Mito blurted it out almost simultaneously.

Although the Third Generation also felt aggrieved, he still gestured for Inoichi to continue.

“There are three reasons,” Yamanaka Inoichi said clearly. “First, deterrence. The reputation of Qingwu Jonin as ‘Natural Calamity’ is earned through real battles.”

"The Hidden Cloud Battlefield, the Hidden Mist Incident, and even... Lord Danzo's affairs all prove that he possesses combat power and methods that surpass those of a regular Kage."

"As long as he appears on the western front, even if he does nothing, it will be enough to make Iwagakure hesitate to act, and make Onoki think twice about the consequences when deciding whether to personally lead the expedition."

"After all... the battle on the Cloud Village side was almost entirely resolved by Jonin Qingwu alone."

"As long as he is there, he can buy us valuable time and relieve the pressure on the front line."

"..."

"Secondly, it makes a statement by sending Jonin Senju to represent Konoha in the war, which is to declare to the entire ninja world that Senju Senju is still a Konoha ninja!"

"It's telling everyone that Konoha's internal problems have been resolved, and we're united against external threats."

"This will greatly dampen the arrogance of Kumogakure and Iwagakure in taking advantage of the chaos, and also appease the people in the village, especially those... families who are close to Qingwu."

"At the same time, this also shows the Mizukage of Kirigakure that Konoha values ​​its 'bond' with her and is willing to let the person he values ​​take responsibility again."

"At that time, the deadlock in the negotiations to establish diplomatic relations may be easily resolved."

"..."

"Thirdly, in terms of practical application, with Qingwu's strength and the existing forces on the western front, even if Onoki really comes, we will still have the strength to fight him."

"We might even gain a tactical advantage, forcing Iwagakure back to the negotiating table, which would be more conducive to ending the tension on the western front."

"Once the western front is stabilized, the Cloud Village will lose its reason to take advantage of the chaos, and its attitude will inevitably soften."

"At that time, most of Konoha's predicament will be resolved!"

The Third Hokage always attached great importance to Yamanaka Inoichi's analysis—no, it could actually be Nara Shikaku's analysis.

This time was no exception; its logic was clear and hit the nail on the head.

But silence fell over the office.

They all understood the logic; according to Haiyi, this was almost the only solution to break the vicious cycle at present.

but……

……

Chapter 270 Uchiha's Conspiracy

"But... Haiyi, how can I... bring this up?"

The third generation's voice was hoarse, filled with an indescribable weariness.

"That day, I personally sentenced him to confinement, and I tacitly approved of those rumors against him..."

“It was I… who chose the ‘big picture’ and the ‘rules’ when he needed the village’s trust the most.”

"Although the punishment was later rescinded, the rift had already formed..."

"Now that the situation is unfavorable, do you expect me to go and beg him again?"

"With what face? With what reason?"

"Will he agree? If he refuses, or even mocks him, what will become of Konoha's reputation? What will become of the Hokage's authority?"

This is the biggest obstacle deep in the Third Generation's heart!

It wasn't just because of Danzo's death, nor was it just because of being unable to swallow one's pride; it was also a denial of one's own authority and choices!

Throughout his life, he upheld the "Will of Fire" and put the village first!

But now, are we forced by reality to bow down and ask for help from a junior who "violates the rules" and "challenges authority"?

This had an immense impact on his beliefs!

"Lord Hokage, I understand your predicament."

Yamanaka Inoichi's tone carried understanding and a barely perceptible sigh:

"But if I may be frank, now is not the time to worry about personal face or momentary right or wrong. The survival of the village, tens of thousands of ninjas and countless civilians... hangs on the line."

"Compared to these, the Hokage's authority and personal grievances can be temporarily set aside."

When he said these words, Yamanaka Inoichi actually had no confidence at all. Even if he had a lot of courage, he wouldn't dare to speak to the Hokage like that.

He couldn't even bear to think about persuading the Hokage to humble himself and compromise.

But Shikaku said... he could say that to the Hokage, and besides... thinking about the perilous situation of his comrades on the front lines, he decided to go all out.

"According to my intelligence, although Jonin Qingwu has closed off his territory, he is not completely unaware of the situation in the village."

"The fact that his friends can still enter the territory normally shows that... he does have feelings and ties to Konoha."

"But... I'm mostly disappointed with the higher-ups."

"Well, if the Hokage could humble himself and go there in person, treating us with sincerity, there might still be hope for reconciliation."

"After all, if the western front collapses and Konoha is in grave danger, how long can his teammates and friends remain unscathed?"

“Moreover…” Yamanaka Ino paused, “we are not without other preparations.”

He looked at F3's expression and said in a deep voice:

"I have urgently dispatched people to search for Lady Tsunade's whereabouts throughout the ninja world."

"If we can bring back Lady Tsunade, given her relationship with Jonin Aoko, she should be able to play a significant role in this."

"Even if Jonin Qingwu is unwilling to go to war, with Lady Tsunade in charge, Hokage, you can go to the western front to deal with Onoki with peace of mind."

"This is... double insurance!"

Inoichi and Shikaku's arrangements were undeniably thorough, but...

The third generation closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

The only sounds in the office were the increasingly heavy breathing under pressure and the faint sounds of Konoha's clamor coming from outside the window.

But the noise sounded oppressive at that moment.

"Hiruzen..."

Looking at his old friend's face, which seemed to have aged more than ten years in recent days, Mitokado Yan felt a mix of emotions.

He knew that this decision was too difficult for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Let me...think about it some more."

In the end, the Third Hokage simply waved wearily.

Yamanaka Inoichi did not press the matter further, bowed slightly, and then left the office.

Mitokado En and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance and left without a word.

The atmosphere was too oppressive, and Xiaochun, who had just moved to another room, didn't dare to say anything more.

The office fell silent.

The Third Hokage sat alone in a large chair, gazing out the window at the direction of the Death Forest, which was gradually being shrouded in twilight. He remained motionless, as if he had transformed into the Hokage Rock.

He knew Haiyi was right; reason told him that this was the optimal solution.

It may even be the only solution.

But emotionally, he couldn't bring himself to take that step.

In the past two months, he had actually tried to communicate with Qingwu through other channels.

He sent representatives from the Hyuga clan, representatives from the Aburame clan, and even Hizashi and Shiguro, who had a decent relationship with Seigo, to visit him.

However, without exception, they were all "politely" asked to leave before they could even enter the outer perimeter of the territory.