"Sunagakure launched a war against us, and you actually intend to agree to a ceasefire without imposing any punishment on them!?"
Danzō's voice was cold and sharp, echoing throughout the Hokage's office.
"Not only that, you're willing to return the One-Tail Jinchūriki and release the captured Suna shinobi!?"
His gaze narrowed as it locked onto Tsunade.
"Have you lost your mind, Tsunade?"
Before she could respond, Danzō continued, his tone growing even darker.
"And then there is the most critical issue of all Uzumaki Menma, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. What exactly are your orders regarding him? Do you not understand that the eyes of the entire shinobi world are fixed on Menma right now?"
"If the Nine-Tails were to fall into the hands of another village, could you bear that responsibility?"
"You intend to delay his apprehension and forbid Root from acting!?"
Danzō stared at Tsunade with an almost eerie intensity.
Despite the many questionable decisions Danzō had made throughout his life despite his undeniable flaws in judgment and temperament on certain matters, he possessed a clarity that few others could match.
And on this issue, his reasoning was brutally direct.
From the perspective of Konohagakure's survival, Danzō's stance was undeniably rational.
Why care about other villages' feelings?
Why consider their interests?
A leader who prioritized anything other than the benefit of their own power base was either naïve or incompetent.
On this matter, Danzō's logic was the most ruthless and the most correct.
If Menma and Danzō had stood in opposite positions under the same circumstances, they would have reached identical conclusions.
"Yes, Tsunade," Mitokado Homura said, frowning slightly as he looked toward the Hokage's seat. "We believe that what Danzō has said is reasonable. Whether it concerns Sunagakure or Uzumaki Menma, your handling of these matters appears… overly lenient."
Utatane Koharu did not speak, but her silence was an answer in itself.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
"Overly lenient?" she repeated coldly. "I don't believe my decisions are careless at all."
She turned her gaze toward the man beside her.
"Shikaku. Explain Konoha's current situation to the three elders."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Nara Shikaku replied respectfully.
He turned to face Danzō, Homura, and Koharu, producing a thick intelligence dossier.
"This information comes from ANBU surveillance and border patrol reports."
He handed the dossier to Homura first. As the three elders passed it between them, their expressions gradually grew solemn.
Shikaku coughed lightly before continuing.
"According to the intelligence, Kumogakure has recently increased its military presence along the Land of Hot Water border. Combined with their previous deployments, their forces now exceed one thousand shinobi."
"There have already been multiple instances of friction two or three direct encounters between reconnaissance units. No casualties so far, but the pressure from the Cloud is unmistakable."
He paused briefly.
"From the northwest, Iwagakure has also begun moving troops near the borders of the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfall. Intelligence suggests the possible presence of the Five-Tails Jinchūriki though this has not been fully confirmed."
"The number of Iwa shinobi deployed is approaching three thousand."
The room fell silent.
Homura and Koharu's expressions became grave.
In the past, Konoha might have endured pressure from two major villages simultaneously but not now.
Not in its current state.
The mere suggestion that Iwagakure might mobilize a tailed beast was enough to make the situation catastrophic.
Danzō's expression darkened further.
Inside, he cursed the other villages relentlessly.
They've lived too comfortably for far too long.
In his eyes, this was not only the fault of the surrounding nations but also of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
During the three Great Ninja Wars, Konoha had emerged victorious.
And yet what had it gained?
Nothing.
No lasting dominance. No decisive deterrence.
That was what infuriated Danzō the most and why, in this one regard, many could not deny that his logic held weight.
The dignity of a nation and a ninja village was forged by blood, steel, and overwhelming force not by empty talk of mutual understanding.
That idealistic doctrine had persisted since the time of the First Hokage and endured until Naruto's era but it was not universally applicable.
Some situations demanded compromise.
Others demanded strength.
Failing to distinguish between the two was fatal.
Shikaku continued.
"As for Sunagakure they are acting out of desperation. Approximately five thousand Suna shinobi are currently stationed near the border of the Land of Rivers."
"Kirigakure has not made any overt movements yet, but we cannot afford to ignore them."
He lifted his gaze.
"Given these circumstances, Konoha's position is extremely precarious."
"We need stability. We need time."
"Provoking Sunagakure further would be a grave mistake. Maintaining stability with Suna is currently the most rational course of action."
Tsunade exhaled sharply, her voice edged with restrained anger.
"I have done everything possible to stabilize the situation," she said coldly. "Yet instead of supporting these efforts, you come here to obstruct them."
Mitokado Homura's expression shifted.
"The pressure from the Cloud and Stone… has reached this level already?"
Utatane Koharu sighed softly.
"In that case… caution is indeed necessary."
This was the crucial difference now.
Before Tsunade's return, all intelligence had been filtered directly to the two advisors.
But now
There was a legitimate Hokage.
All intelligence passed through Tsunade first.
Though the advisors could still exert influence, Tsunade's prestige and the support of the major ninja clans ensured that the majority of real power rested firmly in her hands.
Homura and Koharu could no longer dominate the flow of information.
And once again, their old habit surfaced
Wavering.
Balancing both sides.
Danzō saw it instantly.
And the moment he did, disgust twisted his features.
Their hesitation.
Their compromises.
Their weakness.
Once again, they were abandoning their original stance.
Danzō's expression darkened, his irritation unmistakable.
The meeting was far from over and the real confrontation had only just begun.