Everyone waited for Hiruzen Sarutobi's response.
And unexpectedly, the Hokage didn't look irritated at all. Instead, he gave Danzo Shimura a small nod, like he was acknowledging the point.
"What Danzo said is a real problem. Something that can happen."
"So our messaging can't be absolute. We can't claim it's completely controllable. We need to frame it as a Jinchuriki's contribution to the village."
"We need the villagers to separate 'Kushina' from the 'tailed beast.'"
"That way, even if some people are still afraid, they'll still be able to keep their respect."
Hiruzen's expression tightened, the warmth draining out of it.
"I'll speak with Mito Uzumaki. When the time comes, we'll assess Kushina's capacity. If she can't bear all of the Nine-Tails' Chakra, we'll find a way to reduce it."
"We won't seal the entire Nine-Tails. Even if what's left can't be used, don't treat it like a waste."
"Power you can control is power. Anything extra is just an unstable variable."
Danzo's face didn't move.
Monkey. Why don't you just snap back with, "I'm the Hokage"?
Saying all this… are you that pleased with how reasonable you sound?
"We need to be clear about one thing," Hiruzen continued, voice steady and firm. "Even without the Nine-Tails, the foundation our predecessors left Konoha is already deep enough. The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, Mito-sama… they gave us more than enough to stand on."
"Konoha stands on their shoulders. We don't necessarily need a Jinchuriki to fight a Jinchuriki."
"And as the next generation, we also have to carry responsibility for those who came before us. Mito-sama's existence is priceless to the village. She's worth far more than a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Any objections?"
In that moment, Hiruzen's gaze turned sharp, sweeping across the room like a blade.
He didn't feel like the same man from a few minutes ago.
"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire lives on," he said, voice low. "Old branches can feed new growth, yes. But their continued existence is itself the strongest root Konoha has."
He turned to Koharu Utatane.
"Koharu, we start with the students at the Academy. We build a correct understanding of the Will of Fire from the ground up. That's critical."
Sacrifice and contribution deserved respect. That part was obvious.
But it couldn't be the only thing they emphasized.
The shinobi who'd given everything to the village… he, as Hokage, and the village itself had an obligation to make sure those people could rest when they were worn down.
And that didn't only mean Mito Uzumaki.
Hiruzen believed it, firmly. Even if it cost resources, the gain in unity, the way the Will of Fire could sink into the shinobi world…
The benefits were impossible to measure.
This, too, would be one of his contributions as Hokage, not just in "authority," but in "diplomacy," and even "education."
Besides, who said the battle over beliefs wasn't a battlefield?
But it would all have to be done step by step.
"I understand," Koharu said. "I'll draft an outline for revising the Academy textbooks as soon as possible. A fuller explanation of the Will of Fire, and material on the Uzumaki Clan's history."
Privately, she had doubts. Sitting in the leadership for so long had left that old "shinobi as tools" thinking lodged somewhere in her mind, still stirring.
That kind of mindset didn't change overnight.
But Koharu could read a room. The way Hiruzen's voice had turned steel-hard when he spoke about this…
If she pushed back right now, she'd get scorched in front of everyone.
A few labels would get slapped on her so fast she wouldn't know which one hit first.
She flicked her eyes toward Danzo and thought, Even Danzo's keeping quiet…
Then Danzo opened his mouth.
"Hokage, I agree with the proposal."
He didn't pause long before changing targets.
"Now, about the Third Raikage. His Lightning Style Armour is a nightmare. He blocked a Tailed Beast Bomb with his body and still got back up to keep fighting the Eight-Tails."
"My Wind Style can kill him, I'm confident in that. But the enemy will have shinobi supporting him."
"If someone like that breaks into our formation during a war, the damage would be unimaginable."
Inside, Danzo smiled coldly.
Alright, Hiruzen. How do you answer that?
Sure, you've been doing well lately. Organizing counterattacks, tightening control, pulling the village together.
But don't forget what it means to be Hokage.
It means you're the biggest target Konoha has.
Even if the retaliation against the Hidden Cloud went beautifully under your command…
The Third Raikage's hero-style performance was going to cast a shadow over you.
Their Kage is that brave. That terrifying.
So what about you?
Danzo knew Hiruzen's habits. His style.
And no matter how you cut it, Hiruzen didn't have a clean answer for the Third Raikage.
But Danzo did.
He was the strongest Wind Style shinobi in Konoha.
This little sequence wouldn't truly shake Hiruzen's authority.
But it would make Danzo's value shine.
And more than that… Danzo had a bad feeling lately. Hiruzen still wasn't at the point where his word became law in Konoha, but the momentum was building.
It was starting to feel dangerous.
So Danzo wanted to cut across that momentum, even a little.
Don't let him look so perfect.
"Even as a potential enemy," Hiruzen said, "the Third Raikage truly is an extraordinary man. Being able to cultivate his Lightning Style Armour to that level… even in all of shinobi history, he's the first."
Then he nodded once.
"He's hard to deal with. If we go to war with the Hidden Cloud, Danzo, your Wind Style would be a very effective blade against him."
Danzo's heart lifted in satisfaction, but he forced a frown onto his face and let out a heavy sigh.
"For the sake of the village, I'll train with everything I have."
"But the battlefield is complicated. I might not end up facing the Third Raikage directly."
At that, the shinobi in the room weren't stupid. They all caught it.
He was saying it without saying it.
If I'm not there to handle him, then what?
Hokage, you can't beat the Raikage one-on-one, can you?
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, dangerous and amused.
Danzo's learning fast. He could speak in circles now.
Maybe getting out of that dark Root hole and hovering around Sensei had loosened his brain up.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, looked like he was about to slam his palm on the table.
"Even if the battlefield gets messy and you don't make it in time," Hiruzen said calmly, "you don't have to worry, Advisor."
And then lightning exploded off his body.
Lightning Style Armour.
The glare was violent, blinding. The air itself seemed to crackle around him.
"And you'll still have me."
Danzo's faint smile froze solid.
No, seriously.
Are you messing with me?
The lightning around Hiruzen surged even harder. His hair lifted, every strand standing up. His muscles swelled slightly, tight and alive, like his body had been tuned into a weapon.
Hizashi Hyuga, who'd been silent the whole time, felt something stir in his chest and activated the Byakugan.
He'd been ready to toss out a couple lines of polite praise.
Then his eyes widened.
"This is only been a few days," he muttered, stunned, "and Third-sama already brought his body to this level…"
"Don't flatter me, Hizashi," Hiruzen said with a small smile.
"I'm nowhere near the Third Raikage. He's been walking this path for decades. This technique isn't hard to get into. What's hard is everything after. That's where the real grind is."
Then his tone shifted, sharpened just slightly.
"But it suits me. If I train for a year, maybe it'll count as five of his. When the next shinobi world war comes… I'll give him a surprise."
He said it like it was nothing, calm as water.
But the edge in it was unmistakable. Rare for him. And bright.
Jiraiya rubbed his jaw over and over, baring his teeth.
"Sensei… you're always calling me arrogant…"
"Want to test it for your teacher?" Hiruzen turned, still wrapped in lightning, and gave his troublesome student a gentle, almost kindly smile.
"Sensei, I was wrong!" Jiraiya slammed himself down on the table like a tiger pouncing, waving both hands fast. "Totally wrong!"
There was a rumor about Lightning Style taijutsu.
A move where you grabbed someone and hurled them straight into the ground.
The old man probably wouldn't do that to him…
Probably.
But what if he did?
A person had to know when to be sensible.
Orochimaru watched, eyes glittering.
This was the Hiruzen Sarutobi he carried in his heart. The Hokage who felt like a teacher and a father, pushing forward without stopping.
"Back then, Konoha had plenty of geniuses," Hiruzen said.
"But they all used to call me a genius."
In a single smooth motion, he set his hand on Danzo's shoulder.
He smiled faintly.
"Danzo," he said, "isn't that right?"