Chapter 11 — War Council
The night air was cool, a full moon hanging high in the sky.
The Hokage Building was brightly lit. Inside the war council chamber, smoke curled through the air.
Konoha's upper echelon had gathered in full force. Every major clan was present. With Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane at the head, today's meeting officially began.
All sat with solemn expressions, waiting for the Hokage to speak.
At that moment—
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head seat and spoke in a deep voice:
"Everyone, a storm is coming. The nations are actively preparing for war. We cannot afford to fall behind. The First Hokage founded Konoha to end war, and we have always upheld his ideal of peace. We do not wish to start a war. But there are always those with wolfish ambitions who seek to ignite conflict. For this meeting, I will first set the tone…"
"Konoha desires peace—but we do not fear war!"
Those present were clan heads and high-ranking officials of Konoha. Naturally, they understood that border skirmishes had been constant and that every nation was stockpiling military supplies.
Yet from Hiruzen's words, it seemed he was still leaning toward avoiding war if possible.
Of course, none of the major clans wanted war either. War was not child's play—it meant death. More importantly, there was no real benefit in it for them.
The Land of Fire was vast and rich in resources. Its people enjoyed the highest standard of living in the ninja world.
And what of the other nations?
The Land of Wind was nothing but endless desert.
The Land of Lightning was mountainous terrain.
The Land of Earth was barren wasteland.
The Land of Water was a cluster of isolated islands separated by vast seas.
Not a single one was truly prosperous.
For Konoha, war offered no tangible gain beyond the title of "number one." What it brought instead was pain and loss.
The clan heads murmured among themselves, most inclined toward finding ways to prevent war rather than provoke it.
At this moment—
Danzo Shimura's face turned dark, deeply dissatisfied with his old friend's stance.
What was this supposed to mean?
The enemy was already at their doorstep, yet he still spoke of compromise.
The Root organization risked life and limb gathering intelligence—was it meant to be used as idle dinner conversation?
As expected… Hiruzen was still too soft. He was unfit to be Hokage.
If it were Sensei, he would have said that line without hesitation:
"Those who dare covet Konoha shall face death without reprieve."
"Hmph!"
Danzo slammed his hand on the table. The noisy discussions came to an abrupt halt as all eyes turned toward him.
As Konoha's largest intelligence chief, he was both feared and resented.
A mad dog—biting whoever stood in his way. In the more than ten years since Hiruzen became Hokage, Danzo had committed countless questionable deeds under the banner of "for Konoha."
Danzo's hawk-like gaze swept across the room. No one dared meet his eyes.
He felt both satisfied and furious, his dissatisfaction with Hiruzen deepening.
Do you see this, Hiruzen? Everyone here is indulging in comfort, having forgotten the iron-blooded spirit of a ninja. This… is your failure.
Expressionless, he spoke:
"Why do the nations wage war? Why do they always target Konoha? Because they are poor. They cannot feed themselves. Like hyenas, they search for prey. And every one of you here has already been marked as that prey."
"Unless they are fed, they will never give up. So I ask you—if Konoha chooses not to fight, which clan will you offer up to satisfy these hyenas?"
Danzo pointed at the clan heads one by one.
"Will it be the Nara clan? Or the Hatake clan?"
The two he singled out were no random choices. One was the head of the Nara clan, Konoha's chief war strategist. The other was the man known as the White Fang of Konoha—Sakumo Hatake.
Danzo's intent was clear—he needed both men on his side.
The Nara clan's unmatched intellect was the soul of war planning.
Sakumo Hatake's overwhelming combat strength made him a blade on the battlefield.
One civil, one martial—neither could be spared.
Fixing his gaze on Sakumo, Danzo spoke again:
"This is the enemy invading us—threatening our homeland, slaughtering our comrades. Sakumo… what of your ninja way? Would you sacrifice your comrades in exchange for a humiliating peace?"
Sakumo Hatake abruptly rose to his feet, standing straight as a spear.
"We swear to defend Konoha to the death and eliminate all invading enemies."
The Nara clan head felt helpless inside. What an honest man… With just a few words, Danzo had maneuvered him into taking the lead.
But at this point, if he did not declare his stance, disaster would surely follow.
He stood as well and said in a deep voice, "We swear to defend Konoha to the death and eliminate all invading enemies."
Danzo smiled in satisfaction and gave a slight nod. The two key figures were secured. If the rest still refused to take a stand—
Hmph.
Did they really think his blade was dull and incapable of killing?
Riding the momentum of victory, he cast another sweeping glance across the room. One after another, everyone stood to declare their position.
"We swear to defend Konoha to the death and eliminate all invading enemies."
A trace of provocation flickered in his eyes as he looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen, you are too soft.
Hiruzen's expression remained grave as he puffed steadily on his pipe.
Yet inwardly, he was elated.
As expected of my old friend—not only did he play the villain, he also unified the people's will in the process.
That way, even if the war dragged on and the clans suffered heavy losses, none of it would fall on him.
If there were grievances, they could take them up with Danzo. What did it have to do with Hiruzen Sarutobi? After all, he had been the one advocating against war. (•̀ω•́)ᵎᵎᵎ
With a look of reluctant resignation, Hiruzen spoke:
"If that is the case… then so be it."
The chamber erupted with renewed vigor. Under the strategic guidance of the Nara clan head, preparations for the Second Great Ninja War began in earnest.
After a while—
Once all matters had been settled, Hiruzen smiled and set aside the heavy subject of war.
"This new generation of Konoha has produced many talented individuals. Every clan has promising geniuses—the Ino–Shika–Cho, the Hyuga, the Uchiha—all have exceptional young talents.
"I believe Konoha will only grow stronger."
The moment those words were spoken—
Everyone thought of their own children and smiled in quiet relief.
The older generation fought and struggled with their lives on the line for the sake of protecting the next generation.
"This is all thanks to the Hokage-sama. These little ones understand the Will of Fire at such a young age."
"Exactly! My son comes home smiling every day, saying the person he admires most is Hokage-sama!"
Flattery filled the room as praise for the Third Hokage continued without end.
Hiruzen, looking every bit his age, broke into a wide grin. The wrinkles on his face gathered together like a chrysanthemum in full bloom.
Where some rejoiced, others fumed.
Danzo, who had been triumphant just moments ago, now looked as though he had swallowed a dead fly. His face turned ashen.
Damn it. I was supposed to be the protagonist here.
Unable to endure the scene any longer, he let out a cold snort and rose to leave.
Yet it was as though he had been forgotten. No one paid him any attention; everyone pretended not to notice.
The two elder advisors parted their lips, about to say something, but a single glance from Hiruzen stopped them.
Though that look was exceedingly gentle, it sent chills down their spines.
They were no novices. They knew Hiruzen was asserting his presence. Interrupting him now would not end well.
Hiruzen felt that these two old friends were beginning to lose sight of priorities.
Perhaps it was time to remind them.
His smile brightened. Raising both hands slightly to quiet the room, he said:
"With war approaching, Konoha needs more outstanding young shinobi. Therefore, I have decided to establish a special Genius Class within the Ninja Academy."
Everyone froze for a moment.
Those with children currently enrolled in the Academy began clapping enthusiastically.
In the ninja world, what was most important?
Without question—strength.
But second only to strength was reputation.
What could carry more prestige than being officially recognized by Konoha as a genius?
"Brilliant decision, Third Hokage!"
At that instant, everyone shared the same thought—
They had to ensure their children entered the Genius Class.
Hiruzen smiled faintly and glanced at those applauding the hardest.
Everything remained firmly within his grasp.
Danzo… this is the power of the Hokage.