Chapter 63 — "Those Who Agree to Go to War, Stay!"
The next day.
When Su Li escorted Yakumo and said goodbye to Temari, he went to the Hokage's office and found Sasuke and Mori Ibiki already waiting.
"Is there a problem with training?" Su Li asked instinctively — Sasuke rarely wasted time seeking others out without reason.
Mori Ibiki cleared his throat. "No, Agent Su Li. It's important."
"Last night Sasuke captured several Cloud shinobi sneaking into Konoha." Sasuke's tone was quiet and sharp.
"Cloud shinobi? What were they doing here?" Su Li frowned at the report. Of the five great nations, he disliked the Cloud the most — their underhanded tactics and constant scheming left a bad taste.
Su Li glanced at Sasuke. "They weren't here just to kidnap you, were they?"
"No. That wasn't the whole point." Mori Ibiki explained. "Their real purpose was to probe Konoha. They'd received intelligence that Konoha was gravely weakened — that the Third was dead — and planned to exploit the chaos with an attack. The Sharingan grab was a side mission."
"How would they even know that? Do they have spies in the village?" Su Li asked.
"That's unclear," Mori said. "There's no traceable source in their reports. Whoever supplied the intel deliberately hid the origin."
"And where are those Cloud shinobi now?" Su Li pressed.
"They're sealed inside shadow space," Sasuke answered. He could have killed them all, but that would stir political fallout for Konoha. So instead he'd locked them away.
Su Li considered the situation. If the original timeline had Konoha's collapse unknown to the Cloud, then this was an aberration — perhaps a butterfly effect caused by his crossing. But speculation wouldn't help. The urgent problem was relations with the Cloud: a single incident could spark war. As acting Hokage, he had to make the call.
"Gather the Jōnin," Su Li ordered Mori. "We'll discuss a response."
Mori nodded and left at once.
"Sasuke, you stay with me," Su Li said, then turned to Yakumo. "You may wait here; I'll return shortly."
"Understood, Agent Su Li," Yakumo replied and remained in the office.
They went to the conference room. The emergency summoned the Jōnin; they arrived quickly, faces grim as they took their seats.
"Sasuke, tell everyone what happened last night," Su Li said from the Hokage's seat.
Sasuke recounted the events briefly and precisely. When he finished, the room erupted.
Deception! Outrage simmered across the faces of seasoned shinobi. Hyūga Hiashi's expression grew particularly severe. The Hyūga had once been victims of Cloud treachery — the memory of Hinata's kidnapping under the Third Hokage's orders had never fully healed. That old wound flared at the news.
"Deputy—what do we do? Are we going to strike the Cloud?" Hiashi then asked, unable to hide his anger.
Silence followed the question, heavy and tense. Su Li's lips curved into a small, dour smile.
"Why are you smiling, Agent?" Hiashi demanded.
Su Li shook his head. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at a failing you all share — even as Jōnin, you're missing the basic purpose of a ninja village."
The room stiffened. Su Li's voice cut through. "A village exists to protect its comrades. Some would sacrifice those comrades for the village's sake. That is putting the cart before the horse."
His words hung in the air, an implicit rebuke aimed squarely at the Third Hokage's old decision. The assembled Jōnin fell silent.
"There's no debate to be had about this," Su Li continued, his tone hardening. "Although I'm only acting Hokage, while I hold this mantle, I will never sell our people. If the Cloud sends forces to seize our bloodlines and attack Konoha, then we will strike the Cloud Village. We will seize their kekkei genkai and make them understand that nobody may harm our comrades or belittle Konoha."
He slammed his palm on the table. "Words and patience won't solve this."
Su Li rose fully to his feet, the room still listening. "I've given you the authority to defend our homeland, not to argue about sacrificing companions. Make a choice now: those who agree to go to war, stay. Those who disagree may leave."
Silence met his ultimatum — the weight of the decision settling like a physical thing in the chamber. Each shinobi stared at his neighbors, measuring resolve, loyalty, and the cost of the path Su Li proposed.
Outside, Konoha's future trembled on the edge of a blade. Inside, men and women who wore the village on their backs prepared to answer whether they would fight — or not.