"Self-important nonsense?"
Water Release advisor Mitokado Homura stormed in from outside the office.
"Is there anything more important than a war?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, exhaustion clear in his eyes.
"Enough. Jiraiya will return when he wants to return."
He knew Jiraiya's temperament better than anyone.
Though their relationship had cooled, Jiraiya was still loyal to Konoha at heart.
As long as the war situation worsened, Jiraiya would inevitably show up.
Tsunade and Orochimaru, on the other hand—
Hiruzen didn't even consider them.
Tsunade had long since lost her faith in Konoha after her brother and lover's deaths.
As for Orochimaru…
The fact that he wasn't actively causing trouble was already a blessing.
Thanks to his contract with Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya had his own intelligence network.
Any major movement between Konoha and Kumogakure would never escape his notice.
Jiraiya's response was, in a way, a reassurance.
With him as a potential backup, Konoha wouldn't collapse overnight even against Kumogakure.
Kumo was strong—but crushing Konoha outright was far from easy.
The Uchiha alone would give them hell.
Add in the elites of the other clans, and Konoha's overall strength was still formidable.
The real problem lay elsewhere.
Who would command the front lines?
If Jiraiya refused to return, Hiruzen had little choice but to consider Hyuga Hiashi.
Hiruzen sighed deeply.
Tsunade gone.
Orochimaru defected.
Among his students, only Jiraiya remained someone he could rely on.
The two advisors were equally troubled.
"Forget Jiraiya for now," one of them said grimly.
"The more urgent matter is how to guard against the Uchiha."
The Hyuga–Uchiha contact after the meeting had already been reported.
Even without knowing the exact contents,
the mere hint of cooperation between Konoha's two great dōjutsu clans was alarming.
"Dong. Dong. Dong."
A cane struck the floor.
Danzo Shimura entered, killing intent barely concealed.
"Leave this to me."
If the Uchiha and Hyuga intended to unite, then he would tear that alliance apart.
He immediately proposed that Root be deployed to the battlefield.
On the surface, it was to assist the war effort.
In reality—
It was to monitor both clans.
And more importantly—
To collect Sharingan.
War was chaos.
Chaos was opportunity.
On the battlefield, accidents were easy to arrange.
Misunderstandings even easier.
A few "friendly fire incidents," a few delayed rescues—
Breaking trust between the Uchiha and Hyuga would be effortless.
As long as Root participated,
no matter how hard those two clans fought…
The final credit would belong to Danzo Shimura.
And when the war ended—
When Konoha praised its savior—
The Hokage's seat would no longer be so far out of reach.
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