The spacious Hokage office was once again filled with people.
After a major battle, a high-level meeting was inevitable.
On one hand, it was to consolidate information from various sources and share insights.
On the other hand, it was to set the direction for the village's future development.
This time, Namikaze Minato also joined the meeting.
Namikaze Minato was, without a doubt, the first new face to appear in Konohagakure's high-level meetings since the formation of the Hokage Guard.
He was also the first new-generation ninja to participate in such a high-level meeting.
So...
Namikaze Minato was... a bit nervous.
"Actually, there's not much to say. The ninja world now only has Konohagakure as a major hidden village. As for the smaller villages, our main approach should be cooperation. Konohagakure won't initiate any wars."
As everyone took their seats, Raijin spoke up directly.
The issues with Uchiha Madara and Jigen were one thing.
Konohagakure's position in the ninja world was another.
"Konohagakure has swept aside the four major hidden villages, and our influence is unmatched. The smaller villages aren't important right now. The most urgent matter is still Uchiha Madara and Jigen."
Shimura Danzo cut straight to the point.
As a disciple of Senju Tobirama, Danzo couldn't stand the idea of two powerful ninjas lurking in the shadows, eyeing Konohagakure with ill intent.
Especially when those two ninjas were incredibly strong.
"Uchiha Madara and Jigen... the most urgent matter..."
Raijin chuckled lightly and looked up at Danzo, countering with a question.
"Do you have any good solutions, Danzo? If your plan is feasible, I'll follow your lead."
"I don't have a solution."
Danzo glanced at Raijin and didn't say much more, simply admitting that he had no answer.
"I know everyone is anxious. After all, Konohagakure is now the most powerful hidden village in the ninja world, and this is what we've all been fighting for most of our lives."
Raijin didn't press further to embarrass Danzo.
This version of Danzo wasn't the same as the one from the original timeline.
He wasn't targeting Raijin, so Raijin saw no reason to go out of his way to provoke him.
Danzo's earlier question was actually speaking for everyone in the room.
Strictly speaking, Raijin knew his reaction might have been a bit inappropriate.
But Raijin didn't feel like being diplomatic. If there was no solution, there was no solution.
No amount of sugarcoating would change that.
So, Raijin gave Danzo an apologetic smile.
"Hmph."
Danzo crossed his arms, turned his head slightly, and closed his eyes, looking as calm as ever.
"But let's not rush things."
Seeing this, Raijin stopped paying attention to Danzo and addressed everyone.
"Everyone, you need to believe that Uchiha Madara and Jigen are more anxious than any of us."
"So, we're just going to do nothing?"
Senju Tobirama turned to Raijin and asked.
Senju Tobirama wasn't concerned about what benefits this war had brought to Konohagakure, how the village would develop in the future, or even how Konohagakure should approach the smaller hidden villages.
Given Konohagakure's current state, even if a dog were sitting in the Hokage's seat, the village wouldn't collapse.
So, what Senju Tobirama cared about more was how Raijin planned to deal with Uchiha Madara and Jigen.
"If possible, we'll definitely take them out. And right now, Konohagakure still has the upper hand in terms of strength."
Sitting in his chair, Raijin looked at Senju Tobirama.
"Oh? The upper hand?"
Senju Tobirama's interest was piqued, and he turned to Raijin.
"First of all, thanks to your efforts, Konohagakure has gained a new ally—Otsutsuki Toneri, who possesses the Tenseigan. If we ignore combat experience and the Outer Path Statue, Toneri can match Uchiha Madara."
Raijin explained to Senju Tobirama.
"Then there's Kanpei, who's under my control. His strength is quite impressive. Even against Uchiha Madara, he can hold his own."
"Hmm, not bad."
Senju Tobirama nodded thoughtfully after a moment of consideration.
With Raijin and Tsunade added to the mix, it would be four against two. Not a big problem.
"As for Jigen, he's a bit of a mystery. He hasn't shown up much, so it's hard to gauge his strength."
Raijin continued.
"I remember you mentioned before that he might be injured. No matter how strong he is, if he's hurt, it's bound to affect his abilities."
Danzo suddenly chimed in.
"Yes, while there's no solid evidence, I believe that's the case."
Raijin nodded in agreement.
"But the most important thing when it comes to taking down an enemy is finding them first. Ordinary ninja wouldn't stand a chance of locating them, and even if they did, it wouldn't mean much."
"True, but as things stand, Konohagakure has enough strength to form an elite squad."
Sarutobi Hiruzen added.
"Right, so next, I plan to have Otsutsuki Isshiki, Kanpei, and three members of the Hokage Guard Platoon form an elite team."
Raijin nodded.
After dealing with Sunagakure and Iwagakure, Konohagakure's next mission would be to focus on Uchiha Madara and Jigen.
Even if they couldn't find them, they could at least make their lives difficult.
We can't let them sit idle, after all.
"Who's on the team?"
Hearing Raijin's question, Senju Tobirama turned to him.
"Hatake Sakumo, Might Duy, Jiraiya, Otsutsuki Toneri, and Jigen. Hatake Sakumo will be the team leader."
Raijin spoke softly, having carefully selected these individuals.
The team was built for toughness and agility.
"Hey, are you looking down on me?"
Kurama Yun asked Raijin, clearly annoyed.
If Might Duy, that overly enthusiastic guy, could make the team, what was she lacking?
Not that she had anything against Might Duy, but still...
With the important matters settled, Raijin turned to Namikaze Minato.
Kurama Yun wasn't exactly eager to join this mission in the first place.
But whether she wanted to or not was one thing—whether she was allowed to was another.
What, was Genjutsu inferior to Taijutsu now?
"Well... it's not that I'm looking down on you. It's just that Genjutsu users tend to have weaker self-defense capabilities, and our opponents are pretty strong. They also have high resistance to Genjutsu, so... you get it."
Raijin was taken aback and quickly stood up to calm Kurama Yun's frustration.
"Then why can't I be the team leader?"
Jiraiya chimed in, clearly trying to give Raijin a hard time.
Jiraiya didn't really want the role either—he just wanted to stir the pot.
"Get lost."
Raijin shot Jiraiya a glance and replied without hesitation.
Jiraiya's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something to save face, but no words came out.
"I trust your expertise on how to handle this mission, so I won't say much. But one thing—no matter what, the five of you must stick together in any situation. Your safety is the top priority."
Raijin handed Hatake Sakumo a Flying Thunder God Kunai as he spoke.
This team might not be able to kill Uchiha Madara or Jigen, but they could definitely summon him to the battlefield if they encountered them.
"Understood."
Hatake Sakumo nodded without any hesitation.
He wasn't foolish. Even if it was just Uchiha Madara alone, being overly cautious was never a bad idea.
Everyone only has one life—there's no need to show off.
"Alright, next, Namikaze Minato will brief everyone on Konohagakure's current developments in various areas."
Namikaze Minato nodded, took a couple of steps forward, and stood in the middle of the office to report on Konohagakure's current situation to everyone.
No one in Konohagakure understood the village's situation better than Namikaze Minato.
After Tsunade became the honorary Hokage, Raijin also took on the role of honorary Hokage secretary.
...
"As long as Uchiha Madara and Jigen are still alive, I can't seem to relax. It feels like there's always something hanging over me."
In the forest between the Senju and Uchiha clan lands, Raijin and Tsunade strolled along a small path.
This path had been intentionally preserved during the last reconstruction of Konohagakure.
The scenery was quite beautiful.
"If they were hiding so well that I didn't even know about them, I wouldn't be so on edge all the time," Raijin said with a light chuckle.
"Let's hope they don't hide too well. If they suddenly launch an attack, it would be terrifying just to think about it," Tsunade replied, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Maybe we'll only be able to relax completely after we've dealt with them, huh?"
"Why do you say that?" Raijin glanced at Tsunade.
"People always have something to worry about at every stage of life," Raijin said with a soft laugh and a shake of his head.
"Right now, you might think, 'Uchiha Madara and Jigen are so annoying, why aren't they dead yet?' But it's precisely because of these two that Konohagakure has come together so tightly.
Once those two are gone, there will always be some people who start causing trouble behind the scenes."
"I'm the Hokage. If anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll deal with them," Tsunade said sternly.
"It's not that simple. What is Konohagakure at its core? It's made up of people. And people are greedy. Who wouldn't think about their own family's interests? If everyone makes a mistake, are you going to punish them all? Then there would be no Konohagakure left," Raijin said with a light smile.
Absolute power can help the Hokage maintain authority and quickly suppress any shady activities.
But power isn't everything when it comes to the Hokage's authority.
If the entire Konohagakure opposes one person, no matter how strong that person is, they have no choice but to destroy the village.
"What kind of nonsense are you thinking about? If being Hokage is as complicated as you say, then it's way too much trouble," Tsunade said, giving Raijin a displeased look.
Even though she said that, Tsunade knew Raijin was right.
As the Hokage, Tsunade had access to all of Konohagakure's resources and the respect of every villager. But at the same time, she also had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with the position.
If there were enemies, the Hokage had to deal with them.
If there were problems, the Hokage had to solve them.
If there were resources to be fought for, the Hokage had to secure them.
So, Tsunade left all these matters to Uchiha Raijin.
As for the price?
Herself.
"Who knows? Just a personal thought, don't take it too seriously."
Raijin raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't delve deeper into the topic.
It wasn't interesting. Tsunade didn't like hearing it, and he didn't like saying it.
"Oh… so you're already getting impatient with me, huh?"
Tsunade's eyes gleamed as she turned to Raijin with a question.
"Huh?!"
Raijin was taken aback, quickly turning his head to look at Tsunade in surprise.
Their eyes met, and Tsunade blinked, waiting for Raijin's response.
"Yeah, I'm impatient."
Raijin blinked back and nodded lightly under Tsunade's gaze.
"Oh?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned, then raised her hand as if to hit him.
"Whoosh—"
With the sound of lightning cutting through the air, Raijin's figure had already vanished from the spot.
"Hmph!"
Tsunade didn't even bother chasing him. After all, there was no way she could catch up.
And where could he even run to?
…
"Toneri."
The sudden voice behind him startled Toneri, making him jump. He turned around to see Raijin, who had appeared out of nowhere.
Raijin, in turn, saw Toneri's bright blue eyes for the first time—his Tenseigan.
"Feeling confident about this mission?"
Raijin casually walked over and sat down across from Toneri, helping himself to a cup of tea without any hesitation.
"The opponent has the Rinnegan, after all… Who knows how it'll turn out?"
Toneri shrugged, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
The Tenseigan, a legendary dojutsu recorded in the clan's history.
Who would've thought that the first opponent he'd face after awakening it would be Uchiha Madara, who possessed the Rinnegan?
Toneri didn't believe he had a guaranteed chance of winning.
So, his gaze at Raijin was filled with anticipation.
Surely, Raijin had come up with some kind of plan, right?
"Don't push yourself too hard. Just hold out until I get there."
Raijin pursed his lips and offered some encouragement to Toneri.
To be honest, coming here, Raijin himself wasn't even sure what his purpose was in seeking out Toneri.
He could only try to make small talk to avoid looking too awkward.
"Ah... I will."
Toneri nodded and continued to wait for Raijin to say more.
Raijin's earlier comment felt more like an opening, and Toneri had a feeling there was more to come.
"Alright, be careful and stay safe. When you get back, I'll treat you to a meal."
Raijin picked up the freshly poured tea, drank it in one go, stood up, and patted Toneri on the shoulder.
In the next moment, he vanished on the spot.
"Huh?"
Toneri was stunned, blinking in confusion as he stared at the spot where Raijin had disappeared.
So, you came all the way here just to say those two things?
Were you genuinely encouraging me, or were you trying to subtly warn me because you don't trust me?
It didn't seem like either…
Otsutsuki Toneri fell into deep thought, puzzled by Raijin's strange behavior.
(End of chapter)
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