Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Jiraiya a deep look.
This brat better not cause me trouble at a time like this.
Jiraiya ignored the reactions of the three, concisely describing his history with the trio he mentored.
"Under my guidance, the original 'Akatsuki' aimed to achieve peace through dialogue and understanding, not force, and they had considerable popular support in the Land of Rain."
Jiraiya's tone suddenly became heavy: "However, according to my knowledge, they were killed by Hanzō. Now it seems the one who died was Yahiko, their leader."
At this, Jiraiya lowered his eyes and continued, "The one who survived, Nagato, possesses the legendary eyes, the Rinnegan."
Hearing this, everyone frowned, their expressions much more solemn. The legend of the Rinnegan was no secret.
It was the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, more worthy of attention than the obscure Tenseigan. Moreover, they had personally experienced the terrifying power of the Rinnegan.
"The enemy we encountered was not Nagato himself, but a puppet he created and remotely controlled using the power of the Rinnegan, which was Yahiko's corpse."
Jiraiya continued, "The known abilities of the Rinnegan include precise remote control of multiple puppets, Jutsu similar to attraction and repulsion..."
"Attacks using black rods that conduct and disrupt Chakra, and it also seems to possess the ability to repair the puppets."
"And, the Jutsu you all witnessed that nearly destroyed all of Konoha."
The mention of Chibaku Tensei made everyone's face turn ugly. That world-ending sight was fresh in their minds. No further description was needed; the terror of the Rinnegan was deeply etched into everyone's heart.
If not for Hyūga Kawa, all of Konoha would probably have been directly destroyed by it.
Hyūga Kawa should be Konoha's genuine strongest person now.
"The 'Akatsuki' headquarters is highly likely hidden in the Land of Rain."
Jiraiya summarized, "That is their place of origin. It has been isolated for a long time, information is difficult to penetrate, and it is their ideal hiding place."
Mitokado Homura interjected, "According to the urgent communication we received, Suna, Iwa, Kiri, Kumo, and even Taki have all been attacked by the 'Akatsuki'."
"The One-Tailed, Four-Tailed, Six-Tailed, and Seven-Tailed Beasts have been stolen. All nations are strongly demanding necessary and swift action against the Akatsuki organization and the Land of Rain."
A brief silence fell over the conference room as everyone digested the astonishing intelligence.
Yamanaka Inoichi appropriately asked, "What exactly is their purpose for collecting the Tailed Beasts at such a cost?"
"Yahiko's death likely changed Nagato, the mastermind behind this attack on Konoha, leading to a drastic shift in his character."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and answered, "After his closest friend's tragic death and the destruction of his ideals, he became convinced that dialogue and understanding cannot bring peace to this world filled with hatred."
"The 'Akatsuki' under him has transformed into an organization that aims to achieve 'peace' through extreme military deterrence."
He looked around at everyone and stated the chilling conclusion: "He most likely intends to dominate the Shinobi World using the Tailed Beasts, forcibly realizing the 'peace' he believes in."
This conclusion made the temperature in the conference room seem to drop by a few degrees.
Such extreme ideology was even more dangerous than an enemy simply seeking carnage.
Thinking of this, people occasionally glanced at Hyūga Kawa, their eyes flashing.
The situation in the other hidden villages was worse than in Konoha; at least Konoha's Tailed Beast wasn't lost.
And all this was because of...
"The 'Akatsuki' organization and its leader Nagato possess the legendary Rinnegan, and their objective is sufficient to overturn the entire Shinobi World."
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke, "This is no longer a private grudge of a single village, but, like the 'Holllow Realm', a common enemy concerning the survival of all."
"After the meeting, contact the other Four Great Shinobi Villages as quickly as possible to facilitate a second remote Kage Summit. Together, we will strike against the 'Akatsuki' and the Land of Rain, completely eradicating this scourge."
Hearing this, Hyūga Kawa, who had remained silent, couldn't help but smile internally.
Logically, the greater the threat Konoha faced, the more the Konoha people would rely on the power of him, the "hero."
However, whenever people were about to have such thoughts, Sarutobi Hiruzen would bring up the alliance of the hidden villages, guiding everyone to pin their hopes on the alliance rather than an individual.
Clearly, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not want his prestige to increase further.
"Furthermore, the Kumo and Iwa villages mentioned an important detail in their letters."
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "During their defense against the Akatsuki's attack, the Ninja Tools they acquired from the 'Underground Palace' in the Land of Hot Water played a significant role, even turning the tide of battle."
"Given the strength of the 'Holllow Realm' and 'Akatsuki', possessing powers like the 'Holllow' and the Rinnegan, conventional methods will likely be insufficient."
"Therefore, Kumo and Iwa propose a joint exploration of the 'Underground Palace' in the Land of Hot Water, hoping to acquire more powerful Ninja Tools or secret techniques to strengthen the allied forces' capital against the 'Akatsuki'."
At these words, the atmosphere in the conference room abruptly fell silent.
"Joint exploration?"
Hyūga Kawa was the first to speak, stating bluntly, "That idea sounds good. It can minimize risks and improve efficiency to the greatest extent, but..."
"The Five Great Nations, having gone through several Great Shinobi Wars, have deep-seated grievances and an extremely weak foundation of mutual trust. Can we truly expect them to completely discard past differences and genuinely achieve sincere cooperation?"
"Who takes command? Is it a rotating position, or should a joint command structure be established?"
"How should the profits be distributed? Based on contribution, or an equal share?"
"Are the techniques and knowledge discovered during the exploration to be shared, or kept secret by each party?"
"Every one of these questions could become a fuse to ignite conflict."
Hyūga Kawa's tone was calm: "Let's not have the 'Akatsuki' and 'Holllow Realm' threats still unresolved while we start infighting due to unequal division of spoils."
Hearing this, the gaze of the others towards him carried a hint of understanding.
This "hero" of Konoha seems to lean towards the hawkish side—mild-mannered internally, but assertive externally.
However, his suspicions were not unfounded and represented the inner thoughts of quite a few people present.
Even if the leadership reached a consensus, the shinobi below would be difficult to control. After all, it was decades of hatred, with many relatives and friends having died at each other's hands. How could they possibly let go of their grudges?
"The times are different now. Even if it's difficult, it must be done."
Sarutobi Hiruzen simply stated, "As early as the Kage Summit held in the Land of Oni, facing the common threat of the 'Holllow Realm,' the Kage already reached a preliminary consensus on intelligence sharing and joint action when necessary."
"This has laid an unprecedented foundation for our cooperation."
"And now, the 'Akatsuki' organization stealing the Tailed Beasts and its insane plan similarly threaten the balance and survival of the entire Shinobi World."
"In the face of this life-and-death crisis, cooperation is no longer one of the options; it is the only viable way out for us."
He looked around the room and continued, "Regarding the specific details of cooperation, including the command system, profit distribution, and risk sharing—complex issues like these—empty talk is useless."
"I will expedite the convening of a second remote Kage Summit. At that time, this will be one of our core topics for discussion."
"We must, and we certainly will, produce a concrete plan and action guideline that both safeguards the core interests of all parties and ensures the efficient operation of the Allied Forces."
Hearing that Sarutobi Hiruzen already had such a clear and concrete plan and steps, and was not just shouting slogans, the deep suspicion on everyone's faces slightly receded.
"Furthermore..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen changed the subject: "While external threats are pressing, the internal reconstruction and recovery of Konoha are equally urgent."
With that, his gaze turned to Nara Shikaku, and he said, "Shikaku, please explain the actual situation currently facing the village."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Nara Shikaku stood up and said in a steady tone, "Our shinobi forces suffered heavy casualties in this attack. Particularly the Chunin and Genin ranks, who form the backbone, have a huge deficit in combat capability that will be difficult to make up for in the short term."
"The civilian casualties are equally appalling. The population reduction will have a long-term and profound impact on the village's mission handling capacity and future ninja cultivation..."
"Currently, reconstruction work is being pushed forward with all effort, but we face a severe shortage of resources. There are huge gaps in funding, construction materials, and medical supplies, hindering the progress of many infrastructure repairs..."
After he finished speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen appropriately looked at Kazuma, who represented the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and said sincerely, "Konoha's reconstruction still requires the strong support of the Daimyo-dono."
"Hokage-dono, you exaggerate," Kazuma immediately showed a smile and nodded, "The Daimyo-sama is deeply distressed by the calamity Konoha has suffered this time and naturally will not stand by."
"The Daimyo-dono is willing to provide necessary resource aid to help Konoha recover quickly. However, I believe Hokage-dono is also aware..."
He then changed his tone, his smile unchanged: "The situation in the Shinobi World is volatile now. The threat of the Akatsuki and the Holllow Realm is not eliminated, and the Land of Fire's internal defenses also need strengthening. The security pressure on the Daimyo's estate is indeed considerable."
"Therefore, we hope Konoha can provide greater support in the deployment of its shinobi forces, assisting in maintaining the stability and order throughout the Land of Fire."
"Using this as a mutually beneficial foundation for resource aid, I believe is reasonable and fair."
The meaning of these words was obvious.
The Daimyo's estate could provide resources, but Konoha needed to send more shinobi to report directly to the Daimyo, essentially trading partial control over military force for reconstruction resources.
This was blatant opportunism.
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became subtle.
Konoha's strength was already severely depleted; now, they were being asked to select a portion to send to the Daimyo's estate?
However, without the population and material aid controlled by the Daimyo's estate, Konoha's reconstruction speed would be greatly slowed down, possibly even stagnating.
Tsunade frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this act of coercion, and was about to say something.
Shimura Danzō, who had been silent, slightly tightened his grip on his cane, clearly ready to speak.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen did not give anyone a chance to interrupt the rhythm.
"We will have a detailed consultation on the specific terms of resource aid later."
Sarutobi Hiruzen directly quelled Danzō's impending words and also blocked the words that had reached Tsunade's lips.
His eyes suddenly narrowed, sweeping over the entire room: "Before discussing external aid, we must first address the serious dereliction of duty exposed within Konoha by this incident."
"Why was the Akatsuki organization able to so easily breach Konoha's proud barrier and defense system, penetrating deep and causing such severe damage?"
"Why did our early warning mechanism fail? Why was the Anbu's intelligence network completely ineffective at the crucial moment, as if it didn't exist?"
This sharp questioning caused the Anbu Commander to lower his head.
But more people smelled the gunpowder, their eyes, whether openly or subtly, turning to Shimura Danzō.
Everyone knew that the 'Root' controlled by Danzō nominally still belonged to Anbu, and on the night of the attack, there were no reports of 'Root' actions.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, while seemingly targeting the whole organization, were actually an accusation of 'Root's' dereliction of duty.
Shimura Danzō's 'Root' was under Anbu jurisdiction, and indeed no one had seen Danzō and 'Root' that day. Clearly, Sarutobi Hiruzen was targeting 'Root,' not the Anbu as a whole.
"..." Danzō's eyes narrowed, his sinister gaze fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"According to reports from surviving Hyūga clan shinobi, on the night of the attack, when the Hyūga compound experienced an unexpected incident, masked shinobi were seen nearby, yet they did not intervene to stop it. Instead, their movements were secretive!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Danzō, asking word by word, "Danzō, how do you explain this?"
"Why were your 'Root' members near the Hyūga clan at that time? What was their mission? Were they monitoring, or did they have another motive?"
"Also, based on the attackers' statements and intelligence analysis, the ambush and encirclement of the original Akatsuki organization by Hanzō also involved the intervention and promotion of Konoha shinobi."
"If I remember correctly, the one carrying out secret missions in the Land of Rain at that time was none other than you, Shimura Danzō, along with Orochimaru, and your subordinate 'Root', correct?"
"Was it precisely your actions years ago that planted the seeds of hatred for the 'Akatsuki' organization against Konoha today?"
These words directly publicized the potential misconduct of 'Root,' linking it to the experiences of the Hyūga clan and Konoha.
Boom!!
"Absurd!"
Danzō violently slammed his cane on the ground, making a dull sound. His voice was hoarse and full of anger: "All of this is baseless malicious speculation and accusation..."
"Whether it is baseless or not will be determined by subsequent investigations!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice suddenly rose: "However, given that 'Root's' actions during this crisis were unclear, and its fulfillment of duty is seriously questionable."
"And considering its past actions, which have been widely controversial and lacked effective oversight, it poses a potential risk to the village's unified command and security stability!"
"In the name of the Third Hokage, I hereby formally order."
He took a deep breath and announced with an uncompromising voice: "Effective immediately, the dissolution of 'Root'. All former members shall be uniformly taken over, vetted, and reorganized by the Anbu!"
"Shimura Danzō, you are no longer to hold any position related to 'Root' and must cooperate with all subsequent investigations!"
This command struck like a bolt of lightning, not only freezing Danzō in place, his eyes filled with disbelief and towering fury, but also shocking the hearts of all the high-level officials present!
Sarutobi Hiruzen had directly utilized his highest authority to forcefully uproot the foundation Danzō had cultivated for decades!
Why?
This didn't align with Sarutobi Hiruzen's past sentimental and soft-hearted personality!
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you intend to shift the enormous responsibility for the Hyūga clan's internal strife and the entire village's attack onto my shoulders, based solely on the biased words of certain individuals?!"
Danzō trembled with rage, his eyes flashing coldly, and he stated harshly, "The person who should truly bear the primary responsibility for Konoha's severe losses this time is you, the Hokage!"
"It is your incompetent leadership that has led to today's situation!"
Facing Danzō's intense counterattack, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face showed no anger; instead, he was remarkably calm.
His composure caused Danzō's expression to change slightly, as if he realized something.
Damn it, is Hiruzen trying to...
"You are right, Danzō."
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly removed the Kage hat from his head and gently placed it on the conference table in front of him. This action caused everyone's heart to suddenly pound.
"I, like you, bear an inescapable responsibility."
He raised his head, looking sincerely at everyone: "As the Third Hokage, failing to protect the village and its villagers is my dereliction of duty."
"For the lives lost, for the suffering endured, I am equally to blame."
He then looked around the room, his gaze sweeping over every face, which was either shocked, confused, or grave.
He took a deep breath, as if making a supreme resolution, and announced in a clear and firm voice: "Therefore, I have formally decided to resign from the position of Hokage."
The entire conference room instantly fell into a dead silence, not a sound could be heard, not even breathing. A pin drop would have been audible. Everyone's eyes flashed, their minds filled with various thoughts.
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