Author's Note
A promise is a promise!
I said I'd release an extra chapter for every 60 Power Stones, and you all met the goal. So, here is the bonus chapter.
Just a reminder: For every 60 Power Stones we hit, I will release another extra chapter.
Thanks for the support!
******
The makeshift Hokage Tower, an underground meeting room that hadn't been used since the last Great War, was a claustrophobic space. There were no windows, only stone walls, tactical maps hastily pinned up, and the harsh light from the illumination seals on the ceiling.
Hiruzen sat at the head of the long wooden table. A thick bandage covered his torso beneath his Hokage robes. Every breath was an effort, a dull pain in his ribs that reminded him how close he had come to the end. Still, his posture was straight, his eyes firm.
To his right, Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall. She hadn't sat down; the stillness of a council room always made her nervous. To his left, Jiraiya was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, a facade of relaxation that fooled no one. Across from them, the two Konoha council members, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, completed the circle.
The same faces. Too many years sitting in these same chairs.
"Alright," Hiruzen began, his voice a hoarse murmur that cut through the silence. "Let's begin."
The door to the room opened an instant later, as if the man on the other side had been waiting for that single word. Ibiki Morino entered. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. His face was pale and, though largely recovered thanks to Tsunade's healing, he had dark circles under his eyes that weren't paint. He gave a precise bow.
"Hokage-sama."
"Your report, Ibiki," Hiruzen ordered.
"The casualty count is almost complete," Ibiki said in a harsh voice. "Thirty-four Konoha shinobi fallen in combat."
Tsunade clenched her jaw.
"One hundred twenty-three wounded," Ibiki continued, "most with minor to moderate injuries that the medical corps is already treating. There are fewer than twenty severe cases."
"And the civilians?" Homura asked, his voice measured.
"The numbers are… surprisingly low. Fewer than thirty fatalities. The evacuations and the swift neutralization of internal threats were effective."
Koharu Utatane, a woman whose severity seemed carved into her face, nodded sharply. "Far less than it could have been. We were lucky."
Tsunade pushed herself off the wall. "Lucky?"
Tsunade's question was sharp. Koharu looked at her, unperturbed.
"What do you mean, Tsunade?"
"It wasn't luck, Koharu," Tsunade replied, her voice cutting. "It was competence. It was my medics applying the triage rules I established years ago. It was Shizune coordinating the aid stations while the stadium was collapsing. It was that genin team stopping the sand beast before it destroyed everything in its path. People are alive because of hard work, not a lucky break."
Koharu pursed her lips. "I didn't mean to belittle anyone's efforts. I am simply pointing out that the outcome could have been catastrophic."
"It could have been," Tsunade conceded, not yielding an inch. "But it wasn't. Let's not let history remember it as a fortunate chance."
Hiruzen intervened before the tension could rise. "Tsunade's point is valid. The credit belongs to those who fought and worked to protect the village. Continue, Ibiki. What about the enemy?"
Ibiki nodded, grateful for the interruption. "The Sound and Sand's casualties are massive. We estimate over seven hundred fallen within the walls alone. It's a massacre."
"Prisoners?" Jiraiya asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Two hundred and eighteen. Most are Chūnin rank from the Sand. Preliminary interrogations are underway."
"And what are they saying?" Jiraiya pressed. "Why would Suna ally themselves with a madman like Orochimaru?"
"That's the problem," Ibiki answered. "Confusion. Panic. Most of the Sand squads believed this was a large-scale exercise that had gotten out of control. They didn't know they were participating in a full-blown invasion until it was too late, until our shinobi began to respond with lethal force."
"They didn't know?" Homura repeated, skeptical. "How is it possible that an entire army doesn't know it's invading another nation?"
"Manipulation," Ibiki said, his expression hardening. "And they all confirm the same thing. The Fourth Kazekage… was assassinated. Weeks ago."
An icy silence, heavier than the last, fell over the room.
"Damn bastard," Jiraiya muttered under his breath.
"So Suna wasn't just an ally," Koharu said, her knuckles white where her hands rested on the table. "They were his puppets. Deceived, manipulated, and sent to die at our hands."
"That doesn't absolve them of their responsibility," Tsunade snapped immediately. "Whether they were deceived or not, they crossed our borders with weapons in hand. They killed our people. That, Koharu, is an act of war. And the only response to an act of war is war."
I've seen what happens when you show weakness. They eat you alive.
"Are you proposing a counter-invasion, Tsunade?" Homura asked, raising an eyebrow. "Now? With our village in ruins and our forces depleted?"
"Precisely!" she insisted, taking a step forward and planting her hands on the table. "A counterattack! Right now! While they are weak, disorganized, and leaderless. Their Kage is dead, their most powerful Jinchūriki was defeated by my kid, and their army is in pieces. They're on their knees."
She looked at each of them, her gaze burning. "Think of the message it would send. It would show the rest of the world, Iwa, Kumo, anyone with ideas, that attacking Konoha is suicide. If we show hesitation, if we sit here and lick our wounds, we'll look weak. And every minor village, from the Rain to the Grass, will think we're an easy target! We have to crush this threat before it can rise again!"
"Suna isn't the real threat, Tsunade," Hiruzen said quietly. All eyes turned to him. "Orochimaru is. Launching an all-out war would be falling right into his trap. He is the enemy here. Not Suna."
"Suna was his weapon!" Tsunade shot back, her frustration boiling. "They aren't innocent just because Orochimaru was using them. Several of our own are dead at Suna's hands. Are we going to ignore that?"
"We will not ignore it," Hiruzen said calmly. "But we will not respond with the same blindness. He wants chaos. He wants the great nations to bleed each other dry so he can move freely in the shadows and pick up the pieces. If we attack Suna, we will be giving him exactly what he wants."
Another war... I've buried too many children. I won't add more to that list out of pride.
"It's not pride, Sensei, it's survival," Tsunade said, her tone softening slightly, but not her conviction. "Sometimes, to ensure peace tomorrow, you have to fight today."
Jiraiya, who had remained silent during the exchange, finally straightened in his chair. The carefree air around him vanished completely.
"The old man is right, Tsunade."
Tsunade turned to him, incredulous. "You too? After everything you've seen in your travels? The damage Orochimaru has caused?"
"Precisamente because of everything I've seen," Jiraiya replied, his voice grave. "My spy network has been tracking Orochimaru's movements for months, and yes, he is the priority. But they've also been tracking something else. Something new."
He paused, making sure he had everyone's attention.
"It's an organization. They call themselves Akatsuki."
The name hung in the air, unknown to Homura and Koharu. Hiruzen didn't react, but a shadow crossed his face.
"What is Akatsuki?" Homura asked.
"A problem," Jiraiya said bluntly. "A very big problem. They're a group of S-rank rogue ninja. Every one of them is a walking calamity. Itachi Uchiha is one of them. Kisame Hoshigaki, too. And there are others just as dangerous."
The mention of Itachi caused a tense stir.
"And what do they want?" Tsunade asked.
"They're hunting the Jinchūriki," Jiraiya continued. "We don't know why, but that's their objective. Now think about this: if Konoha and Suna go to all-out war, we will weaken each other to the point where we can't defend against this new threat. We'll be easy prey. For Akatsuki and for Orochimaru. The village's long-term survival depends on stability, Tsunade. Not on revenge."
Jiraiya's words, based not on emotion but on raw intelligence, calmed the belligerent atmosphere. Tsunade didn't look convinced, but the argument was solid. She crossed her arms again, a grimace of frustration on her face, but she didn't argue back.
****"
Miles away, in the cold, sterile depths beneath the village's surface, Danzō stood in the darkness of his office. The only sound was the constant dripping of water somewhere in the distance. He didn't need light to see the reports stacked on his desk. He had already memorized them.
Failure.
He clenched his right fist so hard the knuckles on his ungloved hand turned white. A vein pulsed at his temple.
Hiruzen… survived. Not only that, but he's come out of this a hero. The senile old monkey clinging to power is now the embodiment of the Will of Fire. Immovable. Untouchable.
His plan, years of careful manipulation to expose Hiruzen's weakness and seize control in the ensuing chaos, had crumbled. The perfect crisis, the opportunity of a lifetime, had vanished. And he had been left in the shadows, powerless.
A Root operative, wearing an emotionless weasel mask, appeared in the room in a silent swirl of leaves. He knelt on one knee.
"Danzō-sama. The surveillance report is complete."
"Speak," Danzō ordered, his voice a cold whisper that barely disturbed the stillness.
"The Kyubi's Jinchūriki."
"What about him?"
"His control over the fox's chakra has increased exponentially. He was the decisive force in the battle against the Shukaku. He is no longer just a container; he is becoming a functional weapon."
"I know," Danzō hissed. "Continue."
"The Haruno girl. Her physical strength is… anomalous. It doesn't correspond to any known taijutsu style, nor is it based on any recorded Kekkei Genkai. She shattered the stadium floor with a single punch. The source of this power is unknown. It does not appear to be a simple chakra enhancement."
Danzō turned slowly, his single visible eye gleaming in the gloom. "Unknown? What do our analysts say?"
"They speculate it could be an extremely advanced and refined form of chakra control, but there is no precedent. It is… new."
"Unacceptable," Danzō muttered. "Next."
"The Hyūga heiress. Her skill with the Gentle Fist and her precision with the Byakugan far exceeded expectations. She acted as the team's tactical coordinator in the battle, directing the others' movements. Her combat judgment is superior to that of most Jōnin."
"And the last one?"
"The Uzumaki girl from the Grass. The one they brought back."
"Yes."
"She manifested the Adamantine Sealing Chains."
Danzō fell silent for a long moment. The dripping water seemed to count the seconds. The legacy of the Uzumaki clan, a legendary power thought to be lost.
Anomalous powers. Legendary Kekkei Genkai abilities. And the Jinchūriki, finally becoming the weapon he was always meant to be. But they are not under my control. They are under the influence of Hiruzen and his soft philosophy. They are heroes. And heroes are unpredictable. Uncontrollable.
"These… assets," he said, the word coming out with calculated coldness, "are too valuable and too dangerous to be left under Hiruzen's tutelage. From now on, every one of them will have constant surveillance."
"What level of surveillance, Danzō-sama?"
"Total. I want to know every technique they learn, every conversation they have, every person they meet. Assign a team to the Haruno girl. Their sole priority is to discover the source of that anomalous power. I want to know if it can be replicated."
"Understood."
"For the Hyūga, I want a profile of her relationships within her clan. The Main Branch, the Secondary. Look for any friction, any resentment. Family loyalty can be a powerful lever."
"It will be done."
"And for the Uzumaki girl… I want a full analysis of those chains. Their strength, their range, their limits. And can she teach that ability to others?"
"We will investigate."
Danzō paused, his gaze fixed on nothing. "Finally, the Jinchūriki. I want a complete psychological profile. Find his weaknesses. His fears. His attachments. Who does he protect? What does he value more than his own life? They have become the most important pieces on the board. And if I cannot control them…" his voice dropped to a dangerous hiss, "I will ensure no one else can."
"Understood, Danzō-sama."
The operative vanished as silently as he had arrived, leaving Danzō alone again in the darkness, his mind already adapting to Konoha's new and frustrating political reality.
****
Back in the bunker, the debate had concluded. Jiraiya's information had been decisive.
Hiruzen looked at each of the council members. "Then it is decided. There will be no retaliation. Not for now."
"And what do you propose, Hiruzen?" Koharu asked, her tone still skeptical. "Do we just forget that they marched on our village and killed dozens of our shinobi? Do we just give them a slap on the wrist?"
"No," Hiruzen answered firmly. "We do not forget. Suna has been humiliated. Their Kage murdered by the man they trusted. Their army decimated in a war they didn't even know they were fighting. They are at their weakest point, politically and militarily. They are vulnerable."
"Vulnerable to an attack," Tsunade insisted under her breath.
"No," Hiruzen corrected her. "Vulnerable to diplomacy. A peace forged from a position of strength is the most durable. If we attack them now, we will turn them into martyrs and generate a hatred that will last for generations. If we offer them a way forward, one that benefits us, we will have them tied to us."
He straightened up, the weight of the final decision settling on his shoulders. "We will send a delegation to Suna."
"A delegation?" Homura repeated. "For what purpose?"
"Not to offer peace," Hiruzen clarified, "but to demand it. We will demand a full explanation regarding Orochimaru's role. We will demand compensation for the damages caused to the village. And we will demand a new treaty, one that binds them to Konoha in a way that makes a betrayal like this impossible in the future. They will be our allies, yes, but they will be so on our terms."
"It's a risk," Homura said. "They could see it as a sign of weakness. They might refuse."
"Peace always is," Hiruzen replied. "But it's a risk we must take. For the future of this village. For the next generation."
His gaze drifted for a moment, as if looking through the stone walls.
"Prepare the delegation," he said, his voice resonating with the final authority of the Hokage. "They leave in three days."
The invasion was over. The balance of power had been broken. And now, it was time to start forging a new one.
***
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