Tsunade stopped outside the Hokage's office. Rarely one for formalities, she didn't push the door open as usual but instead raised a finger and knocked three times on the dark wooden panel.
The crisp sound echoed through the quiet corridor.
Inside, Hiruzen, buried in paperwork, paused mid-signature. That knock… too polite. He lifted his gaze through a swirl of pipe smoke, eyes narrowing toward the door.
This was Tsunade. Normally she would barge in, kick the door open, or slam it with one hand. This… was different. Too different.
His brow furrowed. When a child suddenly quiets down, it usually means trouble.
This return from the Ame front clearly wasn't just about a battle report. Something more was coming.
He took a deep drag on his pipe, pressed down the unease rising in his heart, and spoke calmly.
"Come in."
Tsunade pushed open the door. Ryo followed behind her. Together, they stepped into the room filled with the faint scent of tobacco. The large desk stood in front of them, with Hiruzen seated behind it. His gaze swept across them, noting Tsunade's rare solemnity and Ryo's unshaken calm.
"Old man." Tsunade stood firm, voice serious, with none of her usual casual tone. She got straight to the point. "The situation in Ame can't continue like this."
Hiruzen didn't reply immediately. He tapped his pipe on the edge of the desk, motioning for her to continue. Her directness confirmed what he feared—this was bad.
Tsunade took a breath, like she was exhaling the front line's blood and smoke. Her voice was steady, every word clear.
"On the Ame front, we've hit a deadlock. It's a full-blown war of attrition. Two years, old man. How many shinobi have Suna, Ame, and Konoha thrown into this? Thousands. Tens of thousands. Each side is running dry."
She looked him directly in the eye.
"Suna's supply lines have collapsed. Their troop replenishment is done. Amegakure… Hanzo's slippery, but his side is taking heavy casualties. Their home-ground advantage is falling apart. As for us…" Her tone sank. "We still have supplies. Our logistics are barely holding. But what about people? We're losing actual shinobi. Veteran Jōnin. Do you know how long it takes to raise a Jōnin? How many missions? How many resources? Now we're sending fresh academy grads straight into the meat grinder."
Her voice carried a restrained urgency.
"My medical corps is barely holding together. The wounded come in faster than we can treat them. The percentage of untreatable injuries is rising. At this rate, Konoha's medical system will collapse too. This isn't just a body count anymore. The economy is cracking. The morale in the village is suffocating. Everyone's sick of war. The ones still alive… they're not fighting for victory. They're just trying to survive."
She took a step forward, her eyes bright with conviction.
"This war has no winners. Suna loses. Ame loses. Konoha loses. If we're all losing, what's the point of dragging this out?"
Hiruzen puffed his pipe in silence. The smoke blurred his face, but he was listening. Every word stabbed deep. The casualty reports, the budget records, the public sentiment. As Hokage, no one understood those numbers better than he did.
Tsunade pressed her hands on the desk, leaning in slightly. She spoke not just as a shinobi, but as a medic.
"I'm a medical ninja, old man. Every day I see severed limbs, lives slipping away, Genin too scared to die, too young to even understand what they're dying for. How many more do we sacrifice to this hole?"
Her eyes softened with a touch of pleading.
"That's why I'm here. I want this war to end. I'm asking for a change in strategy."
Hiruzen finally spoke, voice low and calm.
"What strategy?"
Tsunade answered immediately.
"Cooperation. With Amegakure. Our common enemy is Suna. Hanzo wants the war to end just as badly as we do. If we offer acceptable terms, he'll take them. Once Suna falls, the entire Ame front collapses. The Second Great Ninja War ends. Quickly. This is the only realistic way to cut our losses and bring our shinobi home."
She stood straight, letting the silence sink in.
She believed in him. Despite his bad habits, his hesitation, and political cautiousness, Hiruzen was soft-hearted and loved the village. If she laid out the full truth of the battlefield, of the pain, of a clear path forward, he would see it. He would choose to save lives.
Hiruzen was silent for a long time. The tip of his pipe glowed, then dimmed. Her words pressed hard against him—the numbers, the blood, the loss. All of it weighed heavily on his soul.
He had lived through the days of the First and Second Hokage. He knew better than anyone the value of peace. Her plan was solid. Tempting. End the war fast. Minimize losses.
He almost wanted to say yes.
But another thought rose from deep within, heavier than the rest. A different kind of burden.
He spoke slowly, voice low and tired.
"Tsunade… You're right. But your idea is too naive."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Her back straightened. The room suddenly felt colder.
Hiruzen didn't meet her gaze. He looked past the smoke, toward some far-off distance.
"This war, strictly speaking, was started by Konoha. For the Land of Fire's benefit. For our territory. For our advantage. Now, when the momentum turns against us, you want us to turn around and cooperate with the very village we pushed into war?"
He shook his head slowly, a bitter smile on his lips.
"What happens to Konoha's dignity? How do we keep face as the strongest village of the Land of Fire?"
His voice sharpened.
"If other villages see this, they'll think Konoha is weak. That we can't handle Suna without begging Ame for help. What do you think the Daimyō will say? He's poured real money into this war. He's expecting victory. Not an alliance built on desperation."
He tapped his fingers on the desk, his voice calm but cutting.
"The noble clans, the merchant families—they commission missions because Konoha commands respect. If we lose that, what happens next?"
He finally turned his eyes to Tsunade. They were no longer the soft eyes of a teacher. They were the eyes of a ruler.
"Konoha doesn't just need battlefield wins. We need deterrence. We need the world to know we are not to be trifled with. In the shinobi world, sometimes dignity matters more than victory. Once you lose your reputation, the real troubles begin."
He let out a long breath and softened again.
"Tsunade, I know you care about them. Every injury. Every death. I do too. Every name haunts me. I don't want to sacrifice our shinobi either."
He paused. His next words were heavy.
"But as Hokage, I can't only look at the immediate casualties. I have to think about Konoha's future. Five years. Ten years. Twenty. Sometimes, for the greater good of the village, sacrifices are necessary."
"This world was never kind. It was built on iron and blood."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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