The air in the Hokage's office felt frozen.
Tsunade's face had gone slightly pale. Her clenched knuckles turned white.
She understood.
She didn't lack understanding of the old man's stance as Hokage. She understood the principle: if you're not sitting in the seat, don't speak for it.
But understanding was one thing. Acceptance was another.
She couldn't accept it. What she cared about was the present, the lives struggling in mud and blood.
What the old man cared about was something far more abstract.
Was it a matter of right or wrong? A wave of helplessness and sorrow surged within Tsunade.
No. Maybe it really wasn't about right or wrong.
It was simply that whoever sat in the seat had to speak for the seat.
Hiruzen clearly saw the fierce turmoil in her eyes. He felt conflicted too. The plan Tsunade proposed was tempting, but he couldn't afford a decision that might shake Konoha's foundation. He needed an exit. A buffer.
His gaze shifted naturally to the other person in the room, the one who had been silent from the beginning but whose presence could not be ignored.
"Ryo." Hiruzen's tone softened, adding deliberate warmth to ease the tension. "You're one of Konoha's key talents, a part of our future. You've seen the front lines. You know the enemy. What do you think of Tsunade's proposal?"
He emphasized "future" and "front lines," applying subtle pressure. It sounded like an open question, but it was also a setup.
In the adult world, asking for your opinion often meant asking you to shoulder part of the responsibility. To Ryo, this wasn't an invitation. It was a disguised refusal. A way to pass the decision to someone else.
"I disagree, but I need someone else to say it" — that was what Hiruzen's words really meant.
Ryo saw through it instantly.
He understood perfectly the calculation behind the question. Deep down, Hiruzen leaned toward preserving Konoha's so-called dignity and long-term interests.
Tsunade's idealism and her desire to save lives seemed too soft by comparison.
But did Ryo care about Konoha's false pride?
A faint, cold smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
He didn't care about Konoha's image. What he cared about was much simpler.
"Hokage-sama." Ryo's voice was calm and steady. He didn't look at Hiruzen. His eyes were on Tsunade's clenched fists, filled with frustration and determination.
"I support Tsunade's proposal."
A short sentence. It landed like a thunderclap.
Hiruzen was visibly stunned. He forgot to puff his pipe. He hadn't expected Ryo to side so firmly with Tsunade and completely ignore the implication behind his question.
Ryo turned slightly, meeting the Hokage's gaze directly. His tone remained calm, but every word struck deep.
"Wars are about profit. I understand that. But to keep fighting just for the sake of face, while our shinobi die pointlessly, that is meaningless. Our forces are barely holding together. What dignity is left to protect? It's self-deception. We are wasting lives and strength."
He paused. His next words were quieter, but sharper.
"Instead of clinging to empty pride and sinking further, we should let go and find a breakthrough. Preserve strength now, and dignity can be rebuilt later. Sacrificing the future to maintain a false sense of honor, that is the real mistake. Tsunade values lives. Her approach may sound simple, but she is right. That is still better than some cowardly senpai who doesn't even have the guts to support the woman he claims to love."
There was no need to name the person he meant.
Hiruzen choked on his pipe smoke and coughed violently.
Ryo's final jab was pure mockery. It tore through Hiruzen's careful balancing act and stepped directly on Jiraiya's face. But most importantly, it exposed a truth no one could ignore. Konoha's war potential was almost gone.
The scales in Hiruzen's heart, pride versus survival began to shift. Tsunade's grief, Ryo's blunt logic, and that one line about preserving strength had shaken his hesitation.
Especially that sentence. "Preserve strength to rebuild dignity."
It struck like lightning. The fog began to clear.
Ryo's stance stirred something within him. Tsunade turned her head sharply. Her eyes were filled with surprise and emotion.
At that moment, when she thought she stood alone, Ryo had spoken up. He had taken her side without hesitation. Without compromise.
He stood with her.
Some of the cold, bitter pain in her chest eased.
And Ryo's savage blow to Jiraiya's pride, while brutal, brought her a petty but satisfying sense of relief.
Hiruzen finally stopped coughing. His face carried a mix of awkwardness and contemplation. Ryo's words were harsh, but they were real.
Dignity without strength was meaningless.
Tsunade's plan was risky. But if it worked, it might truly be the only way to end the war and preserve Konoha's core.
"Cough... cough..." Hiruzen cleared his throat and sat straighter, trying to regain composure. His voice returned to its usual calm tone, though his expression betrayed the weight of his thoughts.
"Tsunade. Ryo. I understand your positions. But this matter is too large, too serious, to decide on the spot."
He paused and looked between them.
"This isn't something I can determine alone."
It was not a rejection, but not acceptance either. A delay.
"You've both returned from the front lines. You've done well. Go rest for now. As for the proposal, I will bring it to the advisors and discuss it thoroughly before reaching a final conclusion."
He emphasized "the advisors." That was no accident. It signaled that serious resistance would come.
This was the usual Hiruzen. He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no either. He shifted the issue to others, bought himself time, and avoided direct confrontation with Tsunade and the unpredictable Ryo.
He needed the elders to share the risk.
Disappointment and frustration flickered across Tsunade's face. She knew this tactic too well. Delay. Discuss. Water down.
But when she saw the old man's weary expression, and remembered the sharp shift after Ryo's intervention, she swallowed her protest.
At least, it wasn't a flat-out refusal.
She inhaled deeply and forced out a calm reply.
"Understood."
Ryo's face remained unreadable. He simply nodded.
"Hokage-sama."
Without another word, the two turned and left. The thick wooden doors closed behind them, sealing off the office.
Inside, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, as though a heavy burden had been placed on his shoulders. His gaze lingered on the closed door.
He reached for his pipe, only to find the tobacco had burned out long ago.
Silence settled in the vast room. Outside, night had fallen. The village lamps had lit up, warm and peaceful.
So different from the blood and chaos of the Ame front.
After a long pause, Hiruzen finally moved.
He reached out and tapped lightly on the side table.
In the corner of the office, a shadow shifted. A masked ANBU stepped forward, silent as a ghost, and knelt on one knee.
"Hokage-sama," the voice came low and expressionless.
Hiruzen did not turn around. His gaze remained fixed on the village outside the window.
"Summon Koharu and Homura to the Hokage's office. Immediately."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)