Ryo's house was brightly lit, the residual warmth of dinner still lingering. Kushina's laughter rang out clearly. Tsunade guzzled sake. Nawaki devoured his food recklessly. Kaori sat quietly. Mrs. Nohara held little Rin, who curiously watched her surroundings. Mikoto remained serene and composed. Under the warm lighting, the shadow of war was temporarily dispelled, leaving only this brief, gentle moment of reunion.
Night deepened.
At the top floor of the Hokage Tower, the office window glowed dimly, like a weary eye watching over peaceful Konohagakure. Inside, smoke hung in the air, mingled with the scent of old dossiers and strong tobacco.
Hiruzen leaned back in his large chair, the glow from his smoking pipe flickering across his tired face. On the desk lay piles of thick documents. The top one was the report from the Rain Country front—Tsunade's name and Ryo's name clearly listed.
The door opened and closed in silence.
Koharu and Homura, veterans of Konoha's council, stepped in almost together, their faces marked by years of decision-making and fatigue. Homura's glasses caught the lamplight. Koharu's lips were pressed into a tight line.
"Hokage-sama," Koharu said directly as she sat, voice hoarse but practiced. "Why summon us so late? Is there some... resistance?"
Homura also sat, his gaze scanning the documents before Hiruzen.
"It seems so. Judging from the report, with Tsunade's firm stance, you're in a difficult position."
Hiruzen exhaled a long stream of smoke. The haze blurred his features. He didn't respond immediately, instead tapping the scroll lightly with the end of his pipe.
"Tsunade... that girl means well. She's seen the losses at the front and is panicking. The proposal she brought forward, forming an alliance with Hanzo of Amegakure and focusing our efforts on Sunagakure to end the war quickly."
He paused and looked at his two advisors.
"What do you think? The front is indeed grim. If we drag this out, it helps neither Konoha nor the shinobi world."
Silence followed.
Homura adjusted his glasses and leaned slightly forward. His voice was calm but sharp.
"Hiruzen, Tsunade is too naive. She only sees casualty numbers and thinks only about ending the war. She doesn't consider the deeper consequences."
His tone sharpened.
"You must understand, the war in Ame was initiated by us, by Konoha, for the sake of the Land of Fire's interests and strategic expansion. We are the aggressors. Amegakure and Hanzo are the victims."
His voice grew louder.
"Now the front is unfavorable. We can't win cleanly. So what? Do we now propose cooperating with the very people we trampled? What is that, Hiruzen? That's surrender. That's kneeling. That's Konoha slapping itself in the face."
He pointed firmly at the desk.
"If we follow Tsunade's plan, we're denying every Konoha shinobi who died in the campaign. Their blood was spilled for Konoha's dignity and interests, not so we could one day bow to the enemy. Once we open that door, do you understand what comes next? The Hokage's prestige, Konoha's image as the strongest village—gone."
He continued, voice hard.
"What will the other villages think? They'll say, 'Konoha talks big but can't handle Suna alone, now teaming up with a small nation just to survive.' What will the daimyo of the Land of Fire think? He poured resources into this war to secure victory, not to watch us beg the enemy. What about the mission elite, the major clans, the merchant houses? Will they still believe in a village that can't even maintain its own face?"
Koharu finally spoke, her tone colder and even more pointed.
"There's someone else you need to consider—Danzō. For the past two years, he's led the Ame front, commanding Root. His shinobi have taken immense losses. His strategy was aimed at crushing both Suna and Ame to maximize gains. If you go along with Tsunade's plan now, all of that effort is erased. How will he accept that? How will the troops at the front accept it? This isn't just about morale. This concerns the very stability of the command chain."
She softened slightly, but her stance remained firm.
"I understand Tsunade's desire to protect lives. No one wants to see our shinobi die in vain. But, Hiruzen, as Hokage, you must see further than the battlefield. It's not just about this war or these casualties. It's about Konoha's standing for the next ten or twenty years. In this world, where the strong prey on the weak, face is strength. We need a definitive victory, something that makes the other villages fear us. Even if it costs more, it's worth it. That is what long-term leadership demands."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Besides, Konoha is strong. Our roots run deep. We have more talent than Suna or any minor nation. They can't afford a prolonged war. Time is on our side. If we endure, the tide will turn. Tsunade's plan, though seemingly merciful, is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It would sacrifice our long-term foundation and reputation. For Konoha to remain the leading village, some sacrifice is necessary. All of this... is for Konoha."
Hiruzen remained silent. The smoke curled around him, but his gaze gradually cleared.
The words from Koharu and Homura crushed any flicker of hesitation he might have held toward Tsunade's proposal.
They knew him too well. They struck directly at the line he could never cross, Konoha's dignity. The outward appearance of righteousness, even if the cost was shinobi blood.
They also brought up Danzō. Two years in the Rain front. If Hiruzen backed Tsunade now, it would be a direct blow to Danzō. That alone would throw the village into discord.
He exhaled slowly, as if laying down a thousand-pound burden. His face returned to calm resolve. He set aside his pipe, looked at his advisers, and quietly nodded.
"I understand."
He tapped the desk twice. His decision was made.
"Tsunade's thinking... is too idealistic. Konoha cannot afford to lose its dignity. And we cannot deny the sacrifices made on the front lines."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"Very well. Tomorrow morning, summon all active jōnin. Convene an emergency jōnin meeting. We must... formally discuss and decide the strategy for the Ame front."
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances. They understood.
This so-called meeting would be a show. Tsunade's proposal would be presented, discussed, then rejected under the weight of the Hokage and council's will. It would be positioned as a collective decision. This protected Hiruzen, silenced Tsunade, and pinned the responsibility across the jōnin corps. Most of the major clans, after all, would favor Konoha's pride.
With the Hokage, both advisers, and Danzō in alignment, the result was already certain.
"Good," Homura said. "Let the jōnin speak. It will help consolidate direction."
"Agreed," Koharu nodded. Her expression relaxed slightly.
They stood together. Homura lightly patted Hiruzen's shoulder in a rare display of camaraderie. Koharu gave a silent nod, and both turned to leave.
The heavy doors shut once more, sealing the room in quiet.
Inside, Hiruzen sat alone. The smoke had grown thicker. He leaned back, eyes closed, and rubbed at his temples.
Tsunade's eyes, full of pain and hope. It all surged back into his thoughts.
But then Koharu's and Homura's words returned: dignity, sacrifice, order.
It settled again.
"For Konoha..." Hiruzen whispered, voice low. He wasn't speaking to anyone. Perhaps not even to himself. He opened his eyes and looked out the window. Konoha's lights were still calm and peaceful.
"Tsunade... you'll understand me, won't you? Everything I did... was for Konoha."
There was exhaustion in his voice, but also a cold certainty. He buried whatever guilt he had for the lives lost at the front deep in his heart.
Tomorrow, after the jōnin meeting, Tsunade's plan would become a "collective rejection."
Konoha would continue bleeding in the Land of Rain quagmire. That was the price to maintain its image.
And he, Hiruzen, shielded by the will of the advisers and the weight of the council, would preserve Konoha's dignity. On the surface, at least.
Yet deep down, he felt it.
Tsunade would not accept this quietly.
(To be continued.)
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