"You!"
They were so furious they almost went berserk.
Their eyes blazed with anger as they glared at Aoyama Ryuyun.
With one hand resting casually on his sword hilt, Aoyama Ryuyun stared back at them expressionlessly.
"Are you planning to make a move?"
His tone was light — almost casual — and he didn't even release a trace of killing intent.
Yet that calm question echoed in the minds of the Sarutobi Clan Ninja like a clap of thunder.
The man before them was not someone they could afford to provoke.
"Let's go!"
Staying any longer would only invite further humiliation.
After exchanging grim glances, they turned on their heels and left the meeting room without another word.
"Tch. Just like Hiruzen Sarutobi — all of them are cowards."
Aoyama Ryuyun didn't bother to lower his voice. He didn't care whether they heard him or not.
Standing nearby, Nara Shikaku sighed quietly and shook his head.
Knowing full well the tension between Aoyama Ryuyun and Hiruzen Sarutobi, he wisely chose to keep silent.
He would simply watch and see which side prevailed in the end — Aoyama Ryuyun or Hiruzen Sarutobi.
---
Hiruzen Sarutobi's request for reinforcements had not been sent only to Aoyama Ryuyun at the Hidden Cloud Village front.
Tsunade on the Sunagakure battlefield and Jiraiya on the Iwagakure battlefield had received the same message.
"Let the old man figure it out himself!" Jiraiya replied decisively.
It wasn't that Jiraiya didn't want to help — he simply couldn't.
The Iwagakure forces, led personally by the Third Tsuchikage, were no joke.
Jiraiya was already struggling to hold them back; he had no time to spare to reinforce Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"But—"
The messenger who came to request aid hesitated, wanting to argue further.
Jiraiya impatiently waved his hand, cutting him off.
"If I go to help the Mist front, the Iwagakure battlefield will collapse. Just explain that to the old man directly!"
"Y-Yes!"
Since Jiraiya had spoken, they could only nod and withdraw immediately.
Jiraiya stood silently for a moment before sighing.
"Old man… you're really not the Ninja Hero you used to be."
Asking for reinforcements before the war had even begun — Jiraiya could only shake his head.
"Sensei! Hokage-sama is a Ninja Hero; he'll surely be fine, right?"
Minato Namikaze, standing beside him, spoke earnestly, his eyes full of conviction.
Looking at his idealistic student — so thoroughly molded by the Will of Fire — Jiraiya's forehead twitched.
My talented student… how did you end up like this?
"Focus on preparing for the battle with Iwagakure. Don't think about anything else!"
"Yes, Sensei!"
---
"Tch. The old man's getting more and more senile."
On the Sunagakure front, Tsunade looked completely indifferent after hearing the same plea for aid.
Orochimaru, standing nearby, chuckled quietly.
Indeed — the old man had grown truly useless. Aside from internal politics, he was no longer fit to lead Konoha.
As if recalling something, Tsunade suddenly asked curiously,
"By the way, what did Ryuyun say on the Hidden Cloud battlefield?"
Tsunade didn't particularly care about whether or not to send reinforcements — the Sunagakure front was far easier to handle than Iwagakure's.
It wasn't impossible to dispatch a few Ninja to the Mist front, but she was simply curious about how Aoyama Ryuyun had responded.
Coincidentally, the ones delivering the message were the same Sarutobi Clan Ninja who had previously gone to Ryuyun.
When Tsunade asked, their faces immediately twisted in resentment.
"That Aoyama Ryuyun actually told us to get lost!"
"Exactly! He's a disgrace to Konoha!"
"How can someone like him be called the Golden Lion? He doesn't deserve the title!"
They spoke one after another, venting their anger now that Aoyama Ryuyun wasn't around.
However, none of them noticed that Tsunade's expression had already darkened from the very first sentence.
Even Orochimaru, standing nearby, had a playful glint in his eyes.
Boom!
"Enough!"
Tsunade's fist slammed down on the table with a deafening crack, silencing the entire room.
Her furious gaze swept over the Sarutobi Ninja.
My man — and you think you can insult him?
You're practically asking for death!
"This…"
Having spent most of their lives within the clan, these Ninja truly had no idea about the relationship between Tsunade and Aoyama Ryuyun.
Now, facing Tsunade's sudden rage, they looked utterly confused.
"L-Lady Tsunade?"
"'Lady' your head! All of you — GET OUT!"
"Huh?"
They'd just been talking normally — why had it suddenly turned into this?
"Huh, my foot! Reinforcements? This old woman is busy — I've got no time for that! Now GET OUT! And if you don't, I'll make you get out!"
As she spoke, Tsunade raised her fist, her amber eyes flashing dangerously.
The Sarutobi Ninja flinched, panic written all over their faces.
Tsunade's Super Strength Fist was infamous across the entire Shinobi World.
It was even said that once, Jiraiya — one of the Sannin himself — nearly died after provoking her wrath.
None of them wanted to experience that power firsthand.
"But…"
Aoyama Ryuyun refused to provide support.
Jiraiya couldn't provide support.
And now, even Tsunade's front was the same.
Did that mean all their efforts were for nothing?
"Lady Tsunade! Please, can we at least discuss it again—"
Before they could finish, Orochimaru suddenly chuckled softly.
"Fufufu… Ryuyun-kun and Tsunade seem to be in quite the romantic relationship, hm?"
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