Sarutobi Hiruzen saw that the Jonin had all arrived and began the meeting.
Three Hokage officials, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo, sat in the only four chairs present, while the Jonin stood before them.
"Recently, the Hidden Rock Village of the Land of Earth has declared war on us," Sarutobi Hiruzen stated the reason for this urgent Jonin meeting.
"The Hidden Rock Village? They're a ninja village on the same level as us."
"Are they coveting the abundant resources of the Land of Fire?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words stirred some commotion among the Jonin in the conference room, who began discussing aloud.
After all, the Hidden Rock Village is no small fry. Even though their comprehensive strength is not as great as Konoha's, they are still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages like Konoha.
"Hmph, how dare a mere Hidden Rock have the audacity to declare war on Konoha, it seems they have forgotten that there are distinctions among the Five Great Ninja Villages!" Danzo snorted coldly and said.
Danzo continued, "We should immediately assemble the ninja and declare war on the Hidden Rock Village of the Land of Earth, launching a swift attack to let them know that the First Ninja Village cannot be provoked!"
Naturally, Danzo had more in mind; since war is to be declared, spies are indispensable, and his Root's restrictions should be loosened somewhat.
However, these words could not be spoken at the Jonin meeting; they needed to be discussed privately with the Third Hokage in his office.
"It is necessary to declare war on the Hidden Rock Village," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said.
Since war has already been declared, failing to respond would mean Konoha has no place in the Ninja World.
Konoha's main sources of funding are twofold: the budget from the Daimyo and commissions from various wealthy merchants and nobles.
Patrons aren't fools; they will undoubtedly submit commissions to the Ninja Village they deem strongest and most reliable.
If Konoha backs down now, its commissions will significantly decrease, while those for the Hidden Rock Village will increase accordingly.
"Rallying the ninja to launch an attack is somewhat unwise; currently, the Ninja World situation is unclear. The Hidden Cloud Village had frictions with Konoha not long ago; under the circumstances of Hidden Rock's war declaration, they might also develop ulterior motives."
Sarutobi Hiruzen acknowledged Danzo's idea to declare war on the Hidden Rock Village but rejected the proposal to gather forces and launch an attack.
The Land of Earth is northwest of the Land of Fire, while the Land of Thunder is northeast. If the Hidden Rock and Hidden Cloud both attack Konoha, we'd be facing a two-front war.
If Konoha were to directly gather ninja forces to pressure the Land of Earth, the Hidden Cloud could easily block Konoha's troops' way home or penetrate straight into the Land of Fire.
Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Mokgetsu roughly understood his intentions.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's meaning was simple: the Hidden Rock Village has to be fought, but the battle must be steady, without unexpected turns.
"Third Hokage-sama, I think the first thing we need to do is notify the Grass Village to monitor the situation in the Land of Grass. Report immediately if any Hidden Rock ninja enter the Land of Grass," Nara Shikaku said after some thought.
There are two fastest ways for the Hidden Rock ninja to enter the Land of Fire: one is through the Land of Rain, and the other is through the Land of Grass.
Other longer detours aren't impossible in theory but are impractical in terms of war navigation; it would involve going through the Land of Bird into the Land of Wind, then into the Land of Rivers, and finally reaching the Land of Fire.
Not only is the route tedious, but it also passes through the Land of Wind, one of the Five Great Countries. Seeing a bunch of Hidden Rock ninja entering the Land of Wind, the Hidden Sand would surely regard them as invaders.
The Land of Rain's Hidden Rain Village is stronger than the Grass Village in the Land of Grass. Nara Shikaku reasoned that the Hidden Rock ninja would likely choose the Land of Grass as their breakthrough point.
Another aspect is that the Land of Grass is subservient to the Land of Fire, while the Land of Rain is not. Konoha can command the Grass Village but not the Hidden Rain Village.
"And then, strengthen the border defenses to prevent the Hidden Rock ninja from launching a surprise attack to break through the defense line, avoiding homeland warfare," Nara Shikaku continued.
The impact of war is massive, so it's crucial to avoid the flames of conflict reaching the heartland of the Land of Fire.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly, as Nara Shikaku's plan aligned well with his intentions.
Nevertheless, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not immediately conclude the meeting but continued.
Only after not hearing a better suggestion than Nara Shikaku's for some time did Sarutobi Hiruzen end the Jonin meeting, assigning several Jonin to lead squads to support the borders, after which the meeting was officially adjourned, and the Jonin acquaintances departed together.
"Minato, who is this?" A somewhat plump ninja with a hearty smile approached to chat with Minato and then noticed Mokgetsu.
"This is my friend, Habu Mokgetsu, a newly promoted Jonin," Minato introduced with a smile.
"Mokgetsu, this is Senior Akimichi Doto, a very reliable senior," Minato immediately introduced Akimichi Doto to Mokgetsu.
"Haha, being a few years older than you guys is true, but Minato, your level of reliability is greater than mine," Akimichi Doto said, laughing heartily.
He had executed missions together with Minato, and Minato's strength was no ordinary Jonin level.
"Senior Doto," Mokgetsu greeted with a gentle smile.
"Eh," Akimichi Doto chuckled, looking at Mokgetsu's gentle smile and then at Minato, who had the same warm smile and blond hair and blue eyes.
"Minato, your friend resembles you a bit; could it be a relative?" Akimichi Doto asked.
"See, Minato, didn't I say they looked alike?" Hearing Akimichi Doto's words, Kushina immediately jumped in.
She had always thought the two seemed similar, not in physical appearance but in spirit.
"No, just purely friends," Minato explained with a helpless smile.
With Minato's help, Mokgetsu got to know quite a few Jonin.
Mokgetsu noticed that Minato seemed quite familiar with ninjas from Secret Technique Clans, knowing several from the Akimichi, Inuzuka, Nara, Aburame families, and others.
Although the collective strength of these Secret Technique Clans wasn't as great as top ninja clans like the Uchiha, they were still core forces of Konoha and formed a powerful entity when united.
After the meeting ended, Mokgetsu quickly went to the Southern Border Forest to check on his disciples' cultivation progress.
He evaluated each of his disciples.
In the end, he found that other than Obito, whose skill level increased from fifteen to sixteen, Shisui and Might Guy hadn't changed, with Shisui at fifteen and Might Guy still at nineteen.
But with Obito's progress, Mokgetsu couldn't say for sure if it was due to the meals, as, according to Might Guy's experience, the ultimate for the previous step could reach a proficiency of nineteen.
That would be easy to solve; tomorrow, Shisui would also try the fiery cuisine to see if it works.
"Hehe, Shisui, it's only a little spicy, but it still tastes good," Obito was comforting Shisui, unable to hide the smile on his face.