Chapter 166: Chapter 166: The Meeting
The atmosphere in the Konoha high-level meeting room was oppressive.
The long table was crowded. Minato, Tsunade, Koharu, and Homura were all present, along with the heads of various departments. Danzo sat off to the side, his gaze sweeping over Minato and then resting on Tsunade, his thoughts unreadable.
The door pushed open, and Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in.
Every eye in the room followed him. Hiruzen took his seat at the head of the table and placed several documents in front of him.
"Let’s begin."
The intelligence chief stepped forward and unfurled a scroll.
"Over the past few months, Sunagakure has shown no signs of further aggression toward the Land of Fire. However, they have had several clashes with Kirigakure along the border of the Land of Wind and the Land of Water. One of these was significant, resulting in casualties on both sides."
Tsunade glanced up, and Minato shifted his focus to the scroll.
The intelligence chief continued, "As for Iwa, they are currently remaining stationary, though their reconnaissance shinobi in the Land of Grass have not yet withdrawn." He paused for a moment. "The most troublesome issue is Kumo."
The room grew quieter. The intelligence chief looked at Hiruzen and continued, "The duo of A and B has appeared near the border of the Land of Fire once again."
The tension in the room thickened. Koharu frowned. "Them again?"
"Kumo has clearly timed this," Homura said in a deep voice. "They see that we’ve only recently finished fighting Sunagakure and are trying to seize the opportunity to press their advantage."
Dan looked toward the head of the table. "Lord Hokage, how long can the border forces hold them off?"
The intelligence chief responded, "If it’s just a probe, we can maintain stability. But if A and B personally lead a breakthrough, a standard Jonin squad will find it very difficult to stop them."
No one spoke. The implication was clear.
Hiruzen’s gaze landed on Minato. "Minato, you will handle the Kumo front. You dealt with A and B effectively last time; I’m entrusting this to you as well."
Minato stood up. "Understood."
Danzo shot a glance at Minato. Those aligned with the Hokage were becoming increasingly secure in their positions. This was not the outcome he desired.
The meeting proceeded to discuss the reallocation of forces across the defensive lines, as well as the continued diversion of hospital and medical team resources to the front lines.
The process wasn’t long. Once Hiruzen finalized the last transfer order, he closed the scroll.
"That is all."
As the others began to rise, Hiruzen suddenly spoke. "Minato, Tsunade—the two of you stay behind."
Minato stopped in his tracks. Tsunade glanced at Hiruzen and sat back down.
Danzo, who had already reached the door, paused for a fraction of a second. He looked back once, then departed.
Only Hiruzen, Minato, and Tsunade remained in the room. Hiruzen picked up his pipe, his posture relaxing slightly.
"Minato, how has Kushina been lately?"
Minato’s expression softened. "Very well. The seal is holding, and her condition is stable."
Hiruzen nodded. He asked, seemingly in passing, "I heard she can now communicate with the Nine-Tails?"
Minato was slightly surprised, but he answered quickly, "It’s true, though I wasn’t the one who made it happen."
The hand holding the pipe paused. "Oh?"
Minato didn’t hide the details. "Kaede gave Kushina some advice. He said that while the Nine-Tails is dangerous, it is ultimately a sentient being; mindless suppression would only cause it to lash out more violently." He paused. "Since Kushina tried changing her approach, the Nine-Tails has indeed been much more settled."
Hiruzen listened in silence, not pressing for how Kitahara Kaede had come up with such an idea. Seeing this reaction, Minato felt a sense of relief.
Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe, his eyes reflecting a complex emotion. "That child... he really does see things differently than we do."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, her tone blunt. "You’re only realizing that now?"
Hiruzen looked at her and suddenly smiled. "Tsunade..."
Tsunade immediately grew alert. "What?"
Hiruzen said slowly, "You’ve been getting very close to Kitahara Kaede lately. What exactly is going on between you two?"
Minato’s eyes flickered. Caught off guard, Tsunade immediately donned her usual fearless expression. She arched an eyebrow.
"Old man, are you bored?"
Hiruzen just looked at her. Tsunade crossed her arms and pushed back.
"Kumo is practically pressing against our borders, and you have the headspace to worry about who I’m close with?"
Hiruzen coughed. "I am simply concerned for my student."
Tsunade scoffed. "Cut the act. You call this concern?" She glared at him. "This is called gossiping."
Minato sat quietly to the side, refusing to intervene. In moments like these, it was best to pretend he was deaf.
Hiruzen was momentarily speechless, but he wasn’t annoyed. "Fine, fine. I won’t ask about your private affairs." He set the pipe down, his tone becoming more serious. "Let’s talk business. What is your honest opinion of Kitahara Kaede?"
Tsunade’s expression softened slightly. She remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
"He’s excellent."
Hiruzen kept his gaze on her.
"His strength, his intellect, his temperament—all of it is excellent," Tsunade continued. "You know exactly how much he contributed during the incident at Mount Kikyo. And yet, he didn’t ask for any personal rewards; he converted everything into funding for the orphanage."
She looked at Hiruzen, her voice growing firmer. "Old man, if you still can’t see the value in a person like that, then you’ve truly wasted your years as Hokage."
Hiruzen looked at her helplessly. "That mouth of yours..."
Tsunade shot back, "Am I wrong?"
"You’re not." Hiruzen sighed softly. "That’s why I asked you both to stay."
Minato looked up. Hiruzen turned to him.
"Minato, before you head to the Kumo front, I want you to compile a detailed file on Kitahara Kaede for me. I want his mission history, battlefield performance, and evaluations from his comrades."
Minato understood immediately. "Lord Hokage, do you intend to promote him?"
Hiruzen did not deny it. "His abilities already exceed those of an ordinary Chunin. The village needs to place someone like him in a position where he can be truly effective."
Minato nodded earnestly. "I will have it prepared."
Tsunade, sitting beside him, tapped her finger lightly on her arm.
*Promotion.*
The word lingered in her mind. Given Kaede’s current strength and achievements, moving up was inevitable. But the higher the position, the more eyes would be on him.
She hadn’t missed the look Danzo gave her before leaving.
Tsunade stood up. "Is that all?"
Hiruzen looked at her, but she was already walking toward the door.
"If not, I’m leaving."
Without waiting for his answer, she pulled open the door and exited the room.
Hiruzen watched the door close and shook his head. "Still the same temper."
Minato bowed to Hiruzen. "Then I shall go and prepare as well."
"Go on."
Once Minato left, Hiruzen was alone in the meeting room. As the smoke rose slowly, he sat in the head seat, motionless for a long time.
***
Land of Water.
Outside the Mizukage’s office in the Hidden Mist Village, fog clung to the eaves and stone steps.
Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was even colder than it had been in Konoha.
The Third Mizukage sat at the head of the table, his face devoid of emotion. Genji sat beside him, eyelids lowered. Below them, several high-ranking officials of Kirigakure remained silent.
The Third Mizukage spoke, "Konoha has just depleted a significant portion of its forces at Mount Kikyo, and now Kumogakure is keeping them pinned down at the border. This is our opportunity."
Someone asked in a low voice, "Lord Mizukage, are we making a move on the Land of Fire?"
The Third Mizukage cast a glance at the speaker.
"In a sense, yes. However, we don’t need a grand offensive; otherwise, we’ll only attract the attention of Iwa and Kumogakure."
He slid the deployment orders across the table.
"Deploy the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. They are to infiltrate the Land of Fire—kill as many as possible and destroy as many outposts as they can."
No one in the meeting room objected.
In the corner, Terumi Mei kept her gaze lowered. Though she was still young, she already possessed the status to stand there and observe the proceedings.
But at this moment, her thoughts remained inscrutable.
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