Hatake Sakumo and Uzumaki Ashina entered the Uchiha clan overnight and did not avoid people at all, and the people they met were self-evident.
Therefore, all interested people who care about the current affairs in Konoha have obtained the information about the meeting between the three people.
The Kirigakure Mission, the Country of Whirlpool, the Whirlpool Clan, Uchiha Tokumitsu and Hatake Sakumo.
After arranging and combining the above vocabulary, the information will already have the fundamentals for the next step of research and judgment.
Kirigakure was interested in the country of Uzumaki and sent a mission to discuss it. The Uzumaki clan and Hatake Sakumo, who were dissatisfied with this, approached Uchiha Tokimitsu and the Uchiha clan behind him to join forces to reject Kirigakure's request.
Based on intelligence and actual conditions, although the middle and high-level officials of Konoha and the leaders of various ninja clans who are paying attention to this matter have no way of knowing the specific content of the talk, combined with the recent developments in Konoha, it is easy to connect them together and come up with a conclusion that is quite different from the truth. judge.
Culture and cognitive level determine the character, behavior and judgment of people and collectives, and the choices they make when faced with choices are different.
In the view of the third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen, who is accustomed to power, strategy and interest exchange, as long as the starting point is for Konoha, then nothing cannot be traded, and the reason why he held talks with the Kirigakure mission and responded vaguely to Kirigakure's The territorial claims of the Country of Whirlpool are also based on the interests of Konoha, and are just a delaying tactic when facing the ready-to-move Sunagakure and Kumogakure.
On several battlefields in the Second Ninja World War, although Konoha defeated Iwagakure and Sunagakure one after another, suppressed the Rain ninja, and achieved a lot of achievements, but apart from the Rain ninja, Iwagakure and Sunagakure They are not very convinced, and they are vaguely planning to prepare their weapons for another fight.
But Konoha's standing ninja military strength is not unlimited.
Nowadays, the Kumogakure barbarians of the Kingdom of Thunder are making many small moves on the border. The Hokage's son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, and the elites of the Sarutobi clan are rushing to the northern front. At this time, even if the village still has some remaining strength, it must remain as a reserve force to support the northern region. Deal with Kumogakure.
Therefore, there cannot be chaos in the east.
Therefore, Kirigakure needs to be steady.
Therefore, the request of the Kirigakure mission cannot be rejected outright, at least not within a short period of time.
Konoha must try its best to avoid being besieged by the four major ninja villages, and it must stabilize Kirigakure and prevent them from raising troops to invade.
In order to avoid Kirigakure's "misjudgment", even the eastern border defense force, which was already famous for being "weak", has not been replenished and strengthened after the demise of the Uzumaki Kingdom.
As for Konoha's standing ninja force that has not yet been mobilized, he also plans to keep Sarutobi Shinnosuke who supports the northern border so that he can make military exploits.
But he habitually ignores the demands of stakeholders and their possible reactions.
In the past, when such a situation was encountered, Danzo would usually step in to solve it. Either Danzo would come to the door and "show affection", or the root ninja would come to the door and "reason", so the appeasement policy followed smoothly. Generally unimpeded.
However, now that Danzo has died under the sword of Uchiha Tokko, the Uzumaki clan, as a thousand-year-old wealthy ninja clan, is usually relatively gentle, but it is definitely not easy to deal with, so they took the initiative to visit and request a joint response. scene.
As the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally also got the information that Uzumaki Ashina and Hatake Sakumo visited Uchiha Tokimitsu overnight.
I just didn't expect the reaction of the three people to be so big.
Early the next morning, under the order of Uchiha Tokimitsu, the Police Headquarters dispatched a number of ninja forces including the Special Operations Team and the Quick Response Team to surround the outside of the hot spring building where the Kirigakure mission was staying in the name of a security exercise.
The Eastern District Police Office also dispatched inspection teams, assault teams and other police teams to participate in the operation under the leadership of Deputy Director Uzumaki Yasuji.
Although they did not break into the ANBU control area, they had cut off Kirigakure's path in and out of the building.
The attitudes of the Uchiha clan and the Uzumaki clan are self-evident.
Hatake Sakumo also walked into the Hokage Building alone to meet with the third generation and elaborated on the current demands of the Uzumaki clan.
"Sakumo-kun... If the war with Kirigakure breaks out right now, the village will not lose as much as a semi-abandoned Uzumaki Country. By then, the village's ninjas will not know how many people will be killed or injured..."
The third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen felt mentally and physically exhausted again.
He didn't expect that it was Hatake Sakumo who came to negotiate with him about the matter.
Although he was particularly dissatisfied with Hatake Sakumo's choice to move closer to the Uchiha clan, the Sandaime still believed that Hatake Sakumo, as a firm believer in the Will of Fire, would not take the initiative to do anything contrary to the interests of the village.
As for Hatake Sakumo's attitude, he has more of a mentality of "treating the sick and saving lives by avoiding past mistakes and avoiding future ones", hoping that Hatake Sakumo can change his mind. After all, he is still one of the indispensable high-end combat forces in the village, and he is the most important one in times of war. The best tool to use.
"Although the Land of Fire is large, it has no extra land; even though the Land of Whirlpool has perished, its homeland cannot be abandoned." Hatake Sakumo did not respond to the Sandaime's words, but repeated his point of view again.
This is also the communication method Hatake Sakumo learned from Uchiha Tokumitsu.
As the saying goes, you say yours and I say mine. No matter how elaborately you explain your reasons, I will always reaffirm my own point of view.
And this is also what the Uzumaki clan wants.
I don't expect Konoha to help restore the country, I just hope that the country of Whirlpool will not be ceded privately.
"Once Kirigakure attacks, the eastern border defense forces will be unable to resist. On the premise of maintaining the minimum operation of the mission system, the village will not be able to spare more manpower..."
The third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen was also particularly helpless.
He could understand that the ninjas in the village had emotions about the appeasement policy, but his behavior was also based on comprehensive considerations of Konoha's actual situation and personal selfishness, and it was helpless to respond vaguely to Kirigakure's request.
Besides, if he really planned to reach an agreement with Kirigakure to divide the country of Uzumaki, he would not let the traces and purpose of the Kirigakure mission leak out.
"Lord Hokage, I agree with the opinions of the Uzumaki Clan Leader Mr. Ashina and the Assistant Chief of the Police Department Uchiha Tokimitsu Jounin." Hatake Sakumo said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "No matter what the situation is, the land under the jurisdiction of the Fire Country and its allies We cannot give in any situation lightly, and I hope that Hokage-sama will understand and support you."
"Support... Psychologically, I do support..." Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe helplessly and took a puff to suppress the irritability in his heart, "Sakumo-kun, doesn't Tokumitsu Jonin always preach that everything must be based on strength? , but the current reality is that the village is simply unable to cope with the challenges of the four major ninja villages at the same time, so this strategy was taken to stabilize Kirigakure..."
"The Kingdom of Uzumaki is Konoha's staunch ally, and the Uzumaki clan is Lord Hashirama's wife clan. It is already a shame for our generation to fail to defend the Kingdom of Uzumaki. It would be even more shameful to allow Kirogakure to occupy the old land of Uzumaki." !" Hatake Sakumo's attitude still did not soften, "Now there is the Uzumaki family logo on the Konoha Jounin uniform. I and other descendants can no longer embarrass our ancestors!"
"It's just a tactic to delay Kirigakure's attack..."
The third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen explained again, but seeing that Hatake Sakumo still looked determined, he did not continue.
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and took a long puff of his pipe.
The Hokage's office fell into deathly silence again.
"...If I hand over the eastern region and the entire border force to you, can you stop Kirigakure?"
After a while, the third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke.
"That's not possible at the moment. We must strengthen the strength of the ninja army."
Hatake Sakumo said without hesitation.
"In terms of materials, I can meet your needs no matter what, as long as it's not too much..." Sandaime Sarutobi Hiruzen was smoking his pipe while calculating the strength comparison with Kirigakure, "How many additional ninja troops do you want?"
"The more, the merrier." Hatake Sakumo was also concise and to the point.
"The more the merrier..." Sandaime Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but smile bitterly upon hearing this, "Sakumo-kun, as the leader of the Jonin class, you should know the current situation of the village. There are still so many ninja troops for you!"
"Ninja clan!"
Hatake Sakumo said.
At the end, he added: "The family ninja of the ninja clan."
"Ninja clan..."
The third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen had mixed emotions in his heart.
The ninja clan of Konoha does still have strength, and it is enough to support a war with a ninja village.
But the ninja clan is greedy. If they want to hand over the family ninja and accept the deployment of the village to fight, the price they have to pay is really painful.
Before the war, for the purpose of limiting the strength of the ninja clan, he, Danzo, Koharu, and Mito Kadeni had convened a ninja clan meeting, and after paying a huge price, they mobilized a large number of family ninjas to serve as Fight for the village.
However, the power of the ninja clan did not weaken much, but instead allowed the freak Uchiha Tokimitsu to take advantage of the situation to rise.
Nowadays, Uchiha Tokumitsu is as powerful as Rainbow Tails, and he even set up an ambush to kill Danzo in one fell swoop and destroy the roots, which caused heavy losses to the power of the third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen. Therefore, when the ninja clan is mentioned, he reflexively intends to oppose it.
But fortunately I controlled myself.
"Sakumo-kun, if too many ninjas from the ninja clan are directly evaluated as jounin, other ninjas in the village will have objections..."
After hesitating for a moment, the Sandaime Sarutobi Hiruzen still expressed his difficulties, "Besides, after the war, the village does not have so many financial resources to exchange with the ninja clan..."
"You can issue an IOU first, and then use the losing side's financial resources to pay compensation to the ninja clan after the war is over."
Hatake Sakumo said.
"Which ninja is willing to accept such conditions!"
The third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but get angry when he heard this.
"The Uchiha clan and the Uzumaki clan are willing!"
Hatake Sakumo replied decisively.
"If the number of Jonin continues to expand, the village will not be able to provide so many resources..."
"If you lose it to the Ninja clan, you will gain it from other villages. As long as you defeat the visiting enemy, you can bring it over directly no matter what happens next."
"War reparations..."
At this time, the third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen had nothing to say anymore.
"Then let's hold another ninja clan meeting."
After smoking his pipe again, the third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to recruit the family ninjas of the ninja clan again.
But he didn't know how many family ninjas could be recruited to fight with such chaos.
"Thank you Hokage-sama for your support. I will do my best to ensure that the Fire Nation and its allies do not lose even an inch of territory!"
Hatake Sakumo stood up and agreed generously.
"Just let Kirigakure's envoy leave."
Without raising his head, the third generation Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a reason, "Even if both sides formally declare war, do not rush to punish the other party's envoy."
"As you command!"
Hatake Sakumo stood up and solemnly agreed.
Then he left the Hokage's office.
…
"Tokumitsu-kun~"
After leaving the Hokage Building, the first thing Hatake Sakumo did was to find Uchiha Tokumitsu.
"How exactly?"
Uchiha Tokko asked with interest.
"Hokage-sama has decided not to continue testing the Kirigakure mission." Hatake Sakumo said: "At the same time, in order to deal with the possible attack of Kirigakure, I will be the commander of the eastern region..."
"Tokumitsu-kun, I hope to get your support!"
"As I said last night... we are allies, and the Uchiha clan will fully support the actions of our allies."
Uchiha Tokumitsu also made his attitude clear and gave Hatake Sakumo a reassurance.
"In addition, a ninja clan contact meeting will be held in the near future to discuss recruiting family ninjas from the ninja clan to fight..."
Hatake Sakumo lowered his figure and revealed the news to Uchiha Tokimitsu.
"That's a good thing!"
Uchiha Tokko was happy to see it come to fruition.
"Also, Hokage-sama also agreed to provide corresponding financial and material support after the war to the ninjas who are willing to fight..."
Although he didn't understand why Uchiha Tokumitsu privately and solemnly allowed himself to make this suggestion that was obviously detrimental to the ninja clan, Hatake Sakumo still told Uchiha Tokumitsu the news.
"very good!"
Uchiha Tokumitsu snapped his fingers happily.
Using war reparations as the subject matter, and the materials and funds that originally need to be allocated to each ninja clan will be paid separately after the war, it is beneficial from the village's point of view anyway; and the prices of various materials rose sharply during the war. After the war, the prices of war supplies will inevitably fall. With such a rise and fall, the funds required by the village will naturally decrease a lot.
If he hadn't been well aware of Uchiha Tokumitsu's past behavior, Hatake Sakumo would have almost thought that Uchiha Tokumitsu was a noble person who was free from vulgar taste and was a pure representative of Konoha's will of fire.
But in Uchiha Tokimitsu's view, the village's IOUs, combined with his financial knowledge from his previous life, might be able to come up with many tricks.
"What about Kirigakure?"
"...Not to kill the envoys is a rule that has been passed down since Hashirama-sama's time. Even if you don't agree with Kirigakure's request, you don't have to directly persecute them, just expel them all..."
"It's a bargain for them."
Uchiha Tokumitsu clicked his tongue and called in a ninja from the police department, "Go and inform Deputy Director Koji of the Eastern Police Office that the Hokage has decided not to hold talks with Kirigakure and now plans to expel them all. Please ask Deputy Director Kang Zhi to arrange personnel to execute it immediately!"
"As you command!"
The police ninjas were ordered to leave.
Hatake Sakumo smiled bitterly.
Let the Uzumaki tribesmen who have a blood feud with the Kirigakure ninja village expel the Kirigakure mission for fear that the war will not start.
(End of chapter)
