Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 199 In the name of the Third Hokage of Konoha! (Seeking monthly votes QAQ)

"Sandaime-sama!"

Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi enter, everyone in the meeting room, except for Tsunade and Jiraiya who was not in his seat, stood up in unison to show their respect.

Tsunade remained seated with an air of nonchalance, one hand supporting her chin, not even lifting her eyelids. Her long, golden hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and her weariness was on full display.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over everyone, finally lingering on Tsunade for a moment.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions: helplessness, weariness, and perhaps even a hint of barely perceptible guilt. But he said nothing, only slightly raising his hand and saying, "Please sit down."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. As instructed, everyone took their seats, and the only sound in the conference room was the soft rustling of chairs being moved.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the head seat, and behind him, three advisors also entered: Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and... Danzo Shimura.

Danzo was still wearing his kimono, his right eye was wrapped in bandages, his left eye was lowered, and his face was expressionless, like a silent shadow.

However, the chilling aura was undeniable. As it passed by several Jonin, they couldn't help but shiver and feel a bone-chilling cold.

He no longer gives the impression of being alive; he's more like a corpse locked in a morgue freezer, exuding an aura of coldness and death.

Hinata Kumokawa seemed to sense something, but he didn't look at Danzo; only his lowered eyes flickered slightly.

"Is this the aura of a Hollow?" he wondered to himself. "Could it be that Danzo couldn't get the Sharingan, so he's turned his attention to Hollows instead?"

The combination of intercolumnar cells and 'virtual'?

If that's the case, Danzo is truly insane.

Although he knew Danzo wouldn't let go of such a peculiar existence as a 'Hollow,' his madness still came as a surprise to Hyuga Kumokawa.

Aren't you afraid that the combination of the two will create something extraordinary?

But judging from his appearance, it seems he was quite successful?
"This will make it easier for me to deal with him later," Hinata Kumokawa thought to himself with a smile.

An error occurred during secret human experiments, resulting in the combination of Hashirama's cells and a Hollow, causing Shimura Danzo to transform into a monster who lost his mind and went on a killing spree in Konoha.

As a Konoha ninja, it's perfectly reasonable for him to risk his life to drive away and kill them in order to protect the people and comrades of Konoha, right?

While Hyuga Kumokawa was pondering, Sarutobi Hiruzen walked to the main seat, but did not sit down immediately.

He took off the Hokage hat and placed it on the table, revealing his aged face.

He surveyed each of the Jonin present, his gaze heavy, as if bearing the weight of the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

"Gentlemen," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was low and slow, carrying a sense of weariness as if a heavy burden had been lifted, "you should all know that I won't be in this position for long."

These words immediately made the atmosphere in the conference room even more tense, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This was something everyone tacitly agreed on, but no one expected that Hiruzen Sarutobi would say it out loud.

"The tragedy of the Uchiha clan caused by Itachi Uchiha, and the subsequent attack by the 'Espada,' brought unprecedented disaster and losses to Konoha..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and sighed, "The responsibility rests entirely on me."

"I failed to anticipate Itachi Uchiha's actions in time, and I failed to prevent the tragedy from happening. It was my inadequacy as an old man that led to my misjudgment and caused such devastation to the village..."

"I truly regret not dying later, in the battle against the 'Espada'..."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present immediately changed.

"Lord Third Generation, please don't say that!"

The first to stand up was Nara Shikaku, his face filled with urgency and worry as he said, "Konoha cannot do without you right now!"

“Yes, Lord Third Generation,” Yamanaka Inoichi immediately chimed in, “This is not your responsibility alone.”

Please take care of yourself!

"Konoha still needs you to take charge!"

For a moment, the conference room was filled with words of comfort and sincere concern.

Whether it's genuine or not, Konoha really needs Hiruzen Sarutobi right now. They're genuinely afraid that Hiruzen Sarutobi will suddenly abandon his responsibilities and leave this mess to someone else.

Even if many people present want him to step down, they should wait until all these crises are resolved, otherwise no one can quell the current turbulent situation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand and pressed it down. His movement was slow, but it carried an invisible force that quickly silenced the noisy conference room.

The bitter smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by a calm and resigned acceptance of the world's ways.

"Thank you everyone for allowing this old man to contribute his last bit of warmth."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice softened a bit, but then his expression gradually became serious.

"So, regarding the theme of this meeting," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried an undeniable decisiveness, "first, are all departments in place?"

"The Dark Division".

"arrive."

"Medical Department." "To..."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi called out names one by one, some of the people present responded in turn.

Konoha's administrative structure and departmental organization are actually quite comprehensive. The "highest power center" is undoubtedly the Hokage's Office, which serves as the highest decision-making center, coordinating military affairs, diplomacy, and domestic affairs...

Below is the Hokage's advisory group, which plays the role of supervising the Hokage's decisions, assisting in the formulation of long-term strategies, and exercising the Hokage's power in times of emergency.

On the other hand, the conventional combat forces of the "military and security system" are all based on the "squad" as the basic combat unit.

A standard squad consists of one Jonin or Special Jonin, paired with three Chunin or Genin.

Units like the surveillance squads, guard squads, and 'Root' in the Dark Division have main responsibilities including protecting VIPs, counter-espionage, and carrying out confidential missions, such as reconnaissance and espionage infiltration.

There are also the Perception Class and Barrier Class of the Sealing Class, which are mainly responsible for maintaining the operation of the barrier and monitoring illegal intrusions.

Then there is the "Logistics and Civilian Services System," which includes the Medical Department centered around Konoha Hospital, the Education Department centered around the Ninja Academy, and the Research and Development Department centered around the Technology Research Institute.

Finally, there is the "Economic and Administrative Support" department, which is responsible for receiving commissions, assessing risks, and allocating ninjas to the mission dispatch center, as well as the Finance and Resources department, which is responsible for managing mission reward distribution and maintaining the allocation of strategic materials.

Without exception, all the heads of these departments were present.

"Hmm, it seems no one is absent."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, "First, the reconstruction work must be accelerated. All resources should be prioritized for the restoration of people's livelihoods and defensive fortifications. We must restore basic public facilities and defensive fortifications as soon as possible!"

"The families of all ninjas who died in this attack will receive double the compensation, which will be jointly funded by the Ministry of Finance and the Daimyo Prefecture to ensure their proper resettlement."

Upon hearing this, the heads of the logistics departments present all nodded in agreement, as this was undoubtedly the most urgent task at present.

"Second, research on intelligence gathering, defense strategies, and countermeasures against 'virtual' is listed as the highest priority."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "All races and departments need to fully cooperate with the Technology Research Institute to establish the 'Espada Threat Response Special Operations Department,' directly under the Hokage's office!"

"From this moment forward, all ninjas in active service will be organized into squads and divided into regions to conduct a thorough search and elimination of any Hollows appearing within the Land of Fire, prioritizing the protection of Daimyo's prefectures, towns, and major transportation routes!"

"The intelligence department will update the activity map and feature analysis of 'Void' in real time and distribute them to each squad. If you encounter a suspected 'Espada' level target, you are strictly prohibited from engaging in combat without authorization. Report immediately and request support!"

"The alert level at all border outposts has been raised to the highest level to prevent 'Void' forces or other forces from taking advantage of the situation!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes narrowed slightly, and the class leaders of the ninja squads present all nodded in agreement.

It seems that the intelligence gathered during this period is true. Hollows have appeared on a large scale in the Land of Fire, and even the Daimyo's residence has been attacked by Hollows.

"Third, given that the Uchiha clan is no longer able to shoulder police duties, it has been decided to reorganize the Konoha Police Force. The new police force will be composed of members from various clans and will no longer be monopolized by a single ninja clan."

"Clearly define the functional boundaries between the police force and the covert operations unit. The police force is responsible for village security and civil disputes, while the covert operations unit is responsible for external intelligence and responding to special threats. The two need to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism, but their operations will not interfere with each other!"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the ninja clan leaders present flickered slightly, and they all looked toward the Uchiha clan's location.

The person sitting in that position now is none other than Uchiha Yakumi, the only remaining Jonin of the Uchiha clan.

The great calamity that befell the Uchiha clan had clearly matured the once impulsive Uchiha Yakumi considerably, and he offered no objection to Hiruzen Sarutobi's near-power grab.

He even felt an indescribable sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Since entering the conference room, he had noticed many prying eyes, clearly eyeing the power of the police force currently held by the Uchiha clan.

Even if the current police force were handed over to the Uchiha clan, they wouldn't be able to hold the line with their current capabilities and manpower. Hiruzen Sarutobi's initiative in suggesting it was actually helping him.

In this way, the villain was played by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, and even if his clansmen knew he had lost the police force, they couldn't blame him.

"Thank you, Third Hokage." Uchiha Yakumi nodded and said hoarsely, "I'll be relying on you all from now on."

Seeing Uchiha Yakumi being so "humble," a hint of surprise appeared in everyone's eyes.

It seems that this incident has indeed had a significant impact on the Uchiha clan. If the Uchiha clan had adopted the attitude they have now earlier, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

"So, lastly, and most importantly..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, his eyes becoming heavy, and his voice lowering: "The threat of 'Hollows' is beyond the capacity of Konoha to handle."

"Their spread and threat far exceeded expectations, as evidenced by the attack on the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Fire."

"Given the dramatic changes in the current ninja world, I have decided to act in the name of the Third Hokage of Konoha..."

"Officially launching the Five Kage Summit!"

At this point, he took a deep breath, glanced at Hyuga Kumokawa and Hatake Kakashi, and said in a deep voice, "I will personally lead the delegation for this meeting."

"The guards are Hyuga Kumokawa and Hatake Kakashi."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the meeting room turned their astonished gazes to the two of them.

Hinata Kumokawa's expression remained unchanged; he simply smiled as he met everyone's gaze.

Hyuga Iroha stood behind him, feeling the invisible pressure, trying to calm her inner excitement, straightening her back, and making herself look more composed and reliable.

(End of this chapter)