I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 179 The most taboo thing to do in a meeting is to ask questions that the leader cannot answer.

"As expected of the Hokage, he already has a solution as soon as the news arrived!"

"Yeah, I was wondering what kind of help I could possibly be here with my brain. Turns out, the Hokage didn't want me to come and offer advice."

"Haha, your Inuzuka family has an extra external brain compared to the rest of us, so you should be thinking more."

Inside the meeting room, a group of Jonin were all beaming with joy. They had assumed that they had come today because of Hanzo's problem and needed to come up with a solution.

In these kinds of meetings, if they don't have any good solutions, even the usually amiable Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, will get extremely angry.

In fact, if they make a foolish move, Hiruzen Sarutobi will be furious, making this the kind of meeting they least want to attend.

However, when they arrived at the conference room with trepidation, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was not as bad as they had imagined; in fact, he even had a confident smile on his face.

After the meeting began and Lu Yuan clarified the content and direction of the meeting, Hiruzen Sarutobi began his "performance".

In a short time, the whole matter had been analyzed, the various interests and consequences had been presented, and even a three-step solution had been proposed, although it was only a general direction.

But sometimes what's most lacking is a general direction.

Details can be negotiated and resolved, but if the overall direction cannot be grasped or not grasped well, then all subsequent arrangements will be in vain.

Seeing the smiles on the faces of these Jonin from the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't suppress the smile on his face, and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened because of the muscles that were pulled by his smile.

Only Danzo looked at his old friend with a cold expression.

Danzo has been out of the public eye for far too long since his defeat last time. Hiruzen Sarutobi had hinted to him that he was only going to make an appearance and not say anything.

This allowed the villagers to gradually adapt to Danzo's return, and Danzo originally had no objections.

But watching Hiruzen Sarutobi confidently discuss Tatsuma's ideas in front of others, he felt utterly frustrated!

If he had brought Tatsuma into his Roots earlier, then perhaps it would be Shimura Danzo who is winning everyone's adulation and applause today.

Even his previous defeats were seen through by Tatsuma in time, thus preventing him from losing face and being accused by Hiruzen Sarutobi of "letting his teacher down."

Danzo stopped looking at his old friend, who made him extremely uncomfortable, and turned his head slightly to look at Tatsuma, who was sitting behind Shikamaru and organizing meeting minutes.

Seeing that Tatsuma showed no dissatisfaction, Danzo admired him even more. A true ninja should be prepared to remain hidden in the shadows, practicing the way of the ninja even without flowers and applause!

Who says only those standing in the light are heroes?!

Tatsuma wasn't truly indifferent to the lack of reward for his efforts; it's just that he knew he was actually taking a shortcut.

He used the answer to deduce the solution process. Although he had many of his own ideas, he wouldn't dare to be sure that his approach was correct if he didn't know the answer.

His answer, which outlines the general direction of this operation, was something that Konoha would have determined through continuous discussion and debate, even without his involvement.

He merely accelerated the process briefly and then offered some of his own suggestions.

Hiruzen Sarutobi "deprived" him of the opportunity to shine, but in Tatsuma's own opinion, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.

If this incident leads people to mistakenly believe he has the ability to solve similar problems, and they ask him to solve equally difficult ones, and if Tatsuma doesn't know the answer and can't work backwards like he did this time, then...

After his initial joy, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced somewhat guiltily in Tatsuma's direction. Seeing that Tatsuma still wore that infectious smile, Hiruzen felt a strange pang of remorse.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had originally wanted to talk at length about the profound meaning of "his" thoughts, lost interest. He slightly suppressed his smile and became serious again.

None of the Jonin in the conference room had poor eyesight; even the few insect-using Jonin wearing sunglasses kept their expressions on and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Seeing the serious atmosphere return to the meeting room, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, looked at Shikagami Nara, and said, "Shikagami, do you have anything to add?"

"Lord Hokage, I think this plan is feasible, but some aspects still need to be discussed."

Lu Yuan didn't say anything like "your plan." With his intelligence and understanding of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he knew that such a plan couldn't possibly have come from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

It couldn't have been conceived in such a short time, and he knew all too well that the Hokage was far too lenient with both internal and external affairs.

The ruthlessness and viciousness in this plan are not Hiruzen Sarutobi's style. This style is more like Danzo's, but that's not quite right either. If it were Danzo, the plan would be completely wicked and would lose its reputation and righteousness.

This plan is a complex mix of good and evil, with righteousness and darkness working together to advance the cause. It seeks both fame and profit, a style reminiscent of the work of a powerful figure he had met in his youth.

In this era, Lu Yuan already had the answer in his heart. After all, the two young men behind him could not have obtained the qualification to participate in the Jonin Conference for no reason.

Especially Sakamoto Tatsuma, whose previous achievements would have impressed even a strategist like himself who had served as a staff officer for many years.

Thinking about the true mastermind behind this plan, Lu Yuan didn't waste time considering its details. He said, "For example, have the warriors of the Land of Iron help us fight against the Cloud Ninja."

Before the meeting began, I had just received an updated report: after Mifune was defeated by Hanzo, he not only promised to withdraw from the war, but also pledged not to interfere in the conflicts between ninjas.

"Bang!"

Danzo, who had remained silent until now, slammed his fist on the table, his anger making no attempt to hide.

The other Jonin's faces also fell. The first step of the plan was to connect with the Land of Iron and exchange their functions, with the Konoha ninja fighting against the Amegakure ninja, while the Cloud ninja, who were originally to be fought by the Konoha ninja, would be handed over to the warriors of the Land of Iron.

However, Mifune's move completely disrupted the entire plan, making it impossible for the plan to be implemented!

At this moment, all the ninjas looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, wanting to see if the Hokage, who had devised a countermeasure in such a short time, could adjust or change the plan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He couldn't believe he was talking about changing anything!

Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Shikamaru, complaining that he hadn't told him such important news before the meeting.

Lu Yuan also had a bitter look on his face. After all, he only found out on his way from his office to the conference room. When he arrived at the conference room after finding out, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already sitting firmly in the main seat, ready to start the meeting.

Moreover, in the past, Hiruzen Sarutobi would first listen to the opinions of his strategist and think tank, and then let the other Jonin speak freely, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was responsible for finding fault with other people's ideas.

Finally, after integrating everything, the plan was implemented. There had never been a situation where Hiruzen Sarutobi solved the problem as soon as he arrived. How could Shikagami have predicted this?

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi really didn't have any ideas, Shikamaru sighed helplessly. He was about to explain his original plan to see if he could find a better answer through comparison and verification.

"Lord Hokage, I have an idea."

But before Lu Yuan could speak, a voice came from behind him. Lu Yuan turned around and saw Chen Ma. For some reason, he suddenly felt relieved.

Unlike him, who was secretly relieved, Hiruzen Sarutobi was genuinely relieved. However, at this moment, the attention of many Jonin was drawn to Tatsuma, a Chunin who was a rare sight at the Jonin meeting, and they did not notice his embarrassment.

Some Jonin frowned, about to reprimand Tatsuma, but Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly spoke up, "Come on, Tatsuma, what's your opinion?"

Upon hearing this, the other Jonin looked puzzled. Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, felt much more at ease and said with a smile, "Young people are the future of the village. The village will be handed over to young people, so it's not wrong to listen to their ideas."

Although the reason was somewhat vague, it was said by the Hokage, so those who originally wanted to object shut their mouths.

Tatsuma stood up and said, "The world today is a world of ninjas. As a country of samurai, the Land of Iron's decision not to participate in ninja conflicts is not up to them, but rather up to the ninjas."

We can negotiate with Mifune. If they act according to our plan, then after the war, we can recognize the Land of Iron's neutral status in the name of Konoha, or even the Land of Fire.

They pledged to respect their choices and, as advocates and monitors, to call upon and unite all nations to recognize the Land of Iron as a neutral country, and to condemn and punish ninjas who violate this treaty.

"good!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted "Good!" Danzo, who had been nodding slightly, grew increasingly angry seeing Hiruzen's smug expression after escaping death. He asked sarcastically, "May I ask, Hokage-sama, what's so good about that?"

Speechless at Danzo's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned red. For now, Tatsuma's "good" had at least eased his awkward situation as Hokage.

But can I say that?

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't been Hokage for nothing after all these years. After pondering Tatsuma's words, he said, "Tatsuma's suggestion makes it possible for the plan to continue."

Secondly, it further deepens the friendship between the Land of Fire and the Land of Steel. At the same time, it demonstrates the sense of responsibility of the Land of Fire as the leader of the ninja world. As the head of the five great nations, Konoha has the responsibility and obligation to maintain the stability of the ninja world and the interests of all nations.

"What, Danzo, you can't even see this now?"

"Clap clap clap~"

After a string of eloquent words, the meeting room was filled with applause again. This time, Danzo was so angry that his face turned red. He stood up, flicked his sleeve, and walked out of the meeting room.

"Bang!"

Danzo pushed open the door, slammed it shut, and left.

"snort!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi also gave a light snort. He had been satisfied with Danzo's performance at the meeting today, and had kept quiet as long as he was told not to speak.

But towards the end of the meeting, Danzo couldn't hold back any longer and still wanted to make a statement that would embarrass himself.

Seeing this, the Jonin stopped clapping and cheering and fell silent again. Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his gaze from the conference room door and returned it to Tatsuma, nodding with an encouraging smile.

Tatsuma returned a contagious smile, and then Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Shikamaru and asked, "Any other questions?"

Lu Yuan shook his head and said, "It's just some implementation details. I'll go back and discuss them with the think tank members first, and then I'll put them into a report for you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, "In that case, this meeting will conclude here. Everyone, go back and think things through, and be prepared to receive any signs from the village at any time."

"Tatsuma, Minato, come to my office."

(End of this chapter)