I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 379 Sometimes, a well-written report is more important than a well-done job.

Perhaps this is the state of middle-aged people: their interest in working overtime far outweighs their interest in spending time with family.

Of course, that's too rosy. To put it more bluntly, it means that middle-aged men would rather work overtime than face their widowed wives and their noisy, unruly children who are no better than other people's kids.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was reading a report, while Tatsuma was using his finger to draw circles with the tea that had accidentally dripped onto the table, or occasionally writing a few meaningless words.

Tatsuma's report was very detailed, thanks to Minato's incredibly detailed mission log. Furthermore, Tatsuma expanded upon and analyzed Minato's work, making the report naturally "long".

After a long silence, some movement came between the two. Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the scroll, while Tatsuma wiped the table and looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a sip of the now-cold tea, then boiled more water to reheat it, warming both their cups again. After taking another sip, Hiruzen spoke:

"You guys really did something amazing this time."

Tatsuma gave a humble smile and said, "Some things are unexpected, and we can only bite the bullet and do them."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then continued, "However, you've also presented the village with a major problem. This incident in the Land of Water should have been a golden opportunity for other great nations like us, but now..."

We don't know what the situation is like with the Cloud Ninja, but the Sand Ninja already know that our Leaf Village is involved. Moreover, the Sand Ninja did not benefit from this operation, so their hostility towards us will not only not decrease, but will actually increase.

"They won't disclose our involvement to save face for the major power, but with your insight, you should be able to see the conditions, right?"

"Yes, we, Konoha, cannot participate in the battle to share the spoils. Our profits will only end from the moment I lead everyone away from the battlefield."

Tatsuma nodded. This was where he fell short this time, because he never expected that the Sand Ninja would also be involved, and thus exposed his identity without any precautions.

If this matter ends here, the Sand Village will not reveal this secret, because they are also worried about Konoha disclosing their information. However, the difference is that Konoha needs this "face" more.

Comparing Konoha and Sunagakure, Konoha is wearing shoes, while Sunagakure is barefoot. Both villages had reached the point where they had to change due to defeats and years of losses.

Even if it means bearing the blame for interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, they are willing to do so, and can even use the small-scale war that the Cloud Ninja launched against the Land of Wind to exonerate themselves.

He explained that he went there only for the sake of the Cloud Ninja, and that being caught up in the rebellion of the rogue ninja was an accident and a helpless act.

But Konoha is different. Konoha is rich and prosperous, and it is also a victorious nation representing the "justice" side of the Second Shinobi World War. It cannot do anything that would dishonor the dignity of a great nation.

If Konoha forcibly intervenes to divide the spoils, then once Sunagakure exposes it, Konoha will lose far more than it gained from this incident, and its reputation will be severely damaged.

Therefore, if Sunagakure wants to share the spoils of this incident, Konoha can only watch, and may even have to help them out.

It was only because Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke so kindly to Tatsuma that he could talk to him so well. If it were a more iron-fisted boss, such as Danzo Shimura, he might have already held someone accountable.

At the very least, they would question Tatsuma about why he didn't kill all the Sand Ninja who knew the truth on the spot.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't. That's the advantage of following a conservative leader. As long as their own interests aren't harmed, even if they make little or no profit, it's within their acceptable range.

Of course, such leaders are not without their flaws; if subordinates want to make progress, the leader can become an obstacle.

Seeing that Tatsuma had realized his "mistake," Hiruzen Sarutobi took a sip of tea, nodded, and didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, he asked, "What do you think of the new AB combination for the Cloud Ninja?"

"They're still too young, especially the new Bs. This period should only be for them to work on their mental and emotional connection. If they really want to achieve synergy in combat, some changes are needed."

"For example, the Eight-Tails."

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, recalling the mission that Tatsuma and the others had undertaken to the Land of Lightning two years ago. He then opened his eyes and said, "In the past two years, there hasn't been any new information about the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."

With the confirmation of the new AB combination, I suspect they have the intention to actively replace the Jinchūriki.

Tatsuma paused for a moment. In the original work, Furuhashi actually had quite good control over the Eight-Tails, and based on the timeline, she wouldn't be replacing the Eight-Tails anytime soon.

However, the new seal he left on Burubi's Iron Seal two years ago will seriously disrupt Burubi's plan to learn to control the Eight-Tails' power.

If the Hidden Cloud Village still hasn't found a way to break his seal, then for the sake of the village, proactively replacing the Jinchūriki would indeed be a good choice.

After thinking for a moment, Tatsuma said, "The replacement of Jinchūriki won't be so quick, because with the example of Burubi, the Hidden Cloud Village will only be more strict and cautious in selecting new Jinchūriki."

Regarding the new B, Killer Bee, his current level of fulfilling his talents probably doesn't yet meet the requirements of Kumogakure for a Jinchūriki. Unless something unexpected happens to the original Jinchūriki, there shouldn't be too much to worry about.

After Tatsuma finished speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and asked, "You only considered the time it would take him to become a Jinchūriki, without considering the success rate. Do you have your own opinion on this?"

If it were someone else, it might be an oversight, or they might prioritize time over success rate. However, based on Hiruzen Sarutobi's understanding of Tatsuma, Tatsuma has always been a thorough person.

Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's question, Tatsuma was momentarily stunned. He couldn't help but adopt an omniscient perspective, after all, Killer Bee would be the perfect Jinchuriki for the Eight-Tails.

After a pause, Tatsuma said, "That child gives off a very different vibe. It's hard to predict his compatibility with the Tailed Beast. He might become an unprecedented Jinchūriki who can perfectly coexist with the Tailed Beast, or he might not be able to master the power of the Eight-Tails. It's all uncertain."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, "It's not an exaggeration to pay more attention to him. After all, with the unexpected incident involving Brubi, Kumogakure must have seen some different qualities in Killer Bee, which is why they made him a candidate for Jinchuriki."

The second question was also glossed over. Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze returned to the scroll, and he said, "You said you injured Genmi with the Rasengan, even causing internal organ damage. Can you confirm that? And what was the extent of the damage?"

"My judgment was interfered with by the illusion at the time, and my personal perception was not clear, but according to Minato's account, the Third Mizukage Genmi's spleen and kidneys were directly attacked by my technique."

My Rasengan at the time was infused with wind-attribute nature transformation chakra, which theoretically would have completely destroyed Genmai's spleen, left kidney, and part of his lungs. The extent of his injury should be no less than that of Dan-senpai back then.

However, Genmi's physique is much stronger than Dan's, and with the timely treatment from the Hozuki clan ninja and his summoning beast, Genmi should be out of danger, though a full recovery is almost impossible.

"almost?"

"Well, for injuries involving internal organs, there is currently only one and a half ways to treat and recover. One is the organ cultivation and transplantation surgery that I and Lord Orochimaru performed together. The other half is the uncontrollable injection of Hashirama cells."

"Apart from that, there is no other treatment unless he has the same physique and chakra as the First Hokage, or the same chakra reserves and understanding of medical ninjutsu as my teacher, allowing him to heal himself."

As he spoke, Chenma shook his head, his meaning quite clear: Genmi could escape danger, but recovery was impossible, and once the internal organs were damaged, the impact on strength would be enormous.

"If Kirigakure's policies don't change, rogue ninja will keep appearing. Genmi's serious injury will definitely affect his prestige, and more people will challenge his iron fist, which means things will become even more chaotic."

Hiruzen Sarutobi analyzed the situation, a look of regret on his face. The more chaotic Kirigakure became, the easier it would be for others to profit from it, and to gain even more benefits.

Unfortunately, Konoha could only watch; they couldn't get involved.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not blame Tatsuma, but regret was unavoidable. Moreover, this time, it was very likely that the Sunagakure Village, which had been in great decline, could recover, and it was also possible that the already powerful Kumogakure Village could develop again.

Tatsuma's achievements this time were not as great as expected, and this kind of work that benefits others may even indirectly harm Konoha's interests. It can only be said that his merits and demerits cancel each other out.

Of course, this balance of merits and demerits applies to the overall situation. In terms of the mission, Tatsuma performed exceptionally well. Whether it was establishing and organizing the intelligence network or weakening Kirigakure, no one could have done it better than Tatsuma.

In particular, the report states that Tatsuma, with the help of the Sand Village's bloodline limit ninja, restricted the water-style techniques of the Kirigakure ninja on the battlefield.

This means reducing the absolute advantage that Kirigakure originally had over Kumogakure, allowing Kumogakure to inflict more damage on Kirigakure in the future, which is an achievement beyond expectations.

"I have a general understanding of this mission. I will arrange a meeting tomorrow to discuss the details further. How are your preparations for promotion going?"

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had changed the subject, Tatsuma quickly followed suit, nodding and saying, "The position of campaign manager that Sakumo Hatake recommended is still too far-fetched for me. I'm more confident if it's a squad leader position."

"Haha~ With your feat of severely injuring a village's Kage, I'm worried that appointing you as the head of the Anbu is beneath you, let alone a squad leader? But it's fine."

Hiruzen Sarutobi clapped his hands, looked at Tatsuma, and said, "If you don't become the department head, it will be easier to transfer to another position in the future. I won't let you stay in the Anbu forever."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's implication was quite clear. Tatsuma smiled and said, "If there are other arrangements in the future, I will definitely cooperate. But at this stage, the Anbu is more suitable for my personal development."

"Yes, I understand."

He poured hot tea into their cups again and said, "Recently, there have been quite a few outstanding talents among the students at the Ninja Academy. You can take a look and perhaps you'll find the right one."

Over the past decade, you've surpassed your peers and impressed my generation, but that's not enough. The past and present are far less important than the future. In the next ten years, you must try harder to grasp the future.

"Thank you for your guidance, Hokage-sama, but it's too early to talk about these things now."

"Chenma, you are a very thorough person in your dealings with others. You should be more forward-thinking than I am. Don't repeat the mistake I made by forcing you into things back then. Having goals and being prepared is not a bad thing."

Or do you think that I would be wary of even this?

As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, he made a self-deprecating remark, and Tatsuma quickly shook his head, saying, "That's not true. It's just that some things are better left to their own devices."

"There are two things a man cannot let happen naturally; he must strive for them: the girl he loves and his career. Think about it carefully, because Konoha will ultimately be entrusted to you young people."

(End of this chapter)