Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode.

Chapter 76 Konoha F3

With the vote in hand, and with the help of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, Momoka couldn't change anything no matter how much she disagreed. She could only slam the door and leave in anger, wanting to avoid seeing or hearing about it.

"Hmph, this woman's temper is as stubborn as ever. If all the ninjas in Konoha were as unreasonable as her, they would have been finished long ago. Hiruzen, you shouldn't have made her the Hokage's advisor in the first place."

After Tao Hua left, Xiao Chun turned to her room and sneered.

She had the strongest opinion about Momoka becoming a Hokage advisor, but unfortunately, due to the circumstances at the time, she could only remain silent.

But things are different now. Mito is about to pass away, and the Senju clan has lost its biggest backer. It's hard to say whether Momoka can hold onto her position as Hokage's advisor.

"Don't say that, Xiaochun. Taohua's intentions are good. She's right. This decision will definitely cause a lot of opposition from the militants in the village. Their voices should not be underestimated. Taohua is now one of the representatives of the militants, and she is also a member of the Senju clan. If she can help us appease these militants, then the pressure on us will be much less."

Mitokado Hō disagreed with Utatane Koharu's point of view.

He didn't actually agree with this outrageous demand for surrender, but he had no choice but to do so for the sake of the overall situation.

Once upon a time, he was also a radical Konoha ninja.

"Alright, this matter is settled. Even if Momoka disagrees, she can't change the situation. Lady Mito is a reasonable person, and she will definitely step in to persuade Momoka after she finds out about this. Our next focus is on discussing how to deal with Sunagakure."

The third generation looked displeased towards the door, then turned to his two old classmates and said...

"Indeed, Momoka should listen to Lady Mito. In that case, the pressure from those martial arts ninjas will be much less. As for Sunagakure, once the battle in the Land of Rain is completely over, we must give them a heavy blow. Otherwise, these mud-legged bastards who grew up eating yellow sand will think that Konoha is easy to bully."

When Mitokado Homura heard the Third Hokage say this, a smile appeared on his face, and he sneered.

The reason why Konoha suffered repeated defeats and was at a disadvantage on the battlefield in the Land of Wind was largely because Konoha had to allocate a large number of its troops to the battlefield in the Land of Rain, making it impossible to concentrate most of its forces to deal with Sunagakure. Otherwise, with Konoha's strength, how could Sunagakure have been allowed to run rampant?

"The defeat on the battlefield in the Land of Wind was certainly related to the fact that some of Konoha's forces were diverted to the battlefield in the Land of Rain, but the failure in intelligence was also key. Hiruzen, we must pay attention to the battlefield behind enemy lines. The conditions in Sunagakure are far inferior to ours. If we can disrupt their supply lines, it will definitely speed up our victory."

Koharu, who was in the same room as Homura Mitokado, was not as optimistic. After a moment of contemplation, she expressed her concerns.

Mitokado Homura and the Third Generation both fell silent, naturally understanding the unspoken meaning in Koharu Utatane's words.

When it comes to infiltrating enemy lines and carrying out sabotage, if we're talking about who in Konoha is best at it, then Danzo is undoubtedly the one.

Before Danzo stepped down, he did just that, and the results were quite good. It was because of the Root organization he led that they carried out sabotage behind enemy lines by any means and provided a lot of useful intelligence that Konoha was able to fight Sunagakure to a standstill and not be at a disadvantage.

However, since Danzo stepped down, Konoha's intelligence and behind-enemy-lines operations have fallen into a slump, leading to a series of defeats in Konoha's battles against Sunagakure recently.

"Xiaochun's suggestion is excellent. I will consider this issue and have someone handle it as soon as possible. Let's talk about the personnel arrangements after the end of the Rain Country battlefield."

After much deliberation, the Third Hokage decided that it was inappropriate to allow Danzo to regain power at this time, so he decided to postpone the matter and change the subject.

With Lord Mito still alive, allowing Danzo to return would be far too much of a challenge to the Senju, Uchiha, and other ninja clans in the village, plunging the village into panic and internal strife.

It's best to keep Danzo, this vicious dog, in a cage for now.

Upon hearing this, Koharu instantly understood what the Third Generation meant. She snorted coldly and said nothing more.

She was well aware of the Third Hokage's concerns, and now was indeed not a good time to release Danzo.

But understanding is one thing, being unhappy is another. She is currently very unhappy with the third generation's perfunctory attitude.

What are the considerations, and why will you order someone to handle this as soon as possible?

If this were so easy to resolve, she wouldn't have brought it up.

She knew the power at the hands of the Third Hokage. Apart from the Sarutobi clan's ninjas, the only ninjas he could freely command were the Anbu ninjas under his command.

She didn't consider the ninjas of the Sarutobi clan, and she knew perfectly well why.

As for the ninjas in the Anbu, their numbers are extremely limited. Just using them to monitor the situation in the village leaves very few people. And if you include those who go out to hunt down rogue ninjas, it's practically impossible to spare enough manpower for intelligence gathering and behind-enemy-lines operations.

She really didn't know how to evaluate the Third Hokage, who had the power of the root but didn't let anyone else take over that power.

For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"Ahem, once the battle in the Land of Rain is over, the ninjas there will be temporarily recalled in batches to recuperate for a while. The climate in the Land of Rain is very unfriendly to us Konoha ninjas, and many of them have fallen ill."

Mitomon coughed a few times to ease the atmosphere and then shared his thoughts.

"That's a good suggestion. They definitely need to rest and recuperate for a while, and they've returned with a great victory, so all sorts of rewards need to be arranged."

The third generation nodded, echoing Mitokado Homura's suggestion.

"I agree with this suggestion, but Hiruzen, what's wrong with your good apprentice? He's an important fighting force in the village, but instead of coming back to recuperate, receive the treatment of a hero, and go back to work properly, he went to take care of orphans in the enemy country. Doesn't that count as aiding the enemy?"

"Turn to bed," Xiaochun said coldly.

Upon hearing this, the third generation was immediately displeased and didn't know how to respond.

Orochimaru was the one who had the problem before, now it's Jiraiya's turn.

The two disciples he trained were indeed outstanding, but they were not steady enough in their actions. Because of what Orochimaru had done before, it was basically impossible for him to become Hokage. He had originally wanted to support Jiraiya to become Hokage, but he turned out to be another troublesome one.

It seems that Tsunade is indeed the best and most reassuring daughter to him.

Although his disciple was a troublesome person, he still had to protect him. He absolutely could not allow Jiraiya to suffer such a huge stain as Orochimaru.

So, the Third Hokage decisively used the tactic of changing the subject again: "I will handle Jiraiya's matter. I will definitely not let him continue to act recklessly. Let's continue to discuss the arrangements for the important personnel after the battle in the Land of Rain."

Seeing this, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sighed inwardly. They suddenly missed Danzo, and even a little bit missed Momoka, whom they had driven away together.

If Danzo or Momoka were here, the Third Hokage wouldn't be so brazenly abusing his power.

Meanwhile, deep within Konoha Prison, in the new Root leader's office, Danzo sipped hot tea while pretending to be nonchalant as he mentally conversed with his subordinates.

"How's the investigation going?"

"I'm sorry, our naval forces are too weak to find many clues, but our people have discovered that every time a merchant ship is involved in an accident, the Kirigakure spies in the Land of Waves are secretly in contact with some mysterious people."

"Hidden Mist"

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(End of this chapter)