I, Naruto Uzumaki, don't need your approval.

Within the structure of Konoha Village, there are many Jonin who can be considered high-ranking members, such as the heads of various departments and the heads of major clans who hold important positions.

But right now, only these four people truly have the power to decide the fate of Konoha.

However, the combined age of these people is over two hundred years old, and there are no young faces to be seen, which inevitably makes people worry about the future of Konoha.

Waking up for the meeting, Koharu Utatane looked at the Third Hokage with slight displeasure and asked, "Hokage, did you call us old guys here because of some important event?"

"Indeed, a major event has occurred, and we need to enhance your understanding of it."

The Third Hokage gave a wry smile and then briefly explained the two events that had occurred the previous night.

After listening, the two advisors became extremely serious. They exchanged glances and then slowly said:

"The murder of the leader of the Cloud Village delegation and the attack on the Jinchuriki are indeed very troublesome matters. However, the most urgent task is to find the culprits in these two incidents. Does the Hokage have any information?"

"The ninja who attacked the Jinchuriki has been killed by the Jinchuriki, and his body is in pieces, so it is impossible to examine his memories. As for the murderer who killed the leader of the Cloud Village envoy, we have found him, but things are more difficult to handle."

After a brief pause, the Third Hokage continued, "Because the head of the envoy was killed by the Hiashi clan leader, and the Hiashi clan leader had a perfectly legitimate reason: the head of the envoy was the first to break into the camp and take the Hyuga main family members hostage."

Koharu Utatane frowned: "It seems that it was Kumogakure that started the trouble first. Their target was the Byakugan, but they were killed by the Hyuga clan during the kidnapping. The Hyuga clan is not wrong in this respect."

The Third Hokage nodded and said, "But now the delegation is using the murder of their leader as an excuse to demand that we hand over the murderer, or they will tear up all the previous peace agreement and continue the war."

Xiaochun, who was switching dorm rooms, asked, "So what are you planning to do?"

The Third Hokage did not answer, but looked at Homura Mitokado and asked, "Homura, how many supplies does the village have left? Are they enough to sustain the battlefield?"

Mitokado Homura, who was in charge of managing money and provisions, pondered for a moment and said:

"Continuing the fight is not out of the question, but we are short of supplies and money. We can only increase the commission on mission rewards and cut pensions and expenses of various departments."

After a pause, Mitokado Homura glanced discreetly at Danzo and the Third Hokage, and then said, "However, the budget cuts have already caused a lot of resentment within the security forces. If the cuts continue, the Uchiha clan will be even more dissatisfied, and things may get out of hand."

"Furthermore, Iwagakure doesn't seem to be keeping a low profile either, and they could be at risk of being attacked at any time."

"I see..."

The Third Hokage's face was ashen, and he was caught in a dilemma.

Judging from the current situation, continuing the battle would allow Iwagakure to take advantage of the situation and further exacerbate the internal conflicts within the village.

However, if the Hyuga clan were to hand over their clan leader, the Hyuga clan and the Hokage Building would likely become increasingly estranged.

At this moment, Danzo, who had remained silent, gave the Third Hokage a deep look and suddenly said, "Hiruzen, you seem to have forgotten some things, such as those Cloud Ninja who appeared near the Jinchuriki's house last night..."

"Those bastards from Kumogakure aren't just after the Byakugan; they also want Jinchuriki."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage glared at Danzo, but Danzo said dismissively, "The Cloud Ninja attacked the former Jinchuriki more than ten years ago. They have always had designs on Konoha's Nine-Tails."

The Third Hokage coughed and reminded him, "Danzo, Kushina wasn't a Jinchuriki back then."

Danzo bluntly stated, "There is no difference between the two. Moreover, if Kumogakure dares to ask us to hand over the murderer today, they might just tear up the treaty tomorrow. Constantly giving in will only allow them to push us further."

"Hiruzen, don't forget your duties as Hokage. Teach Kumogakure a lesson."

These words made the Third Hokage's expression grow increasingly ugly. He snorted coldly and said, "Fine, why don't you send your subordinates to the front lines to intercept the Cloud Ninja? They can then witness the results of Root over the years."

"The Root is an assassination special forces unit; it's a bit of a waste to use it on the front lines."

When the Third Hokage mentioned Root, Danzo quickly changed the subject. To him, Root was the true weapon that belonged to him and one of the assets that would allow him to become Hokage in the future.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing."

Koharu Utatane couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up, "Let's think about how to solve these problems. There's no point in arguing in the meeting. Let's just vote. My opinion is to compromise with Kumogakure."

Mitokado adjusted his glasses and said, "The money and supplies don't support the war, and I also oppose prolonging the war."

Seeing that both advisors opposed continuing the war, Danzo's expression was uncertain. He finally said, "I abstain. I neither oppose nor support it."

The remaining three Hokage do not need to continue voting; they will all oppose continuing the war.

After the vote, Koharu Utatane said with some concern, "Everyone is against continuing the war. What should we do about the delegation? Who will get the Hyuga clan to hand over the murderer? This is not easy to appease."

Mitomon Homura remained silent, and Danzo wore a mocking expression; neither of them had any intention of volunteering.

The Third Hokage said with a sigh, "I'll go instead. I'll go to the Hyuga clan's territory, explain the pros and cons to them, and ask them to make a sacrifice for the greater good. It's all for the sake of the village."

After dealing with the diplomatic corps incident, the high-level meeting was almost over.

Compared to the mission incident, the attack on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was insignificant. Although the Jinchuriki was important, nothing bad happened to them, and everything was under control.

……

After the meeting, the Third Hokage summoned Danzo to his office.

Danzo looked at the Third Hokage with a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding why the other party had called him over.

The Third Hokage stared into Danzo's eyes, took out a document from a drawer, and said:

"Last night, in addition to the attack on the Jinchuriki, a Chunin named Tenka went missing. The time of his disappearance was the same as the time of the attack on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and his Konoha headband was found at the scene."

"Do you have any explanation for this?"

Danzo frowned and said with displeasure, "He is not my subordinate, and I have no reason to attack a Jinchuriki. My Root organization did not take any action last night."

"Of course I know he's not one of your core members, but he's a former subordinate of Minato!"

At this point, the Third Hokage grew impatient, stood up, and shouted sternly, "Explain to me why Minato's former subordinates attacked Naruto? Why?!"

Danzo's expression changed: "This matter has nothing to do with me; it's probably his own fault."

After venting his anger, the Third Hokage regained his composure and looked at Danzo with eyes as sharp as a hawk's: "This is the last time. I don't care what you think in private, but you must remember this."

"I am the Hokage!"

Chapter 21 The Cruel Truth

Konoha Hospital, inside a ward.

When Naruto woke up from his coma, he found himself lying in a hospital bed and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Before deciding to go berserk, he was even prepared to wake up and face Shimura Danzo, but this was obviously wishful thinking. With the Third Hokage still alive, Danzo could not interfere with the growth of the Jinchuriki and could only hide in the shadows.

However, it is probably also related to his own behavior. Although he went berserk out of control, he did not harm the villagers.

This was clearly a plus in the eyes of the third generation elder, since finding a new Jinchūriki was not easy.

Finding a comfortable spot to sit down, Naruto stretched out his injured arm. Thanks to his Uzumaki physique, the wound had healed on its own, leaving only a shallow scar that wasn't unsightly.

This incident also serves as a reminder to myself that even in Konoha, I cannot let my guard down.

No one knows if a madman like Tianfeng will appear again.

Bored, Naruto placed his hand on the blanket, looking out the window at the scenery while trying to communicate with Kurama.

But Nine-Tails seemed to shut itself off for a while and didn't want to talk to him.

This made Naruto slightly annoyed, wondering when he had upset Kurama.

At this moment, as the door was pushed open, several figures entered the ward, led by a nurse.

Besides the third generation elder who would definitely come to visit, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji also brought fruit, and following behind them was a white-haired youth whose face was not clearly visible.

After a moment's thought, Naruto guessed the white-haired youth's identity.

Isn't this the famous Jonin Kakashi, known for his 50/50 split in Konoha, his love of erotic novels, and his well-known unit of measurement?

"Naruto, your friends and I have come to see you."

After a brief greeting, the Third Hokage said to the others, "You all go out for now. I have something to ask Naruto alone."

Hinata, Shikamaru, and the others guessed what had happened and temporarily left the room.

After everyone else left, the Third Hokage looked at Naruto: "Naruto, do you remember who attacked you?"

Hearing this, Naruto covered his head, pretending to recall seriously, and then said, "Let me think... I was taking a shower when a middle-aged man barged in and attacked me without saying a word. My memory after that is a bit blurry..."

"By the way, Grandpa Hokage, you must punish this uncle severely and lock him up in jail."

The Third Hokage patted Naruto on the shoulder and comforted him, "That criminal has received the punishment he deserved, but think carefully about what happened afterward and what you did."

What have I done?

Naruto continued recalling, as if he had been frightened, a pained expression on his face as he gasped for breath:

"I remember having a dream where I turned into a fox demon, killed that old man, and then rushed out. After that, I can't remember anything at all."

At this point, Naruto looked up at the Third Hokage, his eyes filled with confusion:

"Grandpa Hokage, so I really am the Demon Fox! What those villagers said was true. Did I really hurt them? But that shouldn't be my power. I don't remember being the Demon Fox."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage sighed and then said, "You have indeed become a demon fox, but you are not the real demon fox. The real demon fox is sealed inside you; it is he who has controlled your mind."

Naruto, as if grasping at a drowning straw, hurriedly said, "Grandpa Hokage, you must have a way to help me. I don't want to be mistaken for a demon fox. Please drive it away."

The Third Hokage shook his head: "There's nothing I can do about that. All I can do is try my best to cover up your identity so that everyone can treat you like a normal person."

"Perhaps as time goes by, people will be able to accept you."

After saying this, the Third Hokage placed several ninjutsu scrolls on the cabinet next to him and left the ward.

Naruto may not be able to accept his status as a Jinchuriki right now, but he will get used to it eventually. If it weren't for checking the seal on Naruto's body and his mental state, he wouldn't have come at this time at all.

He still has so much time to do.

After the Third Hokage left, the others entered the ward. His friends Shikamaru and Choji expressed their concern and then hurriedly left.

Kakashi stood at the door, took a few deep looks at Naruto, and then turned to catch up with the Third Hokage.

After the excitement subsided, only Naruto and Hinata remained in the ward.

After exchanging a glance, they awkwardly looked away, neither of them taking the initiative to speak and break the awkward atmosphere.

At this moment, the Nine-Tails' voice rang out untimely, saying meaningfully:

"Naruto, your acting was great just now. You portrayed that bewildered and pained expression so well that I almost thought you really believed you were a demon fox."

Is this considered a compliment...?

After grumbling to himself, Naruto appeared in the sealed space, looked at the Nine-Tails trapped in the cage, and said, "By the way, big fox, the Third Hokage just came, why didn't you tell me?"

Kurama glanced at Naruto and said irritably:

"After lending you chakra, the Hokage strengthened the seal on your body, and my range of perception of the outside world is getting smaller and smaller... Besides, why should I remind you?"

The three-generation old man still secretly made advances towards me...