Chapter 204

The Third Hokage sat in his office, rubbing his temples as Tsunade sat opposite him, her expression sharp and unyielding.

"Orochimaru did a good job," he muttered, trying to sound neutral.

"But Shinki was the key!" Tsunade snapped, her voice full of conviction. "Old man, let me make this clear: I didn't say anything last time, but if someone suppresses Shinki's achievements and reputation again, don't blame me for turning against you."

The Third Hokage coughed awkwardly, clearly caught off guard. "Tsunade, I didn't suppress anything."

"Whether you did or not, you know the truth," she shot back, her tone icy. "The daimyo's mansion has already received the news, and the daimyo is pleased. Rewards and an envoy will be coming to the village soon. You'd better act rationally."

Her words left no room for argument. She wasn't buying his explanations.

The Third Hokage sighed heavily. He knew Tsunade wasn't one to let matters like this slide. While he could suppress Shinki's recognition once, this time the stakes were higher. Not only would Tsunade turn on him, but the daimyo's displeasure could destabilize his position further.

"Fine, fine," he muttered under his breath. "I won't erase anyone's achievements."

Satisfied but still watchful, Tsunade leaned back on the sofa, crossing her legs. "Good. Now, let's talk about the next steps. The enemy has been pushed back into the Land of Wind. This full-scale war is transitioning into local conflicts. That means many ninjas on the front line can be pulled back to handle the backlog of tasks and commissions in the village. You should be pleased."

The Third Hokage nodded absently, lost in thought as Tsunade continued.

"From here on, it's a battle of resources. The village with the stronger foundation will last longer."

Tsunade's words reflected her broader concerns. Local wars didn't require as many troops, which meant Konoha could focus on rebuilding and fulfilling tasks for the village. However, the allocation of these tasks was another matter entirely.

"There's no need to deploy family ninjas for these tasks," Tsunade said pointedly. "Leave them for the civilian ninjas. They rely on the village's care far more than the clans do."

The Third Hokage understood her reasoning but shifted the conversation. "Tsunade, do you think Shinki's puppet attack strategy can be repeated?"

Tsunade frowned immediately, her irritation flaring. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm just saying," he began carefully, "if the attack was so effective, perhaps we can use it again to bring this war to an end."

"Old man!" Tsunade interrupted, her voice rising. "Don't even think about using Shinki for this again. Haven't you learned your lesson?"

Seeing her anger, the Third Hokage raised his hands defensively. "Tsunade, listen. The village has suffered immense losses in manpower and resources during this war. If we can force the Sand Village to surrender with another decisive blow, why not try?"

Her irritation softened slightly as she considered his point. "You want Shinki to attack the Sand Village directly?"

"It's worth considering," the Hokage said. "If we can hit them hard enough while their morale is low, we might bring the war to a swift conclusion."

Tsunade thought for a moment. "I don't know how many puppets Shinki still has or if he can deliver a strike strong enough to cripple the Sand Village. I'd need to ask him first."

"Tell him this," the Hokage said urgently. "If he can pull it off, I promise—no one in the village's leadership will ever try to take or suppress his creations again. The village will fully compensate him for the materials he uses—double the amount!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "You think he'll believe that?"

"It's a fair deal," the Hokage insisted. "We can't keep fighting this war endlessly. The longer it drags on, the more it hurts the village, both in resources and morale."

Tsunade sighed, sensing his desperation. "I'll ask him, but I'm not making any promises. This is Shinki's decision, not mine."

The Third Hokage nodded, though disappointment flickered in his expression. He had hoped Tsunade would advocate more strongly for his idea, but her neutral stance left the outcome uncertain.

Their discussion was interrupted when a ninja from the Intelligence Department rushed into the room, scroll in hand.

"Hokage-sama! Tsunade-sama!" he called urgently.

The Hokage frowned. "What is it?"

The ninja hesitated, glancing nervously at both leaders before speaking. "This is the latest intelligence report from the border camp."

"Let me see it," Tsunade said, standing and snatching the scroll from his hands. The Hokage waited impatiently, his brow furrowed deeply.

As Tsunade unrolled the scroll and began reading, the Third Hokage couldn't help but silently pray. Please, no more bad news.

The village had endured enough already.

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