282. If They Want War, Then We Shall Give Them War!!

"As for all of Elder Koharu's duties and responsibilities, they will be temporarily taken over by Tsunade," Danzo said, his hands clasped together as he spoke again.

No one present voiced any opposition to this matter.

After all, Tsunade, recognized as the strongest medical ninja in the shinobi world, was the one who had proposed and built Konoha's entire medical system.

Having her take over the medical department previously managed by Koharu Utatane was undoubtedly the most fitting choice.

With her reputation, she could easily command the obedience of all medical ninjas.

After resolving the issues left behind by Koharu Utatane, two major challenges remained for the high-ranking officials: the reconstruction of Konoha and the impending war with Kumogakure!

"Danzo, what are your plans regarding this war?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Hokage, finally opening his eyes.

This was his first statement since the meeting began.

"The village urgently needs reconstruction. Otherwise, a large number of civilians will be left homeless. To handle the village's reconstruction in a short time, we will need the support of our shinobi forces. However, doing so will leave us with insufficient strength to deploy against Kumogakure. Moreover, given Konoha's current state, we simply cannot sustain the supplies needed for a large-scale frontline battle. Additionally, I must remind you that Konoha does not only face Kumogakure as an enemy."

At this point, Hiruzen's tone grew particularly heavy. "The two tailed beasts within the village have not yet been stabilized. If that masked man launches another attack, what will we do? Furthermore, villages like Kirigakure and Sunagakure are also watching us closely. If Konoha suffers any setbacks in the war, how will they react?"

Although Hiruzen did not explicitly oppose going to war this time, the issues he raised were real and pressing challenges that Konoha had to address before committing to battle.

As Hiruzen posed these questions, everyone present instinctively turned their attention to Danzo.

Danzo, having clearly thought through these issues, began to explain. "Regarding the village's safety, first, the two tailed beasts. The Nine-Tails has already been sealed. Before the war begins, I will further strengthen the seal on Naruto. As for the Seven-Tails, its power is not particularly strong. We can temporarily seal it into an ordinary jinchūriki and keep them under strict surveillance."

For anyone else, claiming that the Seven-Tails' power was "not particularly strong" might have been an exaggeration, but for Danzo, who had once slashed a tailed beast in half, it was simply a statement of fact.

After addressing the tailed beasts, Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly, and a strong killing intent emanated from him. In a hoarse, cold voice, he continued, "Next, let me introduce the main members of this terrorist organization."

Hearing this, everyone present immediately perked up, their expressions turning grave.

The recent attack by this mysterious organization had left Konoha reeling.

The village, hailed as the strongest in the shinobi world and the greatest victor of the Third Shinobi World War, had been caught completely off guard by this previously unknown group.

Given this painful experience, Minato, Hiruzen, and even Homura Mitokado listened intently as Danzo shared information about the organization.

"Their members can now be confirmed to consist of four individuals. First, their leader, the man with the tiger-striped mask. He is likely a Uchiha shinobi who defected from Konoha, much like Madara. He possesses a Mangekyō Sharingan and is skilled in space-time ninjutsu. He can bypass any barrier using his space-time techniques and can phase through attacks by turning his body intangible."

The grim expressions on everyone's faces showed just how much the masked man had traumatized them. His ghostly space-time ninjutsu was utterly maddening.

Danzo did not linger on this topic and continued, "The second member of the organization is a peculiar creature, half-black and half-white. Its known abilities are threefold. First, it can silently infiltrate any location, making it difficult to detect with ordinary reconnaissance techniques. Second, it can attach spores to people, rapidly draining their chakra by growing within them. Third, it can transform into other people, a transformation so unique that it cannot be detected by ordinary reconnaissance techniques."

"The third member is Hanzo, the 'Salamander,' renowned during the Second Shinobi World War and the former leader of Amegakure."

"The fourth member is someone you are all familiar with, so I won't elaborate further."

Danzo finished introducing the four current members of the "Anti-Danzo Alliance" and placed three scrolls on the table, each inscribed with the names ["Masked Man"], ["Black and White Creature"], and ["Orochimaru"].

"These are the summaries of the intelligence we have on these three individuals. Feel free to review them if needed. As for Hanzo, he has already been captured by Root and is undergoing interrogation." Danzo crossed his arms, pausing to give Minato and Hiruzen time to digest the information.

As expected, after carefully reviewing the intelligence scrolls, Hiruzen's expression grew even more serious. He frowned and asked, "If, as you say, the masked man uses his space-time ninjutsu to attack Konoha again after our forces have been deployed, what will we do?"

No matter how he thought about it, Hiruzen could not come up with an effective way to deal with this mysterious figure.

Danzo's response was simple. "The only way to counter space-time ninjutsu is with space-time ninjutsu."

Hiruzen turned to Minato.

As everyone knew, the Fourth Hokage was Konoha's foremost expert in space-time ninjutsu.

Danzo nodded and also looked at Minato. "If I'm not mistaken, Minato, you've already found a way to counter his space-time ninjutsu, haven't you?"

Hearing this, Minato was momentarily stunned, then inwardly shocked. Had Danzo's observational skills really become this sharp? Indeed, he had already found a way to counter the masked man.

During their encounter, when he had struck the man with his Rasengan, he had secretly left a Flying Thunder God mark on him.

However, given the gravity of the situation, he had not yet found the right time to reveal this to Danzo. He hadn't expected Danzo to figure it out...

Since that was the case, Minato saw no need to hide it any longer.

He nodded decisively and said, "To be honest, if we face him again, I am confident I can counter his techniques."

As Minato spoke, he exuded confidence. This was the composure of the young Hokage.

Just as he hesitated whether to explain further, Danzo raised his hand to stop him.

"There's no need to explain. I trust that if you say so, Minato, you must have full confidence in your ability to do so. I believe Hiruzen and Homura share the same sentiment."

After Danzo finished speaking, Hiruzen immediately nodded.

Although he had some reservations about Minato getting too close to Danzo, when it came to strength and combat intelligence, Minato's performance had always been impeccable.

Otherwise, he would not have earned the fearsome title of "Yellow Flash."

As for Homura Mitokado? He was curious about how Minato planned to deal with the masked man, but with both Danzo and Hiruzen expressing their confidence, he could hardly voice any dissent.

He could only mumble his agreement.

"What about Orochimaru's Edo Tensei?" Hiruzen asked with concern. He really did not want to face his teacher and Hashirama again...

Danzo shook his head. "Don't worry. Edo Tensei, as a forbidden technique among forbidden techniques, requires the caster to pay a heavy price to perform it. Even Orochimaru cannot use it a second time in a short period, especially since I've already cut him in half. Even if he can regenerate, his strength will likely be diminished for some time."

This reassurance finally put Hiruzen at ease.

Otherwise, Konoha might have had to live under the shadow of Edo Tensei, with the masked man occasionally bringing "zombies" to wreak havoc. Who could endure that?

"Therefore, as long as Minato remains in the village, that mysterious organization will not pose a significant threat to Konoha," Danzo concluded after his analysis.

This conclusion made Hiruzen frown once again. "Are you saying that you don't plan to bring Minato to the battlefield for this war?"

Danzo nodded decisively. "That's correct."

Hearing this, Minato immediately furrowed his brow and spoke urgently, "Lord Danzo, without me on the battlefield, the risks are too great."

As the Hokage, Minato had no reservations about leading from the front.

On the contrary, with his incredible mobility, he could only maximize his effectiveness on the battlefield! As for the village's safety...

"Elder Danzo, you must have also found a way to counter that masked man, haven't you?" Minato looked at Danzo.

As Konoha's foremost expert in space-time ninjutsu, he could sense the terrifying power contained within Danzo's sword technique—a power capable of cutting through space!

Even the masked man would likely be unable to withstand it.

Minato's words redirected everyone's attention to Danzo, especially Hiruzen, who was surprised.

When had Danzo mastered space-time ninjutsu? The old man had hidden too much!

In response to Minato's speculation, Danzo remained expressionless, neither confirming nor denying it.

Seeing this, Minato became even more convinced of his guess and continued, "Moreover, Elder Danzo, you've just awakened from a coma and are not yet at full strength. If something were to happen to you on the battlefield, Konoha's morale would suffer a significant blow. Therefore, it would be in the village's best interest for you to remain in the village while I lead the forces against Kumogakure! Even if something goes wrong, I can quickly retreat using the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

As Minato spoke, he displayed a rare determination and resolve in front of Danzo, leaving Homura Mitokado somewhat dumbfounded.

What? Were they really competing over who should go to the battlefield?

Hiruzen, on the other hand, remained silent.

Unfortunately, despite Minato's resolute insistence that he should be the one to go to the battlefield, Danzo rejected the idea. His reasoning was simple:

"Only I can defeat the Third Raikage," Danzo stated bluntly. "Although Minato, your speed is unmatched, your offensive power is slightly lacking when facing a monster like the Third Raikage. Even with the Rasengan and Sage Mode, it would be difficult for you to break through his defenses! If we cannot quickly defeat the Third Raikage, we risk being dragged into a prolonged war with Kumogakure, which would inevitably tempt other villages to take advantage and strike. In that case, the situation would become extremely unfavorable for us!"

At this point, Danzo's voice and tone grew impassioned and resolute. "Therefore, what we need is a victory—a crushing, overwhelming, and decisive victory! A victory that will prove Konoha's strength and strike fear into the hearts of all other villages! The shame Konoha has suffered must be washed away with the blood of Kumogakure! If Kumogakure is so eager for war, then I shall give them war—a war that will make them feel unimaginable pain!!"