mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 224: Konoha's Northern Expedition
Chapter 224: Konoha's Northern Expedition
"Madara Uchiha took Izuna away..."
Wanci frowned slightly, lost in thought for a moment.
I had originally intended to protect Izuna.
Unexpectedly, Madara Uchiha suddenly appeared and made a move.
After pondering for a few moments, Wan Ci finally let out a soft sigh, abandoning the idea of taking action. His tone was calm, tinged with a sense of relief:
"Fine, let it be."
"Let's see what these guys can get up to."
Ultimately, Wanci did not interfere with Ban's choice.
The atmosphere in the council chamber of the Hokage Building in Konoha was solemn and heavy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in the crisp robes of the Fifth Hokage, sat in the main seat presiding over the meeting.
Mito Uzumaki and Tenshino Hyuga stood on either side, wholeheartedly assisting him.
Mito Uzumaki did not use her seniority to interfere too much with the Hokage's decisions, nor did she intend to usurp power. She simply acted as a supervisor, quietly overseeing the overall situation of the meeting.
"Gentlemen, the most urgent task for Konoha right now is to demand justice from Kumogakure and avenge my teacher's death!"
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi took over as Hokage, he emphatically raised the core issue.
Although the attack was launched by Kinkaku and Ginkaku, in the eyes of everyone in Konoha, this was a deliberate plot by Kumogakure to assassinate the Hokage of Konoha, an irreconcilable feud!
As soon as the words were spoken, the clan leaders present all looked troubled, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.
The Hidden Cloud Village has always been the toughest nut to crack in the ninja world. Not only does it possess two tailed beasts, but it can also be deployed to the battlefield at any time!
In contrast, Konoha's Nine-Tails is with Mito Uzumaki, so it can only stay in the village to guard it.
We can't exactly send that old woman, Mito Uzumaki, to fight on the front lines, can we?
He's so old; if he were captured, the consequences would be unimaginable.
In addition, the Hidden Cloud Village has been preparing for war for many years, and its military strength has always been the best in the ninja world, giving it overwhelming strength.
With a perilous journey, a disparity in military strength, and insufficient manpower, Konoha faced numerous challenges. No one knew whether they had any chance of winning.
"The mountain paths are treacherous and difficult to traverse; how can logistical support continue to operate during a large-scale northern expedition?"
"A hasty northern expedition would consume a massive amount of village resources. Wouldn't it be better to follow the example of Kirigakure and close the village to recuperate?"
"With all four previous leaders gone, who in Konoha can now shoulder the heavy responsibility of commanding the Northern Expedition?"
Questions and concerns arose one after another.
The clan leaders argued endlessly, remaining hesitant and undecided about sending troops to punish Yunyin, unable to make up their minds to unify the matter.
Sitting in his seat, Shimura Danzo felt a surge of anger. Looking at the clan leaders who were hesitant and timid, he felt nothing but resentment.
"asshole....."
Danzo whispered, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white, his suppressed anger churning within him.
Just as everyone was arguing and the meeting room was in a noisy state, Danzo suddenly slammed his hand on the table!
"Who dares to command the Northern Expedition?...What is there to be afraid of?!"
A sharp shout silenced the entire room, and everyone turned around in astonishment to look at him.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Danzo abruptly stood up, his back straight, his eyes sharp as blades, his words resounding with unwavering resolve:
"How can we stand still and stagnate, carrying on the legacy of the previous Hokage!?"
"The Hokage was assassinated by a villain; with such a deep-seated hatred before him, how could he not avenge it!"
"I, Shimura Danzo, volunteer to take on the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expedition!"
Danzo spoke with unwavering conviction, showing no sign of backing down, revealing his burning passion and fighting spirit.
Mito Uzumaki and Tenjin Hyuga exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with surprise, followed by deep admiration.
Reason tells them that Konoha should avoid large-scale war at this time.
However, the two already had a close relationship with Izuna, and Danzo's passionate words ignited their emotions, causing their long-dormant fighting spirit and bloodlust to surge up instantly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo with delight.
Bro, you get what I mean!
Now that Danzo has taken over, that's really great!
"I share this view; Kumogakure must pay a heavy price for this!"
"If the Hokage were to suffer such a terrible fate, and Konoha were to continue to swallow its anger, it would only alienate the entire village and cause us to completely lose the support of the people!"
Mito Uzumaki slowly stepped out, her expression solemn and composed, giving her full support to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"I second that!"
Hyuga Tenjin followed closely behind, speaking in a deep voice with a sharp gaze, full of indignation at the rebellious actions of Kumogakure, and resolutely taking a pro-war stance.
Upon hearing this, the current Uchiha clan head, Uchiha Chisato, solemnly nodded and declared in a resounding voice, "Our Uchiha clan head was brutally murdered by Kumogakure. This blood feud must be avenged! The entire Uchiha clan supports the Northern Expedition against Kumogakure!"
With the explicit support of Mito Uzumaki and Tennin Hyuga, two of the top leaders of Konoha's forces.
The proposal for the Northern Expedition, which had previously been subject to disagreement, was instantly approved unanimously by the Konoha leadership.
In an instant, the order for Konoha's Northern Expedition was officially issued, launching a localized punitive war against Kumogakure.
Manji tacitly approved of the war, believing that as long as the overall balance of the ninja world was not disrupted, moderate punishment was acceptable.
This localized conflict ended in less than a year.
Danzo personally led Konoha's elite forces, joining forces with the Kumogakure's orthodox army to launch a pincer attack, annihilating the rebel forces of Kinkaku and Ginkaku in one fell swoop. This forced Kinkaku and Ginkaku to flee the Land of Lightning in panic, leaving them with nowhere to go.
Danzo's outstanding performance in this battle earned him Hiruzen Sarutobi's deep trust.
Hiruzen Sarutobi not only allowed him to continue serving as Hokage's assistant, but also regarded him as the second most powerful person in Konoha, second only to himself, wielding immense power.
Mito Uzumaki and Tenshinobu Hyuga saw that Hiruzen Sarutobi was decisive and capable in managing the village, and was therefore qualified to shoulder the heavy responsibility of Konoha.
The two then tacitly chose to fade out of the center of power and quietly retire.
After the war, Konoha returned to peace, and the village was orderly and its industries gradually prospered.
Seeing the village thriving, Hiruzen Sarutobi had an idea and decided to follow the example of Izuna Uchiha in taking on disciples and passing on his skills, and to carefully cultivate the next generation of new forces in Konoha.
He was unwilling to choose children from noble families, and instead turned his attention to children from ordinary backgrounds.
The exceptionally talented Jiraiya and Orochimaru thus came into his view.
In the same year, Manji issued a secret order, arranging for Kakuzu to go underground and take full control of the ninja world's black market and underground gold exchange system, thus establishing a secret underground network of forces.
After everything was arranged, Wanci chose to pass away naturally, entrusting the ramen shop he had run all his life to a boy named Teuchi.
Konoha Cemetery.
The grass and trees were withered, and the atmosphere was somber.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya stood silently before Manji's tombstone, their hearts filled with unbearable grief.
Orochimaru gazed at the cold tombstone, experiencing for the first time the true fragility and impermanence of life, a deathly sorrow enveloping him.
Jiraiya's eyes were already red, tears streaming down his cheeks, and he choked up, unable to utter a sound.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood beside the two, gently patting their shoulders and softly comforting them:
"Manager Wan is a seasoned philanthropist of Konoha!"
"Back in the day, the Second Hokage, Hashirama, the Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and even Danzo and I often frequented his ramen shop."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze softened, his thoughts drifting back to his distant childhood.
He clearly remembered that on the day Wan Zhanggui's ramen shop opened, he and Danzo were still kids and were the shop's first customers.