Books on sensory and medical ninjutsu both demanded extremely precise chakra control, requiring absolute accuracy down to the smallest detail.
Both books contained small tips for practicing chakra control.
This was exactly what Shinji wanted to see.
His daily life then consisted of reading, practicing chakra control, and occasionally sparring with his two younger clan members at the training grounds.
Tokuma and Tetsu suffered greatly. They wanted to refuse, but were told by Iroha that constantly sparring with someone stronger than themselves would greatly benefit their own improvement.
Bad news came from the front lines once again.
Konoha's forward operating base had been discovered by Iwagakure and suffered a large-scale attack. The three-thousand-strong force had suffered heavy casualties.
News of this battle shook Konoha to its core.
It was clear to the eye that the advantage Konoha gained at the Kannabi Bridge had been lost.
The scales of war now tipped in favor of Iwagakure.
Without the forward operating base, all of Konoha's forces had to retreat, abandoning the entire Land of Grass battlefield and withdrawing to the border of the Land of Fire.
To outsiders, this situation seemed to guarantee Konoha's defeat.
Inside the Hokage Tower, the conference room table was filled with people. These were the core members who remained in the village.
The meeting had lasted for several hours and was still ongoing. There had been heated arguments, and also periods of more than ten minutes where no one spoke.
Soon, someone knocked and entered, placing a letter in front of the Third Hokage.
Sarutobi opened and read it, his expression growing increasingly irritated.
Homura Mito, who was sitting beside him, took the letter and his face immediately darkened. "This is outrageous! How dare they ask for such a price!"
It was a quotation list from several mercenary organizations, but the prices listed were simply exorbitant.
Koharu Utatane also said angrily, "They've benefited greatly from our Land of Fire in the past, and now they're taking advantage of our misfortune!"
Sarutobi remained silent.
When a wall falls, everyone pushes against it. He knew that these mercenary organizations didn't want to fight for Konoha; they were all afraid of Iwagakure's retaliation if Konoha was defeated.
Another ninja entered the conference room and delivered another letter.
Sarutobi had received countless letters recently from all sides: local chambers of commerce in the Land of Fire, influential clans, all expressing their willingness to provide various forms of support to Konoha.
This letter was from the Daimyo's office.
After reading it, Sarutobi's expression eased slightly.
Their employer was still reliable it seemed.
The letter said that a new batch of military supplies was already on its way and urged them to submit any requests immediately.
The Daimyo's office had sent several letters, expressing concern and inquiring about the detailed situation in Konoha.
It seemed that things were probably not peaceful there either.
"We need to replenish our forces, otherwise, the front lines will continue to suffer defeats," Danzo, who was sitting in the chief seat to Sarutobi's left, slowly said.
"And where would we find more ninjas to send to the front lines?" Sarutobi said irritably. The number of ninjas remaining in the village was already extremely low.
If he wasn't here himself, any attack on Konoha could shake its foundation.
"Isn't there still a batch of Genin?" Danzo countered.
"No!" Sarutobi immediately rejected his suggestion.
"Those Genin just graduated. Are we sending them to the battlefield to die?"
Danzo's single visible eye narrowed slightly.
He said indifferently, "It's something they all have to experience sooner or later. It would be good for them to be tempered on the battlefield early on."
Sarutobi glanced at Koharu and Homura on the other side. Seeing that neither of them spoke, he knew they didn't object.
Everyone in the conference room was looking at Sarutobi, waiting for his decision.
"No!" Sarutobi held his ground.
Some of the newly graduated Genin had never seen real combat. Sending them to the battlefield would only turn them into cannon fodder.
They were the future of the village; doing so would be no different from killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Danzo sneered, "Are we going to wait until Iwagakure is at the village gates before letting them fight?"
Sarutobi was speechless.
He wanted to continue refusing, but he couldn't help but think of the Warring States Period before Konoha's founding, when children as young as those in the Ninja Academy were already killing on the battlefield.
Once this thought appeared, it lingered in his mind.
Sarutobi sighed heavily and closed his eyes without responding.
'What was the purpose of Konoha's establishment? Wasn't it to protect them?
'It couldn't be done, it simply couldn't be done…'
"Sarutobi, what are you hesitating for?" Danzo began to press him.
"Do you want to put Konoha in mortal danger?!"
Seeing this, Koharu and Homura both remained silent.
"Sarutobi!"
"Make a decision, Sarutobi!"
Danzo's voice echoed repeatedly in the conference room, swirling around Sarutobi's ears like a demonic mantra.
"Lord Hokage!" Suddenly, another ninja spoke.
Sarutobi looked up at him. It was a young man, a Special Jonin of the village.
He said, "My younger brother just graduated, but I've been personally training him. He has a lot of practical experience and can be sent to the battlefield."
As soon as he finished speaking, other voices immediately chimed in: "Lord Hokage, my son as well!"
Their words, however, made Sarutobi's heart even heavier.
These people were not afraid of death for the village. Many had privately requested to be transferred to the front lines.
But someone had to remain in the village, so he had refused these requests.
A sudden knock on the door was exceptionally clear in the quiet conference room.
The oppressive atmosphere gave Sarutobi a chance to breathe. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Enter."
'Another letter? Whose was it this time…' he couldn't help but wonder.
The person who walked in was not a messenger ninja, but a tall, slender man with long black hair and a cold demeanor.
It was Orochimaru.
Seeing him, a glimmer of light flashed in Sarutobi's eyes, but it quickly faded.
The people in the conference room murmured upon seeing Orochimaru enter.
Danzo, upon seeing him, calmly closed his eyes.
"Orochimaru," Sarutobi said slowly.
"Are you preparing to go to the front lines?... The village needs your strength right now."
He withdrew his gaze, lowered his head slightly, and spoke to himself.
"Sarutobi-sensei..."
"..."
"I have a way to repel Iwagakure."
As soon as these words were spoken, the conference room instantly erupted in an uproar.
Sarutobi was also stunned.
He looked up at Orochimaru and saw that he was wearing a combat uniform and a forehead protector today.
"What method?"
"We'll form an alliance with Sunagakure."
Sarutobi frowned upon hearing this.
"The alliance agreement has already been sent, and our Daimyo has also sent one to the Land of Wind's Daimyo, but there has been no response."
"Let me go personally," Orochimaru said, "I will secure this ally for Konoha."
"You..." Sarutobi's eyes showed surprise.
"I agree. In the current situation, there's no harm in letting Orochimaru try," Danzo chimed in timely.
Sarutobi fell silent.
He wasn't hesitant; he was just remembering many things.
Orochimaru continued to ask, "Sarutobi-sensei, what do you think?"
Hearing this, Sarutobi felt a little dazed. The figure of the man standing before him seemed to shift slightly.
'Sarutobi-sensei...
'Sarutobi-sensei…'