HTP: Ch. 56

In the hyperspace, the small three-person group chat had already been renamed "Konoha Subspace Branch."

After the last incident, Yoriichi rejected Konoha's offer. He had already seen the ending, since victory was assured, why try to change history?

Seeing that the other party refused to help, Hiruzen casually asked in the group chat.

[Hiruzen]: What have you been reading lately?

[Yoriichi]: I've been reading One Hundred Years of Solitude.

As expected, literary youths thought differently.

Ace immediately suggested he read more Demon Slayer fanfiction and fewer literary classics.

[Hiruzen]: If only we could go back in time, Danzō would've already served a 30-year sentence.

Now, with work piling up, time was short.

He stopped chatting and, after writing a chapter of his One Piece fanfiction, went back to work.

---

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen began handling today's documents. The one on top was a scroll sent by Ōnoki. He was once again requesting to hold a Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron, to discuss countermeasures against Akatsuki.

Looks like the destruction of Kumo really spooked him.

But why hold the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron? What if I get ambushed by Nagato on the road? And if we bring too many guards, what if Konoha is left vulnerable?

Totally unreasonable. If we're going to have a summit, it has to be in Konoha.

Besides, are there even five Kage left anymore? At most, three.

He immediately marked a big red X on the document and wrote his comments: "Holding a Five Kage Summit is feasible, but the location needs to be discussed. If it's in Konoha, that would naturally be ideal."

Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

The one who entered was Shikaku.

"The Eight-Tails jinchūriki's team has arrived at Konoha's border. Should we let them in?"

A perfect jinchūriki within Konoha's borders could be a potential threat.

Hiruzen thought for a moment.

"Let them in. The Eight-Tails alone can't stir up much trouble in Konoha now. Rent them a building, let them set up a Liaison office."

Liaison office?

Shikaku immediately asked what the Hokage meant by that.

"There are still many surviving Kumo ninjas on missions outside the village. If they don't have a new central leadership, there'll be chaos. Also, notify the mission distribution office to prepare. In the future, assign them a portion of the mission load."

With no leadership, and individual ninjas wielding great power, without the Will of Fire to guide them, they might all turn into cold-blooded mercenaries or bandits like Zabuza or Raiga.

Ninjas had to eat, after all.

That would cause instability in the world. As the leader of a responsible great nation, he couldn't sit by and watch. Besides, if they lived in Konoha, worked in Konoha, and raised their children here, who was to say if they would still be Kumo ninjas in the future?

Hiruzen continued, "Later, send a team of Konoha advisors to help them elect a new Raikage."

Now they were getting to the key issue. Shikaku asked directly, "The Fifth Raikage appointed Killer B as the Sixth Raikage. Do we need to support this?"

Of course, that wouldn't do, besides, it was far too dangerous for a jinchūriki to become Raikage.

It was not becoming Raikage that earned recognition; it was being recognized that qualified someone to become Raikage! And a rap freak clearly wasn't someone the people of Kumo could accept.

Hiruzen quickly came to a conclusion.

He took a puff from his pipe and said, "This candidate won't do."

Shikaku nodded slightly, agreeing with the Hokage's judgment.

"I think that Mabui's pretty good. Go ask her if she's willing to become the new Raikage. I'll support her."

---

Shikaku gently knocked on the door.

Mabui sat by the window. The steam from her tea had long since dissipated. Her gaze was fixed outside, the bustling commercial street of Konoha, a far cry from the steep cliffs of Kumo in her memories.

This was a commercial teahouse in Konoha.

After some thought, Shikaku felt it was better to bring up the Raikage succession privately.

"Mabui-san," he said, placing a stack of documents on the low table without immediately opening them. "About the reconstruction of Kumo…"

To Mabui, the whole situation felt absurd. Shikaku had completely changed his attitude since the destruction of Kumo, far more agreeable now than during the previously deadlocked negotiations.

Was it sympathy? Or something more sinister?

"A village with not even a foundation left, what's there to rebuild?" she countered coldly, using retreat as a form of defense.

Now that Kumo had been utterly destroyed, even if the daimyō of the Land of Lightning had been friendly before, there was no telling what he might be thinking now.

"We can help you. Provide financial support. A building to serve as a temporary office. Even assign part of Konoha's mission quota to you early on. We'll also persuade the Fire Daimyō to help convince the Lightning Daimyō to continue cooperating with the new Kumo."

Such excessive goodwill only heightened Mabui's suspicion. "What's Konoha's condition?"

Shikaku calmly poured a fresh cup of tea, steam rising between them. "Moreover, precisely because Kumo is in crisis, someone needs to step up."

Mabui looked puzzled.

Shikaku looked her in the eye and said firmly, "You are the only one who can still make the exiled ninjas hear the thunder."

Outside, the laughter of Konoha children echoed, sharp contrast to the stillness inside the room.

Mabui let out a cold laugh. "Konoha's scheming is impressive. Let me be a puppet Raikage so it's easier to control the remnants of Kumo?"

Shikaku immediately denied it. He explained that if the Kumo ninjas lost central leadership and became scattered rogues, the consequences could be disastrous. That was why Konoha was offering sincere support.

But to Mabui, there was a flaw in this logic.

She said firmly, "The new Raikage has already been chosen."

"That candidate," Shikaku said resolutely, "is unacceptable to Konoha. The kind of Raikage Konoha can accept absolutely can't be a brute consumed by hatred."

Mabui fell silent.

"Even I've heard a few of those raps about taking revenge on Konoha's White Fang," Shikaku added logically. "You can't seriously seek Konoha's protection while still planning revenge."

Finally, Mabui broke her silence by changing the subject: "Akatsuki's next target is Konoha. Whatever you're proposing, it's meaningless now."

Clearly, she was implying that if Konoha couldn't withstand Akatsuki, it might become the next Kumo.

Shikaku simply said, "Konoha has vast forces and the strongest Hokage. We will not fear Akatsuki."