The Hokage held the roster, his voice echoing clearly through the hall as he read the appointnts:
"Sakumo Hatake, Commander of the Anbu and Assistant to the Hokage; Orochimaru, acting General Commander of the Jonin Squads; Tsunade, Director of the dical Departnt and Head of the Konoha Hospital; Jiraiya, Director of the Information Departnt..."
As the commands were issued, the phase of rewarding rit officially concluded.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked out at the gathered Jonin and asked, "Now, for the next priority: I want to hear from you. In what areas can Konoha be reford? Give your honest opinions."
Reform Konoha?
The gears in everyone's minds began to turn. Was Hiruzen truly preparing to delegate his authority? Was his heart growing weary, or was he planning his abdication?
Proposals were thrown out one by one, only to be t with chaotic debate and eventual rejection. Hiruzen remained silent throughout, watching the Jonin bicker.
Konoha was a monolithic entity; any small change shifted the balance of power and redistributed the "cake." No one was truly willing to part with their family's share of influence or resources.
Suddenly, a heavy thud silenced the room. All eyes snapped to Tsunade, who had slamd her fist onto the table.
She stood up, her gaze fierce. "Colleagues, my proposal is this: formally establish a complete warti and standing dical ninja system in Konoha.
I demand that every standard ninja squad be equipped with at least one systematically trained dical ninja.
This will drastically reduce casualty rates and preserve Konoha's vital strength."
A wave of murmurs followed—mostly dissenting.
"Lady Tsunade, the concept is noble, but the training cycle for a dical ninja is long and the cost is high," Elder Koharu spoke up
Though she was a dical ninja herself, she was bound by the village's budget. "The initial investnt is massive, and the returns take years. It might be more practical to simply purchase better dical supplies."
Mitokado Homura added, "Indeed. The war just ended, the treasury is tight. Where will we squeeze out that kind of money?"
"Equip every squad? Even D-rank patrol and reconnaissance teams? That's a waste of talent."
"The current dical Class and hospital system are sufficient, aren't they? Why not just strengthen what we have?"
The objections piled up, but they all boiled down to one word: Money.
Tsunade's brow furrowed, her fists clenching under the table. She had expected resistance, but hearing it so bluntly filled her with a sense of powerlessness and irritability.
Then, a gentle voice broke through the noise. "I support Lady Tsunade's proposal."
Everyone turned to see Dan Kato. He looked at Tsunade, a warm, encouraging smile on his face. "I was once severely wounded on a mission
It was a dical ninja who brought back from the brink. I know better than anyone what it ans to have a reliable dical companion in a squad."
"It isn't a waste; it is the most basic guarantee for the lives of our comrades. It is an investnt in Konoha's future. Financial difficulties can be overco, but lives, once lost, never return."
His personal testimony caused so of the dissenters to pause. Tsunade looked at Dan, surprised that soone would stand so firmly by her side against the crowd.
Their eyes t briefly, and she felt the knot of irritation in her chest loosen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took it all in. He tapped the table to regain order. "Tsunade's proposal is far-sighted. Dan's words are heartfelt. However, the concerns raised are also a reality."
"A full-scale rollout is currently beyond our ans. Let us compromise: we will begin by assigning dedicated dical ninjas to elite squads, specifically those performing high-risk missions.
Simultaneously, we will expand basic dical ninjutsu education and encourage talented children to choose this path. How does that sound?"
Seeing the Hokage had spoken, the Jonin nodded in agreent. They knew this wasn't just about the dical system; it was a win for the Hokage's faction, and they had to yield.
"Very well," Hiruzen said, his tone shifting. "Since there are no other topics, we must address the issue of the missing-nin..."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Everyone knew that during the latter half of the war, the number of Konoha ninjas who had deserted was unprecedented—and scandalous.
"Since Shisui Abura's successful desertion two years ago, there have been over a dozen incidents of Chunin and Special Jonin attempting to defect. Though most were caught by the Anbu or border guards, the impact has been disastrous, shaking the very foundations of the village."
"We must strike back decisively to make an example of them. Regarding the pursuit of these traitors—especially... the potential loose ends and hidden forces behind them—does anyone have a recomndation for a leader?"
The silence stretched. Hunting missing-nin, especially those potentially linked to a dangerous variable like Shisui, was a high-risk, high-reward mission that few wanted to gamble on.
Then, a figure stood up. It was Shima Shirakumo. Two years had passed, and the youthfulness in his face had matured into a hardened, stoic resolve.
"Lord Hokage, Shisui Abura's desertion was, at its root, my failure. For two years, I have trained day and night, never forgetting that sha.
If you trust , I wish to lead the investigation into the missing-nin. Give a squad specialized in tracking and intelligence, and I will do everything in my power to bring these threats to justice and redeem my past mistake."
He stood straight, head bowed. Hiruzen didn't answer imdiately. Instead, he looked toward the shadow where Orochimaru sat. "Orochimaru, do you know exactly where Jiraiya is?"
Seeing his sensei ask again, Orochimaru didn't hide the truth. "Jiraiya? He is still in the Land of Rain, teaching those... 'interesting' war orphans he found."
The room exploded.
"What? The war is over, and he's staying in enemy territory?"
"Teaching orphans of the Land of Rain? That is a complete lack of priority!"
"What on earth is Lord Jiraiya thinking?"
Most of the Jonin were shocked by Jiraiya's logic. Teaching enemy orphans was one thing, but staying behind to do it? To many, there was little difference between that and desertion itself.
The Path of a dical Ninja
To understand Tsunade's proposal, one must understand the unique role a dical ninja plays within a squad. Unlike combat specialists, their primary focus is chakra control and biological knowledge.
Shisui's Influence: The Butterfly Effect
Shisui Abura's departure wasn't just a loss of a single ninja; it was a crack in the ideological shield of Konoha. His ability to vanish without a trace provided a "blueprint" for others who felt disillusioned by the war, leading to the surge in desertions that the village was now desperately trying to quell.
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