Chapter 150: Political Cave

Nine shadowy figures still surrounded a single stone lamp.

"Report on your mission status, everyone," the Leader said, looking around at the assembled members.

"The Hidden Sound Village definitely has ties to Orochimaru," Sasori stated.

"And Orochimaru himself?" the Leader inquired.

"Orochimaru was not in the Hidden Sound. We only managed to destroy several of Orochimaru's research bases, but we couldn't find him," Sasori replied slowly, his cold voice sounding almost inhuman.

"Hmm~~~ I see... Continue tracking Orochimaru... If you find any trace of him, do not engage without orders. Report to me," the Leader commanded.

"Oh? Are you planning to take action personally?" Sasori asked.

"......" The Leader didn't answer Sasori's question. He turned his gaze to Itachi. "Tell me about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Kisame seems to be quite injured. Did you encounter the Tailed Beast?"

"We did not encounter the Tailed Beast. The Nine-Tails is currently residing within a brat named Naruto," Itachi Uchiha reported. "During the attempted capture, we encountered one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, so we retreated."

"Jiraiya, hmm..." The Leader fell silent, then continued, "It's not a problem. There's no need to rush the capture of the Tailed Beasts. The organization's current goal is to accumulate funds. By acting as mercenaries, we will monopolize warfare and dismantle the ninja system of the Great Nations."

"I don't care about any of that. I just want to spread my faith," Hidan interjected. His sole purpose for joining Akatsuki was to promote the Jashin religion.

"Once we conquer the world, you can preach all you want," the Leader said, glancing dismissively at Hidan.

"Hmph....."

Konoha Hospital

"Thank you so much, Inoichi-san," Sakura said, thanking the middle-aged man with a face remarkably similar to Ino's.

No, it was more accurate to say Ino resembled Inoichi. It wouldn't make sense to say a father looked like his daughter.

"Haha, no need to thank me. My daughter mentions you quite often," Inoichi smiled.

"Huh? Ino talks about me?" Sakura was a little confused.

Sakura and Ino didn't interact much. Originally, Sakura, due to her insecurities, should have had some interaction with Ino, but because of her transmigration, that connection never developed.

"That's right. Ino is working hard with you as her goal. She talks about you all the time," Inoichi said, an undeniable pride radiating from him as he spoke of his daughter. Clearly, no matter what kind of daughter she was, Inoichi loved her dearly.

Seeing Inoichi's expression, Sakura couldn't help but think of her own father. Sometimes, when she saw her father talking about her to others, he had the exact same expression as Inoichi just now.

"I've placed a suggestion in her mind. When she wakes up depends on her, as I avoided using a more aggressive method. While she's resting, try talking to her about things that might evoke strong emotions. This will increase the chances of her waking up," Inoichi explained. "We'll observe her for a week. If she doesn't wake up, I'll reinforce the suggestion."

"Thank you, truly," Sakura thanked him again.

"Hehe, don't mention it. I hope you'll look out for my daughter in the future," Inoichi said cheerfully.

"Hehe," Sakura chuckled awkwardly, not quite knowing how to respond to such pleasantries.

"Alright, I'll be on my way," Inoichi said, waving goodbye.

"Yes, please take care, Inoichi-san," Sakura said, seeing him out.

Returning to the hospital room and looking at Karin lying on the bed, Sakura fell silent. Now that things had finally settled down, she had time to reflect on her mistakes.

Firstly...

Firstly......

Firstly........

There were no mistakes... When the power levels were so disparate, the concept of "mistakes" became irrelevant. If Itachi Uchiha had truly been an enemy, she would have been instantly defeated without any chance to resist...

There would have been no escaping the genjutsu, no chance to be here summarizing her errors. From the very beginning, they were on completely different levels...

Hehe...

Shaking her head wearily, Sakura stopped dwelling on mistakes. She didn't even know when she'd been caught in the genjutsu.

She needed to dedicate some time to improving her genjutsu skills. It seemed Sakura's body actually had quite a talent for genjutsu, something she hadn't explored before.

Yes, she'd visit Kurenai-sensei tomorrow and ask about the genjutsu she'd experienced today. She didn't need to be able to cast it, just break free from it.

"Karin, I promise, I won't let you be put in such a dangerous situation again," Sakura vowed silently, looking at Karin on the hospital bed.

Hokage's Office

After Jiraiya left, Tsunade returned to her office, only to find the two advisors still there.

"What? Are you two in such good health?" Tsunade asked sarcastically.

"Hmph, Konoha will not agree to renegotiate with the Sand," Mitokado Homura stated firmly.

"Hiruzen recommended you to succeed him as Hokage, and we had no objections. However, when it comes to managing relations between villages, you need to listen to our advice, as you are still too inexperienced," Koharu Utatane said bluntly.

The situation was quite simple. The Sand Village had requested to renegotiate the compensation for their invasion of Konoha. As her first diplomatic matter since taking office, Tsunade had agreed.

However, the advisors, upon learning of this, were vehemently opposed. Danzo had already negotiated the compensation terms with the Sand, and the amount was surprisingly high.

Therefore, the advisors believed that the Sand was taking advantage of Konoha's change in leadership to reduce the payment.

Thus, they firmly opposed the renegotiation, ultimately because they didn't trust Tsunade. They felt she was too green compared to the seasoned and cunning Danzo, and that renegotiating would allow the Sand to take advantage and reduce the compensation.

If the assassination attempt hadn't happened, Tsunade wouldn't have cared much. The terms were already agreed upon, and Tsunade had only intended to flex Konoha's muscles at the Sand. When it came to money, Tsunade wouldn't back down an inch.

But what Tsunade hadn't expected was that the negotiations with the Sand Village had been conducted by Danzo. This immediately raised red flags for Tsunade, who had recently been targeted in an assassination attempt. She instinctively felt that the Sand's request for renegotiation was likely connected to the attack on her.

And so, the advisors and the Hokage argued, neither side yielding. It wasn't a major issue, and one side could have simply backed down. However, the argument grew increasingly heated. Tsunade's insistence made the advisory council feel that this blonde girl didn't understand politics and was being very headstrong, so their words became sharper.

But Tsunade was not one to be trifled with. Even before she was one of the Legendary Sannin, she had dared to talk back to the Third Hokage. Now, as the Hokage herself, she wouldn't tolerate the advisors' interference.

Therefore, the dispute was no longer solely about the renegotiation with the Sand. It was about the balance of power and authority between them.

"Bang!"

Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, glaring at the two advisors. "I am the Hokage now. This village is under my authority. I made that clear on my inauguration day."

"Our responsibility is to correct the Hokage's decisions when they are flawed, and I believe your decision is a major error," Mitokado Homura stated calmly.

"If you agree to this negotiation, it will make other villages think that Konoha can be easily manipulated, that even a defeated nation can push us around. You have much to learn... Tsunade..." Koharu Utatane said.

"Hmph, I think this is a perfect opportunity to display our strength," Tsunade retorted coldly.

"You are still too naive, Tsunade. A village's strength is demonstrated by securing tangible benefits," Koharu Utatane shook her head. She understood Tsunade's perspective, but she remained firm in her own opinion.

"Are you saying you believe I would betray the village's interests?" Tsunade challenged, staring at Koharu Utatane.

"Not necessarily, but I believe you should learn from your predecessors when it comes to managing the village," Koharu Utatane replied, not backing down.

The atmosphere in the Hokage's office became tense once more.

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