Chapter 125: The True Objective

Lightning flashed, revealing the shock etched on every face. Thunder roared, masking the sudden pounding of their hearts.

"Disband the Anbu!"

These four short words stunned the crowd into wide-eyed silence. Instinctively, they shifted their gaze toward the three high-ranking officials seated in front, eager to see their reactions.

The Anbu, officially known as the Tactics Special Assassination Unit, was originally handpicked by the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama from among the village's finest ninja.

Initially, its primary functions were protecting the Hokage, preventing enemy infiltration into the Hidden Leaf Village, and occasionally performing reconnaissance and assassination missions.

After the Third's succession, in order to consolidate his power and tighten his control over the Ninja World, he greatly expanded the Anbu division.

During his reign, Hiruzen Sarutobi not only recruited many promising ninjas into the Anbu ranks but also gradually broadened their scope of operations.

Under the Third's leadership, the Anbu had become his strongest shield, sharpest sword, most observant eye, and keenest ear...

In short, the Anbu had evolved into an indispensable part of him—literally a part of his own body.

Therefore, asking him to disband the Anbu was like telling him to cut off his own arm.

Sure enough, upon hearing Aozora's outrageous suggestion, Hiruzen Sarutobi trembled with rage, sweat pouring from his body as chills ran down his limbs. He nearly lost his voice entirely.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face now bore no trace of composure or kindness. The look he shot Aozora contained outright murderous intent.

Whoosh! Whoosh! ——

Outside the window, torrential rain poured down as if the sky itself had collapsed, flooding the earth with sheets of water.

Aozora shivered—a natural reaction when preyed upon by a deadly beast.

Amidst this fear, he even felt his legs weaken slightly, yet he smiled.

Sarutobi was furious, and anxious!

Negotiation and debate always come down to staying calm. Even if the sky were falling, you still need to keep your head.

Whether in battle, at negotiations, or in this very room—acting out of rage was never acceptable.

Anger only clouds judgment—it helps nothing and harms everything.

Aozora was handsome—one could never stress that enough. And a good-looking man's smile naturally brings comfort.

While the Fourth Hokage's smile was like a warm sun, Aozora's was like a quiet, cold moonlit glow.

It exuded distance, elegance, and purity.

Everyone noticed how the furious Third stood against Aozora's calm smile.

Among those present, the image of the previously unshaken Third facing crises began to crumble.

Yet Sarutobi was still a competent politician. He quickly regained his composure and coldly remarked, "So this is what the Uchiha suggest? Foolish and laughable!"

Aozora feigned confusion, saying respectfully, "Forgive my youth and inexperience, Hokage-sama. Might I ask, what exactly is the purpose of the Anbu?"

When Sarutobi remained silent, Mito Uzumaki stepped forward instead and answered, "Protecting the Hokage!"

Aozora smiled, replying, "But isn't that what the Shadow Guard Team is for already? If they're insufficient, why not just expand their numbers?"

Koharu Utatane spoke next, "Enemy-line reconnaissance!"

Aozora raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that the Intelligence Division's job?"

Homura Mitokado added, "Executing high-difficulty missions!"

Aozora shook his head. "Since when did Konoha's elite Jonin become just for show?"

"..."

Gradually, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane spoke less and remained silent longer.

The Anbu indeed had unique functions irreplaceable by other departments, but those functions weren't meant to operate in the open.

Aozora alone overpowered two elders. Among the watching ninja, some felt admiration while others harbored secret apprehension.

The Uchiha had previously only been powerful—brave yet unstrategic, difficult to accomplish great things.

But now they possessed a brilliant mind, making the future of the Uchiha unpredictable.

The two elders fell silent, but Aozora didn't stop speaking.

"After all this questioning, I noticed the Anbu seem to be taking over work from other departments. Could it be that Lord Hokage doesn't trust us?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately interjected, "Silence!"

Homura Mitokado said, "Absurd!"

Koharu Utatane added, "Nonsense!"

Aozora stopped talking, but his words had already reached everyone present. Although no one voiced anything aloud, their shifting gazes showed they were not indifferent.

Ninja are humans—some indifferent to fame and power, others obsessed with authority. The Anbu involved themselves in everything, infringing upon many people's interests.

Hiruzen paused, then explained, "The Anbu does have numerous responsibilities, but not as you described—as if intentionally curtailing departmental powers. It's simply for handling urgent matters. In rapidly changing situations, the Hokage must have an elite unit capable of quickly resolving issues without needing to consult clan leaders or department heads for every small matter."

Upon hearing this, Aozora nodded. This was indeed one core reason behind the Anbu's creation—one undeniable fact. It was only natural that the Hokage needed a force ready at a moment's notice.

Never in his mind had Aozora really meant to disband the Anbu!

Without the Anbu, the Hokage would merely be a figurehead—a situation absolutely unacceptable to any Hokage holder.

"Then..."

Aozora raised his voice, ensuring everyone inside the meeting room could hear clearly.

"May I ask Lord Hokage, does a team created solely for handling emergencies require so many members? If the current Anbu doubled in size, I believe everyone here could just retire to farming."

Of course, Aozora was exaggerating—but he made his point clear.

The Third greatly craved power, thus aggressively expanding the Anbu. During this time, Danzo became his deputy. Naturally, as he desired the Hokage title himself, he expanded his own influence.

Both continuously grew the Anbu, eventually causing it to become bloated and oversized.

Hiruzen fell silent, and silence filled the entire meeting room. All that could be heard was the pattering rain outside.

The meeting couldn't be stopped—neither could time itself.

Dozens of elite Jonin sat in tense silence, waiting. Hiruzen knew he must make a decision soon.

He had initially thought his greatest sacrifice at this meeting would be relinquishing the Hokage title to become an elder advisor of Konoha.

Yet he hadn't anticipated that what he'd first sacrifice would be the Hokage's authority itself—the very establishment of the Anbu.

After a long pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke softly, "From this day forward, Anbu will have a total of seventy personnel, divided into four squads and sixteen teams. Will that satisfy the Uchiha clan?"

Hiruzen made it clear there was a rivalry between the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha.

He feared that if he didn't clarify this now, more ninja loyal to him might be swayed by Aozora's convincing rhetoric.

Aozora replied calmly, "Lord Hokage is making too much of this matter. Our Police Force merely offered some suggestions."

Hiruzen wasted no more words, instead sweeping his gaze across everyone in the room as he asked, "Then, does anyone have any objections?"

His voice remained calm, but an aura of authority filled the space around him.

Combined with what he'd said earlier, speaking out now would mean going against the Hokage's faction.

Once again, silence settled over the meeting chamber.

The rain continued pouring down outside.

Just as Hiruzen was about to wrap up the proposal, a blond-haired man stood up.

"The structure of Anbu poses no problem, but its powers and responsibilities must be clarified further."

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