Naruto: I Became Sakura and Accidentally Got a Nuke

"I also oppose going to war!" an elder with the Byakugan spoke from within the Elder Council.

"Elder Fukasaku," Hiashi Hyuga stared in disbelief at the old man. If Konoha chose to compromise, it would ultimately be members of the Hyuga clan who were sacrificed to quell the conflict. As clan leader, there was no way he would willingly die as Cloud Village demanded—but what about the lives of his other clansmen? Could they really just be sacrificed so unjustly?

"War is unwise. Since this matter originated with the Hyuga clan, let the Hyuga resolve it. We can offer one corpse," the Hyuga Great Elder said calmly and without emotion.

"This war might not even happen. I'm only suggesting how we should respond to Cloud's demands. There's no need for such a great sacrifice from the Hyuga clan. Konoha ninja must never abandon their comrades. That was Hashirama's own teaching, and we cannot choose to sacrifice our own people just for temporary peace!"

Sarutobi frowned as he spoke. He hadn't expected the Hyuga to become problematic at this critical moment. Worse still, Cloud had specifically targeted the Hyuga family. If the Hyuga were determined to make their own decision, even he, as Hokage, wouldn't find it easy to object.

"Hokage-sama, please rest assured; the Hyuga clan naturally has its own judgment." Unmoved, the Hyuga Great Elder spoke briefly to the Third before dragging Hiashi Hyuga away with him.

"For now, let's call it a day," the Third sighed with some frustration. Everyone opposed him when he tried to compromise, and now that he wanted to take a firm stance, another faction resisted him. It was truly headache-inducing.

"Lord Third, if war does indeed break out, the Uchiha will certainly offer our full support!" Fugaku Uchiha quietly remarked as he left last. As the head of the Uchiha clan, he longed to mend relations between the Uchiha and Konoha, but unfortunately, Danzo—a high-ranking figure in the village—kept stirring trouble, leaving him no opportunity for reconciliation.

"If you have time, maybe Fugaku could let Sasuke invite some of his little playmates over for a visit." The Third naturally understood Fugaku's meaning. He himself was willing to repair the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, but alas, Danzo was his best buddy—making it awkward for Sarutobi to say anything directly against him. Stuck in the middle, there wasn't much he could do.

"Sasuke?" Fugaku suddenly thought about how Sasuke had been wearing strange new decorations every single day lately. Hmm, he seemed more and more like a girl!

"Yes, that little girl named Sakura might be able to help you," the Third said with a smile. He no longer viewed Sakura as a mere child. Some of her insights had even surprised him, and regarding the issue between the Uchiha and Konoha, deep down, he believed she might have a way—and secretly, he really hoped she did.

"Then, I shall take my leave first."

Fugaku's heart stirred slightly. The Third never spoke without purpose—who would've thought the future of the Uchiha might depend on this little girl named Sakura?

Once everyone had left, the Third sat behind his desk smoking, his face filled with worry. Elder Fukasaku's resistance truly left him at a loss for what to do next.

"Yu, go to Ichiraku Ramen Shop and bring Sakura Haruno here!"

At last, the Third Hokage decided to summon Sakura to hear her thoughts—his frustration had been steadily mounting.

Chapter Seventeen: Saving Hizashi Hyuga [Part One]

"So this is what's been troubling you all along, Lord Third?" Sakura gave the Third a disbelieving look. "Come on, does this really warrant such a big fuss? You're the Third Hokage! For such a small matter, do you really need to ask the Elder Council's opinion? And on top of that, you actually listened when the Elder Council opposed it? What can those grumpy old men do besides cause chaos?"

"Hmm..." The Third cleared his throat awkwardly, briefly coughing as he choked on his pipe smoke. It seemed that during the Fourth's time, he himself had also been part of those 'grumpy old men' in the Elder Council.

"You are the Hokage. When it comes to diplomacy with other villages, no matter what those elders say, the final decision rests with you. Just because a couple of grumpy old men raised objections, you're hesitating like this? Don't forget, there are far more people supporting your decision than opposing it!"

Sakura held no goodwill toward Elder Council members like Mitoqado Homura and Utatane Koharu. Having read the story herself, she knew full well that all they ever did was stir up trouble without actually contributing anything.

"But Homura and Koharu were my classmates back then!" The Third still felt conflicted. When it came to Shimura Danzo and Mitoqado Homura—his old classmates under the Second Hokage—he simply couldn't bring himself to act harshly. Just like in the original story, when Danzo secretly ordered the massacre of the Uchiha clan behind his back, the Third said nothing in the end. Even after Danzo sent someone to assassinate him, in the end, the Third just let it slide with a smile.

"What would the Second Hokage have done if he had faced a situation like this?" Sakura suddenly asked.

The Third remained silent, puffing continuously on his pipe. He knew his teacher's nature well. If the Cloud Village dared to send someone to kidnap the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan leader right in Konoha, there would be no need to wait for further threats from the Cloud—the Second Hokage would already have mobilized an army and declared war. As for anyone who dared oppose him? Knowing Tobirama Senju's character, if he didn't just outright silence them with fear, that would've counted as mercy.

"I believe the Second Hokage established the Elder Council mainly to allow each major clan a chance to participate in discussions on Konoha's governance. The Elder Council's role has always been only to offer suggestions to the Hokage—not to interfere with decisions already made by the Hokage!"

Sakura said calmly. Other villages had similar councils too—for example, the Cloud Village's Fourth Raikage yelled and slammed tables daily, yet their Elder Council didn't even dare to breathe loudly. Meanwhile, the Third kept treating them with kid gloves day after day, only encouraging them to keep pushing further and further.

"Tobirama..."

The Third's eyes glazed over slightly. Indeed, when exactly had the Elder Council started changing?

It must have started from the first time I compromised with them. Since then, no matter what decisions I made, the Elder Council would always interfere. Even back when selecting the fourth Hokage, if it weren't for Jiraiya's fierce support, along with the fact that Minato Namikaze was married to Kushina Uzumaki and maintained a strong relationship with the Uchiha clan, the Hokage title might have ended up in the hands of the Elder Council.

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