How should one describe that expression?
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had once discussed this point in private.
They called it merciless.
When Senju Tobirama made major decisions concerning the village, he did not consider kinship, friendship, morality, or even ethics. He engaged solely in purely rational logical deduction and a weighing of pros and cons.
It was as if everything before his eyes were nothing more than a problem requiring an optimal solution—even matters involving his own life could be discarded as superfluous variables.
Any rules or constraints would be excluded.
If something was beneficial to the village's development, then it would be carried out without reservation…
And in their eyes, Sarutobi Hiruzen—though utterly different in appearance—was terrifyingly similar.
As if their sensei himself had descended upon him…
Hiruzen paid no attention to the three who stood there in a daze. He calmly puffed on his pipe, his eyes narrowing slightly.
That's right…
After sorting through everything once more, he became even more convinced that his line of thinking was correct!
Reviving Senju Tobirama in the body of an Uchiha would not only create a covert piece capable of coordinating from both inside and outside—thoroughly bringing the Uchiha under his control—but would also yield an additional scholar dedicated to technological research, as well as a crucial combat asset.
Most importantly, there was no possibility of that person becoming a so-called "supreme authority" looming over his head.
Since the benefits were so numerous, what remained was simply to overcome the difficulties ahead…
If Senju Tobirama were to be revived in the exact state he had in life, then Hiruzen truly could not think of any good method…
In the shinobi world, countless people had tried to do this, but there were only certain secret arts that transmitted vitality which—so it was said—could take effect when used at the instant the dead had just lost their lives.
In the Sarutobi clan records, there was a sentence passed down from antiquity: For one long dead to have soul and spirit return and be revived in the original body as before, it cannot be done without the power of a sage.
But the problem was that Hiruzen did not need Tobirama to be revived in his original body. As long as it was not overly frail, that would be fine—he could slowly train afterward.
What he wanted was Tobirama's brainpower, his understanding of scientific research, and his understanding of the Uchiha!
'The Impure World Reincarnation Technique can draw out the soul of the deceased. That actually already solves one major threshold…'
'What remains is how the soul transfers into a physical body, and the issue of compatibility!'
'The Katō clan's 'Spirit Transformation Technique' has extremely strong reference value…'
'As long as we work out a technique similar to 'body-snatching,' and prepare a body for sensei, then he can return!'
'Even if spirit and flesh are slightly mismatched, I believe Tobirama-sensei himself can overcome it. This is a precious opportunity I have carefully prepared for him—being an Uchiha for once. He will definitely want it…'
He thought of another layer.
When Senju Tobirama was alive, he had a large number of kinjutsu notes; naturally, there were quite a few related to the soul as well.
It was just that the earlier him—out of worry that these half-finished kinjutsu would ruin major matters, and also because he had become exhausted from serving as Hokage—had sealed away his laboratory together with those notes.
'Sensei, you left these behind as a hint—telling me to let you return in the body of an Uchiha, right?'
The corner of Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth lifted slightly.
Within a thin, faint layer of smoke, light and shadow fell across the side of his face, half illuminated and half obscured.
'Even more alike…' Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura felt their hearts skip a beat.
What exactly is Hiruzen thinking?
As for Danzō, his thoughts were rather amusing…
He was very envious.
Danzō had once, in private within Root, stood before a mirror and imitated Senju Tobirama's classic expression from back then. He had even secretly had someone photograph it for comparison…
It was essentially a fervent fan imitating an idol.
'Hiruzen, are you going to get ahead of me even in this? Still, I haven't conceded yet…' Danzō thought to himself. 'Just resembling him is useless!'
'The one who truly inherited Tobirama-sensei's will is me!'
"Sorry—I got a bit carried away, thinking about the Uchiha."
Hiruzen came back to his senses. In the span of a single second, his expression changed, and he revealed a gentle smile. "I called you here today to discuss the issue of reforming Konoha's shinobi system."
"You have probably all noticed that the current shinobi system is no longer suited to the present situation. The main problems are concentrated in the interval between the jōnin and the upper leadership."
"Konoha's upper ranks provide no promotion pathway for jōnin, and among the more than one hundred jōnin, there is also a need for a management layer to make the village's work clearer."
With regard to Konoha's overall framework, Hiruzen keenly noticed a problem.
That was the severe imbalance between the more than one hundred jōnin and the decision-making level.
The top management was said to consist of four people, but the advisory roles of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were mainly focused on participating in governance and deliberation, as well as managing the administrative department.
The so-called administrative department served as a bridge between the Land of Fire and Konoha. It received the financial allocations granted to the village by the state, and at the same time reported certain conditions of the village to the daimyō.
They did not directly manage the jōnin.
As for Danzō, although he had once held authority over Root, he had cultivated Root into his own private force…
This was a person who could not be given authority over personnel matters.
The same was true for Koharu and Homura. It was not that these two had problems with their character; rather, the Hokage should keep core combat power such as the jōnin as firmly in hand as possible.
And to have Hiruzen alone be responsible for more than a hundred people?
That was impossible, and the outcome of doing so was already evident.
The essence of management lies in the manager's limit of energy and the complexity of the managed subjects.
Even when Danzō had previously helped Hiruzen shoulder part of the burden, he had still nearly worked himself to collapse.
Therefore, a buffer layer had to be established.
With this additional layer in place, Hiruzen's management could become more relaxed and efficient, saving a great deal of time for new tasks, or for training.
It could also allow Konoha's shinobi to rekindle hope for advancement.
The benefits were multifaceted.
"I plan to establish twenty core jōnin. The tentative name I have in mind is Konoha Committee Members…"
Hiruzen said slowly. "They will be selected based on merit and overall ability. Each Konoha Committee Member will manage approximately five to six jōnin and will take orders directly from the Hokage."
Koharu and Homura instinctively frowned.
It was not that they were merely opposing for the sake of opposition.
Rather, like Hiruzen in the past, they upheld the attitude that the laws left by the ancestors must not be changed, believing that the system left behind by Senju Tobirama was flawless and should not be altered lightly.
But in Hiruzen's view, if there were problems, then of course they had to be reformed decisively.
Back then, Tobirama himself had not managed hundreds of people alone.
Those members of his guard unit and the Warring States–era jōnin of the Senju clan had, in essence, borne the responsibilities of what would be called Konoha Committee Members.
It was just that they had died before such a system could be institutionalized in peacetime.
In a certain sense, the fact that Sarutobi Hiruzen had managed to hold on for so many years was indeed a testament to extraordinary talent…
He truly could endure.
Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance and were just about to say something—
Hiruzen remained expressionless. "Think it through before you speak. I want to hear something meaningful."
The two of them closed their mouths again and began to think seriously.
Only Danzō spoke in a low voice: "Hiruzen, you will regret this!"
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---