Hokage: I Traveled Through Time With The Tenseigan

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Shigeru didn't want to play tricks with the Third Hokage, and Anbu's people couldn't retreat first.

Otherwise, if they withdrew, the Hokage would keep making excuses about the equipment not being available. Who would he have to turn to for reasoning then?

So, everyone needed to be direct—gather the equipment and send it over, and only then would Shigeru ask Anbu's people to retreat.

This was the bottom line, a non-negotiable stance.

Could the logistics department come up with more than two hundred sets of equipment?

Of course, it could.

Konoha's wealth was substantial, and though it would require some effort to gather, the Third Hokage was unwilling to hand it over to Shigeru.

If Anbu hadn't escalated the situation, the Third Hokage wouldn't have considered releasing this batch of equipment at all.

The Third Hokage wanted Anbu's people to evacuate first, but this time, Shigeru refused to comply.

"This won't work. If Anbu's people withdraw and the equipment isn't delivered, who should I turn to?"

"Should we have Anbu intervene again?"

"..."

Come on!

The entire Anbu Operations Department had been deployed to surround the Shimura clan, nearly scaring them to death. If it happened again, how would they survive?

Not to mention, the Shimura clan would definitely storm the Hokage's office to protest.

They didn't dare to directly confront Anbu, but they could certainly cause trouble at the Hokage's office.

After all, weren't they the Hokage's loyal subordinates?

If they didn't appeal to the Hokage when feeling wronged, then who else could they turn to?

"I will have the equipment gathered as soon as possible," the Third Hokage finally conceded.

Leaving those words behind, he quickly departed with a dark expression.

At that moment, he had no desire to speak another word to Shigeru.

He only wanted to gather the equipment as quickly as possible, get Anbu to withdraw, restore order to the village, and stabilize the situation.

If Anbu continued surrounding the Shimura clan, rumors would start spreading.

Just look at what happened to the Uchiha in the future.

Anbu had merely been monitoring Uchiha, yet rumors flew everywhere. But the Shimura family's treatment wasn't surveillance—it was a full-on siege!

Their entire clan grounds were surrounded.

Family members couldn't enter or leave, and even their basic daily needs were cut off.

If Anbu didn't retreat, within five days, the entire Shimura clan would be in chaos.

As for whether the Shimura clan would launch an attack…

Shigeru could only scoff—wouldn't that be convenient?

After the peace talks, both sides had to abide by the rules. Shigeru couldn't allow Anbu to rush into the Shimura clan's territory and cause trouble. But if the Shimura clan acted first, then the blame would be on them.

Attacking Anbu was a serious crime.

Returning to the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage immediately sent for Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

"Hiruzen, we heard something happened to the Shimura clan?"

The moment they entered, the two elders bombarded the Third Hokage with questions.

The frustrated Third Hokage took a deep puff from his pipe and exhaled heavily.

"As you guessed, the Shimura clan stood up for us but ended up being targeted by Anbu. Their entire clan grounds are surrounded, and no one is allowed to enter or leave."

"..."

Koharu's eyes widened in shock. She muttered, "How dare he..."

Anbu had besieged an entire noble clan just like that? Was there no rule of law anymore?

Was there no order?

"In fact, he does dare," the Third Hokage said bitterly. "And Anbu's people won't retreat even if I order them to."

Hearing this, his chest heaved with frustration.

As Hokage, he should have absolute authority over Anbu. Yet now, they defied him because of Shigeru's orders. If they disobeyed, they would be expelled.

"Then what do we do now?"

Mitokado Homura, recovering first, asked anxiously.

The Third Hokage sighed and looked at them.

"I've spoken to Shigeru. The logistics department will prepare two hundred and sixty sets of equipment. Once they are delivered, Anbu will withdraw."

"This is impossible!!"

Mitokado Homura shouted in disbelief.

"Hiruzen, are you crazy? Do you know how valuable Anbu's equipment is? Two hundred and sixty sets? Even if Anbu expanded, they wouldn't need that many!"

As the one managing logistics, he understood the massive cost of such a demand.

The Third Hokage took another puff from his pipe and exhaled calmly.

"Anbu gained dozens of new members overnight."

"Impossible," Koharu retorted.

"Ninjas who join Anbu must go through rigorous selection. At best, ten might be accepted in each batch. How could dozens appear overnight?"

"Besides, there hasn't been any Anbu recruitment lately. Where did these people come from?"

Had they forgotten something?

The Third Hokage gave them a weary look and sighed.

"The new recruits are all Shigeru's puppets."

"He plans to use them to replace some Anbu operatives because these puppets have absolute loyalty, are fearless, and come with built-in monitoring and communication abilities—advantages real Anbu ninjas don't have."

By deploying the puppets, Shigeru maintained complete control.

The functionality of these puppets was terrifying.

Their emergence brought both good and bad news to the Hokage's office.

The good news: They belonged to the village, were a special unit under Konoha's control, and were relatively cheap to produce.

The bad news: The Hokage and his advisors had no access to them.

"Huh..." The Third Hokage exhaled deeply.

"The village needs stability, Koharu, Homura. I hope you understand my position.

The logistics department must send the equipment as soon as possible to ease the Shimura clan's distress.

Anbu has surrounded them completely.

If this continues, our credibility and authority will suffer a fatal blow."

"..."

What else could they say?

Two hundred and sixty sets of equipment—it was no joke.

The logistics department could supply them, but it would be like cutting off a limb.

Anbu's gear was top-tier, a full set of valuable equipment.

Mitokado Homura, responsible for logistics, looked pained.

Koharu wasn't any better.

After the peace talks, it was clear that the Third Hokage would prioritize village stability. At least until the war ended, maintaining order was paramount.

And if stability was the goal, then Anbu's privileges couldn't be touched.

If Anbu remained untouchable, all their previous efforts would be in vain.