The high-ranking officials were all gathered in the conference room.
There were just over twenty people in total, with the majority being from the Hokage faction, including Jonin from the Sarutobi, Mitokado, Mito, and the Ino-Shika-Cho families. There were only a few civilian Jonin present.
As for the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, none of them were there; they were all on the Water Country front line.
Among these people, Orochimaru sat at the head of the conference table, with Mitarashi Zixiao and Nara Tadanobu flanking him on either side.
However, among the Jonin, there was a special presence.
A Chunin!
Takashi was also there, specially invited.
Originally, he didn't want to come, but who would have thought Orochimaru would specifically name him to attend this meeting.
Takashi, who was quietly yawning, had no interest in this kind of meeting.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as I am about to undertake a confidential mission, the village has issued a new appointment!"
Orochimaru announced this news with his hoarse yet magnetic voice.
Everyone's ears perked up, except for Takashi, who looked indifferent.
Because no matter who came, he had a say.
In the ninja world, strength is power.
Now that his fists were strong enough, he naturally had a say, and he wasn't afraid of the village stripping him of it.
Even if Danzo came, he wouldn't dare openly cause trouble for him.
Having strength means being able to do as one pleases.
On the contrary, with a new commander coming, he could return to the logistics department and slack off, so he wasn't worried at all; in fact, he was quite pleased.
However, Orochimaru's next words instantly ruined his good mood.
"Uchiha Takashi will 'temporarily act' as the commander in my place!"
Orochimaru's words caused an uproar in the conference room.
"No way!"
"How is that possible!"
"The village is being too reckless!"
...
Even the calmest Jonin found it hard to accept this news.
If it were someone like Minato Namikaze, a young and strong ninja, they could reluctantly accept it because he was already a 'deputy commander,' and his promotion to commander was only natural.
But for a mere teenager to become the commander of a ninja army, how could they accept that?
After Orochimaru announced the village's appointment, he coldly watched them, waiting for everyone to calm down before continuing:
"It's just a 'temporary' position for a period of time. A true commander will be sent later to support, and Mitarashi and Nara Tadanobu will continue to serve as deputies, so there's no need to worry."
Indeed, a direct appointment as commander wouldn't work.
But if it's temporary, their resistance would naturally be lessened, and with Mitarashi and Nara Tadanobu assisting, there would be no problem.
Sure enough, after hearing Orochimaru's reassuring words, the Jonin had no objections.
However, there was one person who had a significant objection.
"Orochimaru-sama, I appreciate the village's trust, but I don't think I can handle this responsibility!"
Takashi spoke up to refuse the appointment.
In the past, he only had the option to obey orders, but after demonstrating his strength, he naturally had a say.
"No, Takashi-kun, your potential is beyond your imagination!"
Orochimaru praised sincerely, his tone serious.
Besides his obvious achievements, Takashi had also developed a remarkable healing potion, and his patience during his school days made him a good choice to temporarily act as commander.
As for what Danzo thought, Orochimaru knew but didn't care.
How could a rat in the gutter ever stand in the sunlight?
Since he didn't step up at this critical moment, even if he did later, he wouldn't be recognized.
"…"
Looking at Orochimaru, who was using 'sincerity is the best killer move,' Takashi felt conflicted. He couldn't just say, "I just want to make money and have fun, okay?"
If he really said that, he would definitely become the top wanted person in Konoha.
"So, as this temporary commander, are there any restrictions?"
Since things had come to this, he naturally wanted to know if there were any pitfalls.
"No, during the temporary period, your authority is the same as a commander's, but a true commander could replace you at any time!"
Orochimaru replied decisively.
"Alright then, but I hope Orochimaru-senpai, you can urge the village to send reinforcements quickly!"
Takashi, quite the character, didn't even bother with 'sir' and went straight to 'senior.' But it makes sense.
Once you sit in the position of the main commander, your status is on par with others, so there's no need for the 'sir' suffix. 'Senior' is just a polite term of respect.
"Alright, and the village has already promoted you to Jonin!"
Orochimaru wasn't offended by Takashi's form of address.
Because of strength!
The ninja world is a place that doesn't care about age, only strength.
"Let's hope the village doesn't regret this decision!"
Takashi's tone was complex.
He didn't believe he truly had the power of a main commander. There would definitely be various restrictions. At the very least, if his orders affected the defense of Kikyo Mountain, the village's higher-ups wouldn't turn a blind eye.
Due to the proximity!
The village's higher-ups could 'micro-manage' the front lines, which was their confidence in not messing up. After all, they just needed him, an 'Kage-level' ninja, to stand at the forefront; the rest didn't matter.
Having a strong person as the main commander versus an elite Jonin makes a big difference in morale.
Damn! Takashi cursed in his heart, but with the atmosphere already set, he could only 'wear the imperial robe.'
However, there were benefits.
Just being promoted to Jonin was a gain, not to mention the status of the ninja army's main commander.
Acting as the main commander was still being the main commander!
As long as he didn't issue reckless orders, no one would come out to provoke him.
Surely, as the main commander, it's only right to make some money, right?
In this way, he could truly be said to have 'become a CEO, married a rich and beautiful woman, and reached the pinnacle of life!'
The thought was a bit exciting.
Of course, the price for these benefits was to stop the Sand Ninja's attack, or else everything would be for naught.
After Orochimaru announced the appointment, he immediately got up and left.
'Is the poison already this severe?'
Takashi thought as he watched Orochimaru's back.
He didn't think Orochimaru left out of concern for him; it was more likely due to the inability to suppress the poison within.
Under everyone's gaze, Takashi took the main seat.
Nice! Sitting in this position made the view much better, as if everything was within reach.
Hmm, this might be the legendary 'boss perspective.'
"I know you don't acknowledge me as the main commander, but it doesn't matter, as long as you can follow orders!"
Takashi got straight to the point.
Apart from *&q3@, he had no connections with these Jonin, and his surname naturally put him at odds with the Hokage faction, so it was strictly business.
Just follow orders!
If they didn't, he wouldn't mind making an example out of a 'chicken' to warn the 'monkeys.'
Since Konoha clearly wanted him to be the scapegoat, they couldn't blame him for using this power to stir things up.
Of course, if the village was dissatisfied with his actions and decided to remove him from his position.
That would be perfect! He would be more than happy not to be the main commander.
"Yes!" The Jonin in the conference room responded in unison, with no one daring to oppose.
They had no choice; they had witnessed Takashi's combat prowess. Their only grievance was with his lack of experience, but if the village was determined to elevate him, there was nothing they could do.
Since they couldn't resist, they might as well go along with it.
"By the way, the logistics department is too much of a hindrance, so from now on, I'll be managing it as well!"
His first act in power was to cut down the logistics department.
He had been in charge of logistics before, but his power was extremely limited. Now that he was the main commander, he naturally had to take control of logistics first.
Only by having control over logistics could he truly profit.
As for the battle?
No worries, the Sand Ninja would definitely not attack Kikyo Mountain.
If Takashi remembered correctly, the Sand Ninja launched the Battle of Kikyo Mountain in the last year of the Ninja World War, which was a few years later, and were defeated.
Even with his 'butterfly effect,' the general history shouldn't have changed... right?
Soon, the meeting ended, and the Jonin left one by one.
The Jonin had gathered due to the village's appointment, but normally, decisions were made by the main commander and their assistants.
(End of chapter)