Konoha encampment, inside the war council room.
At this moment, the heads of all clans participating in the battlefield sat gathered.
At the main seat, Jiraiya scanned through the intelligence reports laid out in front of him. Only after the three Uchiha entered did he finally lift his head.
His eyes went immediately to Uchiha Itachi. And not just him, every clan leader present turned their gaze toward Itachi.
From time to time, their eyes shifted to Yun, who was of the same age.
This generation of Uchiha truly seemed favored by heaven.
Three sets of Mangekyō Sharingan beyond the three-tomoe, abilities of mysterious power, and towering chakra constructs…
Even a single pair of such eyes was enough to be an insurmountable barrier for most shinobi in their lifetime.
"Uchiha Itachi, we heard you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan yesterday, which is why you were invited to this meeting," Jiraiya said.
Itachi nodded, bowing his head slightly to the clan leaders around him. "I look forward to your guidance in the future."
Nara Shikaku smiled and said, "With such powerful eyes, we hope the Uchiha clan will look after our members on the battlefield from now on."
After the polite exchange, Itachi and Yun sat down beside Shisui.
From there, Jiraiya's face grew serious as he moved to the true purpose of the meeting.
"This war has dragged on for more than nine months now. I trust you all understand what it means for the village, having the majority of our shinobi tied up at the front for so long. Mission activity back in Konoha has become abysmal."
"Moreover, the Hokage has received intelligence that the Sunagakure of the Wind Country is urgently stockpiling military supplies. The prices of explosive tags, kunai, shuriken, and large quantities of chakra metal on the black market have been skyrocketing recently…"
No one present was a fool. The rising prices of military supplies on the black market indicated that many forces were preparing for war.
At this stage, only Kumogakure and Konoha were actively engaged, while the other three major villages were observing the situation.
"What does the Hokage intend…?" Shikaku asked.
Jiraiya sighed. "For the last three months, Kumogakure has made no major moves. Our casualties have lessened, yes, but we still have far too many chunin and genin tied down here."
He glanced around the room. "After careful discussion over the last few days, this is the plan: a portion of our elite will remain here at the front. Most chunin will be recalled, and all genin assigned to supply transport will be sent home."
"From now on, elite shinobi will each cover two watch-posts, preventing Kumogakure from sneaking an attack. Meanwhile, back in the village, the Hokage and his personal guard will use Flying Thunder God and the Flying Thunder Formation to instantly provide support if needed."
"So then, the question is, who among you is willing to stay?"
The clan leaders fell silent.
This was a classic case of worrying not about scarcity but about inequality.
Everyone could accept deploying forces to the front lines for the village's sake. After all, if the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the village falls, no one can escape.
But now, the village needs people to return and take on missions due to financial constraints. The survival rate of mission assignments and battlefield deployments is entirely different.
After a long pause, Jiraiya added: "Hyūga Hiashi is not present today. He and his brother Hizashi have already gone to take the most dangerous positions at posts twenty-two and twenty-three."
After Jiraiya finished speaking, Shisui stood up with a smile. "The Uchiha clan volunteers to take responsibility for three adjacent lookout posts, with the three of us guarding them."
In truth, Shisui's purpose in coming here was to provide support. However, since no one had spoken up earlier, he didn't want to be the first to step forward and potentially offend others.
Now that the Hyūga had set an example, it was Uchiha's turn.
After the Uchiha declared their stance, the other clans began assigning their own elite members.
Aburame Shibi and the Inuzuka clan would guard one post together, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio would take two…
Just then, the curtain of the conference room was pushed open, and the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, appeared at the entrance.
Minato smiled and asked, "I hope I'm not interrupting. But she insisted on joining this operation, and I couldn't dissuade her."
And with that, a woman with long red hair, clad in a Konoha jōnin vest, stepped inside.
The entire room froze.
Kushina?
The Fourth Hokage's wife, the Nine-Tails jinchuriki of Konoha, the successor of Lady Mito…
With these identities, Kushina's importance to Konoha was self-evident.
If she were to die on the battlefield, whether for Minato's personal grief, or for the sheer strategic weight of the Nine-Tails, the war would undoubtedly escalate.
"Lord Hokage… the Nine-Tails…" Shikaku began, but before he could finish, Kushina slammed her hand on the table in front of him.
"Before I'm a jinchūriki, I'm a Konoha shinobi! No one in the world can suppress tailed beasts like the Uzumaki clan can. And Kumogakure has not one, but two perfect jinchūriki!"
Shikaku swallowed hard but pressed on. "If they target the Nine-Tails directly, it will not be to our advantage…"
Minato stepped forward, glancing around the room.
"Kushina is not some jinchūriki who needs protection. With her ability to draw on the Nine-Tails' chakra, and her sealing techniques, she'll be an asset to you all."
He then turned to Jiraiya, "My special kunai will be with her at all times, and a messenger toad will follow her as well. Sensei, you can rest assured."
Jiraiya considered this, then sighed, "Very well. But Kushina, you must obey every command on the battlefield."
Kushina, fully aware this was no longer the safety of home, nodded solemnly.
Meanwhile, Yun rubbed his chin.
'Kushina herself heading to the battlefield, huh? Once I've collected enough of her blood, I should just toss out that entire bundle at home.'
…
With assignments finished, Yun was sent to reinforce Post Seven, while Shisui and Itachi were stationed at Post Six.
In truth, among the twenty-three posts, only those on the outermost front and rearguard were truly dangerous. Those in the middle were relatively safer.
After all, no strategist would bet on a direct breakthrough.
As for Kushina, though she insisted on not being relegated to the rearmost positions, she was ultimately assigned to Post Eight, near the middle.
Jiraiya's reasoning was clear: placing her near the Uchiha meant she could receive their support at the fastest possible speed.
Across the shinobi world, only three things truly restrained tailed beasts: Uzumaki sealing techniques, Uchiha Sharingan, and the First Hokage's Wood Release.
.....
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