After all the ninja clans had gathered, Hiruzen Sarutobi delivered a pre-battle speech, passionate and stirring, filling everyone with fervor.
When he finished, he called Danzō Shimura to step forward and speak. Danzō Shimura was not skilled in public speaking, so he only said a few formal words before ending.
Everyone understood his personality and still showed their support with applause.
Finally, something unexpected happened. Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly announced, "Everyone, with nearly eight thousand shinobi gathered, this is no small force. Therefore, I have decided to temporarily appoint two deputy commanders—Uchiha Ryun and Nara Luming!"
Uchiha Ryun was stunned. Previously, it had been agreed that he would help Danzō Shimura gain achievements, so why was he now being put in the spotlight?
Danzō Shimura remained silent, but he had no objections. The entire Uchiha clan was joining the battle with their full strength—how could he possibly object? Moreover, as the overall commander, no matter how the battle turned out, he would reap the greatest benefits.
"Uchiha Ryun / Nara Luming, we obey!" The two immediately knelt on one knee to accept the orders.
The other clans reacted differently. The Hyūga clan frowned. As fellow ocular jutsu users, why did the Uchiha have a deputy commander while they did not? They refused to believe that Uchiha Ryun had been the commander in the previous Land of Rain campaign.
The Senju forces, however, sighed in relief, exchanging glances with their clansmen, smiles on their faces. This battle would be much easier to fight now!
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio was also excited. Since Nara Luming was one of their own, this meant they could also benefit from his position.
"Now, set out! Warriors of Konoha, repel Sunagakure and crush their ambitions!" Danzō Shimura raised his hand and shouted.
The troops then marched out of the village in an orderly manner, heading southwest. The battlefield this time was in the Land of Rivers (also called the Land of Streams). Sunagakure had likely already occupied parts of the Land of Rivers.
After all, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, while the Land of Rivers was merely a small country. No matter how weak Sunagakure was among the Five Great Nations, their strength still far surpassed that of a minor country.
Now, the question was whether they had already entered Konoha's territory. If they had, where would they set up ambushes? Where would they strike?
At night, Danzō was deep in thought when Uchiha Ryun approached. "Danzō-sama!"
Danzō Shimura turned in surprise and saw Uchiha Ryun. He nodded. "Ryun, speak freely. No need for formalities."
These words were merely politeness. Only a fool would take them seriously.
"Danzō-sama, I believe the enemy has already entered our borders!" He pointed to the areas of Kikyōzan, Tamayama, Hakuki, and Chōga on the map.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Danzō Shimura grew interested and looked at Uchiha Ryun.
Uchiha Ryun wasted no time. He pointed at the map. "Kikyōzan and Tamayama—ambush troops could be stationed on these two mountains. Once our army passes, falling rocks and shuriken could rain down from above. That's one possibility."
"Hakuki and Chōga are still within our borders—technically, they're inside our territory. Sunagakure planned this invasion in advance, while we are two to three days behind."
"In those two or three days, they had enough time to enter our borders from the Land of Wind. The messenger who reported earlier came from the capital of the Land of Fire, not from Hakuki or Chōga. This means these areas have already been occupied, or Sunagakure has cut off their communication channels, preventing information from getting out."
"Therefore, it can be concluded that Sunagakure has already entered our borders. Moreover, they have set up traps in Hakuki and Chōga." Uchiha Ryun's reasoning was clear and logical. He had analyzed the situation thoroughly, and even Danzō couldn't help but admire him.
"Good. Continue. If it were you, how would you fight?" Danzō Shimura recognized Uchiha Ryun's capabilities and was willing to listen to his suggestions.
"Open battle at Hakuki-Chōga, secret crossing at Shitian." Uchiha Ryun smiled and pointed at Shitian (a location).
"Explain in detail." Danzō Shimura's eyes gleamed as he waited for the rest.
"On the surface, we will send troops to fight at Hakuki and Chōga, led by Danzō-sama. We will only defend, not attack. Given our superior resources and terrain advantage, our supplies will be endless, while the enemy's mountain paths are treacherous and their supply lines long. Before long, they will run out of resources. That's our first victory."
"Secretly, I will lead the Uchiha clan to detour through Shitian and climb Mount Daigu, cutting off their supply lines. Once successful, I will fire a signal flare, then launch a surprise attack from the rear on the Sunagakure forces stationed at Kikyōzan and Tamayama. At that point, Danzō-sama will lead the entire army to join the battle simultaneously on both mountains. This way, we can annihilate the Sand dogs completely!"
"The casualties will be minimal. The shinobi under Danzō-sama's command will suffer almost zero losses. As for us Uchiha, it will depend on Danzō-sama's speed!" Uchiha Ryun grinned.
Danzō Shimura gave Uchiha Ryun a deep look. This guy was handing him such a great achievement while also entrusting his life to him.
He never expected Uchiha Ryun to trust him so much. Perhaps the Uchiha clan wasn't as his teacher had described? As his thoughts churned, he spoke.
"Don't worry, Ryun. We'll proceed as you've suggested. The moment the signal flare goes up, our army will charge. At most, we'll arrive within ten minutes!" Danzō Shimura said seriously.
Right now, he needed this achievement, and the strategy Uchiha Ryun proposed would result in minimal casualties and the greatest gains. How could he refuse?
If this were the older Danzō, Uchiha Ryun wouldn't have trusted him. But the current Danzō, who had just taken over Konoha's leadership from Tobirama Senju, was still a passionate young man. Though somewhat radical, he was an ambitious youth.
"Oh, one more thing, Danzō-sama. The entrances to Hakuki and Chōga might be rigged with explosive tags. Have the troops send shadow clones ahead first. It'll be safer." With that, Uchiha Ryun gathered the Uchiha shinobi and left with them.
Nara Luming wanted to follow, but Uchiha Ryun shook his head. "We need a smart person to hold the fort here, Luming. Understand?"
Then, Uchiha Ryun and the Uchiha shinobi, clad in black, took advantage of the night to detour toward Shitian.
Danzō Shimura ordered the main force to set up camp and wait until dawn to advance. At the same time, he glanced toward Shitian, thinking, Ryun, if this succeeds, when we return to the village, I'll drink three cups with you.
Uchiha Ryun yawned, and a shinobi nearby quickly said, "Sixth Elder, stay warm. The night is cold—you mustn't catch a cold!"
"Ippū, I'm fine. Probably someone's thinking about me," Uchiha Ryun chuckled.
He suddenly turned to face the Uchiha shinobi. "This operation is the most dangerous, but if successful, the rewards will be the greatest. The village will remember our contributions. From now on, the Uchiha will be a clan of honor."
"I will do my best to ensure everyone's safety, but I can't guarantee no losses. If anyone is afraid of death, you may return to Danzō-sama's forces now. There's almost no danger there." His words reached every Uchiha shinobi's ears.
The Uchiha shinobi activated their Sharingan. "Sixth Elder, we are not afraid of death. We only fear dying without meaning. Now that we know how important this mission is, what is there to fear?"
Everyone nodded. Under the moonlight, Uchiha Ryun looked at the thousand Uchiha shinobi and smiled. "Good. Then I, Uchiha Ryun, promise you this—when the time comes, I will charge at the front. If death comes, I will die before any of you!"
With that, the group entered Shitian.
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