"Kumogakure wants to repeat the First Ninja War."
"They want to take the lead and push the other great villages into joining the attack on Konoha."
With just a few words, the meeting room fell into silence. Only Orochimaru's slow voice continued.
"The current Konoha can still fight Kumogakure, but it cannot withstand Kumogakure working together with the other villages."
Orochimaru's gaze swept across the room. He gave a cold smile. "Are you just going to sit back and watch Konoha fall into such a state?"
Most of the mid- and small-clan leaders avoided Orochimaru's eyes, keeping silent.
What Orochimaru said hit the point, and it made sense. But from another view, it could also be seen as fear-mongering, waving the "survival of the village" banner just to pressure them into complete obedience.
All four great villages attacking Konoha… that hadn't even happened yet.
The Hokage and the top leaders of the village knew this too. There was no way they would sit back and let such a thing really take place.
With that thought, the mid- and small-clan leaders quietly exchanged glances.
What they needed to consider was whether the Hokage's plans would treat them as pawns to be sacrificed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe and said, "Orochimaru makes a good point. This battle must be ended as quickly as possible. We need to crush Kumogakure's attack in a short time. At the very least, we must make sure they lose the power to continue the war.
Everyone, what do you think?"
The long table stayed quiet. Even Nara Shikaku, known for having an IQ over 200, said nothing.
He was just a jonin representative. How could he come up with suicidal attacks or plans that burned through lives?
If it worked, fine. But if it failed, he wouldn't just lose his standing—his clan would bear the blame as well.
The price of failure could only be taken on by the Hokage or his advisors. A low-level strategist like him already struggled just to patch up whatever plans the higher-ups made, let alone speak up on such matters.
While the village faced crisis, everyone had their own thoughts. Danzo sat to the side, coldly watching, sneering inside.
If this were Root, a single order from him and all his men would march to their deaths without hesitation. That was how shinobi of the village should be.
Hiruzen and his so-called "Will of Fire"? Laughable. When the moment came, people still flinched.
Only those without real roots, clinging to the Hokage's line, would believe in such nonsense.
Danzo's lips curled with a trace of scorn. He wanted to see how the Third Hokage would end this deadlock.
But then, from the end of the long table, a deep voice spoke, wiping the sneer from his face.
Uchiha Fugaku, wearing a stern look, said slowly, "The Uchiha Police Force is willing to take part in the direct assault on Kumogakure."
At those words, the clan leaders around the table widened their eyes in shock, completely stunned at what the Uchiha were up to.
Fugaku remained unmoved under their stares. His stiff face showed no extra emotion, as if he hadn't just pushed his whole clan onto the battlefield.
"The Uchiha showing such responsibility is good."
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled smoke and made the decision. "Then for this battle against Kumogakure, the Uchiha Police Force will be the main unit. The other clans will provide support…"
Someone had picked up the hardest burden. The other clan heads had no objections. In fact, it was good news for them. But one man suddenly stood up, rejecting it.
Danzo, his face dark, fixed his single eye on the Third Hokage. "Hiruzen, do you even realize what decision you've just made? The Uchiha Police Force's duty is to keep order in the village. That has never changed since the Second Hokage."
The two Hokage advisors also turned their eyes to the Third, clearly displeased.
This decision had not been discussed with Danzo, nor had it been passed by them.
"Just because it's always been that way, does that mean it's right?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was calm. "The village is facing war now. The Uchiha volunteered for the frontlines. What's the problem with that?"
Then he lowered his eyelids and glanced at Danzo. "Or is it that Root also wants to join the war, to compete with the Uchiha for the role of main force?"
"You!"
Angered by the Third Hokage's words, Danzo's face darkened.
Of course he would never send the Root unit to the main battlefield. Root had always taken on the bloody, dirty jobs to avoid direct war and preserve its strength.
But Danzo could never say out loud that the higher-ups had always kept Uchiha under pressure.
It was something everyone knew but no one dared to say.
Especially not in front of so many clan leaders.
Under everyone's gaze, Danzo's face sank, and he didn't deny it further.
The Third Hokage's move was open and aboveboard, and it did mess up some of his plans. But at the same time, it broke the unspoken understanding among the village leaders. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, the two Hokage advisors, clearly didn't agree with this decision either.
As fellow Uchiha haters, Danzo understood their thoughts. Once the war ended and the Uchiha were weakened, there might be other ways to reach the same goal.
Thinking this way, his frustration faded. The final outcome was still unknown.
"Since no one has objections, then it's settled. The Uchiha Police Force will be the main army," the Third Hokage said slowly. "Now, as for who will lead this force…"
"Hokage-sama, let me do it."
Orochimaru rarely used honorifics. He swept his eyes around the long table and gave a cold smile. "I don't think anyone has a problem with that."
No one dared meet Orochimaru's gaze, but instead of feeling threatened, they actually felt relieved.
War was terrifying at any time, but with Orochimaru's strength, there was no doubt people would feel safer.
"You want to lead?" The Third Hokage frowned, looking doubtful. "This war is of great importance. Orochimaru, can you really handle it?"
"I will not fail."
Orochimaru's mouth curled into a confident grin, as if everything was under his control. He pledged right there and then.
The two exchanged a look. The Third Hokage nodded. "Then this war will be led by you."
He then continued with the troop assignments, with the Uchiha Police Force as the main army, going into detail down to each jonin and chunin.
Orochimaru chimed in from time to time, pointing out his own personnel requests.
Since it didn't touch core interests, none of the major clans wanted to fight the village leadership, so the arrangements went smoothly.
After each clan leader's role was confirmed, people began leaving the room one after another.
As he left, Orochimaru glanced at the Third Hokage and smirked mockingly. "Heh, things went smoothly enough, but old man, that little question of yours was really unnecessary."
That earlier question had caught him off guard, but thinking about it now, if the war failed, the old man could just put all the blame on him.
The Hokage could never be allowed to make a huge mistake!
To keep that spotless image, they needed him as a scapegoat.
But Orochimaru didn't care at all.
Without Konohagakure, the Hokage would no longer be the Hokage. But Orochimaru would still be Orochimaru.
---
You can read 15 Chapters ahead on my
pat reon.com/GMadman
Free member can read 3 chapters ahead