Konoha, Hokage Building.
The bell for an emergency meeting rang out across the village. Clan heads and elite Jonin from the major clans came rushing in.
Inside the spacious meeting room, the atmosphere was so heavy it could almost be wrung out.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat at the head of the table. Smoke drifted from his pipe and obscured his deep eyes.
On either side of him, his two advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, wore grave expressions.
Danzo, who had not been seen in a long time, sat behind Uchiha Fugaku, his sinister gaze sweeping across everyone.
"Everyone."
The Third Hokage spoke slowly, his voice low and firm.
"Sunagakure has officially declared war on Konoha. The border conflicts have escalated into full-scale war. I have gathered you all today to hear your thoughts."
Before his words had fully settled, Hyuga Clan Head Hyuga Sakusei shot to his feet. A sharp glint passed through his pale eyes.
"Lord Third, Sunagakure dares to provoke Konoha. We must strike back with overwhelming force! The Hyuga Clan is willing to serve as the vanguard and drive straight into the heart of Sunagakure. Let them learn the price of angering Konoha!"
His voice rang with force. Several of the more aggressive ninjas nodded along.
However, most of the other clan heads had their brows furrowed.
Anyone could lead a charge. The point of this meeting was to deploy strategy for the war, to contribute ideas.
Uchiha Chiya sat in a corner, his fingers tapping lightly against the tabletop, his expression calm, as though the storm had nothing to do with him.
The Third Hokage's gaze swept across everyone, taking in each expression.
It finally settled on Chiya.
"Clan Head Chiya, what is your view?"
The meeting room fell instantly quiet.
Everyone's gaze converged on Chiya.
The Uchiha of today were no longer the Uchiha from before Chiya became clan head, the ones excluded by the village and looked down on by every other major clan.
Chiya rose slowly. His black eyes were as calm as a deep pool.
"Since Lord Third asks, I will share my thoughts."
He walked to the sand table at the center of the meeting room and lightly tapped the border line between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
"Sunagakure's declaration of war may seem sudden, but it was planned well in advance. The locations they are striking are the driest parts of the Land of Fire. Their advantage lies in their Puppet Corps and Wind Style jutsu, and their own ninjas are well adapted to desert conditions. Under those natural conditions, their mobility is easier to put to use."
Hyuga Sakusei gave a cold snort.
"Are we supposed to retreat just because the terrain is unfavorable?"
Chiya looked at him evenly.
"Clan Head Hyuga, I understand you are eager, but hold on a moment."
"Sunagakure's weakness right now is resource scarcity. A prolonged war is not in their favor. Their puppets are powerful, but constructing and maintaining them requires large amounts of time and materials. Once the initial offensive is held back, the strain on their logistics will show itself quickly."
"If no resources come to replenish them afterward, we only need to hold a few key positions. If they cannot break through and the standoff drags on, the balance of attack and defense will naturally reverse. That is when it becomes our turn to counterattack."
His finger traced across several key positions on the sand table.
"Kikyo Castle is our first line of defense. The high ground there can offset part of the Wind Style's power."
"I recommend placing Hyuga Clan ninjas here. The Byakugan's perception can detect enemy units lurking underground in advance."
Wind Style jutsu are the most common technique used by Suna-nin. From a countering standpoint, Fire Style is naturally the most effective approach.
The Sarutobi Clan, to which Lord Third belongs, are the ninjas most skilled at controlling Fire Style.
Paired with the Shimura Clan's Wind Style ninjas, applying the principle of wind feeding fire, the attack range can be amplified greatly.
This combination raises the margin for error and allows the two to complement each other perfectly.
At the same time, the Aburame Clan, when facing puppets, can use their natural advantages to interfere with the puppets and reduce their effectiveness.
"With the ninjas from these clans as the main force, fighting in a targeted manner, handling Sunagakure's battlefield will pose no problem at all."
His analysis was clear and well-ordered, and every point hit a critical mark.
The people in the meeting room could not help but nod. Even the perpetually silent Nara Shikaku showed a look of approval.
The Third Hokage listened to Chiya's analysis.
A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. The war had only just begun. Sunagakure had not yet brought out their full strength. What had appeared on the battlefield so far had only been a series of small-scale skirmishes.
And yet, following Chiya's deployment and his thorough analysis of advantages and weaknesses, completely eliminating Sunagakure's fighting capacity would pose no problem at all.
Hiruzen had never expected Chiya to distribute the credit this way.
He had originally assumed that Chiya would use this opportunity to put the Uchiha Clan forward.
The reality was completely opposite to what he had imagined.
'Could this be a gesture of goodwill toward me?'
Danzo's thoughts were entirely different from Hiruzen's.
His brow furrowed tighter, and his fingers unconsciously turned over his walking stick.
He watched Uchiha Chiya.
When a person fundamentally distrusts another, no matter what favorable decision that person makes, the default reaction is to assume there is some scheme behind it.
A brief silence fell over the meeting room.
Sakumo looked around at everyone.
He suddenly stood. The face beneath his silver hair was resolute.
"Clan Head Chiya's analysis is extremely thorough. I believe appointing him as the overall commander of this campaign is the most fitting choice."
The meeting room erupted in an instant.
"Did Lord Hatake Sakumo just say overall commander?"
"Making Clan Head Chiya the overall commander of this war? This..."
"..."
Overall commander??
The expressions of several people aligned with the Third Hokage changed sharply. Koharu Utatane opposed it outright.
"Captain Hatake, while Clan Head Chiya's abilities are outstanding, he is still young and lacks experience. A campaign of this importance should be led by someone with more standing."
Sakumo's gaze was sharp.
He was just about to speak.
But Tsunade, who was standing at the front, stepped forward first.
"In war, what matters is ability, not seniority. I believe his arrangement is the most fair and appropriate."
With Tsunade's position stated, the atmosphere in the meeting room became strange.
Hatake Sakumo, Lady Tsunade...
Both were supporting Uchiha Chiya.
Combined with the thorough analysis Chiya himself had given of the strengths and weaknesses at play, even the Akimichi Clan head, who had already been stirring, stood up.
"I support Clan Head Chiya. His plan is well thought out."
Right after, the Yamanaka Clan and the Aburame Clan each voiced their support.
The atmosphere in the room shifted entirely in Chiya's favor.
Hyuga Sakusei let out a sigh.
He had originally hoped to use this opportunity to raise the Hyuga Clan's standing, but Chiya's analysis had made him look like someone who could only shout slogans.
Facing Uchiha Chiya and a situation like this, where one word from him brought everyone along, a trace of envy rose in his heart.
'I cannot match him.'
The Third Hokage drew a long breath from his pipe and slowly exhaled.
"Since the majority supports this, then Clan Head Chiya will take full command of this campaign. All major clans are to cooperate with full effort. No failures will be tolerated."
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
Chiya gave a slight nod toward the assembled group.
"Thank you for your trust. I will finalize the detailed battle plan as quickly as possible to ensure victory at the lowest possible cost."
After the meeting ended, the clan heads from each major family came forward one by one to discuss details with Chiya.
Hyuga Sakusei stood at a distance, his expression complicated.
He had originally expected the Uchiha to use this opportunity to grab power. He had not expected Chiya's arrangements to be so fair, even proactively assigning the Hyuga Clan an important role.
The war had only just started. The intensity of fighting at this stage was not high. By the standards of past wars, this period was more like earning battle records.
Looking at the clan heads of the major families gathered around Uchiha Chiya like stars circling the moon, a sense of defeat rose in Hyuga Sakusei's heart.
He had led the Hyuga Clan to put themselves forward prominently, hoping to measure up against the Uchiha Clan. He had not expected the gap to be this wide.
On the other side.
Danzo walked out of the meeting room with a dark expression and headed straight for Hiruzen's Hokage office.
Watching Danzo walk in, Hiruzen showed no surprise at all.
Danzo closed the door.
He looked at Hiruzen, who was still in the mood to drink tea.
He came straight to the point and demanded.
"Hiruzen. You trust that Uchiha this much now? You actually handed the entire command of this campaign to him?"
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