As Shunsui said, "Then I think I will be best suited for this point," the war advisors who stood around the map with Jiraiya immediately raised their voices in strong objection.
Several of them shouted at the same time. "No!"
"Definitely not!"
"We cannot let a kid defend such an important point!"
"He is inexperienced and he does not know what he is talking about!"
The civilian strategists who had spent decades studying the movements of armies looked genuinely alarmed at the idea of placing the critical valley under the hands of someone so young.
Jiraiya halted their words with a simple raise of one large hand. He turned back to Shunsui and spoke,"I do not doubt that you are quite skilled and very talented kid. But this location is very important to us. Still I am willing to change my mind if you could convince me that you could not only help halt Kumo at this point but actually make them retreat."
The offer was fair and left the decision open if the boy could present a real plan.
More protests rose at once from the advisors. "You cannot be serious Jiraiya san!"
"This is madness!"
"A single chunin cannot be trusted with the supply route of the entire army!"
"If that valley falls the whole front will be in danger!"
"We should send a full experienced battalion under a proven jonin commander instead!" The voices overlapped in clear panic and disbelief that the Sannin would even consider the suggestion.
Jiraiya's patience reached its limit. He spoke in a louder and sharper voice that cut through the noise. "Now if you all would not shut up, I will be happy to see you out of the tent."
The threat was delivered with a pleasant smile that somehow made it more effective. Everyone then shut their mouths immediately.
Shunsui smiled at the sudden silence and first turned toward the war advisors. These men were not active shinobi but civilians who had studied the art of war and strategy for decades and had earned their places through knowledge rather than personal combat strength.
He spoke to them first. "Oi you old people, you all might be good strategists and that is why you are probably here. I have no doubt about that. You have spent years looking at maps and counting soldiers and predicting what's best to win the war."
"But I am a variable that you have not counted on and do not understand. A good strategist knows when an unknown factor appears on the board he should not simply throw it away because it is new or young."
"He should test it carefully and see if it can change the entire shape of the battle. Ignoring me because I look like a kid would be the real mistake. You can keep your ordinary plans for ordinary days. Today you have something different standing in front of you and it would be wise to listen before you decide I am useless."
He then turned to face Jiraiya directly and continued with quiet confidence. "I can use my ability that would activate a game that could turn this narrow point into a true choke point. The Kumo shinobi would be killed without many casualties on our side and they would have no choice but to retreat once the losses become too heavy."
One of the advisors could not stop himself from muttering in a low and dismissive voice. "Sounds too good to be true. A child's dreams of glory and easy victories. The boy has read too many story books and now thinks war is a game he can win by wishing hard enough."
The insult carried the clear belief that Shunsui's confidence was nothing more than youthful fantasy.
Shunsui ignored the comment completely and kept his attention on the Sannin. "I would not need the Shadow Platoon for this. But I would need a different group of shinobi with specific skills."
Jiraiya listened carefully and then raised the practical problem that still concerned him. "I can make platoons based on what you need but I am still not convinced. If I am not wrong from what I know your game only works in a thirty metre range in all directions."
He further asked,"How are you going to stop them at this point with such a small area and with anyone outside of that range free to act as they wish?"
Shunsui answered the concern without hesitation. "You are right about the normal range but I am still a growing boy in both body strength and abilities. While I cannot manually toggle or expand the range of the game by simple will, by using a larger amount of chakra I can expand the area it covers. It still would not reach more than a couple of hundred metres but that should be enough for what I have planned in the narrow valley."
He continued with the list of people he required. "I would need people with different chakra affinities as well as some throwing weapon specialists. At least a dozen of each affinity would be the minimum. But more would be appreciated if they can be spared."
Jiraiya frowned at the chakra cost. "Using such a large range would deplete your chakra fast and you would not be able to switch to other games if something went wrong. If Kumo retreats for half an hour to rest and then attacks again there would be nothing stopping them once your energy is gone."
Shunsui answered the final worry with a small smirk that carried quiet certainty. "Do not worry. During this particular game I might just have unlimited chakra to work with."
The claim immediately caught Jiraiya's full attention. The Sannin's eyes narrowed with interest and he leaned forward slightly. "And what is this game called?"
Shunsui replied with a light smile that did not hide the seriousness underneath. "Oh, the game is called Tower Defense."
He then spent the next several minutes explaining the game in simple terms.
As Shunsui told him more about the game, Jiraiya himself could not help but develop a wild smirk on his face.
Even the civilian advisors who had doubted the boy so loudly before now looked at Shunsui with new expressions of awe and new light.
One of them whispered that the idea sounded impossible yet the confidence in the young chunin's voice made it hard to dismiss.
Jiraiya finally straightened and gave his decision in a clear voice. "I do not know how something like this is possible but this just sounds like the kind of thing we need."
He placed a heavy hand on the map over the valley between the two hills. "I will have a small battalion ready for you with the shinobi you asked for. Let us hope the game works as you hope and we can return home victorious."
-------Author Notes--------
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