Inside Konoha's conference room—
In stark contrast to the decisiveness of the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, after Hiashi finished speaking, no one else stood up.
The room fell into collective silence, like a flock of quails shrinking in on themselves.
They had agreed to the war, yes—but exactly how much effort they would contribute depended on the situation.
What if the Uchiha and Hyūga were only putting on a show, while secretly holding back on the battlefield?
If they stepped up too eagerly, wouldn't they be the ones getting dragged into disaster?
Even though they were all Konoha shinobi, full trust was impossible at a moment like this.
After all, one must always guard against others.
In their minds, the main force in this war had to be the Uchiha and the Hyūga. Their own clans would at most provide support from the sidelines.
They might call each other comrades—but when it came to responsibility, the lines were drawn very clearly.
This mess had been stirred up by the Uchiha and Hyūga.
Why should others charge into the front lines?
Providing support was already generous enough.
These smaller clans had no hope of producing a Hokage. Reaching elite jōnin was already their limit. Naturally, they wouldn't gamble too many clan members' lives on a war.
If they won, the glory would belong to others.
If they lost, they wouldn't be the ones blamed.
Risking everything? Impossible.
In this situation, coasting along was the wisest choice.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shot Akihito a faintly smug glance.
You may be good at stirring things up—but winning the wholehearted support of Konoha's clans? The Uchiha still fall short.
Of course, with war imminent, the Third Hokage couldn't openly undermine Akihito.
He could help scrape together manpower—but expecting overwhelming troop superiority was unrealistic.
The Uchiha had already dispatched two-thirds of their elites. Hiruzen wouldn't mind at all if they and Kumogakure weakened each other on the battlefield.
That way, both internal and external threats would be dealt with at once.
Two birds with one stone.
Akihito understood these little calculations perfectly.
Fighting Kumogakure carried serious risks—but if handled properly, it was also an opportunity to elevate the Uchiha's prestige.
Hiruzen had his schemes.
Akihito had his own.
The gamble was dangerous—but the potential reward was equally great.
If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch its cub?
This time, the Uchiha intended to seek fortune amid danger.
Hiruzen cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"The Uchiha and Hyūga have shown admirable righteousness."
"Everyone, stop holding back. This is a war to protect the village."
With the Third Hokage speaking personally, silence was no longer an option.
War was not the responsibility of one or two clans alone.
It was unrealistic to expect the Uchiha and Hyūga to face Kumogakure by themselves.
Nara Shikaku was the first to stand.
"The Nara clan can dispatch ten jōnin and one hundred chūnin."
Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chōza followed immediately.
"We'll match that."
The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance was one of Konoha's prominent clans. Combined, their contribution nearly equaled that of the Hyūga.
It was a respectable show of support.
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
"The three of you have done well. The position of battlefield strategist shall be entrusted to Shikaku."
The Nara clan's intellect was renowned throughout Konoha.
Even Akihito could find no fault with this arrangement.
The battlefield strategist was a key decision-making role. By assigning it in advance, Hiruzen was clearly preventing the Uchiha from inserting themselves into the core of command.
In Hiruzen's view, although the Uchiha were sending many troops, core authority would never be handed to them.
At most, Akihito would be given the title of deputy commander.
Hiruzen then turned his gaze to the other clan heads.
"The Ino–Shika–Chō have each deployed half their strength. The rest of you will contribute one-third of your forces."
War was an excellent opportunity—not only to weaken the Uchiha and Hyūga, but to suppress other clans as well.
The Sarutobi clan had been steadily rising in recent years. Once the Hyūga and Uchiha were trimmed down, the Sarutobi would stand as Konoha's undisputed foremost clan.
The smaller clan heads all showed troubled expressions, hesitating.
Their clans were far weaker than giants like the Uchiha and Hyūga.
Those great clans had thousands of shinobi.
They didn't even have a hundred.
Losing even one would be a painful blow.
But the Third Hokage had made his stance clear. There was no room for refusal.
If others were contributing half, asking you for one-third was hardly excessive—was it?
Under Hiruzen's steady gaze, the smaller clan heads could only swallow their bitterness and nod in agreement.
One by one, the clans declared their commitments.
With a decisive motion, Hiruzen finalized the numbers.
Konoha had assembled three thousand shinobi, to depart for the front lines and face Kumogakure.
With the matter settled, the representatives of the civilian-born ninja couldn't hide a flicker of relief in their eyes.
This time, the major clans were contributing over two thousand shinobi.
The civilian ninja numbered fewer than a thousand.
That alone was cause for quiet celebration.
In past wars, civilian ninja had borne the brunt of casualties.
For once, they would not be the primary sacrifice.
"..."
The clan heads cast resentful looks toward Akihito and Hiashi.
The Third Hokage was too revered to blame. Danzō hadn't even appeared to shoulder responsibility.
So the brunt of their frustration fell naturally upon the Uchiha and Hyūga.
Your clans are vast and powerful. Even after sending more than half your forces, you still have hundreds left.
But we've been dragged into this mess!
One-third of our forces—this is practically fatal.
With troop numbers decided, the most crucial issue remained—
Command authority.
The Third Hokage stepped forward, smiling.
"Hiashi, this incident began with the Hyūga."
"The position of supreme battlefield commander shall be entrusted to you."
Hyūga Hiashi rose and bowed respectfully to Hiruzen.
"Thank you for your trust, Hokage-sama. However, I fear I am not suited for the role of supreme commander."
At once, the two advisors stood up, their expressions dark.
"Hiashi, what are you saying?"
"If not you, then who?"
"Are you unwilling to shoulder responsibility for Konoha?"
The appointment of Hiashi as commander had already been decided by the higher-ups. It was not open for debate.
Facing their accusations, Hiashi remained calm.
"Honored Advisors, I believe Clan Head Akihito is more suitable."
"Akihito bears the title 'Flame Demon,' and he has defeated Uchiha Fugaku. His strength far surpasses mine."
A peach for a plum.
Akihito had once shown the Hyūga goodwill. Hiashi was seizing this opportunity to return the favor.
Hiruzen's smile remained unchanged as he spoke again.
"Akihito's strength is indeed formidable—but he is still too young."
"Hiashi, we all know your abilities. There is no need for such modesty."
"You are older and more steady in handling matters. Please do not decline this position."
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