For this Elder, who was famous for her strictness, to reveal such an attitude at this moment was truly somewhat unexpected.
Facing the two advisors' undisguised concern, Shinichi's expression remained calm as he respectfully replied: "Yes, I have caused the two elders concern."
Koharu Utatane nodded, then her expression straightened as she turned toward Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga, returning to her usual capable demeanor.
"Clan Head Fugaku, Clan Head Hiashi, you two have had a difficult journey."
"The Hyuga and Uchiha are great clans of Konoha. In the upcoming war, the combat strength of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans will be of critical importance. We will be relying on the two of you."
"You overstate it, elder. The Hyuga will naturally give everything we have."
"The Uchiha are likewise duty-bound."
The two Clan Heads simultaneously bowed solemnly.
"Good!"
Seeing this, Koharu Utatane said no more and turned toward the depths of the camp.
"The situation is urgent. Enough of small talk. Everyone, follow me into the command headquarters. We'll discuss the details inside."
A short while later, inside the command headquarters.
Several combat staff officers swiftly distributed important documents to the four captains, while Koharu Utatane, acting as supreme commander, walked to the enormous map and quickly introduced the current situation.
At present, the entire Land of Waves and the key ports and transportation nodes in its surrounding seas had basically fallen under the Village Hidden in the Mist's control. This meant that the Village Hidden in the Mist's initial strategy of using the Land of Waves as a forward springboard had already succeeded.
Konoha had not been completely unaware of this.
However, they had truly been unable to spare the manpower earlier.
The main forces were deeply entangled on both the southwestern and northeastern fronts.
Especially on the northeastern front, facing the Village Hidden in the Cloud's overwhelming army pressing forward aggressively, Konoha had been forced to deploy most of its active combat forces into the northeastern battlefield.
This resulted in the southeastern coastal defenses remaining severely understaffed for a long time. Even knowing that the Village Hidden in the Mist was advancing step by step, they could only dispatch small units for harassment and limited obstruction, never able to gather sufficient forces to crush their intentions in one stroke.
As for the Village Hidden in the Mist, they previously seemed not to be in a hurry to launch a full-scale assault. They merely maintained continuous pressure, forcing Konoha to commit troops toward the southeast, intending to wait until Konoha and the Village Hidden in the Cloud exhausted each other on the northeastern battlefield before seizing the opportunity and reaping the benefits.
However, the development of events deviated from the Village Hidden in the Mist's expectations.
Konoha did not fall into stalemate or catastrophic attrition on the northeastern front. Instead, it ended with the Village Hidden in the Cloud's disastrous defeat. Konoha not only withstood the pressure but also saw its morale surge after the battle, allowing it to redeploy some elite forces back from the northeast.
This unexpected variable had clearly disrupted the rhythm of the Village Hidden in the Mist.
Over the past month or so, it had become obvious that Village Hidden in the Mist's operational tempo had accelerated. They were no longer satisfied with mere occupation, but had begun transitioning toward establishing stable frontline bases and perfecting their logistics supply lines.
All signs indicated that Village Hidden in the Mist was making intense final preparations for a possible large-scale amphibious invasion.
"Everyone, what are your thoughts?"
After introducing the current situation, Koharu Utatane's gaze swept across everyone present before finally settling on the youngest among the four, Shinichi. Beside her, Homura Mitokado's eyes also shifted in almost perfect synchronization toward the same direction.
Not only the two elders, but also Minato Namikaze, Fugaku Uchiha, and Hiashi Hyuga all directed their gazes toward Shinichi Higashino after brief contemplation.
After all, the young man before them was the genius strategist who had accurately predicted the strategic movements of all parties after the outbreak of the war long before it even began.
And on both the southwestern and northeastern battlefields, especially the textbook-level logistics raid deep within the Land of Lightning on the northeastern front, he had proven that he possessed not only top-tier strategic insight but also top-tier tactical literacy and command ability.
Facing everyone's focused gazes, Shinichi pondered for a moment. His eyes landed on various positions across the map as he rapidly simulated the strengths, weaknesses, and possible tactical directions of both sides in his mind. "Elder Koharu, has our reconnaissance division recently discovered the core nodes of the Village Hidden in the Mist's logistics supply system or their primary sea routes?"
Hearing this, everyone nodded.
Village Hidden in the Mist was conducting an overseas expedition. Although their forward bases had already taken shape after controlling the Land of Waves, the long supply line was like a lifeline.
If they could destroy the core supply nodes located deep within the Land of Waves or on nearby islands, then no matter how massive Village Hidden in the Mist's offensive was, it would be difficult to sustain. It might even force the Village Hidden in the Mist to retreat without battle.
This was undoubtedly the most attractive breakthrough strategy under the current situation.
Koharu Utatane shook her head, her expression grave.
"No. Our reconnaissance infiltration has encountered significant resistance. Perhaps because Village Hidden in the Cloud suffered too greatly from logistics-related losses, Village Hidden in the Mist's supply concentration points are extremely concealed, and their sea transport routes are unpredictable. The reconnaissance teams we dispatched have still been unable to lock onto the exact core of their logistics lifeline."
"I see…"
Shinichi nodded, seemingly unsurprised by this answer. He stood and walked before the map, his fingertip lightly tapping the Land of Fire's long coastline.
"Then, before we identify weaknesses in their supply system or find other strategic opportunities, during the initial phase, I'm afraid we can only base ourselves around defense."
"Defense?"
One of the staff officers could not help but speak.
"Captain Shinichi, the Land of Fire's coastline is extremely long. There are quite a few beaches, river mouths, and harbors suitable for large-scale landings. If we passively split our forces to defend them, our manpower will be diluted to the limit. There will be holes everywhere. The pressure will be too great. How exactly are we supposed to defend?"
"That is precisely the key point."
As Shinichi's finger slowly moved along the coastline, he spoke: "To begin with, compared to the Village Hidden in the Mist, our side already has relatively fewer troops. Therefore, we cannot and should not attempt to defend every inch of coastline. That would be a bottomless pit. In the end, we would only be led around by the enemy, exhausted from rushing across the endless defensive line, before having our defenses broken through at a single concentrated point."
"So what we must do is not rigid defense, but elastic defense!"
"Elastic defense?"
This new term caused everyone present to freeze momentarily, revealing contemplative expressions.
"That's right."
Shinichi turned around to face everyone and began explaining.
"Unlike the positional warfare we previously used against the Village Hidden in the Sand and Village Hidden in the Cloud, the southeastern coastal battlefield possesses its own unique characteristics. The village Hidden in the Mist is crossing the sea, and they possess the initiative in attack. What they face is our vast coastline."
"At the same time, the sea provides a natural barrier and maneuvering space, making it impossible to completely detect their assembly, feints, and redeployments. But while this is their opportunity, to a certain extent, it is also their shackle."
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