The Third had dealt another blow to Danzo's prestige, making it clear to all the village's middle and upper ranks that he still called the shots.
Fugaku Uchiha had once again landed in Danzo's sights.
Orochimaru's proposal to wipe out Sunagakure first, then subdue the other three villages, had been rejected.
But the meeting was not over. They had simply returned to square one.
Anyone with eyes could see that victory in the war against Sunagakure was assured.
For those in the middle and lower ranks, going to war meant danger. They might leave and never return.
But for the strong, this was a celebration.
A feast where they could divide up the credit and win themselves a fine reputation.
In the past, there would have been no debate. White Fang would definitely have led the forces, and no one except Danzo would have objected.
But now, who would the Third choose to elevate?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face betrayed nothing as he calmly asked, "Everyone, who would you suggest we send to the front this time?"
"I will lead them myself."
Danzo looked utterly confident.
Shinobi out in the field did not have to obey the Hokage's orders at every turn. They had to act according to the situation.
Once he was on the battlefield, wouldn't he be the one deciding how to fight?
No one else offered an opinion.
The Third frowned, ignored him, and looked toward the ninja clans. "Kakuzu, what do you think?"
"Lord Hokage, I propose that the Sannin lead the forces. As long as someone holds off Chiyo, the Third Kazekage, and the One-Tail, the village can send a contingent of shinobi from the Great Ninja Clans along with civilian shinobi, and we can slaughter all the remaining Sunagakure shinobi."
Everyone turned to look at him when he finished.
Akimichi Torifu hurriedly tugged at him. Only then did Kakuzu realize what he had said. Looking at Danzo's friendly expression, the Third's unreadable face, and everyone else's stunned looks, he felt dread flood his entire body.
Honestly, he believed that if they wanted to settle this once and for all, Orochimaru's proposal was the way to go: wipe out Sunagakure outright. But that had been rejected.
To catch the bandits, first catch their leader. Killing their higher-ups was another good option, but killing Kage-level fighters carried risks. Hiruzen had undermined White Fang, refused to let Danzo go, and did not want to go himself.
That left only one other option: slaughter their middle and lower ranks, leaving a gap in Sunagakure's forces.
They would win the war while also dealing such a devastating blow that Sunagakure would be unable to recover and provoke the Leaf Village for some time.
From a military standpoint, there was nothing wrong with that.
The problem was that it was not the Third's style, nor Tsunade's or Jiraiya's.
The Third remained perfectly composed. "In that case, we'll have Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Fugaku Uchiha lead the forces this time. Each of the Great Ninja Clans will provide five elite jonin and thirty jonin. You can make your own arrangements for chunin and genin."
Fugaku seemed quite obedient now. Since that was the case, he could not suppress him too harshly. He could give him a suitable assignment.
"My son will soon succeed me as clan leader. The Hyuga will have him lead our contingent this time."
The others had still had some thoughts of their own, but once Hyuuga Hiten spoke, their objections instantly vanished.
It was hardly unreasonable for the Hyuga Clan's next clan leader to bring four or five jonin to protect him!
Besides, with the Uchiha Clan's leader heading to the battlefield, he would have to bring two elders along. They would at least be on Ebizo's level. Even if they could not beat him one-on-one, two against one should be no problem.
They would not even need to go home to gather their people. Those already serving under the Sannin would be enough.
As they saw it, neither the Sannin nor Fugaku would object. However...
"Let Advisor Danzo go. My injuries haven't healed yet. I would only be a burden."
Orochimaru spoke up, cutting through everyone else's murmured conversations.
"Your injuries haven't healed? Are they serious? Have Tsunade take a look at you later."
Hearing this, Jiraiya hurriedly voiced his concern.
Opposing a proposal was one thing, but when something was wrong with Orochimaru, he still cared deeply.
"Idiot!"
Orochimaru did not even turn his head.
He showed no appreciation at all. He had put Ling Tian's advice to use, but his teacher truly was disappointing.
If possible, he did not want to do anything that would betray his teacher, Tsunade, or Jiraiya.
That was precisely why he had done this!
But sometimes, reality truly could make a person lose faith.
As for Fugaku Uchiha, he was mentally exhausted!
As far as he could tell, the plan was proceeding smoothly.
There was a rift between Orochimaru and the Third. Even if Ling Tian had been boasting to him that morning, Orochimaru was now someone they could try to win over.
Judging by Kakuzu's remarks, the Ino-Shika-Cho were not particularly inclined toward the Third either.
Jiraiya and Tsunade were both going to the battlefield as well.
But why had he been assigned to go too?
Being assigned was one thing, but he could not even refuse...
The Uchiha had always wanted to go to war to improve their relationship with the village. Now that they finally had the opportunity, if he refused, would that make him an idiot, or someone harboring ulterior motives?
There was no way out.
At that moment, Danzo could not care less what anyone else thought. Seeing Orochimaru recommend him again, he gave him an approving look.
"Hiruzen, let me go. For the Leaf Village, I am duty-bound."
The Third frowned and looked at this student he understood less and less, his emotions churning.
"Danzo, just stay in the village with us! Even if Orochimaru's injuries haven't healed, Tsunade and the other two will be enough."
Utatane Koharu gave Danzo a reproachful look and spoke with the full weight of her seniority.
It would have been better if she had said nothing. Her words only made Danzo feel worse. "I am not like you. I'm not old yet."
Tsunade might be a mere woman, but she had the Senju Clan's prestige, a younger brother who wanted to become Hokage, and an elite jonin lover at her side.
Jiraiya had no particular ambitions, but he fit Hiruzen's ideal choice for Hokage. His student was also a man who dreamed of becoming Hokage.
White Fang had not been dealt with yet. The last thing Danzo needed was another two rivals.
"That settles it! Orochimaru, go back and make your preparations too. Have Tsunade examine you when the time comes. If your injuries still haven't healed, you can stay in the rear and oversee the overall operation."
The Third slapped the table, once again exercising his sole power of veto.
"Hiruzen..."
"Danzo, enough. The village needs you. Leave the front to the younger generation!"
He had no intention of sparing Danzo's dignity.
The man had been far too disruptive today.
It seemed he had given Danzo a little too much freedom lately because of the White Fang affair.
"How interesting."
Orochimaru smiled and glanced around at everyone. "This war council really is interesting."
Everyone's heart tightened once more.
It seemed something truly serious had happened in the village.
"Orochimaru, what exactly are you getting at today?"
"I'll head back to prepare."
Ignoring Jiraiya, Orochimaru rose after speaking and was the first to walk out.
They called it a meeting, but it had become nothing more than the Hokage's monologue.
Power!
Orochimaru sneered inwardly.
He had known from the start that the Third would never let Danzo replace him.
His only aim in doing this was to get Danzo embroiled in the struggle during the coup, allowing Orochimaru to reap the benefits!
Perhaps he could even talk him into it when the time came.
This advisor was exceptionally fixated on the Hokage position.
When the meeting ended, everyone except Jiraiya understood what Orochimaru's final remark had meant.
Their hearts were all in turmoil.
At that same moment, three Anbu had just returned to the village.
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