On the Verge of Breaking Out

As soon as these words were spoken, the pressure on everyone present increased significantly.

This was because the so-called standing ninja force did not include certain members of the various clans; in the environment of Konoha's constant warfare, the various clans of Konoha, in order to preserve their vitality and prevent excessive casualties among their own, would allow some registered ninja to "retire reasonably," thereby exempting them from the control of Konoha's establishment, even though they were still in their prime.

Generally speaking, these could almost be considered the private armies of each clan.

With the major clans holding power in Konoha, this was practically an open secret, and the Third Hokage had been the most ruthless in utilizing this in the past.

Although it couldn't reach the exaggerated rumors of the 3,000 Sarutobi ninja from later generations, there were still about 400 in his private army.

However, the Sarutobi Hiruzen of today had a different soul and felt no affection for the Sarutobi Clan, so naturally, he had no qualms about spending his ancestors' wealth and ordered the Sarutobi ninja around at will.

Therefore, a number of 300 already accounted for the majority of the Sarutobi Clan's ninja, and such a stance from Sarutobi Hiruzen made the various clan heads feel quite troubled.

"Our Uchiha Clan will provide 200 clansmen!"

Uchiha Fugaku gritted his teeth and was the first to speak.

Now that Sarutobi Hiruzen was allowing the heads of major clans to participate in Hokage administration and had promised to let the Uchiha clansmen break free from the shackles of the Police Force, the Uchiha stood to benefit the most, and Uchiha Fugaku felt he could not go without offering a return.

Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in approval.

It was worth the effort he had spent winning Uchiha Fugaku over; there was indeed a return on his investment.

Now that the Uchiha had also suffered a major loss, the pressure suddenly shifted to the other major clans.

"The Hyuga Clan will provide 100 clansmen..."

Hyuga Hiashi's sincerity was not weak either, as this was equivalent to providing the majority of his combat strength.

"The Ino-Shika-Cho will provide 80 clansmen..."

As a core member of the Hokage faction, Nara Shikaku naturally would not hold back, but the Ino-Shika-Cho were all small clans, and their combined numbers did not even reach those of major clans like the Hyuga or Uchiha.

Being able to scrape together 80 ninja was already exhausting their full strength.

As for Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, neither came from ninja clans, so naturally, they could not provide manpower.

Seeing the various clan heads state their positions, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction.

"The remaining ninja will be drawn from the Shimura Clan to make up the army of 2,000..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen made the final decision directly; Danzo was dead, but the remaining value of the Shimura Clan still had to be fully exploited.

The elders present couldn't help but feel a chill in their teeth upon hearing this.

To scrape together 2,000 people would essentially mean draining the Shimura Clan dry.

They exchanged glances, remaining silent by tacit agreement, but their eyes were filled with deep wariness.

It was clear that they would need to be more careful when dealing with the Third Hokage in the future; it was obvious that this Sarutobi Hiruzen, having changed his temperament, was also incredibly petty.

"I will personally lead the army to fight against the Cloud Ninja..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stated.

"Uchiha Fugaku will be the deputy commander, and Nara Shikaku will serve as the staff officer."

"We depart in three days!"

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen had returned to his prime and did not fear fighting the Cloud Ninja, he knew that Konoha was still in a weakened state following the war and lacked the foundation for a protracted conflict.

Therefore, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally wanted a quick victory.

After procedurally asking the elders if they had any objections, Sarutobi Hiruzen ended the meeting.

Only Nara Shikaku remained behind.

"Third Hokage..."

"Although the numbers have been met,"

"many facilities in the village still need to be rebuilt after the Nine-Tails incident, and the pensions for the ninja are also a huge expense..."

Nara Shikaku did not want to embarrass Sarutobi Hiruzen to his face, but the problem still had to be solved.

After all, war was fought with money.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was naturally aware that Konoha's current financial situation was poor.

"It is of no concern..."

"The assets of the Shimura Clan are already being liquidated, and they will all be poured into this war."

"Uchiha Fugaku has also expressed his willingness to sponsor this war."

Back at the scene where Danzo was executed, after confiscating the Shimura Clan's assets on the spot, Sarutobi Hiruzen had subtly complained about his poverty to Uchiha Fugaku.

Uchiha Fugaku, being very sharp, had immediately expressed his willingness to share the burden.

"If that is still not enough, the Sarutobi Clan can also provide funds..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen indicated that the Sarutobi Clan was the Sarutobi Clan, while he was the Third Hokage.

"That is enough, that is enough!"

Nara Shikaku interrupted with a bitter smile, preventing Sarutobi Hiruzen from actually donating the entire Saruobi Clan.

"With the funding from the Shimura Clan and the Uchiha Clan, it will be more than enough for a war..."

Not to mention the Shimura Clan, the Uchiha Clan was indeed an ancient, prestigious clan dating back to the Warring States period; they had never been short on money.

In Sarutobi Hiruzen's view, the later massacre of the Uchiha likely included a motive where the Konoha high command wanted to "slaughter the landlord to celebrate the new year" because the village's finances were in a slump following the Nine-Tails incident.

After all, after the Uchiha Clan was wiped out, Uchiha Sasuke did not inherit much of their estate.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, having caught the subtext in Nara Shikaku's words.

It was more than enough to fight a large-scale war, but if the duration of the war were to drag on, it would become a bottomless pit devouring money.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not panic; he still had a trump card.

That was the Transmigration System, which could obtain money and supplies from other worlds, though this method consumed too much Space-Time Source Energy to be cost-effective, so he preferred not to use it unless necessary.

"Do not worry, Shikaku."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes were deep, his tone resolute.

"Unless there are any accidents,"

"This war will end very quickly."

Nara Shikaku was stunned upon hearing this. Looking at the sharp glint flickering in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, he felt he could no longer see through this Third Hokage, who had held the position longer than any other.

"That old bastard Danzo is dead?"

"And he was killed by the Third Hokage himself?"

The Fourth Raikage heard this news and found it somewhat unbelievable.

He knew full well that Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen were known as the branches and roots of Konoha, interdependent on one another.

Their relationship had always been quite close; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were two peas in a pod.

"To think that the Third, in his old age, could still make such a decisive move?!"

The Fourth Raikage had not been in office long, and he had always looked down on the Third Hokage, who was hailed as the Ninja Hero but was known for his lenient and benevolent handling of affairs.

As the victor of the Third Shinobi World War, he had actually accepted an unconditional ceasefire without even setting terms for war reparations.

It was precisely because of this that the Fourth Raikage wanted to take advantage of Konoha after the Nine-Tails rampage and the fall of the Fourth Hokage to squeeze some benefits out of them.

"Then, Lord Raikage,"

"What about our ninjas at the border..."

A subordinate on the side asked tentatively, wondering if the Third's current display of a ruthless side meant he was no longer a soft target.

"Continue to harass the border of the Land of Fire."

The Fourth Raikage waved his hand, adopting aggressive measures without hesitation.

His reason for choosing Konoha was not just the perceived weakness of the Third, but also the fact that Konoha was indeed in its most vulnerable period in history.

The Fourth had fallen, the Sannin had left one after another, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had only just been replaced.

The only top-tier powerhouse left was the elderly and frail Third, which undoubtedly allowed the pro-war Fourth Raikage to scent the smell of profit.

In contrast, on the side of the Cloud Ninja, although the Third Raikage had fallen, it was to cover the retreat of the main force, so the number of Cloud Ninja troops had basically not decreased.

Furthermore, their top-tier powerhouses were all in their prime, whether it was the Fourth Raikage or the Jinchuriki.

"Once I station more ninja troops at the border,"

The Fourth Raikage smiled contemptuously. Having just taken office, he needed achievements to maintain his prestige, and he was determined to take a bite out of the cake that was the strongest ninja village in the Ninja World.

"Konoha will collapse without a fight and come to us to sign a peace treaty."