Uchiha Kō quickly went through all the details in his mind and finally concluded that the riot in Sunagakure was inevitable. Even though Sunagakure paid the least amount in reparations under the original alliance agreement, its location was remote and its resources were scarce.
Although it can maintain the normal operation of the country, it will eventually arouse public resentment. Chiyo and Pakura could not possibly be unaware of this. In other words, the two of them are trying to submit to public opinion, not to Rasa.
Uchiha and Senju Hashirama the first to arrive. They looked at Uchiha Kō with a mixture of passion and worry in their eyes. Uchiha, on the other hand, hadn't had a proper fight in a long time. Although he and Senju Hashirama had sparred regularly, he had always held back.
But the battlefield is different. On the battlefield, there are countless ninjas, all with the intention of killing the enemy. In such a situation, they don't need to hold back and can even cause a ruckus. This is a rare opportunity for Uchiha, who is naturally warlike.
"Owl, we've all heard that Sunagakure has annexed surrounding villages, plundered their wealth, and expanded its power, causing widespread suffering and misery among the people. Now they've even turned their attention to us—it's utterly outrageous!" It was Uchiha who spoke. He narrowed his eyes, then opened them, and the oppressive aura of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan swept over us.
Hashirama Senju Hashirama scratched his head. "Madara, actually, I feel like Sunagakure was forced into this situation."
"Big brother! Shut up, do you know what you're saying?" Senju Tobirama slowly walked over, glanced at Uchiha Kō, nodded in greeting, and then looked at Senju Hashirama.
"Yes, Lord Hashirama, if the villagers didn't know your personality, hearing this might provoke the anger of most of them." Uchiha Izuna smiled slightly as he followed Senju Tobirama in.
"That's right. There is only the exchange and plunder of interests between countries. If we should deplete our own resources to make up for the suffering of others, it will not only fail to make them grateful, but will also make them take advantage of us," Uchiha Kō concluded.
Throughout history, the practice of paying tribute annually not only failed to satisfy outsiders, but instead emboldened them to become even more greedy. This year it was three thousand taels, next year five thousand taels, the year after ten thousand taels, and later, one hundred thousand taels, two hundred thousand taels. (I'm not referring to the Song Dynasty, ahem.)
Senju Hashirama pouted. He glanced at Uchiha Kō, then at the others, lowered his head, and sighed. He was, after all, the First Hokage; how could his opinion be so foolish and unworthy of consideration?
That's true. If Uchiha hadn't left Konoha back then, and Hashirama Senju had held absolute power and no one could refute him, many politicians in Konoha would probably have criticized Senju Hashirama for the matter of dividing the Tailed Beast!
Damn it, this stuff could be used as national reserves, as weapons, and you gave it all away just for the sake of verbal peace?
Then look at the reactions of everyone when Uchiha Kō retrieved the Tailed Beast. They were all excited, happy, and overjoyed. These are our things, and they should be used by the people of our village to protect our village.
"Alright, everyone, please take your seats and wait for the other clans to arrive." Uchiha Kō made the decision, then walked to the Hokage's seat. At this moment, he was not wearing the Hokage Haori, but rather the same armor worn by Senju Tobirama Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara.
Sitting in the Hokage's seat, he rested his chin on one hand and tapped the table with the other. In less than ten minutes, a group of people came in from the door, quickly found their seats, and sat down with angry expressions on their faces.
They also received news that Sunagakure dared to attack them—a futile attempt, like an ant trying to shake a tree! Konoha is now the best of the Five Great Shinobi Villages in terms of equipment, weapons, and communications; even the Five Great Nations want to trade with Konoha.
How dare you, Sunagakure, claim to be so backward in everything? We, the clans of Konoha, would like to ask Sunagakure and Rasa, how dare you!
Once everyone had arrived, Uchiha Kō had the door closed. He stood up and said with a smile, "I'm sure everyone here has already learned the purpose of this meeting through their family's officials or information from their own clans."
The crowd nodded without speaking, their eyes burning with fervor as they looked at Uchiha Kō. Since his debut, Uchiha Kō had been present in every battle, big or small, and wherever he went, the enemy trembled in fear.
Trapped in the Land of Rain, the Twin Mountains break through the Sunagakure, Susanoo the Third Hokage, the Wood Golem battles ten thousand ninja, fists and feet repel the Raikage, and a great Kirigakure...
The heroes of the world trembled at the mere mention of his Qi Ming.
The various clans of Konoha were all sincerely convinced of Uchiha Kō, providing him with strong support internally and launching powerful attacks externally—this is what a Kage should do!
Over the past eight years, Konoha's economy and technology have developed rapidly, filling everyone with gratitude towards Uchiha Kō. As a result, no clan is late or absent from any meeting.
Uchiha Kō spoke up, "Now that Sunagakure has declared war on us, what do you suggest we do?"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
The conference room was filled with shouts of battle, and everyone's eyes were bloodshot. Their anger wasn't directed at Uchiha Kō, but at the Sunagakure that had started the war. "Why can't we just live peacefully? Why are you being singled out?"
Uchiha Kō nodded; this was exactly the kind of imposing presence he wanted. He then declared, "In that case, I will lead the troops and personally lead the expedition!"
Before he could finish speaking, a group of people's expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly said, "No! Lord Hokage, your status is noble, you are the pillar of Konoha's spirit! You absolutely cannot go to the front lines!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage, you can't go to war! Although you are incredibly strong and invincible, the battlefield is unpredictable, and swords have no eyes. What will happen to Konoha if you get injured!"
"Lord Hokage, you are still so young. You will lead us for another fifty, or even a hundred years. You can't afford to have anything happen to you!"
The reactions from the various clans were even stronger than those from the Uchiha Clan, as if they were the true members of the Uchiha Kō and the rest of the clan were outsiders.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled bitterly. "When I was in power, why weren't so many people advising me against going to the battlefield? Sigh!"
Seeing this, Nara Rokumei also spoke up, "Lord Hokage, what everyone said makes sense. A wise person avoids dangerous situations. Your safety is the most important thing. Under your leadership, Konoha has prospered and developed, all thanks to your wise decisions and decisive guidance."
"Yes, Lord Hokage, Konoha can live without us, without anyone else, but it cannot live without you!" Hatake Sakumo knelt on the ground and bravely remonstrated.
Uchiha Kō's expression changed. Although he knew that everyone was worried about his safety and that was why they were advising him, he didn't want the Konoha ninjas to sacrifice themselves in vain. How could he not go?
Uchiha's eyes lit up. "Lord Hokage, Uchiha requests to lead the team!"
Uchiha Kō was taken aback. He looked up at Uchiha and saw that Uchiha's lips were upturned and he was winking at him. Uchiha Kō's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately prepared to agree.
As a result, someone suggested, "Lord Hokage, although Konoha's fighting strength is several times greater than before, the new generation of ninjas has not yet experienced the baptism of war. I think they should be given that experience."
This statement resonated with everyone. The ninjas who participated in the Second Shinobi World War are now in their forties, approaching fifty, and can only fight for another ten years at most. Are they really going to send them to the battlefield at sixty?
Uchiha Kō frowned slightly. What this person said made sense. If they relied solely on the older generation, and the new generation of ninjas had not experienced the baptism of war, then Konoha's future combat strength would only be a false one.
Seeing Uchiha Kō's predicament, Nara Rokumei suggested, "Lord Hokage, why not let Lord Madara be the commander-in-chief of the entire army, overseeing the overall situation, and not intervening unless absolutely necessary?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. It would just mean more sacrifices, but there was no other way; we couldn't rely on the elderly forever.
After much deliberation, Uchiha Kō looked up at the crowd. Their eyes were filled with expectation. He took a deep breath and said, "Then it shall be so. Uchiha will be the commander-in-chief, and Uchiha Izuna the deputy commander-in-chief. The two of them will jointly command the ninja army."
"According to the frontline battle reports, Sunagakure has deployed 8,000 troops to the Konoha battlefield. This time, we will deploy at least 4,000 troops to Sunagakure. Later, I would like to ask each clan leader to send at least 50 ninjas upon their return. Uchiha Kō thanks you." Uchiha Kō stood up, looked at the attendees, and bowed.
The crowd dared not accept this and quickly stood up. Among them, Hyuga Akagi shouted, "Lord Hokage- sama, do not worry! My Hyuga Clan is willing to send five hundred soldiers!"
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then shouted in unison, "One thousand from the Uchiha Clan!" "One thousand from the Sarutobi Clan!" "Two hundred from the Nara Clan!"
The sounds of voices echoed in the conference room, bringing a smile to Uchiha Kō's face. Was this the power of public opinion? He stretched out his hands and pressed them down, and within two or three seconds, the entire room fell silent.
"Everyone, things are different now. Our Konoha is well-equipped with soldiers and provisions, and we have many ninjas. We don't need each of us to send so many. Fifty people is already a bit too many for me," Uchiha Kō said truthfully.
"Moreover, with so many ninjas coming out, what if the Iwagakure, Kumogakure, or Kirigakure attack? How will we defend ourselves?" Uchiha Kō explained the situation, and only then did the clan leaders come to their senses, no longer as enthusiastic as before.
"Therefore, I request that each clan leader select fifty people after returning home, no more than that." Uchiha Kō smiled, and everyone nodded. After Uchiha Kō adjourned the meeting, they all went home to begin mobilizing their troops.
Uchiha Kō watched their departing figures, his heart filled with complex emotions. When he first came to this world, he was trembling with fear, plotting and enduring countless times for his own sake and for the sake of his clan. Now, he had not only become the leader, but also a Hokage who combined strength, power, and wealth.
A smile crept onto his lips. Konoha was truly wonderful now, united in purpose and facing the national crisis together. Well, although the attack from Sunagakure might not even qualify as a crisis, the fact that the Konoha clans were of one mind made him very gratified.