Regarding the Construction of Medical Ninja

Inside the spacious and bright Hokage office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat upright in the chair that symbolized supreme power.

He kept his eyes slightly closed, resting with a serene expression, his hands gently supporting his chin as if he were deep in thought over some important matter.

Standing at his sides were the three advisor elders: Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura.

The group had been quite relaxed while outside, but the moment they stepped into the Hokage office, they felt an invisible pressure wash over them, instantly making the atmosphere in the room heavy and oppressive.

Faced with this situation, everyone chose to remain silent, none daring to easily break the stillness. They silently found their appropriate places to stand and waited quietly, not making a single unnecessary sound.

This was, in fact, one of the tactics commonly used by those in power. By creating such a tense atmosphere, one could not only effectively establish an image of authority but also take the opportunity to carefully observe the subtle facial expressions and psychological states of everyone attending the meeting.

Time ticked by, and the hands of the clock on the wall slowly pointed toward nine o'clock. Just then, a black shadow flickered into the office like a ghost. It was an Anbu ninja, dressed in black tights and wearing a mask.

The Anbu ninja walked quickly to Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, leaned down, and whispered a few words into his ear in a low voice.

After hearing the report, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, finally opened them slowly. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile, and he scanned everyone present before asking softly, "Have you all arrived?"

The office was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop; the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy.

In the midst of this dead silence, a loud and clear voice suddenly broke the stillness: "Representing the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Kō have arrived!" The voice rang out like a tolling bell, echoing throughout the office.

The person who spoke these words was none other than Uchiha Kō himself.

Upon hearing this, the others wore expressions of confusion and bewilderment. They muttered to themselves, The Hokage isn't blind; can't he see that people have entered? Why go through the trouble of announcing it?

However, these thoughts were fleeting, as some soon realized that things were likely not that simple.

Nara Rokumei's eyes suddenly brightened, and his originally serious expression was instantly replaced by a cunning smile.

He then raised the corners of his mouth slightly and, mimicking Uchiha Kō's tone, said, "Representing the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, Nara Rokumei, Yamanaka Unkai, and Torifu Akimichi have arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of low laughter rippled through the room, though many others looked at Nara Rokumei with thoughtful expressions.

Nara Rokumei couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, thinking, As expected of Kō-kun. This simple sentence isn't just about telling everyone who has arrived; it's a declaration of stance.

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been sitting at his desk, nodded with a smile and said to the newcomers, "Come, come, Clan Head Hirotomo, Kō, and Rokumei, come sit in the front; don't stand so far away."

Following Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Uchiha Hirotomo, Uchiha Kō, Nara Rokumei, and the others walked toward the seats at the front of the office and sat down in order.

The eyes of the crowd were fixed tightly on them, revealing a mix of complex emotions—some filled with curiosity, some with suspicion, and others appearing rather vigilant.

For a moment, a tense and subtle atmosphere permeated the office, as if a fierce contest were about to unfold...

Tsunade also spoke up, "Teacher, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya have also arrived!" After she finished, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and beckoned them over, "Come and sit!"

Tsunade gave a cheeky grin and walked over to Uchiha Kō, taking the seat next to him.

Now everyone understood: Sarutobi Hiruzen was gauging which clans were willing to stand on his side. As it stood, the Uchiha and the Ino-Shika-Cho had become the Hokage faction—one a millennium-old noble clan, the other the clan most skilled at placing their bets.

Tsunade and the others were Sarutobi Hiruzen's students. There were still many seats left, but the ones at the very front were becoming increasingly scarce.

While the other clan heads were still hesitating, Hyuga Akagi spoke up, "Hyuga Akagi, accompanied by my young son Hyuga Hiashi, has arrived!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with a smile, "Please, take a seat," and pointed to the remaining spots in the front.

Hyuga Akagi nodded and sat down. Seeing that both the Uchiha and the Hyuga had declared their positions, the other clans followed suit one by one.

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled slightly and gave Uchiha Kō a look that said "well done," to which Uchiha Kō responded with a nod and a smirk.

After each clan had declared their stance and taken their seats, Sarutobi Hiruzen began, "First, as Hokage, I want to thank every clan for sending their own ninja to fight in the Land of Rain."

"This victory belongs to everyone!" As he finished, Nara Rokumei was the first to applaud, looking at Uchiha Kō with a smile. Uchiha Kō understood the cue and began to clap as well.

Led by the two of them, the others began to applaud. The applause lasted for three minutes before Sarutobi Hiruzen smilingly signaled for them to stop.

As the applause gradually faded, Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "I had originally intended to publicly reward each clan, but I received a secret report last night!"

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned grim. "Sunagakure has already mobilized its troops and is marching toward Konoha. With a great war about to break out, we can only record these merits for now and distribute rewards after this battle is won. Does anyone have any objections?"

Everyone shook their heads. Who would have objections to that? With a war imminent, dealing with Sunagakure was the top priority!

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly in acknowledgment and then spoke slowly: "Since no one has any objections to this, I would ask you all to speak freely and share your insights and opinions on the current state of the war."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tsunade stood up abruptly. She looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a grave expression and said solemnly, "Teacher, based on my personal experience on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, I believe we should increase the number of medical ninja deployed in combat units. Every three-man squad should be equipped with at least one medical ninja. This would significantly reduce casualties!"

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow furrowed tightly.

As everyone knew, medical ninja were as rare as phoenix feathers among the nations today.

If these precious medical ninja were assigned to individual squads, they would likely lose their lives if they encountered a powerful enemy.

This approach was truly inappropriate... Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head gently, rejecting Tsunade's proposal, and responded bluntly, "Tsunade, your intentions are good, but given the current situation, this method is not feasible!"

Tsunade was stunned by his words and stood frozen. A moment later, she slowly lowered her head, a look of disappointment and frustration appearing on her face.

Just then, Uchiha Kō, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up and declared, "Lord Hokage, this subordinate actually believes that Lady Tsunade's suggestion is quite viable."

Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly had not expected Uchiha Kō to support Tsunade's view and was momentarily taken aback. Once he regained his composure, he frowned slightly and pressed, "Kō, then tell me, why do you think this proposal is feasible?"

It wasn't just Sarutobi Hiruzen; the other clan heads and their future heirs all looked toward Uchiha Kō, curious to see what this guy could come up with.