After all the ninja clans had gathered, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a pre-battle speech. His words were impassioned, and everyone who listened was fired up.
After he finished, he had Shimura Danzō come forward to speak. Danzō wasn't much of a talker, so he wrapped up after a few formal pleasantries.
Everyone understood Danzō's temperament and showed their support with applause.
Then something no one expected happened. Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke up. "Everyone, with nearly eight thousand ninja, we're dealing with a considerable force. So I've decided to appoint two temporary deputy commanders: Uchiha Kō and Nara Rokumei!"
Uchiha Kō was taken aback. Hadn't they agreed that he would help Shimura Danzō build up his battle record? Why was Hiruzen putting him out in the open this time?
Shimura Danzō remained silent, but he had no objections. The entire Uchiha Clan was joining the battle—how could he object? Besides, he was the overall commander, so whatever the outcome, he stood to gain the most.
"Uchiha Kō! Nara Rokumei! We obey!" The two hurriedly knelt on one knee to accept the order.
The other clans wore varied expressions. The Hyūga Clan frowned. They were a dōjutsu clan just like the Uchiha, so why did the Uchiha get a deputy commander while they didn't? They didn't believe that Uchiha Kō had been the commander in the Land of Rain last time.
The Senju forces breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at one another with smiles. This battle would be a lot easier now!
The Ino-Shika-Cho clans were also somewhat excited. After all, Nara Rokumei was one of their own, which meant they could benefit from his appointment too.
"Move out! Konoha's brave warriors, drive back Sunagakure and shatter their wolfish ambitions!" Shimura Danzō shouted, sweeping his hand through the air.
The troops then left the village in an orderly fashion and headed southwest. This time, the battlefield would be in the Land of Rivers—also called the Land of Rivers by some—and Sunagakure had probably already occupied its territory.
After all, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Nations, while the Land of Rivers was only a small country. Even if Sunagakure ranked at the bottom of the Five Great Nations, its strength was still beyond what a small country could withstand.
The question now was whether the enemy had already entered Konoha's territory. If so, where would they set an ambush? Where would they set an ambush?
That night, Danzō was deep in thought when Uchiha Kō called out, "Lord Danzō!"
Shimura Danzō was startled and looked toward the voice. It was Uchiha Kō. He nodded. "Kō, just say what you have to say. You don't need to address me so formally."
That was something to take with a grain of salt. Only a fool would believe him.
"Lord Danzō, I believe the enemy has already entered our borders!" He pointed to Mt. Kikyo, Mt. Domi, Kashiwagi, and Chōga on the map.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Shimura Danzō asked, his interest piqued as he looked at Uchiha Kō.
Uchiha Kō didn't waste time. He pointed to the map. "Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi are ideal places to station ambushers. They could wait for our army to pass, then rain down boulders and shuriken from above. That's one possibility."
"Kashiwagi and Chōga are also near our village's borders—in fact, they're still within our territory. The enemy's attack was planned in advance, while we're two or three days behind."
"Those two or three days would be plenty of time for them to cross from the Land of Wind into our borders. The messenger who came to warn us earlier was from the capital of the Land of Fire, not Kashiwagi or Chōga. That suggests those places have already been occupied, or that Sunagakure has seized the communication routes linking them to other regions, preventing messages from getting through."
"So, based on all of this, Sunagakure has already entered our territory and laid traps in Kashiwagi and Chōga." Uchiha Kō's reasoning was clear and meticulous. He had analyzed the situation thoroughly, and even Danzō couldn't help wanting to praise him.
"Mm. Go on. If you were in charge, how would you fight?" Shimura Danzō knew what Uchiha Kō was capable of, so he was willing to listen to his advice.
"Fight Kashiwagi and Chōga in the open, cross Ishida in secret." Uchiha Kō smiled and pointed at Ishida on the map.
"Explain."
"We send troops to fight in Kashiwagi and Chōga openly. Lord Danzō can lead them. We'll hold our ground and avoid attacking. We have abundant supplies and the advantage of terrain, while the enemy must navigate winding mountain paths over a long distance. Before long, they'll run out of supplies. That will be our first victory."
"Meanwhile, I'll lead the Uchiha Clan around the enemy and climb Mt. Ōyu from Ishida, then cut off their supplies from behind. Once we've succeeded, we'll launch a flare. Then we'll attack the Sunagakure forces on Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi from the rear. At that point, Lord Danzō can lead the entire army to join us in battle on the two mountains. That way, we can wipe out the Sand Dogs!"
"That will minimize our casualties. The ninja under your command should suffer almost no losses. As for the Uchiha, that will depend on how quickly you move, Lord Danzō!" Uchiha Kō smiled.
Shimura Danzō gave Uchiha Kō a long look. The man was handing him such a great achievement—and entrusting his own life to him.
He hadn't expected Uchiha Kō to trust him so much. Perhaps the Uchiha Clan wasn't as the teacher had described. As these thoughts turned over in his mind, he spoke.
"Don't worry, Kō. We'll do as you say. The moment your flare goes up, our entire army will charge. We'll be there within ten minutes at most!" Shimura Danzō said earnestly.
He needed this achievement, too. Uchiha Kō's strategy would minimize casualties and maximize their gains. What reason did he have to refuse?
Uchiha Kō wouldn't have trusted an older Danzō. But this Danzō had only just inherited Konoha's power from Senju Tobirama. He was a passionate young man—somewhat aggressive, perhaps, but a man with ambition.
"Oh, right, Lord Danzō. There may be Explosive Tags at the entrances to Kashiwagi and Chōga. It'll be safer to send Shadow Clones through first." After saying this, Uchiha Kō began gathering the Uchiha ninja to leave with him.
Nara Rokumei also wanted to go with them, but Uchiha Kō shook his head. "We need someone clever to hold the fort here, Rokumei. You understand?"
After that, Uchiha Kō and the Uchiha ninja took advantage of the night and their dark clothing to circle around toward Ishida.
Shimura Danzō had the army set up camp and wait until daybreak to advance. Looking toward Ishida, he thought, Kō, if this works, I'll share three drinks with you when we return to the village.
Uchiha Kō yawned. A ninja below him hurriedly said, "Sixth Elder, make sure to stay warm. It gets cold at night. You can't afford to catch a cold!"
"I'm fine, Ding. Someone's probably thinking about me," Uchiha Kō replied with a smile.
He turned to the Uchiha ninja. "This mission is the most dangerous, but if we succeed, we'll gain the most. The village will remember what we've done. From now on, the Uchiha will be a clan of honor."
"I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, but I can't guarantee that we'll come through without losses. If you're afraid of dying, return to Lord Danzō's forces now. You'll be in little danger there." Uchiha Kō's words reached every Uchiha ninja.
The Uchiha ninja activated their Sharingan. "Sixth Elder, we're not afraid of dying. We're only afraid of dying for nothing. Now that we know how important this mission is, what is there to fear?"
Everyone nodded. Beneath the moonlight, Uchiha Kō looked at the thousand Uchiha ninja and smiled. "Good. I, Uchiha Kō, promise you this: I'll lead the charge. If anyone has to die, I'll die before any of you!"
With that, the group entered Ishida.
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