Unified Command

Director Usami had accurately gauged that Soshi was young and reckless, so he brazenly set a trap for him.

Yet, Yamada-kun himself turned the tables, parrying and striking back to begin his own performance!

...Truth be told, having not privately consulted with Teacher Motonari before the meeting began, the youth had no certainty at all whether his arguments held water.

However, one thing was certain: compared to personnel allocation issues that might involve political correctness, the rights and wrongs of military strategy could never be determined in a few short sentences.

Although the public is often accustomed to reverse-engineering the origins of an event based on the outcome, and dumping all the blame onto specific countermeasures, in reality, a commander's judgment—especially when the side holds a relative advantage—is rarely a matter of simple right or wrong.

--If our side truly has superior numbers and strength, then whether we use a brute-force assault or a flanking maneuver, the result will likely be a victory.

The reason why low-probability events, where the weak defeat the strong, occur is often not due to one or two isolated decisions, but a chain of internal and external factors that ultimately lead to an irreparable disaster.

In other words, as long as the deductions Soshi presented followed basic logic, regardless of whether his analysis of the march route matched Nara Motonari's original design, it could be seen as an effective supplement to the current plan; whether or not it was eventually adopted by the higher-ups, it could not be easily refuted by anyone else present.

Since there was no way to judge right from wrong, Hanbei naturally could not find a target to shift the blame onto...

As for where exactly Soshi started his analysis?

That had to begin with the special ninja tools Erina had prepared...

In a game of strategy, the side on the defensive usually cannot decide the specific time a conflict occurs, let alone utilize any form of siege weaponry.

But since the Commander had ordered Erina to make targeted deployments in advance, Soshi had no choice but to follow that thread and dig deep into the current situation.

In the process, the youth gradually began to see some clues in the logistics along the Amber River.

"From a strategic standpoint, avoiding the northern main road gives us room to negotiate with the Land of Earth, allowing the village to concentrate its strength on resolving the conflict between the Wind and Fire nations. On the other hand, it utilizes the convenience of the waterway to reduce the transport pressure on the Frontline Support Battalion. From a tactical standpoint, choosing to head north via the Amber River actually creates a window of opportunity for our unit to turn from passive to active!"

"This is a war council. If you have something to say, speak plainly."

Director Chosokabe spoke coldly, and Yamada Soji immediately followed suit.

"Yes.

What this student means is that compared to crossing the lowlands via the land route from the northeast, the Frontline Support Battalion traveling down the river effectively fixes its own route and schedule in advance...

In this way, if the enemy executing the sabotage mission still intends to intercept the Frontline Support Battalion, they will have more time to prepare and plan before acting, and can choose the most suitable moment to launch an attack."

"Wait." Director Usami interrupted: "Why would you intentionally create favorable conditions for the enemy?"

"To take, one must first give." The youth replied calmly, continuing to elaborate on his point: "Most sections of the Amber River have a gentle flow and open visibility. Only at turns like Eagle Sorrow Ravine and Dead Gull Ridge does the river narrow, making it the most suitable place to set an ambush using terrain-altering ninjutsu...

From this perspective, I believe the Commander's decision to switch to the waterway might be precisely to lure the snake out of its hole, thereby narrowing the area where the enemy might appear, and perhaps even locking onto their movements before they can strike!"

"The logic seems sound, but if there are complications during the actual execution..."

Hanbei only got halfway through his sentence.

With Nara Motonari yet to speak, he had neither expressed agreement with Soshi's analysis nor explicitly opposed it.

In contrast, Director Chosokabe, sitting opposite, had no such reservations.

Just as Soshi wanted to continue following up on Director Usami's point, the old man took the initiative to interrupt the youth's argument!

He tilted his head to look at Nara Motonari, who was sitting at the head of the table, his tone becoming less than polite: "Well? Is that truly what Commander Nara was considering?"

"Does the old Director think it is feasible?"

Motonari did not answer directly; he simply asked Chosokabe Masayuki a question in his usual gentle tone, appearing completely guileless.

But this attitude, instead, ignited the old Director's anger!

"Chaos is born from order, cowardice from courage, and weakness from strength.

This old man does not oppose seeking change to break a stalemate, but even if the Commander has a strategy in mind, he should first consider the composition of our personnel!" His years of experience as the head of the hospital had earned Chosokabe Masayuki immense prestige, and his speech often carried an unintentional air of instruction.

He tapped his knuckles on the armrest of his chair, his words becoming increasingly stern: "It has been ten years since the last Great War, and most of the medical staff participating in this mission have not been baptized by the fires of war. If the commander insists on using them as bait, then we must set up camp on land; we cannot engage the enemy on the boats!"

When the Waterfall Ninja assassins launched their massive raid last time, Nara Motonari had coordinated various forces and designed the defense meticulously, finally turning the tables and annihilating the mercenaries with minimal cost.

However, even so, the slight ripples caused by the battle had already left the medical staff in the camp terrified and uneasy.

By extension, if a similar situation occurred in the more densely packed cabins of the ships, I fear that before the Guard Unit could counter the enemy, this group of 'nurses' would descend into internal chaos!

Although the old Director, who had walked through the smoke of the previous era, had long since looked past life and death, and would never tolerate his subordinates shrinking from battle, this did not mean he was a brute who piled up lives for no reason, nor did it mean he had no regard for the lives of his subordinates.

--The truth was exactly the opposite.

As an experienced doctor, Director Chosokabe knew the weight of life better than most!

Therefore, he expressed his clear opposition to the plan proposed by Soshi, which was highly likely to cause large-scale casualties.

"The value of a ninja is determined by death, but I will never allow the professional doctors trained by Konoha Hospital to die in a radical and foolish baiting operation!"

"..."

Every word the old Director spoke seemed to be in dialogue with Nara Motonari, but the subtext clearly included the youth as well.

Soshi originally wanted to defend himself and his superior, but seeing Teacher Motonari's expression remain unchanged and unshaken, he immediately dismissed the thought of arguing and sat firmly in his place.

Sure enough...

Only after the old man had finished venting to his heart's content did Teacher Motonari finally pick up the conversation.

"I understand all of your concerns. Once the Jingu Forest Field Hospital is built, it will rely on these medical workers to achieve its intended efficacy, but... regarding the plan to lure the enemy via the waterway, our combat units must proceed with it."

That humble acceptance paired with an unrepentant attitude was infuriating!

No sooner had Nara Motonari finished speaking than Director Chosokabe's bloodshot eyes widened once more!

Yet this time, before the old director could speak, the usually zen-like Nara Motonari unexpectedly raised a hand, cutting the old man off mid-sentence to ensure his own statement remained uninterrupted.

"There is one point I must declare in advance: this is not a plan belonging solely to our Guard Unit.

Our colleagues responsible for providing supplies along the route, the direct subordinates of the Hokage, and even the defense forces stationed at the borders of the two nations—every force that can be mobilized during a non-wartime state will be participating in this operation!"

"..."

Nara Motonari's words were delivered with ironclad certainty!

Coming right after the old director's scathing lecture, they carried a rare, intimidating weight that was seldom seen from him.

Now, no one present dared to interrupt him, and Nara Motonari finally slowed his pace: "According to confidentiality protocols, I should not be disclosing these details to you all. But since we have reached this point today, I might as well say a few more words.

I can guarantee to you all that from the very beginning, no one intended to drag the medical staff aboard into dangerous skirmishes, let alone sacrifice them to achieve military merit!

However, in return, I require your absolute trust once we board—to ensure the plan proceeds smoothly, it is impossible for me to tell you the truth at every moment."

As soon as he finished speaking, Nara Motonari's sharp gaze swept across everyone present from left to right.

This time, everyone, including the old director, lowered their eyes.

Soji did not know what the other two were thinking, but from his own perspective looking back at today's meeting, everything had clearly unfolded according to the commander's design...

The tripartite balance of power had been completely shattered, and Usami's position had been usurped by Soji.

As for the harsh words the old director had just vented in his temper, they now served to silence him in return!

With this turn of events, the command system of the entire Frontline Support Battalion was finally, for the time being, unified under Nara Motonari.

Next, it would be time for both sides to test their true strength with real blades and guns!