An unyielding will!
Then let's fight.
The higher-ups understood Uchiha Xiu's resolve and reluctantly gave up trying to talk him out of it.
"Hiashi, here's what I want you to do."
"Take notes."
Hiashi picked up a notebook from the small table, lowered his head, and readied his pen.
"On the eastern coast, in the direction of the old Land of Whirlpools, the Hyuga Clan will form the main force, supported by an elite sensory unit from the Yamanaka Clan and the local coastal defense troops. Build a layered surveillance and defense network."
"The Hyuga's Byakugan must ensure the coast can't be infiltrated. If the Land of Water dares send troops, swallow their first probing attack and surprise raid whole. Hmph, the Bloody Mist Village doesn't have much to its name."
"You'll personally command the defense. Tenzō and Yamato will each lead five Anbu squads alongside you."
"In the northwest, along the Land of Rain border, the pressure will be greatest. The main forces will be the Uchiha Clan, Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, and Yamanaka Clan, working with reconnaissance units from the Inuzuka Clan and Aburame Clan."
"Keep Sunagakure in the Land of Wind in check. If Iwagakure in the Land of Earth gets riled up and launches a retaliatory attack, wipe them out. Show them Konoha's might!"
"Shikaku will be overall commander, with Fugaku assisting."
"In the south, facing the Land of Wind, which could betray us at any moment, we'll again use ten elite Anbu squads as the backbone, along with the local border troops, to establish a posture of vigilance and deterrence.
"Construct fortifications, spread out sentries, and make Konoha's resolve unmistakable. That should stop Rasa from acting rashly and create a strategic deterrent. Mitokado Homura will handle the details. Even I'm not afraid to die, so let that old geezer burn for the village one more time."
"In the northeastern highlands, around the Land of Fields, Uchiha Setsuna will lead the core of the Military Police Force, along with elite members of the Sarutobi Clan. They'll be supported by the local regular garrison, skilled in Earth Release and traps, and an Anbu tactical squad. Keep a close watch on Kumogakure."
"..." Nara Shikaku.
He hadn't expected the Sarutobi Clan to be mobilized too.
The Fifth Hokage's magnanimity was truly admirable.
Fortunately, a powerful member of the Uchiha Clan had stepped forward to lead some of the Military Police Force's core members in accompanying the army as observers.
"As for the village itself, Tsunade will be in charge, with Kakashi and Utatane Koharu as her deputies. The Gekko Clan, Kurama Clan, Sealing Team, Barrier Team, Medical Team, the remaining forces of the Shadow Guard and Anbu, the Ninja Academy teachers, Might Guy, Yuhi Kurenai, Maruboshi Kosuke... In short, you can mobilize any force in the village as you see fit."
Facing the man who trusted her without reservation, Tsunade nodded solemnly before reminding him,
"Our Senju Clan still has some elders alive, like Granny Tokah."
"Good. Besides imposing the highest level of martial law and conducting an internal sweep to ensure our stronghold is completely secure, you'll also reorganize our forces to serve as the general reserve and mobile strike force."
Uchiha Xiu, his Kamui eye active, paused and looked at the few people whose auras had grown stronger despite their silence, including Kakashi. "The first battle as I lead Konoha toward a new beginning must end in victory!"
Once the assignments were complete, the meeting room fell silent.
"Now, repeat them back to me."
Hiashi began slowly, getting every word right.
After that, the people who had been assigned would work out the details themselves.
For instance, in the plan to launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure, the team responsible for infiltration would need scrolls made by the Sealing Team.
Uchiha Xiu wasn't going to micromanage that.
Just as he'd done over the past five days, he left the work to others. He'd sat there watching Hiashi handle the paperwork while wishing he could dive into the Scroll of Seals and master every forbidden technique.
"The surprise attack on the Land of Earth is set for three days from now. Shisui, step up the infiltration of Iwagakure by the Anbu and Root."
"Also, when mobilizing troops, don't use any young shinobi who graduated from the Ninja Academy less than three years ago. No expendable Genin, and no elderly shinobi who aren't on the roster. The village isn't so desperate that we need to send children to the battlefield."
"That's all. I hope you'll all go back and think carefully about what kind of Konoha is worthy of the true meaning of the Will of Fire—not letting leaves rot in darkness, but letting the light of the flames illuminate every new leaf, including those once shrouded in shadow."
If everything went smoothly, the war wouldn't grow too large.
If it didn't, then let the Ninja World burn!
Funds and provisions? The Main God's Great Light Sphere could supply them at rock-bottom prices.
"Yes."
The few of them bowed their heads.
He didn't want children fighting in the war? He'd only graduated a few years ago himself.
For the first time in a long while, Tsunade felt something stirring inside her. It was probably admiration.
"Tsunade, stay behind."
As if he'd sensed something, Uchiha Xiu, who had everything under his control, spoke up.
Fugaku had wanted to speak with him privately, but had no choice but to put it off for now—
Itachi had probably left with Obito.
When they'd counted the bodies after the night of the rebellion, they hadn't found Uchiha Itachi's remains.
If it had been any other Anbu Jonin from a civilian family, being unaccounted for would mean he was dead.
But Itachi was different. Even without awakening the Mangekyo, he couldn't have been taken out as quietly as a stray dog.
The all-knowing Fifth Hokage had spared the clan leader some dignity. He hadn't declared Itachi a rogue shinobi, nor issued a kill order or a hefty bounty on the black market.
Maybe he thought there was still a chance to bring that unfilial son back? He'd planted a spy in the Akatsuki. No matter who became Hokage, they'd appreciate Itachi's pathological loyalty.
Outside the window.
The burning purple barrier faded away.
"What is it?" Once the others had left, Tsunade asked impatiently.
"I want you to help me train~"
There was a mischievous undertone to his voice.
"Huh?"
At sunset.
The Senju Compound.
The vast estate had been uninhabited for a long time. The plaster was cracked and peeling, and fissures webbed across the rooftops and stone steps.
Only the lush vegetation and the enormous stone statue of Hashirama bore witness to the Senju Clan's former glory.
Xiu could sense a small amount of warm Yang Release Chakra lingering in the great tree.
The First, who'd been born from the Atavistic God Tree, was a monster.
"Heh-heh, choosing to learn the Yin Seal here. That handsome little Uchiha sure knows how to pick a place."
Returning to the place where she'd grown up, a place steeped in childhood memories, Tsunade felt herself relax. Her usual free-spirited, unruly side surfaced.
Like a proud golden retriever.
Since noon, she'd explained the secrets of the S-rank Yin Seal over and over: how to circulate chakra through specific pathways in the chakra network, gather it in the area of the forehead, then compress and store it.
She'd even meditated and demonstrated it herself, allowing Uchiha Xiu's Sharingan to observe the principles up close.
The sun sank slowly, and the sky filled with more and more golden red.
"Imagine your chakra as a stream flowing into a deep pool. Keep the flow steady and continuous as you pour it in..."
Watching Uchiha Xiu sit with his eyes closed in concentration, fine beads of sweat slowly gathering on his forehead, Tsunade couldn't help praying silently—
From her experience, negotiating with one's own chakra in this way and reshaping its flow into a new energy pathway was incredibly difficult.
The Fifth Hokage was really pushing himself for the mission in three days!
But even with the lesson practically spoon-fed to him, his training still wasn't going well.
After all, the Yin Seal was a standard S-rank technique. Across the entire Ninja World, only she and her grandmother had mastered it.
"Ugh, trying to rush it is the same as trying to work a miracle."
Each time Uchiha Xiu tried to build a stable storage structure, his efforts came to nothing—either because the chakra flowed at the wrong speed or because the compression ratio was out of balance.
The faint mark gathering on his forehead flickered a few times, then broke apart!
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