A Fist Thrown Opens the Way, Preventing a Hundred Fists!

On the other side, Xuandou did not head directly to the Hokage's office after leaving.

He turned through several streets, went straight to the Konoha Military Police Force, and knocked on Elder Zong Yan's door.

"Come in."

Zong Yan's voice, sounding slightly weary, drifted from within.

Xuandou pushed the door open and entered.

"Great Elder, I have returned from my mission."

Zong Yan raised his eyes, his brows habitually knitting together.

"Mission accomplished, yet you come to me instead of reporting to the Hokage first? What is the meaning of this?"

Xuandou sighed inwardly.

Being long confined to the perspective of the Konoha Military Police Force, coupled with the inherent pride and political naivety of the Uchiha clan, had severely limited Elder Zong Yan's vision.

His political instincts were clearly too dull regarding the impending war and the opportunities the Uchiha might seize.

Xuandou stopped stalling and reported directly:

"I was ordered to the border to investigate anomalies. It is now confirmed that the intelligence is accurate: Sunagakure plans to launch a full-scale offensive against Konoha in two months!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Zong Yan immediately wore a look of incredulous shock.

"How dare Sunagakure?"

"This... how is Konoha supposed to respond to this?"

His loss of composure betrayed the panic in his heart.

It was no wonder he was so surprised.

At the start of the Third Shinobi World War, Sunagakure had used the disappearance of the Kazekage as a pretext to stir up trouble, and it had taken a bitter struggle for Konoha to secure a ceasefire.

Now, with Konoha fighting on multiple fronts and its main forces scattered, it was at its weakest; yet Sunagakure was actually taking this opportunity to provoke war once again!

Watching the Great Elder's reaction, a flicker of disappointment crossed the depths of Xuandou's eyes.

He asked in a deep voice:

"Great Elder, how do you think the Hokage will decide once I report this to him?"

Zong Yan was taken aback by the question and answered instinctively:

"Naturally, he will prepare for war immediately, mobilize ninjas, and respond to the invasion."

"Correct, the Hokage will prepare for war as quickly as possible."

"But where will the ninjas for this war be drawn from? How much can we relax the standoffs on the front lines against Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure? I fear that in the end, we will have to draw manpower from the various ninja clans remaining in the village, especially from the ranks of our Uchiha Konoha Military Police Force, won't we?"

These words caused Zong Yan's expression to turn ugly in an instant.

Xuandou continued:

"On other battlefields, we Uchiha have already made great sacrifices, but have these sacrifices translated into merit?"

"No! The sacrifices of the Uchiha have not earned us any merit!"

"The Hokage does not remember the sacrifices of the Uchiha, and Danzo only wants to use us as cannon fodder!"

Xuandou's voice carried a heavy sorrow, and even more, a suppressed fury.

"The Uchiha, once feared throughout the shinobi world, have now been reduced to tools driven by the high-ranking officials of Konoha."

Xuandou's words made Zong Yan's pupils shrink.

This statement hit home for him.

The dissatisfaction within the clan, the weeping of the families of the fallen, the increasingly awkward situation in the village...

But what could the Uchiha do?

Seeing Zong Yan's expression, Xuandou knew the time was right, so he continued:

"We need a victory—a glorious victory that will shake the entire shinobi world and make everyone recognize the Uchiha once again!"

"The upcoming Battle of Kikyo Pass is the perfect stage, and it is the Uchiha's opportunity."

"If you are willing to trust me, please hand over the elite forces currently available in the clan for me to coordinate."

"I will lead them in the coming great war to carve out a bloody path for the Uchiha, take back the respect we have lost, and win the glory we deserve!"

His voice was resolute:

"I will make the Uchiha great again!"

Zong Yan stared blankly at the young man before him.

Xuandou's posture was upright, his gaze sharp, and the confidence and boldness between his brows made him feel, in a daze, as if he were seeing the shadow of that legendary ancestor, Madara Uchiha.

Indeed, ever since this child awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he had truly been reborn; his vision, courage, and strength were all far beyond his peers.

Zong Yan fell silent.

After a long silence, he nodded heavily:

"Fine! I... will trust you this once! I will use my authority to support you in mobilizing the clan's strength to the greatest extent. The future of the Uchiha is staked on this battle of yours!"

It was done!

Xuandou felt a sense of certainty in his heart:

"I will not fail your expectations!"

Having secured the promise from Elder Uchiha Zonyan, Xuandou did not delay and immediately headed to the Hokage Building.

Inside the Hokage's office, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi took the mission report handed over by Xuandou and scanned it quickly.

After a while, he set the report down and said in a deep voice:

"Summon the high-level officials and jonin for a meeting immediately!"

Soon, the conference room was filled with people once again.

"Xuandou, explain the situation in detail."

Hiruzen ordered.

Xuandou stepped forward in response.

He recounted the details of the border investigation, the encounter with the elite Sunagakure squad, the intelligence gathered, and the process of the battle and his return.

Naturally, he omitted the fact that Kurenai Yuhi had been poisoned with an aphrodisiac and the night of passion they had shared.

As he spoke, the atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly heavy.

Sunagakure would launch an attack on Konoha in two months.

For Konoha, which had yet to catch its breath from fighting on multiple fronts, this news was nothing short of adding frost to snow.

"Everyone understands the situation now."

Hiruzen exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and said slowly.

"Speak up, what should we do?"

Utatane Koharu was the first to speak:

"We absolutely must not start a war lightly!"

"After years of war, the village's finances are tight, ninja casualties are heavy, and the replenishment of new forces is falling behind; we have little strength left to commit to a new battlefield! The top priority is to recuperate."

Mitokado Homura immediately echoed her:

"Well said, I completely agree!"

"Why not immediately dispatch envoys to the Land of Wind, sternly inform Sunagakure that their conspiracy has been uncovered by us, order them to cease all provocative actions, and restart peace talks to strive for a political resolution to the dispute?"

Listening to the two advisors, Hiruzen tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, a look of contemplation on his face, seemingly quite moved.

Maintaining peace at the lowest possible cost aligned with his consistent governing style.

"Absurd!"

A cold shout rang out.

Shimura Danzō stood up, leaning on his cane. His single eye swept sharply over Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura before finally settling on Hiruzen:

"Hiruzen, you are too weak! This is naked aggression! It is a trampling of the dignity of the Land of Fire!"

"If we show weakness and beg for peace, it will only make Sunagakure and other covetous ninja villages think Konoha is easy to bully, inviting even more greed and attacks!"

Shikaku Nara rubbed his temples and analyzed calmly:

"Lord Danzō, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire is not satisfied with the results of the recent wars and already has the intention to cut funding."

"Once a new battlefield is opened, military expenditures, material supplies, and logistical pressure will increase sharply. Given the village's current state, supporting long-term operations on multiple fronts is extremely difficult."

Utatane Koharu let out a cold snort, mocking:

"Hmph, you talk a good game, Danzō, but where will the ninjas needed to open a new battlefield come from?"

Danzō dismissed their questioning with disdain.

"As for funding, there is always enough if we economize, and as for the ninjas..."

"We will just have to make the major ninja clans suffer a bit more."

"Danzō! You!"

Upon hearing this, the heads of the various ninja clans present glared at Danzō with fury.

"Do you hear what you are saying?"

"What do you mean by making the major ninja clans suffer a bit more?"

Hiruzen watched the squabbling, his brows tightly locked.

He did not immediately state his position, his gaze wandering over the faces of those present before finally landing on Uchiha Zonyan, who sat in the corner, expressionless and resting with his eyes closed.

"What is the Uchiha's view?"

Hiruzen's sudden question caused the conference room to fall silent instantly.

Every eye in the room snapped toward the Uchiha seats.

Indeed, if one were to consider which forces in the village could currently muster a significant combat strength in short order, aside from the Anbu and certain special units, it would have to be the Konoha Military Police Force, with its relatively independent organization and permanent presence within the village.

There, one could find hundreds of Uchiha elites.

Elder Zong Yan slowly opened his eyes, but he did not rise, nor did he look at Hiruzen. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and said calmly to Xuandou beside him:

"Xuandou, you shall represent the will of the Uchiha."

Having said this, he closed his eyes once more, appearing as if he were detached from the world, leaving all decision-making power to this young clansman.

This scene caused the high-ranking officials present to exchange varied glances, waves of turmoil rising in their hearts.

Zong Yan's action was undoubtedly a public declaration that Xuandou was now capable of representing the will of the Uchiha.

Yet, upon closer reflection, it was quite reasonable.

After all, Xuandou's political foresight had already been verified.

As time progressed, both Iwagakure and Kumogakure now vaguely showed signs of wanting a ceasefire.

Even the current offensive schemes of Sunagakure served to confirm his initial judgment.

Under the gaze of the complex expressions of those present, Xuandou slowly stood up.

At that very moment, a system notification suddenly rang in his mind:

[Ding! Host has triggered a main quest.]

[Main quest issued: Become the Supreme Commander of the Sunagakure battlefield!]

[Quest description: Lead a major battle that concerns the fate of Konoha, and establish an indisputable leadership position within it.]

[Quest reward: Draw count ×1.]

Become the Supreme Commander?

That suits me perfectly!

Xuandou spoke up immediately:

"Strike once to avoid a hundred blows!"

"The Uchiha's stance is this: since Sunagakure wants to fight, then we shall fight them!"

"We will keep fighting until they know what pain feels like!"