This, is our Uchiha

"Your words are certainly impassioned! But in reality, where in Konoha is there a sufficient number of ninja to support yet another front? Ninja do not simply appear out of thin air!"

Utatane Koharu let out a cold snort, eager to pour cold water on the situation.

Mitokado Homura immediately chimed in, his tone resolute and decisive:

"Exactly! Let us be clear from the start: the Mitokado Clan has endured successive wars, and every ninja of age within our clan is currently burdened with heavy responsibilities. It is truly impossible to pull any more personnel to participate in a new campaign."

Facing the buck-passing of these two advisors who sang in harmony, Xuandou's gaze was like lightning as he looked toward Mitokado Homura:

"Oh? The Mitokado Clan enjoys the resources and funding allocated by the village and receives the protection of Konoha on a daily basis. Now that an external enemy is approaching and war is at the doorstep, you are the first to claim you cannot spare a single person? Is this the sense of responsibility expected of a Hokage advisor's clan?"

"You... stop spouting nonsense!"

Mitokado Homura could not formulate a response, his face flushing red in an instant.

"Enough!"

Utatane Koharu hurriedly interrupted, attempting to excuse her old partner.

"Now is not the time to rake up old accounts! Since the Uchiha are the ones advocating for war and are a major clan, they should naturally shoulder more of the burden! In my view, it would be most appropriate for the Uchiha to serve as the main force in dealing with Sunagakure this time!"

"A fine 'should naturally shoulder more' indeed!"

Xuandou turned his gaze toward Utatane Koharu, his face full of mockery.

"The Uchiha will certainly serve as the main force, but I would like to ask: how many elites does your clan intend to send to fight side-by-side with the Uchiha?"

The flames of war suddenly burned toward her, and Utatane Koharu became anxious at once.

"How could that be! The Utatane Clan has never been populous; how can we be compared to the Uchiha? This is absolutely impossible!"

"What is the difference?"

Xuandou watched her slightly flustered appearance with interest, pressing on in a slow, measured tone.

"We are all Konoha ninja clans. Why is it a matter of course when it comes to the Uchiha, but 'absolutely impossible' when it comes to the Utatane Clan?"

"How can they be the same?"

"You Uchiha are a major ninja clan; naturally, you must contribute more..."

"Enough."

Xuandou ceased the futile war of words with them.

He scanned the room, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a long-lost, arrogant dominance that belonged to the Uchiha:

"It seems some have long grown accustomed to weighing gains and losses in comfort, forgetting that the ninja world writes its rules in blood and fire!"

"Since some ninja clans fear war and hold back, then let the Uchiha carry this battle flag!"

"The wars that other clans dare not participate in, the Uchiha will fight."

"The ninja villages that other clans dare not provoke, we will provoke."

"The enemies that other clans dare not kill, we will kill."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face with its varied expressions, and finally declared:

"In a word: the enemies that other clans can kill, we Uchiha can kill; the enemies that other clans cannot kill, we Uchiha can kill even more easily!"

"With ninjutsu as our pride, shaking the ninja world—this is who we Uchiha are!"

As his voice fell, the conference room plunged into silence.

That long-lost, formidable dominance belonging to the great clans of the Warring States period radiated from Xuandou like a physical force, impacting the spirit of everyone present.

Many of the older clan heads felt as if they were in a trance, catching a glimpse of the shadow of Madara Uchiha who once dominated the world.

Even the single eye of Shimura Danzō narrowed slightly, a flash of inscrutable light passing through it.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, breaking the silence.

He knew that as Hokage, he had to take a stance at this moment.

"Very well. That the Uchiha have such resolve is a blessing for Konoha."

"Then, what support does the Uchiha require from the village?"

Xuandou had long been prepared:

"First, the Uchiha will withdraw three hundred elites from the Police Force currently maintaining order within the village to head to the front lines. During this period, I hope the Hokage can coordinate the Anbu and the remaining security forces to temporarily take over the duties of the Police Force."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement:

"Agreed. The Anbu will take over part of the patrol duties; there is no need to worry about safety within the village."

"Second, I require an official appointment as the supreme commander of the front lines with full authorization, so that I may flexibly deploy all participating forces and formulate and execute battle plans according to the enemy situation."

To let such a young Uchiha serve as the supreme commander against an entire village?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed imperceptibly.

The risks involved were self-evident.

However, as his gaze swept over Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and the other clan representatives who wore troubled or flickering expressions, he understood in his heart:

At present, there was truly no candidate more suitable or more determined than Xuandou.

After a brief moment of weighing the options, Hiruzen said in a deep voice:

"...Very well. I will officially appoint you as the supreme commander of the front line, but you must take responsibility for every decision and for the lives of all participating ninja. What is your battle plan?"

Xuandou's expression remained unchanged, clearly confident in his strategy:

"My plan is—an ambush!"

"Sunagakure is currently convinced that their offensive plan is perfectly concealed and that Konoha is completely unaware. This is their greatest flaw!"

"We can exploit this information gap to set an ambush along their projected route, waiting in comfort for the exhausted enemy, and striking when they least expect it!"

"Once the ambush succeeds, we can deal a heavy blow to the enemy forces in the very first engagement!"

Hiruzen's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but praise:

"Excellent! Striking unexpectedly and using finesse to overcome brute force! This is truly feasible!"

It wasn't just Hiruzen; many clan heads in the audience, especially those who had experienced war, couldn't help but nod to themselves upon hearing this.

Indeed, this wasn't a protracted war of attrition or a hasty encounter, but a meticulously planned ambush!

If executed properly, it was entirely possible to achieve massive results at a relatively low cost, perhaps even crushing the Sunagakure offensive outright.

More importantly, killing enemy ninja in an ambush meant that the military merits and bounties were tangible and guaranteed!

The breathing of many clan heads quickened slightly as they began to recalculate the situation in their minds.

"Good!"

Hiruzen slapped the table, making his decision.

"Since that is the case, the plan is finalized. Xuandou, submit a detailed list of the required supplies to the Hokage Office as soon as possible, and I will order them to be prioritized. Meeting adjourned!"

The meeting ended in a subtle atmosphere.

Everyone left the room one after another.

Xuandou had not walked far from the conference room when he was intercepted by three people.

They were the current heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans: Shikaku Nara, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza.

Shikaku Nara, acting as their representative, got straight to the point:

"Supreme Commander Xuandou, our Ino-Shika-Cho clans wish to participate in this Kikyo Mountain Campaign. We are willing to mobilize fifty elites from each clan, totaling one hundred and fifty ninja, to follow your command."

As expected!

Xuandou praised them inwardly.

Shikaku Nara was truly the premier strategist of Konoha; he had instantly grasped the crux and potential benefits of this battle, reacting far faster than the others.

"Very well."

Xuandou nodded decisively.

"However, since you are participating, you must strictly obey my unified command. On the battlefield, orders are absolute, and there is no room for negotiation."

"Of course!"

Shikaku Nara agreed without hesitation.

He believed that the strategic vision Xuandou had displayed, combined with the combat power of the Uchiha, was not mere posturing.

Handing his clansmen over to him carried risks, but the opportunities were even greater.

The Ino-Shika-Cho's lead prompted other clans who were still watching or hesitating to act immediately.

The head of the Inuzuka clan also stepped forward:

"Our Inuzuka clan is also willing to send fifty elites! Let those bastards from Sunagakure taste the ferocity of our ninja hounds!"

Hyuga Hiashi also said with a cold face:

"The Hyuga clan will also dispatch fifty elites who have mastered the Byakugan to participate."

Even Shimura Danzō, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, gave a slight signal to Aburame Torune, who was standing beside him.

Aburame Torune stepped forward:

"Lord Danzō believes that this battle concerns the dignity of Konoha. The Aburame clan is willing to send fifty clansmen to participate and assist the supreme commander."

In an instant, the various clans that had originally claimed to have no one to spare had quickly scraped together three hundred ninja!

The Will of Fire might be tarnished at times, but when faced with potential military merits and tangible clan interests, actions were often more honest than slogans.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura watched this scene, their expressions turning exceptionally ugly.

According to what Xuandou said, if it were an ambush, it could indeed cause great damage to the enemy nation, and it wasn't impossible to achieve a direct victory in the war!

They were already feeling some regret.

However, they had spoken too definitively earlier and held their ground too firmly; to change their tune now would be like slapping their own faces and bowing to Xuandou.

How could they possibly swallow their pride?

In the end, Utatane Koharu could only snort sourly:

"Hmph! A bunch of fools blinded by greed! Betting everything on a wet-behind-the-ears brat—when you suffer a defeat and lose your men, let's see what you do then!"

Mitokado Homura also forced himself to maintain his composure and chimed in:

"Exactly! Is the battlefield a child's game? Young people truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth..."

Xuandou couldn't even be bothered to look back:

"That is no concern of yours."

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer and hurried away.

This was only because the system's voice had already sounded:

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission! Reward: Lottery Draw Count ×1]