This is who we Uchiha are

"Fine, stirring words! But the reality is, where would Konoha find enough ninja to sustain another front now? Ninja don't appear out of thin air!"

Utatane Koharu snorted, eager to pour cold water on his enthusiasm.

Mitokado Homura immediately backed her up, his tone firm:

"Exactly! Let me make this clear from the outset. After successive wars, every ninja of fighting age in our Mitokado Clan already has important duties. We simply cannot spare anyone for another campaign."

Faced with the two advisors' coordinated attempts to shirk responsibility, Gentō turned his piercing gaze on Mitokado Homura:

"Oh? The Mitokado Clan enjoys the resources and funding allocated by the village and lives under Konoha's protection. Yet now, with foreign enemies approaching and war upon us, you're the first to claim you can't spare anyone? Is this the sense of responsibility we can expect from a Hokage Advisor's clan?"

"You... stop spouting nonsense!"

Unable to answer, Mitokado Homura flushed red.

"Enough!"

Utatane Koharu hurriedly interrupted, trying to extricate her longtime partner.

"This isn't the time to dredge up old grievances! Since the Uchiha advocate war, and they're a major clan, they should shoulder more of the burden! In my opinion, the Uchiha are the best choice to serve as the main force against Sunagakure!"

"Shoulder more of the burden, you say!"

Gentō turned his gaze toward Utatane Koharu, his expression mocking.

"Of course the Uchiha will serve as the main force. But I'd like to ask how many elite ninja your clan intends to send to fight alongside us."

With the fire suddenly turned on her, Utatane Koharu grew flustered.

"Absolutely not! Our Utatane Clan has so few members to begin with. How could we compare with the Uchiha? That's out of the question!"

"What's the difference?"

Gentō watched her lose her composure with interest and pressed her unhurriedly.

"We're all ninja clans of Konoha. Why is it only natural when it's the Uchiha's turn, but out of the question when it's the Utatane Clan's?"

"How could that be the same?"

"You Uchiha are a major ninja clan. Of course you should contribute more..."

"Enough."

Gentō stopped wasting his breath arguing with them.

He surveyed the room, his voice suddenly rising with a proud, commanding force that the Uchiha had not displayed in far too long:

"It seems some people have grown accustomed to weighing gains and losses from the comfort of safety, forgetting that the rules of the Ninja World are written in blood and fire!"

"Since some ninja clans are too afraid to fight, we Uchiha will take up the banner of war!"

"The wars other ninja clans dare not join, we Uchiha will fight."

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

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

He paused, sweeping his gaze over their varied expressions before delivering his final declaration:

"In short, the enemies other ninja clans can kill, we Uchiha can kill. And the enemies they cannot kill, we Uchiha can kill all the same!"

"Supreme in ninjutsu, feared throughout the Ninja World-this is who we Uchiha are!"

As his words fell, silence descended over the meeting room.

That fierce, commanding aura of a great clan from the Warring States Period, absent for so long, radiated from Gentō like a tangible force, shaking everyone present.

For a fleeting moment, many of the older clan heads seemed to glimpse the shadow of Madara Uchiha in his domineering prime.

Even Shimura Danzō's lone eye narrowed slightly, an inscrutable glint passing through it.

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

He knew that, as Hokage, he had to take a stance now.

"Very good. Such resolve from the Uchiha is a blessing for Konoha."

"Then what support do the Uchiha need from the village?"

Gentō had his answer ready:

"First, the Uchiha will deploy three hundred elite members of the Konoha Military Police Force currently maintaining order within the village to the front. During their absence, I ask that you coordinate the Anbu and the remaining security personnel to temporarily take over the police force's duties, Lord Hokage."

After a brief moment of consideration, Hiruzen nodded in agreement:

"Agreed. The Anbu will take over some of the patrol duties. You needn't worry about the village's security."

"Second, I need a formal appointment as supreme commander at the front, with full authority to deploy all participating forces according to enemy movements, and to devise and execute battle plans."

Appoint such a young Uchiha as supreme commander against an entire village?

Hiruzen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The risks were self-evident.

Yet as his gaze passed over Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and the clan representatives whose faces showed reluctance or uncertainty, he understood:

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

After briefly weighing his options, Hiruzen said gravely:

"...Agreed. I will formally appoint you supreme commander at the front. However, you must take responsibility for every decision and for the lives of every ninja fighting under you. What is your battle plan?"

Gentō's expression remained unchanged. He clearly had everything worked out:

"My plan is-an ambush!"

"Sunagakure is still convinced that its attack plan is completely secret and that Konoha knows nothing. That is their greatest weakness!"

"We can exploit that information gap by laying an ambush along their planned attack route ahead of time, meeting their weary forces with fresh troops and catching them off guard!"

"If the ambush succeeds, we can inflict devastating losses in the very first battle!"

Hiruzen's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help praising him:

"Excellent! Surprise them and overcome strength with ingenuity! That could certainly work!"

It wasn't just Hiruzen. Many of the clan heads seated below, especially those who had experienced war, silently nodded at his words.

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

Handled properly, it could yield enormous gains at relatively little cost, perhaps even thwarting Sunagakure's offensive outright.

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

Several clan heads began breathing a little faster, reconsidering their calculations.

"Good!"

Hiruzen slapped the table, making his decision.

"Then the plan is settled. Gentō, submit a detailed list of the supplies you need to the Hokage's Office as soon as possible. I'll have them allocated as a priority. Meeting adjourned!"

The meeting ended amid a subtle shift in the atmosphere.

Everyone began filing out.

Gentō had barely left the meeting room when three men blocked his path.

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

Speaking on their behalf, Shikaku Nara got straight to the point:

"Commander Gentō, our Ino-Shika-Cho Clans would also like to participate in the Kikyo Mountain Campaign. Each clan is willing to deploy fifty elite ninja, a total of one hundred and fifty, to serve under your command."

Just as expected!

Gentō inwardly commended him.

Shikaku Nara lived up to his reputation as Konoha's foremost strategist. He had instantly grasped the key to this battle and its potential rewards, reacting far faster than anyone else.

"Agreed."

Gentō nodded without hesitation.

"However, if you join the campaign, you must submit completely to my unified command. On the battlefield, orders are to be obeyed without question. There is no room for negotiation."

"Of course!"

Shikaku Nara agreed without hesitation.

He trusted the strategic insight Gentō had demonstrated and the Uchiha's fighting strength. This was no empty boasting.

Entrusting his clansmen to Gentō carried risks, but the opportunities were greater still.

With the Ino-Shika-Cho taking the lead, the other ninja clans that had been watching or hesitating could no longer hold back.

The head of the Inuzuka Clan also stepped forward:

"Our Inuzuka Clan is willing to send fifty elite ninja too! Let those Sunagakure bastards get a taste of what our ninja dogs can do!"

Hyuga Hiashi also spoke, his expression cold:

"The Hyuga Clan will also deploy fifty elite ninja who possess the Byakugan."

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

Torune Aburame stepped forward:

"Lord Danzo believes this battle concerns Konoha's prestige. The Aburame Clan is willing to send fifty clansmen to assist the supreme commander."

In no time, the clans that had claimed they had no one to spare somehow swiftly produced another three hundred ninja!

The will of fire might grow tarnished at times, but when attainable honors and tangible clan interests were at stake, actions often spoke more honestly than slogans.

Watching this unfold, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked exceptionally displeased.

If this was an ambush, as Gentō had said, it could indeed inflict tremendous damage on the enemy nation. Even winning the war outright wasn't impossible!

They were already beginning to regret their stance.

But they had spoken too definitively and acted too high and mighty. Changing their tune now would be like slapping their own faces and bowing to Gentō.

How could they swallow that humiliation?

In the end, Utatane Koharu could only let out a sour snort:

"Hmph! A bunch of fools blinded by greed! You're staking everything on a wet-behind-the-ears brat. When he loses the battle and your troops are slaughtered, we'll see what you do!"

Mitokado Homura also chimed in, desperately trying to save face:

"Exactly! The battlefield is no child's game! Young people have no idea of their own limits..."

Gentō didn't even bother turning around:

"You two needn't concern yourselves with that."

With that, he hurried away without lingering.

The system's voice had already sounded:

[Ding! Congratulations to the host on completing the mission! Reward: lottery draw ×1]