Gentō took in everyone's expressions.
He knew that, thanks to Danzo's unwitting assistance, his political insight had earned the Hokage's initial recognition.
He continued:
"The war against Kirigakure to the east is nothing to fear, either."
"Although Kirigakure has won on some fronts, how many more ninja can it afford to lose?"
"Kirigakure's Mizukage has implemented the Village Hidden in the Mist policy, selecting ninja by making them fight to the death until only the strongest remain. In the short term, this does produce exceptional ninja, but over time, it will inevitably cause their numbers to plummet."
"So I'm certain that Kirigakure's offensive is already running out of steam. Before long, it will withdraw its forces of its own accord!"
Gentō's declaration sparked another wave of hushed discussion.
What army withdrew voluntarily when it held the advantage?
But remembering how Danzo had just been proven wrong, no one dared step forward to challenge him.
Instead, Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses and asked cautiously:
"According to you, the Lands of Lightning, Water, and Earth are all nothing to worry about. Does that mean Konoha can end the Third Shinobi World War without doing anything else?"
Gentō shook his head.
"No. There's still one major nation's ninja village that poses a threat to us: Sunagakure in the Land of Wind!"
"Pfft... Hahahaha! Do you even know what you're saying, Uchiha brat?"
"In your eyes, the powerful Lands of Lightning and Water pose no threat, but the weakest of them all, the Land of Wind, does?"
After hearing Gentō's prediction, Danzo finally lost his restraint and jumped in again.
"You aren't worried about the other powerful ninja villages, yet you're afraid of the weakest one, Sunagakure? Are you talking in your sleep, Uchiha brat?"
It was hardly surprising that Danzo had lost his composure.
Of the Five Great Nations, the Land of Wind had the harshest environment. Its scarcity of resources further limited the number of ninja it could support.
As a result, Sunagakure had always been regarded as weak.
But Gentō, who knew the plot in advance, understood that the more unremarkable an opponent seemed, the more likely it was to become a deadly wild card.
In his memory, the defining event that marked the end of the Third Shinobi World War was precisely Sunagakure's attack on Konoha-the Battle of Kikyo Pass.
The Battle of Kikyo Pass involved Sunagakure catching Konoha off guard and launching a surprise attack on its Kikyo Mountain outpost along the border.
The original story had not gone into detail about the battle.
Although it had ultimately ended in Konoha's victory, Gentō was certain that victory had come at a heavy price.
The original story had vaguely mentioned that Sunagakure had once advanced all the way to the outskirts of Konoha.
It was also during this battle that Sasori of the Red Sands had sent Kabuto Yakushi into Konoha as a spy.
With the original plot backing him up, Gentō spoke with absolute confidence.
He addressed Danzo directly:
"You think Sunagakure poses no threat because you're ignorant and incompetent, Danzo!"
"I honestly have no idea where you've spent all that funding the village allocated to Root. How could you miss intelligence this important?"
"If you're going to keep taking funding without doing any work, Danzo, you might as well resign and let the village give that money to the Uchiha instead. We'd certainly do a better job than you!"
Faced with such blatant provocation, Danzo's chest heaved with fury.
"You damned Uchiha brat! You... you..."
Gentō gave him no chance to say more, cutting him off:
"I'm telling you, I, Uchiha Gentō, am certain that Sunagakure will launch a surprise attack on our Land of Fire. And its target will most likely be the Kikyo Mountain outpost on the border."
"If our defenses collapse because of your negligence, Danzo, can you shoulder that responsibility?"
The moment Gentō finished speaking, Hiruzen's pupils contracted.
He had, in fact, received an Anbu intelligence scroll just yesterday. The ninja who submitted it claimed that possible traces of enemy ninja had been found near Kikyo Mountain.
But without any further concrete evidence, the threat had ultimately been classified as only C-Rank.
Hiruzen had not paid it much attention, either, simply setting the report aside.
In light of Gentō's analysis, could there be more to it?
Meanwhile, Danzo, who had been about to rebuke Gentō, caught sight of Hiruzen's expression and immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
What does that expression mean, Hiruzen?
Could that damned Uchiha brat have been right again?
Sure enough, Hiruzen slowly spoke:
"Yesterday, I did receive an intelligence report from the Anbu ninja stationed near Kikyo Mountain. It mentioned possible traces of enemy ninja in the area."
The meeting room fell silent once more.
Danzo's face turned ashen.
The others' gazes toward Gentō shifted from dismissiveness to seriousness, and even wariness.
After all, while the Uchiha were powerful fighters, most of them were not particularly bright, so there was little reason to be wary of them.
But now a young Uchiha with such a sharp mind had suddenly appeared. They had no choice but to take him seriously.
Even Hiruzen felt somewhat helpless.
Is this child named Gentō really an Uchiha?
Had he not personally seen Gentō's Sharingan, he would have suspected that a Nara Clan child had been switched at birth.
The meeting ended hastily amid a delicate atmosphere.
The major ninja clans were all eager to verify the claims Gentō had made during the meeting.
As Gentō walked home, his thoughts raced.
He must have left a deep impression on Konoha High Command by now.
All he had to do next was wait for events to unfold, then seize the opportunity to earn the merit he needed to become the Uchiha Clan Head.
Of course, before the Battle of Kikyo Pass actually broke out, his most pressing priority was still to improve his own strength.
Personal strength was essential if he wanted to distinguish himself on the battlefield.
To become the head of the Uchiha Clan, he would need power approaching Kage level at the very least.
At present, he was only as strong as an ordinary Jonin.
And for now, completing system missions remained his best route to rapid improvement.
"A female ninja willing to dual cultivate with me... Who should I approach?"
With that thought, he arrived home.
He had barely stepped inside when someone knocked at the door.
An Anbu ninja stood outside:
"Uchiha Gentō, Lord Hokage summons you."
Gentō looked thoughtful.
The Hokage wants to see me?
Not daring to delay, he hurried to the Hokage's Office.
"Uchiha Gentō reporting, Lord Hokage!"
"Oh, Gentō. You're here."
Hiruzen put down the intelligence report in his hands.
"Your analysis at the meeting was quite impressive."
"You flatter me, Lord Hokage. Political analysis is precisely what we Uchiha excel at."
Despite Hiruzen's considerable self-control, the corner of his mouth twitched at Gentō's reply.
A little praise, and it's already gone to your head?
Had someone from the Nara Clan said that, he might have believed it.
The Uchiha? Not a chance.
He stopped exchanging idle chatter with Gentō, took out a Mission Scroll, and handed it to him with a solemn expression.
"Since you brought up the potential danger at Kikyo Mountain, I've decided to send you there to conduct a thorough intelligence investigation."
"This mission is S-Rank!"
Gentō's heart tightened slightly as he accepted it with both hands.
"Of course, considering that you've only recently become a Jonin and haven't yet formed a suitable team, I've arranged a partner for you."
As he spoke, Hiruzen turned toward the door.
"Come in."
The door swung open.
A female ninja with a graceful figure stepped inside.
Gentō looked over, and his eyes immediately lit up.
The female ninja wore a tight-fitting combat outfit that hugged every contour of her body. The fabric rose and fell gently with her breathing, subtly revealing her voluptuous curves.
The outfit tapered neatly at her high waist, accentuating the sensual line of a waist slender enough to encircle with his hands.
The fitted miniskirt she wore below likewise clung to the curves of her waist and hips. Its hem stopped halfway down her thighs, revealing long, snow-white legs as she walked.
Most striking of all were her eyes. Her crimson irises were clear, yet held a soft allure and languid charm. Every shift of her gaze carried a distinctive, effortless sensuality.
She was like a vibrant rose, making him want to ravish her.
Gentō suppressed the surge of emotion and thought, A partner to unlock the blessings of many children... Hasn't she just walked right in?
Before you continue