After Ying Yue spoke, quite a few jōnin voiced their own opinions as well.
Many jōnin believed that the most pressing threat currently came from Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning. Their ninja forces had already approached the borders of the Land of Fire, and Konoha had to respond swiftly.
Some jōnin advocated immediately dispatching troops to the border to stop Kumogakure's assault and prevent the flames of war from spreading into the heartland of the Land of Fire.
One jōnin proposed sending Konoha's young genius, Namikaze Minato, to lead the advance forces. With the speed and tactics he excelled at, he could strike Kumogakure's vanguard, quickly halt the enemy, and slow their advance.
Faced with the many opinions, Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment before ultimately deciding to adopt Uchiha Ying Yue's overall assessment of the situation, along with the jōnin's specific countermeasures.
Sarutobi Hiruzen rose to his feet and said, "Konoha's situation has become critical. We must pursue two fronts at once: respond to Kumogakure's direct threat while preparing for possible surprise attacks from Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
Sarutobi Hiruzen then made a major decision. "I appoint Uchiha Ying Yue as commander of Konoha's front lines, responsible for overseeing the entire situation. As for you, Namikaze Minato, you will lead Konoha's advance forces to the border of the Land of Fire immediately and meet Kumogakure's vanguard in battle. Ensure that their offensive does not penetrate deep into our territory."
This decision won the support of most of the jōnin.
As one of Konoha's strongest jōnin, Uchiha Ying Yue possessed abundant combat experience and strategic vision. Namikaze Minato, meanwhile, was Konoha's recently risen genius ninja; his Flying Thunder God Technique and combat ability were more than enough to deal with Kumogakure's elite forces.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders issued, Konoha swiftly