Next came Fourth Raikage A. With his personal strength and the support of Kumogakure, which could arguably be considered the second-ranked ninja village, he was a strong contender. Iwagakure was in decline, and Ōnoki was no longer at the height of his power. That left Tsunade and A as the likeliest rivals. Baki, the Kazekage, had originally planned to use this opportunity to throw his support behind Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. But with Tsunade's words, the matter of who would command the allied forces was practically settled!
After his initial moment of stunned surprise, Naruto quickly caught on. He glanced meaningfully at Tsunade, then at Shikaku behind her. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and a faint smile appeared.
So she's not fighting for an empty title, only for the greater good? Or is she making preparations for what comes next? Either way, this move of yielding ground to gain the advantage was very well played!
Naruto thought to himself.
Did the position of allied forces commander carry significance and benefits?
The answer was undoubtedly yes!
Otherwise, Ōnoki and A wouldn't have competed for it from the start.
Baki wouldn't have planned to support Tsunade, either.
But it wasn't as if the position brought enormous benefits. The world of shinobi was complicated, after all. There were all sorts of intricacies involved in uniting the Six-Nation Allied Forces, not to mention drawing up the initial plans and preparing strategies.
There was the distribution of troops, the division of battlefields, and the final general assault.
At first glance, whoever won command of the allied forces could secure certain advantages and benefits for their own village. But the leaders of the other villages weren't fools, either. Whether it brought more gain or loss depended on each side's methods and decisions. Tsunade's recommendation