On the Construction of Medical Ninja

Inside the spacious and bright Hokage office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat upright in the chair that symbolized supreme power.

He kept his eyes slightly closed, resting with a serene expression, his hands gently supporting his chin as if he were deep in thought over some important matter.

Standing at his sides were his three advisors—Shimura Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.

The group had been quite relaxed while outside, but the moment they stepped into the Hokage's office, they felt an invisible pressure wash over them, causing the atmosphere in the room to instantly turn heavy and stifling.

Faced with this situation, everyone chose to remain silent, none daring to easily break the stillness. They silently found suitable spots to stand and waited quietly, not making a single unnecessary sound.

This was, in fact, one of the common tactics used by those in power. By creating such a tense atmosphere, one could not only effectively establish their own majestic image but also take the opportunity to carefully observe the subtle facial expressions and psychological states of everyone attending the meeting.

Time ticked by, and the hands of the clock on the wall slowly pointed toward nine o'clock. Just then, a black shadow flickered into the office like a ghost. It was an Anbu ninja, clad in a black bodysuit and wearing a mask.

The Anbu ninja walked quickly to Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, leaned down, and whispered a few words into his ear in a low voice.

After hearing the Anbu ninja's report, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, finally opened them slowly. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing an imperceptible smile, and he scanned everyone present before asking softly, "Have you all arrived?"

The office was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, the atmosphere exceptionally heavy.

In the midst of this deathly silence, a loud and clear voice suddenly broke the stillness: "Uchiha clan representatives Uchiha Hirotomo and Uchiha Xiao have arrived!" The voice rang out like a tolling bell, echoing throughout the office.

The person who spoke these words was none other than Uchiha Xiao himself.

Hearing this, the others wore expressions of confusion and bewilderment. They muttered to themselves, The Hokage isn't blind; can't he see that people have entered? Why go through all this extra trouble?

However, these thoughts flashed through their minds only for a moment, as some soon realized that things were likely not that simple.

Nara Rokumei's eyes suddenly brightened, his originally serious expression instantly replaced by a cunning smile.

Then, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth and, mimicking Uchiha Xiao's tone, said, "Ino-Shika-Cho representatives, Nara Rokumei, Yamanaka Unkai, and Akimichi Torifu have arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of low laughter rippled through the room, though more people watched Nara Rokumei with thoughtful expressions.

Nara Rokumei couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, thinking, As expected of Xiao-kun. This simple sentence isn't just about telling everyone who has arrived; it's a declaration of stance.

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been sitting at his desk, smiled and nodded, then said to the newcomers, "Come, come, Clan Head Hirotomo, Xiao, and Rokumei, come sit in the front; don't stand so far away."

Following Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Uchiha Hirotomo, Uchiha Xiao, Nara Rokumei, and the others walked toward the seats at the front of the office and sat down in turn.

The eyes of the crowd were fixed tightly on these individuals, their gazes revealing a variety of complex emotions—some filled with curiosity, some with suspicion, and others appearing somewhat wary.

For a moment, a tense and subtle atmosphere permeated the office, as if a fierce contest were about to unfold...

Tsunade also said, "Teacher, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya have also arrived!" After she finished, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and beckoned to them, "Come and sit!"

Tsunade gave a cheeky grin and walked over to Uchiha Xiao, taking the seat next to him.

Now everyone understood: Sarutobi Hiruzen was testing which clans were willing to stand on his side. As it stood, the Uchiha and the Ino-Shika-Cho had become the Hokage's faction—one a thousand-year-old noble clan, the other the clan best at placing their bets.

Tsunade and the others were Sarutobi Hiruzen's students. There were still many seats left, but the ones in the front were becoming increasingly scarce.

While the other clan heads were still hesitating, Hyuga Akagi spoke up: "Hyuga Akagi, accompanied by my young son Hyuga Hizashi, has arrived!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with a smile, "Please, take a seat," and gestured to the remaining seats in the front.

Hyuga Akagi nodded and sat down. Seeing that both the Uchiha and the Hyuga had declared their positions, the other clans followed suit one by one.

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled slightly and gave Uchiha Xiao a look that said "well done," to which Uchiha Xiao nodded with a smirk.

After each clan had declared their stance and taken their seats, Sarutobi Hiruzen began, "First, as Hokage, I want to thank every clan for sending their ninjas to fight in the Land of Rain."

"This victory belongs to everyone!" As he finished, Nara Rokumei was the first to applaud, looking at Uchiha Xiao with a smile. Uchiha Xiao understood the cue and began to clap as well.

Led by these two, the others began to applaud. The applause lasted for three minutes before Sarutobi Hiruzen smilingly signaled for them to stop.

As the applause faded, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "I had intended to publicly reward each clan, but I received a secret report last night!"

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned grim. "Sunagakure has mobilized its troops and is marching toward Konoha. With a great war about to break out, we can only record these merits for now and bestow rewards after we have finished this battle. Does anyone have any objections?"

Everyone shook their heads. Who would have objections? With a war imminent, dealing with Sunagakure was the top priority!

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly in approval and then spoke slowly, "Since no one has any objections, I would ask you all to speak freely and share your insights and opinions on the current state of the war."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Tsunade stood up abruptly. She looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with a grave expression and said solemnly, "Teacher, based on my personal experience on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, in my opinion, we should increase the number of medical ninjas deployed to combat units. Every three-man squad should be equipped with at least one medical ninja. This would significantly reduce the number of casualties!"

Hearing Tsunade's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but furrow his brows.

As everyone knew, medical ninjas were a rare commodity among all the nations today.

If these precious medical ninjas were assigned to individual squads, they would be highly likely to lose their lives at the hands of the enemy should they encounter a strong force.

This approach was truly inappropriate... Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head slightly, rejecting Tsunade's proposal, and responded bluntly, "Tsunade, your intentions are good, but given the current situation, this method is not feasible!"

Tsunade was stunned by his words, standing frozen in place. A moment later, she slowly lowered her head, a look of disappointment and frustration appearing on her face.

Just then, Uchiha Xiao, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up and said loudly, "Lord Hokage, I actually believe that Lady Tsunade's suggestion is quite viable."

Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly had not expected Uchiha Xiao to support Tsunade's point of view and was momentarily taken aback. Once he regained his composure, he frowned slightly and pressed, "Xiao, then tell me, why do you think this proposal is feasible?"

It wasn't just Sarutobi Hiruzen; the other clan heads and future heirs all looked toward Uchiha Xiao, curious to hear what this guy had to say.