After all the ninja clans had assembled, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a rousing pre-battle speech that left everyone fired up.
Once he finished, he had Shimura Danzō step forward to speak. Danzō wasn't much of a talker, so he offered a few words of formality and wrapped up.
Everyone already knew what Danzō was like, and they showed their support with applause.
Then something no one expected happened. Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly said, "Everyone, with nearly eight thousand ninja here, we're dealing with no small force. So I've decided to appoint two temporary deputy commanders: Uchiha Xiao and Nara Rokumei!"
Uchiha Xiao was taken aback. Hadn't they agreed that he would help Shimura Danzō build up his battle record? Why was he being put in the spotlight now?
Shimura Danzō remained silent, but he had no objections. The entire Uchiha Clan was committing its forces to the battle, so how could he object? Besides, he was the overall commander. No matter how the battle went, he stood to benefit the most.
"Uchiha Xiao and Nara Rokumei obey!" The two hurriedly dropped to one knee and accepted their orders.
The other clans reacted in different ways. The Hyuga Clan frowned. They were a dojutsu clan like the Uchiha, so why did the Uchiha get a deputy commander while they didn't? They didn't believe that Uchiha Xiao had been the commander in the Land of Rain last time.
The Senju forces breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at their clansmen with smiles. This battle would be much easier now!
The Ino-Shika-Cho clans were also excited. Nara Rokumei was one of their own, which meant they could benefit from his appointment, too.
"Move out now, Konoha's warriors! Drive back Sunagakure and crush their ambitions!" Shimura Danzō swept his hand through the air and shouted.
The troops then left the village in orderly fashion and marched southwest. This time, the battlefield would be in the Land of Rivers—though some called it the Land of Rivers, too. Sunagakure had probably already seized part of its territory.
After all, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Nations, while the Land of Rivers was only a small country. Even if Sunagakure ranked last among the Five Great Nations, its power was still beyond what a small country could withstand.
What they needed to figure out now was whether the enemy had already entered the Land of Fire—and, if so, where they might have set an ambush.
That night, Danzō was deep in thought when Uchiha Xiao called out, "Lord Danzō!"
Shimura Danzō turned in surprise and saw Uchiha Xiao. He nodded. "Xiao, you can speak plainly. No need for honorifics."
That was easy to say. Only a fool would take him at his word.
"Lord Danzō, I think the enemy has already crossed our border!" He pointed to Mt. Kikyo, Mt. Domi, and the Kashiwagi and Choga regions on the map.
"Oh? What makes you think so?" Shimura Danzō asked, suddenly interested.
Uchiha Xiao got straight to the point and indicated the map. "They can set up ambushes on Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi. Once our troops pass through, they could send rocks and shuriken raining down from above. That's one possible trap."
"Kashiwagi and Choga are also near our village's border—or, rather, still within our territory. The enemy prepared this invasion in advance, while we're two or three days behind."
"Those two or three days were enough for them to cross from the Land of Wind into our territory. The messenger who brought us the news came from the capital of the Land of Fire, not from Kashiwagi or Choga. That means those areas have been occupied—or the Sand has taken control of the communication routes between Kashiwagi, Choga, and the other regions, cutting off the flow of information."
"So, based on all that, Sunagakure has already entered our territory and set traps around Kashiwagi and Choga." Uchiha Xiao laid out his reasoning clearly and methodically. He had analyzed the situation down to the last detail, and even Danzō couldn't help wanting to praise him.
"Good. Go on. If you were in command, how would you fight?" Shimura Danzō knew what Uchiha Xiao could do, so he was willing to hear his advice.
"Engage them openly at Kashiwagi and Choga; secretly cross through Ishida." Uchiha Xiao smiled and pointed to Ishida on the map.
"Explain."
"On the surface, we'll send troops to fight at Kashiwagi and Choga, with Lord Danzō leading them. Hold the line, but don't attack. Our supplies and terrain are superior. We can keep our forces well supplied, while the enemy has a long, rugged mountain road to cover. Before long, they'll run out of supplies. That's our first victory."
"Meanwhile, I'll lead the Uchiha Clan on a detour through Ishida and climb Mt. Dayu. We'll circle around and cut off their supplies. Once we've done that, I'll launch a signal flare, then attack the Sand forces on Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi from behind. At that point, Lord Danzō, you'll need to lead the entire army in a coordinated assault on the two mountains. That way, we can wipe out the Sand dogs!"
"This plan will minimize our casualties. The ninja under Lord Danzō will suffer almost none. As for us Uchiha, that depends on how quickly Lord Danzō moves!" Uchiha Xiao said with a smile.
Shimura Danzō gave Uchiha Xiao a long look. The man was handing him such a great achievement and entrusting his own life to him.
He hadn't expected Uchiha Xiao to trust him so much. Perhaps the Uchiha Clan wasn't as the teacher had described? As his thoughts turned, he spoke up.
"Don't worry, Xiao. We'll do as you say. As soon as the signal flare goes up, our army will charge. We'll be there in ten minutes at most!" Shimura Danzō said seriously.
He needed this achievement, too. And Uchiha Xiao's strategy would minimize casualties while maximizing their gains. Why would he refuse?
If Danzō had been an old man, Uchiha Xiao wouldn't have trusted him. But this Danzō had only just taken over Konoha's leadership from Senju Tobirama. He was a hot-blooded young man! A little aggressive, perhaps, but he was a man with ambition.
"Oh, right, Lord Danzō. There may be Explosive Tags at the entrances to Kashiwagi and Choga. It'll be safer if the army sends Shadow Clones through first." With that, Uchiha Xiao began gathering the Uchiha ninja to leave.
Nara Rokumei wanted to go with them, but Uchiha Xiao shook his head. "We need someone smart to hold down the fort here. You understand, Rokumei?"
With that, Uchiha Xiao and the Uchiha ninja took advantage of the darkness and their black clothes to make their way toward Ishida.
Shimura Danzō had the army set up camp and wait until dawn to advance. Looking toward Ishida, he thought, Xiao, if this works, I'll drink three cups with you when we get back to the village.
Uchiha Xiao yawned. A ninja nearby hurried over and said, "Sixth Elder, keep warm. It's cold at night—you don't want to catch a cold!"
"Jing, I'm fine. Someone's probably thinking about me," Uchiha Xiao said with a smile.
He suddenly turned to face the Uchiha ninja. "This mission is the most dangerous, but if we succeed, we'll gain the most. The village will remember what we've done. From now on, the Uchiha will be a clan of honor."
"I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, but I can't guarantee that none of us will be hurt. If you're afraid of dying, go back to Lord Danzō's forces now. You'll be in little danger there." Uchiha Xiao's words reached every Uchiha ninja.
The Uchiha ninja activated their Sharingan. "Sixth Elder, we're not afraid to die. We're only afraid of dying for nothing. Now that we know how important this mission is, what is there to fear?"
Everyone nodded. Under the moonlight, Uchiha Xiao looked at the thousand Uchiha ninja and smiled. "Good. I, Uchiha Xiao, promise you this: when the time comes, I'll charge at the front. If anyone has to die, it'll be me before any of you!"
With that, they entered Ishida.