Avoiding Attrition

"Start by assigning low-risk missions."

Utatane Koharu placed the document back on the desk.

"Bandit suppression, escorting supplies, transporting important documents, and clearing out Wandering Ninjas within the Land of Fire."

"These missions will be enough to expose them to real combat and familiarize them with team coordination."

"Once they have truly matured, we can consider transferring them to the front lines."

Mitokado Homura nodded.

"I agree."

"What matters most now is not how much fighting strength we can gain at once, but avoiding large-scale losses among the new generation."

He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"The war has been going on for years. The village has lost too many core ninja."

"If all these children also die on the front lines, Konoha's reserve of talent will be completely severed."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a moment.

The only sound left in the room was the rustling of Paper.

All three of them understood the gravity of the matter.

By this point, the war was no longer a simple struggle for land and resources.

The major ninja villages were all exhausting their foundations.

The number of Jonin was declining.

Chunin kept dying in battle.

Many teams had barely replenished their ranks before only one person returned not long afterward.

Konoha had the Land of Fire behind it, but training ninja took time.

For an ordinary child to enter the Ninja Academy and grow into a Jonin capable of standing alone often took more than ten years.

But the battlefield would not give Konoha ten years.

Mitokado Homura pushed another list in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"The number of Jonin on the front lines is also stretched thin."

"If they graduate early, their team instructors must be arranged properly as well."

"We can currently reassign some idle Chunin."

Utatane Koharu looked up.