Malphegor
patreon
GSiN: Ch. 33
🕑 Added 2025-03-19 00:15:47 +0000 UTC---Third POV---
"Do not hesitate, Hiruzen." Danzō's voice suddenly broke the silence in the Hokage's office.
"Pull ninjas from the Iwa battlefield immediately. Before Suna can prepare, let Konoha launch a decisive battle to take it down as quickly as possible, then redirect reinforcements to the Iwa front."
Every syllable dripped with the cold logic of a man who viewed war as mathematics rather than human conflict.
"No," Hiruzen countered. "Ōnoki is definitely waiting for us to divert our troops from that front. The moment we make such a move, he'll launch an attack on Konoha while we're locked in a decisive battle with Suna. The consequences would be disastrous."
Decades of rivalry with the Tsuchikage had taught him to anticipate Ōnoki's strategies, the old man was patient, cunning, and always prepared to exploit any opening.
Danzō scoffed at Hiruzen's rebuttal, his dissatisfaction visible, and spoke again. "Then pull forces from the Kiri front. During wartime, the Uchiha and Hyūga clans dare not disobey the village's orders."
"Their precious bloodlines are wasted on coastal defense," Danzō added coldly. "They should be deployed where they can deliver decisive results."
Homura mulled over Danzō's suggestion but still found it precarious, and said, "If we weaken the forces at the Kiri front, the enemy might launch a direct large-scale invasion of the Land of Fire's interior. The daimyō would undoubtedly hold Konoha accountable and might even cut our funding."
"Our contract with the daimyō explicitly requires protection of trade routes and coastal settlements," he elaborated. "Failing this obligation would have consequences beyond mere military considerations."
Koharu nodded in agreement. "The minor damages we've suffered already caused parts of the Land of Fire's populace to lose confidence in Konoha. If the country's heartlands were invaded by Kiri on a large scale, Konoha's reputation would be irreparably tarnished. People remember who failed to protect them far longer than they remember who avenged them later."
Hiruzen, hearing the analysis from both Mitokado and Utatane, also felt that withdrawing forces from the Kiri front was unwise.
"Danzō, if the people of the Land of Fire lose faith in Konoha, it will directly impact the number of missions we can take on after the war. We're not just fighting for survival now, but for our place in the world that follows."
For most ninja villages, income primarily came from two sources:
One was funding from the daimyō, essentially the financial backer. The other was a share of the fees earned by ninjas completing various missions.
From Hiruzen's perspective, this war would undoubtedly leave Konoha severely weakened. If withdrawing from the Kiri front resulted in an invasion of the Land of Fire's interior, the daimyō would blame Konoha and likely cut its funding.
On top of that, a loss of public trust would mean fewer missions, further reducing income. Without sufficient funds, Konoha's recovery would be significantly slowed, a prospect Hiruzen was unwilling to entertain.
Danzō looked at his three old teammates, disappointed. Internally, one words echoed in his mind: Fools!
Land could be reclaimed, buildings rebuilt. Power, once lost, was nearly impossible to regain.
Yes, to him, the decisive battle with Suna was a matter of urgency. Rather than passively waiting for Suna to prepare for war, it was better to assemble forces and launch an immediate offensive.
As for Iwa, what harm would it do to cede the smaller battle lines? Once Suna was dealt with, Konoha would have ample strength to handle Iwa with ease.
As for Kiri's potential invasion, that was even less of a concern. For Danzō, as long as Konoha emerged victorious in this shinobi world war, any damage to certain areas would be negligible in the grand scheme of things.
As long as Konoha maintained its position as the top ninja village, it would still secure the largest share of missions, even if the total demand declined.
And as for a slower recovery, as long as Konoha recovered faster than its enemies, what did it matter?
Realizing he couldn't sway Hiruzen's opinion, his eyes, hidden in shadow, glinted with a new idea.
"If we lack sufficient manpower, why not send the Nine-Tails jinchūriki—"
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Never!"
Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura interrupted him in unison before he could finish.
"Ahem..."
Realizing his reaction had been excessive, Hiruzen coughed awkwardly.
"Danzō, Kushina is our village's ultimate safeguard. If we send her to the front lines and something happens, Konoha cannot bear the consequences. The risk outweighs any potential tactical advantage. This option is not on the table."
Danzō silently raised his head and swept his gaze around the room. Koharu and Homura avoided his eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze.
Finally, his eyes rested on Hiruzen, who did not look away.
"Hiruzen, you've grown soft."
"The village requires balance, Danzō. Strength without wisdom leads to destruction."
Danzō hated hearing those words more than anything. If only he had, no, there was no point in bringing it up now.
He said nothing further and turned to leave the Hokage's office.
He had no desire to stay in that pointless meeting for even another second.
"He'll never understand that strength alone isn't enough to lead," Hiruzen said quietly after Danzō's exit.
---Ryouma's POV---
A few days, I found myself in an unusually lively command center. I couldn't help but feel a bit out of place.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato, and Shikaku were all present. Under normal circumstances, someone with my limited experience wouldn't qualify to attend a meeting of this level.
But exceptions always existed, I suppose. As one of the key contributors to Konoha gaining the upper hand in the war against Suna, I had become what they called "the rising face of the new generation."
In this region, my name had already gained significant recognition. Even enemies on other fronts had begun to hear rumors about me, a prodigious ninja from Konoha.
Tsunade, arms crossed, broke the silence. "The village sent us some news today."
Everyone shifted their focus from the map to her, myself included.
She continued, "The village is dispatching 1,000 ninjas to reinforce us here."
"Only 1,000? The disparity in forces is still significant," Shikaku murmured, already strategizing how to maximize the effectiveness of these reinforcements.
Jiraiya, however, voiced his dissatisfaction immediately. "Just 1,000? What's the old man doing? Why not borrow more forces from Orochimaru's side?"
"The Third Hokage must have his reasons. After all, the situation on the other two battlefronts isn't going well either," Minato responded objectively. "And intelligence reports from the Iwa front indicate increased activity in the mountain passes. The Hokage can't leave that border vulnerable."
Minato's thinking already aligned with that of a Hokage, always considering the entirety of Konoha's battlefronts, not just our immediate concerns. His mind was already thinking like a leader of the entire village.
I imagined the truth was that Hiruzen had already strained every resource to muster these 1,000 reinforcements. The war was taking its toll on everyone.
Tsunade suddenly turned her gaze to me and asked, "Ryouma, what's your take on this?"
All eyes shifted to me.
I did have some ideas, but I was hesitant to share them. In my opinion, the most effective strategy would be something like this:
Konoha should launch an offensive and directly invade the Land of Wind's interior. When Suna was forced to respond, Minato could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to bypass the main battlefield, bringing me with him.
Once inside the village, we could unleash a devastating attack to annihilate it completely.
The plan leveraged our unique capabilities, Minato's unmatched mobility and my destructive power, to end the war in a single, decisive strike.
It was strategically sound, but morally questionable.
But even as I thought it, I knew this plan was ruthless, directly targeting the weaker civilians and children left behind in Suna. Could I really suggest such a thing?
Was this how villages fall into darkness? One "necessary evil" at a time, each justified by circumstance?
The most efficient path wasn't always the right one.
Moreover, I worried about the risks if Minato and I weren't on the main battlefield. Rin, Kakashi and Obito might face danger, something I couldn't bear to think about.
To me, Rin's safety mattered far more than winning the war.
No strategy was acceptable if it left her exposed to greater danger. Some priorities weren't negotiable.
So, when Tsunade asked for my opinion, I deflected, "Apologies, Commander, but I'm not well-versed in tactics, and my battlefield experience is still limited. I think we should defer to Shikaku-san's expertise."
It wasn't entirely a lie, Shikaku's tactical genius was legendary for good reason, but it wasn't the whole truth either.
Seeing me dodge the question, Tsunade reached out, pulling me into a playful headlock while ruffling my white hair with her free hand.
"You little brat, what did you just call me?"
Jiraiya's eyebrows shot up, Shikaku's mouth twitched toward a smile, and even Minato looked momentarily surprised.
"I'm sorry! But we're in a meeting, so I have to use formal titles!"
"Hmph~"
Tsunade released me and returned to her seat with a smirk.
