"What a bunch of lunatics. Can't they just enjoy a few more years of peace?"
"Sigh, the village's reconstruction isn't even finished yet. Where's the money for a war?"
"I wonder how many people will be sacrificed this time."
"But not fighting is no option either. If it develops into a siege, even more people will die. Maybe even the kids will have to go to the battlefield!"
The Jonins spoke one after another, their words filled with bitterness.
Except for a few of the new generation like Sakura and Sasuke, most of those present who had reached the rank of Jonin had personally experienced the Third Great Ninja War.
They had witnessed the madness of the five great nations when they were exhausted of supplies and options. They also remembered how, before their own peaceful days in the Ninja Academy were over, they were thrown onto the cold battlefield to fend for themselves.
Many still hadn't gotten over the shadows of those years even now, and yet a new war was already on the verge of erupting.
—It's simply, hopeless!
However, the land beneath their feet was the homeland that raised them, and the people behind them were the loved ones and friends they cherished.
Since the arrival of war was unavoidable, they would just have to tear off more flesh from the other villages before they died, to vent some of this anger.
"Tsunade-sama, please give the order!"
The first voice came from somewhere unknown in the crowd.
But it no longer mattered. More Jonins added their voices, trickles converging into a will for certain victory. This will, mingled with Chakra, stirred up a storm in the conference room. Everyone in unison requested Tsunade to issue the order.
"Good!"
Feeling the resolve of everyone, Tsunade clenched her fist excitedly as well.
Personnel arrangements could follow Konoha's consistent traditions.
Jiraiya would be the General Commander. Homura and Koharu would handle logistics. The Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame would form the reconnaissance unit. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio would build the staff headquarters. The Anbu would be responsible for intelligence transmission and spy clearance...
After confirming the structure of the forces, the next step was the specific operations.
First, regarding the war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, what scale of forces should Konoha mobilize to prepare?
"Intelligence from overseas networks indicates that Onoki has mobilized five thousand Ninja, while Kumogakure is responding with three thousand." Tsunade had the Anbu distribute the gleaned intelligence to each Jonin.
The scale of eight thousand troops massing for battle on the northern border was already one-third of Konoha's registered Ninja Strength. This scale could be called a large-scale Ninja Engagement.
Konoha's deployed garrison forces would certainly have to consider the issue of matching strength. Sending too few might lead to defensive failure. Sending too many... don't think for a moment that Sunagakure and Kirigakure have no designs of their own.
"So, speak freely, everyone! Give some appropriate opinions!" Tsunade's gaze swept over the many Jonins.
"To be on the safe side, dispatch troops equal in number to the enemy!" Koharu and Homura offered their opinion.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade rolled her eyes internally. 'These two really lacked any sense of the overall situation.'
If she could send an equal number of troops, wouldn't she have already said so? The purpose of her opening this floor was to hope to control the troop scale on a basis where they could win without exceeding the limit.
After all, once troops are mobilized, the logistical expenses can be borne by the village without restraint. But who would fill the hole this left in the village's finances?
"Considering operations in the snowy plains and the potential for a two-front defense, four thousand should be about right, shouldn't it?"
Estimating the strength of Konoha's Ninja while looking at the map, Sasuke made a judgment from the Uchiha perspective.
The conference room was silent for a moment, allowing the boy's voice to reach everyone's ears.
Seeing a Uchiha speak up, many Ninja who had previously kept their heads down pretending not to notice chimed in.
"Indeed, worthy of the Uchiha. Four thousand is enough!"
"Brilliant, truly brilliant!"
"Truly, Konoha can't function without the Uchiha!"
...
These superficial compliments contained undiguised malice, causing Sasuke to clench his fist after hearing them.
It had been barely three years since the Third Hokage's political demise, and the ideology of excluding the Uchiha, which had entrenched itself in Konoha's political ecosystem for decades, was not so easily changed.
And this kid Sasuke... he really has the potential to become the next generation's scapegoat!
"Hokage-sama, four thousand troops cannot control the long northern border!"
Sakura sighed lightly and shook her head, stepping forward to relieve the pressure. "Furthermore, since everyone believes four thousand is sufficient, why not request Jiraiya-sensei to hand over the position of General Commander to you, so that you, our talented pillars, can fully display your abilities for the Land of Fire?"
Faced with this inquiry from the Hokage's disciple, many broke out in a cold sweat.
In the Hokage's seat, Tsunade watched with interest as her disciple bared her fangs at these stick-in-the-muds.
While these people were loyal and willing to fight for the village, their stubborn ideas could always annoy you at critical moments.
On ordinary days, as Hokage, she couldn't directly enter the fray. But today, having her little quilt as a mouthpiece felt so good!
'Curse them! Make the language more vulgar! As vulgar as possible! Bring in their parents and ancestors!'
Tsunade enjoyed the girl's heavenly voice for a while before opening her eyes under Jiraiya's cough.
In the office, many people were visibly heating up.
To prevent Sakura from truly pushing these people over the edge, Tsunade stepped in to stop it. "Alright, in your opinion, how many should we send?"
"To be safe, six thousand!"
Receiving Tsunade's signal, Sakura began to coordinate with her.
The Land of Frost had a typical peninsula terrain, connected by land to the Land of Fire, while across the sea lay the outer island chains of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth.
Being extremely close to the other two great nations meant that Ninja from Iwagakure and Kumogakure could even walk directly to the reefs of the Land of Frost without taking a ship.
With this as the center, the Land of Waterfalls to the east and the Land of Rice Fields to the west served as the strategic buffer zones the Land of Fire had inserted between the two great powers.
If Konoha chose to station troops here, it could maximally push the battlefield to a position bordering the sea.
Then, even if the two great nations truly invaded southward, Konoha would have sufficient time to coordinate a response.
However, there were both advantages and disadvantages.
The two great nations, Iwagakure and Kumogakure, also bordered the Lands of Waterfalls and Rice Fields. If the stationed troops were pinned down, the enemy might very well dispatch additional troops from their homelands, using the borders of these three countries to plunge straight into Konoha's hinterland.
At that time, Konoha's follow-up defensive strength would be crucial. Therefore, the number six thousand should be enough to watch over the Land of Frost battlefield.
If problems arose again, other experts could lead another six thousand to organize a second line of defense, providing leeway in case the front line failed.
The remaining registered Ninja would stay in the village to guard against any restless ambitions that Sunagakure and Kirigakure might harbor.
"Good, then we'll do as you suggest!"
Tsunade made the final decision. "From today, all missions are suspended. The village will dispatch six thousand Ninja to the northern border!"
"And my disciple, regarding this war, do you have any thoughts of your own?"
"Whatever you say!"
Sakura shot a look at Tsunade, who had a teasing smile.
But it was obvious that this Hokage trainee, who had been in office for over two and a half years, had already acquired the thick skin of a mature politician.
She simply pretended not to see Sakura's expression and matter-of-factly assigned her disciple a task: "Good, then from today, you will serve as the director of Konoha's Medical Department, form a battlefield medical unit, and accompany the troops north!"
Tsunade raised her head, her gaze sweeping over Sakura and the other ninja.
"Be sure to teach those ambitious villains that Konoha's blade is not dull either!"