"The third army will be primarily composed of the Uchiha clan."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice echoed in the quiet meeting room, each word striking a chord in everyone's heart.
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room was in an uproar.
Especially the heads of the various clans, their faces showed expressions of disbelief.
To have the Uchiha clan be responsible for a front line?
This was unprecedented in the history of Konoha.
Ever since the Second Hokage established the Military Police Force, the power of the Uchiha clan had been confined within the village.
This was both the First Hokage's guilt towards Madara and the Second Hokage's wariness of the Uchiha's formidable power.
But now, the Third Hokage was going to personally break this pattern that had lasted for decades!
Uchiha Kagami's body shuddered. He looked up, unable to believe his ears.
He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, and for the first time, intense emotional fluctuations appeared in his gentle eyes.
He knew this was not just a military appointment.
This was a heavy trust that the Hokage was placing in the entire Uchiha clan.
"Hiruzen! This... this is not appropriate!"
Mitokado Homura was the first to stand up and object, his expression more serious than ever. "The Uchiha clan's power is too great, and... you know. To have them form a separate army, if any accident were to happen on the battlefield, the consequences would be unimaginable!"
"Advisor Homura is right," Utatane Koharu immediately agreed. "We cannot take this risk!"
The two advisors' concerns also represented the thoughts of most of the people present.
It wasn't that they didn't trust the Uchiha, but they didn't trust the uncontrollable power rooted in the Sharingan.
Shimura Danzo sat in his chair, saying nothing.
His heart was currently in a state of turmoil.
Looking at Hiruzen, this rival he had once been jealous of and later came to revere, he now felt he was unfathomable.
He had thought that Hiruzen's previous efforts to win over the Uchiha were just imperial tactics, for the sake of division and control.
But he never expected that Hiruzen would actually dare to entrust such an important front line entirely to the Uchiha at the outbreak of war.
This boldness, this trust...
Danzo asked himself, if he were sitting in this position today, he would absolutely not dare to do so.
He would use Root, use the harshest methods, to keep the Uchiha firmly in the village, never giving them any opportunity to come into contact with external warfare.
Hiruzen, what exactly was he planning?
Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored the objections of Koharu and Homura. His gaze remained fixed on Uchiha Kagami from beginning to end.
"Kagami, what do you think?"
Uchiha Kagami took a deep breath and stood up from his seat. He did not answer immediately, but turned to face all the high-level officials who held doubts about the Uchiha and bowed deeply.
"Advisors, clan heads."
His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a convincing force.
"I know everyone's concerns. The Uchiha's past has indeed brought pain to the village. But that is in the past."
"The Uchiha of today are Konoha's Uchiha! The Will of Fire burns in our hearts as well!"
He looked up, his eyes blazing.
"What Lord Hokage has given us is not a risk, but an honor. It is a chance for us to wash away the stains of the past with our own blood and lives, to prove our loyalty!"
"I, Uchiha Kagami, swear on my personal honor and the honor of the entire Uchiha clan!"
"The third army will become the sharpest sword plunged into the heart of Iwagakure, and we will not fail Lord Hokage's trust!"
His words were spoken with conviction and passion.
The clan heads who had been harboring doubts, looking at this gentle-tempered but strong-willed Uchiha man before them, found their worries dissipating without them even realizing it.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
He knew Kagami would give him this answer.
"Of course, I will not let the brave warriors of the Uchiha fight alone."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze turned to the heads of three other clans.
Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Torifu, Yamanaka Inoichi.
"The third army will be led by Uchiha Kagami, who will be in overall command of the war on the Land of Earth border."
"At the same time, I order the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans to each dispatch half of their elite forces to be integrated into the third army, with Nara Shikaku serving as the military strategist to assist Kagami in command."
"Your mission is not to conquer cities."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone became serious.
"I want you to use the Uchiha's Sharingan to build an impenetrable wall of intelligence along the long border of the Land of Earth!"
"I want every troop movement of Onoki, every supply transport, even every reconnaissance bird he sends out, to be under our surveillance!"
"I want Iwagakure to become completely blind and deaf before us!"
An overt scheme.
Everyone present understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's intention.
He was not simply sending the Uchiha to fight a war.
He was perfectly combining the Uchiha's greatest talent—the insight of the Sharingan—with the seamless cooperation of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans.
This was no longer a traditional combat unit.
This was a unit with intelligence gathering and battlefield control capabilities that were ahead of its time.
With this wall of illusionary eyes, Iwagakure would have no more secrets before Konoha.
And the Uchiha clan, through this irreplaceable strategic value, would truly win the respect and recognition of the entire village.
They would no longer be just "capable fighters," but an indispensable strategic core.
Having figured this out, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a look.
They had nothing more to say.
Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Torifu, and Yamanaka Inoichi stood up and bowed deeply to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"We will follow Lord Hokage's orders!"
With that, the deployment of the three armies was complete.
The entire meeting room was silent.
All eyes were on Sarutobi Hiruzen at the head of the table.
"Finally, the fourth army."
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, his voice returning to its calm state.
"I will personally oversee the northern defensive line."
"Danzo, you will serve as my second-in-command, commanding Root and the Anbu, and be responsible for all intelligence and defense work on the northern front."
Shimura Danzo's head snapped up, his eyes filled with astonishment.
He never expected Hiruzen to entrust him with such an important position.
To make him the Hokage's second-in-command, to guard the nation's gate together.
An indescribable emotion surged within him.
It was the excitement of being trusted, the sense of responsibility of being entrusted with a great task.
He stood up and, facing Sarutobi Hiruzen, deeply bowed his head, which had always been held high with pride.
"Yes, Hiruzen... no, Lord Hokage!"
The deployment of the four armies was complete.
Konoha's war machine had completed its final adjustments.
Sarutobi Hiruzen walked to the window and looked down at the prosperous and peaceful village below. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes, only an infinite fighting spirit.
"Relay my orders."
His voice spread to every corner of the meeting room, and to the entirety of Konoha.
"The war has begun!"
Boom!
With his command, the entire village of Konoha, this precise war machine that had been dormant during peacetime for several years and had been personally polished to perfection by him, began to operate with unprecedented unity and high morale.
<><><><><><
Read Advanced Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247
~ Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]