"Since all of you are gathered at headquarters right now…"
The moment the line went quiet, the Third Hokage's voice came through the Den Den Mushi again, firm and serious.
"Then listen carefully. I'm issuing your transfer orders."
The entire command center fell silent.
Everyone understood what came next would decide which battlefield they would be sent to reinforce.
"The battlefield against Iwagakure will be reinforced by Yagami…"
"And once he arrives at the front lines, Yagami will assume command as supreme commander of that battlefield."
After naming Yagami, the Third Hokage immediately began assigning the forces under his command.
At Konoha's current position within the Land of Wind, after accounting for the dead and the severely wounded who could no longer fight, they still had roughly two thousand shinobi left.
That number was enough to divide into two full thousand-man divisions.
What surprised Yagami a little was that Kushina had been assigned to his force as expected—
but even the Ino-Shika-Chō trio had been placed under his command as well.
"Understood."
After the Third Hokage finished reading out his appointment and unit assignments, Yagami gave a calm nod in response.
He had no reason to object.
After all, Nara Shikaku had been assigned to his side too.
If things got troublesome at the front, he could always dump the mountain of paperwork and command logistics on Shikaku.
At that point, he could just do what Orochimaru always did and become a complete hands-off commander.
Once Yagami's assignment was settled, the Third Hokage moved on to the next army.
That one would be led personally by Orochimaru.
Under his command were Yūhi Shinku and several other Jōnin captains.
"Is everything clear?"
After all the transfer orders had been issued, the Third Hokage asked in a solemn voice.
"Clear!!"
Everyone in the command center answered at once.
"Then move immediately. The battlefield won't wait for anyone."
His tone turned even heavier.
Unlike here, the other fronts did not have the convenience of Den Den Mushi communication.
That meant even the Third Hokage had no clear picture of the exact situation on those battlefields.
Because of that, he was more anxious than anyone.
"Yes, sir!"
Yagami and Orochimaru answered at the same time.
Then Yagami stood up and ended the call with the Den Den Mushi.
The moment the line went dead, a group of Konoha Jōnin immediately stepped forward to congratulate him.
"Congratulations, Captain Yagami!"
"Captain? Come on, you should be calling him Lord Yagami now."
"That's right! Congratulations, Lord Yagami!"
Even Orochimaru, who had technically been his equal until now, offered him a thin smile and a few words of congratulations.
At this moment, Yagami's promotion to supreme commander had effectively raised his standing yet again.
Naturally, the way everyone addressed him had changed with it.
"Haha, I'm counting on all of you."
Yagami smiled and waved a hand in thanks.
As he stood there surrounded by congratulations, full of energy and confidence, Kushina could not help feeling proud.
Her little face was flushed red with excitement, making her look especially bright and charming.
"Now that the Third Hokage and the higher-ups have given the order, we don't have time to waste."
Yagami swept his gaze across the room and raised his hand.
"Gather your units. We're heading out to crush Iwagakure."
His voice rang with confidence and fighting spirit.
The Jōnin captains assigned under him immediately accepted the order and hurried off to assemble their men.
Seeing Yagami move so decisively, Orochimaru was not far behind.
He gave a casual wave of his own and ordered his forces to gather as well.
"Heh… not bad. You actually look the part now."
Once the others had gone, Kushina walked up, wrapped herself around Yagami's arm, and looked up at him with a blushing smile.
"You've really got that commander aura."
"Well, of course."
Yagami turned toward her with a grin.
"I'm the one in command now."
As he said that, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
Meanwhile, the moment the call with the Den Den Mushi ended, Sarutobi Hiruzen wasted no time spreading the news of Sunagakure's surrender throughout the Hokage building and beyond.
In no time at all, the whole of Konoha was in an uproar.
And once again, Yagami's name spread to every corner of the village.
At this point, in Konoha, Yagami had become a name everyone knew.
The villagers who had seen him before praised him endlessly.
The ones who had never seen him with their own eyes now wanted more than anything to catch a glimpse of the village's hero.
Even among the children who had only recently enrolled in the Academy, Yagami had already become the person they admired most.
"Come on, Guy!!"
"As long as you keep working hard, one day you'll be just as strong as Lord Yagami!"
Might Duy, who had come to the Academy to bring his son lunch, looked at Might Guy with a face full of encouragement.
Dressed in his bright green jumpsuit, he stood out from the crowd so badly it was almost painful.
"Really, Dad?! Then I'll work even harder!"
Might Guy looked up, his eyes blazing with excitement.
He was wearing the same green jumpsuit as his father.
The only difference was that Duy had on a yellow scarf, while Guy wore a red one.
At this point in time, the future Blue Beast of Konoha—the man who would one day nearly kick his way into legend—had not even graduated from the Academy yet.
"Give me a break. Him?"
"He wants to be as strong as Lord Yagami?"
"Wasn't that kid stuck in the Academy for years without learning a single ninjutsu?"
"Yeah, isn't he the dead last?"
"Hey, keep your voice down…"
A group of parents who had also come to deliver lunch to their children whispered among themselves while glancing toward the father and son.
"Thank you!!!"
Might Duy and Might Guy turned their heads at the same time.
Then Duy gave them a huge thumbs-up.
His dazzling smile flashed so brightly it practically looked like it sparkled.
The parents who had been whispering awkwardly scattered on the spot, completely unable to handle that level of enthusiasm.
At the same time, similar scenes were playing out all across the village.
The spies planted in Konoha by other villages also began passing the news of Sunagakure's defeat back through every method available to them.
At this point, Sunagakure's frontline forces had not yet returned home.
So for the moment, the news of the Sand's defeat was only spreading within Konoha.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen's deliberate decision to publicize Sunagakure's surrender was not simply about announcing a victory.
He wanted the news to travel.
He wanted the other hidden villages to hear it.
And more than that—
he wanted this victory to shake them.
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