ALL NOVEL 84. The Commanders of the 4 War Divisons of Konoha
Hiruzen's tone, meanwhile became markedly more solemn as he addressed the assembly, underscoring the dire situation facing Konoha suddenly as the introduction to the matter.
"As you are all already aware, the upcoming global conflict will probably be the most difficult one for Konoha in its entire history, as we will be targeted more than ever. Not only are we usually the standard culprits for everything simply due to our size and influence, and being in a country that has the best territory and resources in the world—those things making us the standard, biggest targets—but we were also pretty much the only ones to expand in territory and influence after the last shinobi world war at the expense of all the other big nations...",
"So, although there are common grievances, and there will be fighting between the other four big villages amongst themselves to an extent, we have intelligence that they reached some kind of a silent consensus for the bulk of their forces and capabilities to be focused on Konoha this time around...",
Hiruzen spoke, his expression turning serious and grave for the first time during this meeting. Inwardly, he also cursed his fate that it was precisely because the external pressure was so hard that he had to put all centralization inside of Konoha's plans and remove opposition on hold until that was resolved.
And to make everything even more ironic, it was probably Konoha's inner division that also put the biggest target on their backs at this time, prompting everyone to want to grab a chunk of their pie.
"All of this is to say that we will effectively need to have four different long-term stationed divisions and fronts in general during this war for the first time in history...", Hiruzen concluded, emphasizing the unprecedented scale of the military strategy required to navigate the impending conflict.
"As usual, we aim to keep the conflict as far from the Land of Fire's borders as possible...", Hiruzen detailed, outlining Konoha's defensive strategy, "Shinsuke, leading a mobile Anbu force, will continuously patrol the Land of Fire's various strategic points, ensuring our homeland remains secure from terrorist threats or any form of foreign shinobi infiltration."
Hiruzen's plan also highlighted the collaborative nature of Konoha's defense strategy, "Inoichi will play a crucial role, leading our new combined Intelligence Department. Our best of the best elite sensory shinobi there will bolster Shinsuke's efforts, forming a comprehensive network designed to detect and neutralize threats before they can enter our country's territory or soon after they do so. This team will also extend their protective measures to the Daimyo and our esteemed nobles, ensuring their safety against any potential major threats."
"We prefer to establish our general fronts beyond the Land of Fire, utilizing the territories of neighboring smaller nations or directly within enemy countries Remember, this is the most fundamental principle of any war.",
By positioning the fronts outside the Land of Fire and ensuring a robust internal defense mechanism, Daimyo aimed to safeguard his territory and population while actively engaging its adversaries on terms that minimized risks to himself.
Observing the attentive and increasingly tense audience before him, Hiruzen moved on to detail the strategic landscape further.
"Before we delve into specific appointments, let's discuss the nature of the four fronts we need to establish. It may be disheartening to hear, but our influence over the smaller shinobi nations bordering the Land of Fire, gained during the last shinobi world war may not hold strong in the face of an aggressive push from the other major villages.",
"Simply put, these nations on their own may not withstand a direct assault from our adversaries. If we wish to maintain our influence and control in these areas, we must be prepared to defend them actively.",
"Not to mention that some of those nations already either switched away to other big countries during the last two years or are currently also attempting to break away from our influence themselves, the same is true for the smaller nations that were usually under the control of the other four, so the situation is very chaotic and nothing could be said to be certain about this war, we will have to fight for every inch.",
Hiruzen's statement set a clear tone for the gravity of the situation and the necessity for strategic mobilization, "This means...", He continued, "That our efforts to safeguard these buffer zones are not just about protecting our borders but also about asserting Konoha's strategic interests and presence in the region. Each front will require careful planning, adequate resources, and committed shinobi to manage the challenges we will surely face.",
"Therefore, let's refer to them as the Western Front/Division against Iwagakure, the Northern Front/Division against Kumogakure, the Eastern Front/Division against Kirigakure, and the Southern Front/Division against Sunagakure...",
Hiruzen articulated, unfolding a large, scrollable map he had retrieved from behind him at his position at the head of the table. As he spoke, his finger traced the hypothetical lines of engagement across the map, pointing to the specific areas where Konoha's forces would potentially face off against each of the major shinobi villages.
"Each of these four fronts or divisions will be led by their own Commanders, who will be granted significant autonomy in how they conduct warfare on their fronts. Their primary objective will be to keep the fighting and enemies away from the Land of Fire. If possible, they should also aim to extend the territory under our control, pushing far into those smaller shinobi countries or even into enemy territory... In the end, they should secure a capitulation of their opponents if possible, but initially, just keeping them at bay would be enough.", Hiruzen concluded, laying out the broad strategic goals for the commanders of each front.
"Therefore, we now need to decide on these commanders and the composition of their armies...", Hiruzen finally said, his gaze methodically sweeping across the room, locking eyes with members of his opposition.
Danzo, Koharu, Homura, along with his disciples—Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru—and other key figures such as Minato, Kushina, and Shikaku, all adopted a more serious demeanor, fully understanding the gravity of the conversation that was about to take place.
Sakumo, Hirayoshi, Fugaku, Takumi, Setsuna, Kiyomi, Hikari, and other clan heads from their faction also mirrored the solemn atmosphere, their expressions hardening in anticipation of the discussions ahead.
Hikari, in a moment of introspection, acknowledged the unique dynamics at play in this looming conflict, diverging significantly from the historical narratives he knew from the original story. The rifts within Konoha and the ripple effects of his actions had reshaped the landscape, diminishing the leverage he could have gained from his knowledge of future events. This underscored the importance of the decisions about to be made for him now.
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