27 This is not a joke?
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The Third Hokage nodded. He had considered training medical shinobi before, but he faced technical limitations that prevented him from implementing it fully.
"The Sand Shinobi's combat style seems fatal for shinobi who excel at close-range combat. Therefore, I think my clan can only offer some clan members as sensory shinobi, like Hiashi-sama." Speaking was none other than Inuzuka Tsume, Konoha's dog breeder specialist, and a woman. Though Fugaku had not met her before, he knew who she was. As Inuzuka Kiba's mother, Tsume's words carried weight, and they garnered unanimous agreement from those present.
It was unclear whether she spoke for the entire Inuzuka clan or had already taken on the mantle of clan leader, given that she was only nineteen years old at the time.
"It appears that only clans capable of utilizing medium and long-range ninjutsu are suitable for this mission," Danzo surveyed the assembled clan leaders before continuing, "The Sand Shinobi are skilled in wind release as well as puppetry. The clan possessing the necessary abilities to meet both these requirements and also counterattack wind release is none other than the Uchiha." A sudden hush consumed the room as Danzo's words sank in.
According to the five attributes, fire release did indeed counter wind release, and everyone present was aware of the underlying implications. There had been a history of tension between the Uchiha and the higher-ups of Konoha since the Second Hokage's tenure, and Danzo's argument seemed to be suggesting that the Uchiha were expendable.
Nobody was concerned about the animosity between the Senju and Uchiha since the former had just one member remaining, Tsunade, and the latter was a vast and powerful clan.
Nobody was concerned about the animosity between the Senju and Uchiha since the former had just one member remaining, Tsunade, and the latter was a vast and powerful clan. Consequently, they assumed that there would be no problem sending the Uchiha clan.
All eyes shifted towards Uchiha Fugaku, awaiting his response. After a brief pause, he responded in a calm manner, "No problem."
Everyone was shocked. Since when did the Uchiha clan leader become so reasonable? Danzo was also slightly taken aback. He was used to having arguments with the other party in this kind of situation.
Fugaku noticed everyone's gaze and explained, "Well, this is how I see it. I agree with Danzo-sama's point. My Uchiha shinobi are indeed elite, and they have an advantage over the Sand Shinobi. But even if I recall all the Uchiha who are on missions, there are only about 2,800 of them who can fight. I don't know how many Sand Shinobi there are, but I doubt they are less than 10,000. If a war really breaks out, my Uchiha clan alone won't be enough, right?" His words received the approval of everyone, even Hyuga Hiashi, who usually had a tense relationship with the Uchiha, because he spoke the truth.
The Sand Shinobi had been recovering for many years and had amassed an army of nearly 20,000 troops. Even if they didn't deploy all of them, they still had at least 10,000 soldiers at their disposal. The signs of war were evident, as the enemy had already begun to provoke and test their border defense capabilities.
Even though they understood that the upper level had plans to weaken the Uchiha's combat power, it would be unreasonable not to send some reinforcements.
"Let us join then!" Nara Shikaku proposed, "Our abilities may prove useful against the Sand Shinobi."
After some consideration, the Third Hokage nodded in agreement, saying, "You can go without any problems." Fugaku was surprised by this move, as he knew that Team 10 always acted together on the battlefield. Having this coalition of clans and Konoha's brainpower on their side would be a great advantage.
But Fugaku's mind was on another goal altogether. "So the border defense personnel are decided like this. You Uchiha and their three clans have more than 4,000 people plus 5,000 shinobi (reserved forces, basically genin ninja) for you to use at any time. Do you have any other questions?" Danzo was hesitant to send so many troops to Uchiha Fugaku, but the impending war left him with little choice.
If war broke out, the Uchiha clan would be relied upon. While the 5,000 shinobi were not as strong as the Uchiha's 2,000, they were still needed.
"I have!"
"What?" Danzo wasn't pleased when Uchiha Fugaku voiced his opinion, as they already had 9,000 troops. The others observed Fugaku, knowing he was no pushover.
Fugaku said calmly, "I think 2,000 ninja would suffice." (asking for reserved force, basically Genin Ninja)
"Oh?" Danzo's mouth curved up slightly. Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Fugaku next to him and smirked wickedly. The others looked at Fugaku in astonishment, including Tsunade, who was reporting absent-mindedly.
The Third Hokage looked at Fugaku and said in a serious tone, "Fugaku clan leader, I think you should reconsider. Although I know that your clan members are not weak, there is a possibility of a war over there. This is not a joke."
"No need to reconsider. This is just my opinion. As for the final decision, it still depends on Lord Hokage." Fugaku said this and glanced at Danzo with a smile in his eyes.
"Then fine by me."
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Today Power Ranking [season] = 66th
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