Before Kazuki could reply, a soft knock resonated on the door, and a young red-haired boy walked into the room. Nodding at everyone, he took a seat in an empty chair. Surprisingly, none of the elders reprimanded him for joining the adults' meeting. This was Akira, the very person they had been eagerly awaiting. His demeanor now was vastly different from the nervous look he had worn just two weeks ago.
As he settled into his chair, Akira greeted everyone, his curiosity piqued. "What were you discussing just now? Is it about the plan?"
"No, we were inquiring about the distribution of your innovative creation, the Shadow Clone Storage Seal," an elder replied, his eyes filled with appreciation as he looked at Akira.
Akira waved his hand dismissively and addressed the elder, "Come on, Grandpa, without all of you, I wouldn't have been able to complete this sealing scroll."
They were referring to the scroll Akira had developed with the assistance of his Success Rate Ability. The elders had played a crucial role in helping him achieve its completion with remarkable speed.
Hiroshi smiled at Akira and expressed his confidence, "No, I'm certain that even without our help, you would have eventually succeeded. You're a genius, not just in ninjutsu development but especially in Fuinjutsu. You're the most talented individual I've ever encountered in my lifetime. The last person who came close to your creativity and intelligence was Tobirama. I believe you will surpass him in the future, and perhaps even Hashirama." Hiroshi's eyes carried a tinge of melancholy as he reminisced about the extraordinary Senju brothers.
Akira attempted to interject with humility, but he was interrupted by another elder. "There's no need to be modest. After all, even without us, given enough time, you would have achieved it on your own," the elder stated, recognizing Akira's true capabilities.
The Shadow Clone Storage Seal, a creation of Akira's empowered by his Success Rate Ability, was a scroll that had received the support and assistance of the elders. Akira's knowledge of Fuinjutsu was not yet comprehensive, making the collaboration crucial in swiftly completing the scroll.
The Shadow Clone Storage Seal served as a valuable tool for optimizing the effectiveness of the shadow clone technique. With its three primary functions—Chakra Preservation, Time Limit Extension, and Controlled Release—the seal ensured strategic utilization of the clones with enhanced efficiency.
Furthermore, the seal incorporated a simplified barrier jutsu, forming a specialized protective barrier around the released shadow clone. This barrier had the ability to detect enhancements and offered defense against powerful attacks. It granted the clone the capacity to withstand the impact of two to three B-level ninjutsu and a single A-level ninjutsu, effectively neutralizing their effects.
In addition, the seal stimulated the flow of synthetic blood within the clone, creating a realistic illusion that enhanced its authenticity. Carefully crafted not to disrupt the opponent's chakra, this illusory effect added an extra layer of realism to the clone's actions.
Patriarch Kazuki directed his gaze towards Akira, his expression focused and thoughtful. He replied, "Indeed, the distribution of the completed Shadow Clone Storage Seal scrolls to ninjas has commenced. We have also distributed detailed instructions on how to create and utilize this remarkable seal to skilled Fuinjutsu practitioners. They will assist us in producing as many seals as possible."
He continued, "Furthermore, considering the limited time we have, I have given them a three-day deadline to create the seals. We have also ordered those ninjas capable of creating shadow clones to fill the seals promptly."
Satisfied with the patriarch's explanation, the elders nodded in agreement. They comprehended the significance of the Shadow Clone Storage Seal and its potential to revolutionize their village's ninja tactics, particularly in times of war.
"As the preparations are near completion, let's discuss the upcoming battle," Akira proposed. He rose from his seat, producing a scroll from his changed robe, which he had worn specifically for the council meeting.
Unfolding the scroll on the table before his father and the elders, it revealed a roughly created map of the shinobi continent. Akira had recreated it from memory and his Success Rate Ability. Alongside with the help of some books. While there was already an existing map here, it only displayed the locations of the five major villages and it's a rough version.
The elders looked on in astonishment. Though they had seen maps before, this one was different. It depicted the land after the establishment of the villages, including names of lands they had never encountered.
In the previous meeting, war plans had been discussed, but at that time, the elders and patriarch held limited hope. Akira had been against revealing his plan right away. Instead, he urged them to prepare for the war, including the invention of the scroll and teaching of jutsu like the Shadow Clone and Rasengan. Additionally, stockpiling exploding tags and essential supplies such as food, water, and ninja tools was common sense. Now that they had accepted his orders, he could unveil his plan.
"This is the Land of Whirlpools," Akira declared, marking the location on the map. It was the official name of the land where Uzushiogakure resided.
The Land of Whirlpools, situated to the west of the Land of Fire, was a small group of islands. Among them, Uzushiogakure was built on one. "As you all already know," Akira continued.
The elders nodded in agreement, as this geographical knowledge was common. "Let's speculate from which direction the enemy villages could launch a direct attack on us," Akira suggested, realizing everyone was aware. Pointing to Kumogakure, he said, "The Land of Lightning lies to the north, but they have two choices to attack us. They can either strike from the north, passing through the water and the neighboring islands, or..."
An elder interjected, "They might opt to pass through the Land of Water and attack us from the Land of Hot Springs. It served as a buffer land for attacking Konoha in the First World War as well."
"Exactly," Akira affirmed, then directed attention to the Land of Earth. "Now, Iwagakure would have to travel from the Waterfall to the Hot Springs to reach us."
"But," the elder interrupted again, posing a question, "aren't they afraid of being attacked by Kumogakure? And what about Konoha? Aren't they afraid that Konoha will take the lead in attacking them?"
Instead of Akira, it was Kazuki, the patriarch, who responded in a grave tone, "Don't expect anything from Konoha, not even a slight distraction."
There was a moment of silence, and then the elder inquired about Kumogakure.
Hiroshi spoke this time, "Don't count on our allies. If they won't help, why would others?"
Kazuki looked at them and stated, "They are united!"
Everyone fell silent, including Akira, who paused momentarily. "Right, I wanted to discuss Sunagakure and how they might do the same, even though they are far away. But it seems you already understand," he remarked.
"The point is, they will attack us from the Land of Hot Springs, which leads me to believe that they won't send many ninjas. They will be here to take advantage of the situation and profit," Akira asserted. While everyone, except Kazuki, still wondered how he could be so sure, Akira reassured them, saying, "Believe me, they will attack from there."
Akira could speak with conviction because he had checked it using his Success Rate Ability, and his father had a partial understanding of his capabilities.
Continuing, Akira pointed at the Land of Water. "Lastly, we have Kirigakure. We have to defend against them head-on, as they are most likely to directly attack us before anyone else."
"Yes, we expected that from the beginning. They still hold a grudge against us from the previous war. After all, they were our adversaries in the First World War," an elder reflected, his tone tinged with melancholy.
Uzushiogakure had fought against Kirigakure in the First World War due to their alliance with Konoha. It was ironic that this time their target was Uzushiogakure, and Konoha wouldn't lend a helping hand—possibly even turning against them, thought Akira.
There was a moment of silence before Kazuki asked, "You've said so much, but what's the plan?" The other elders also eagerly awaited the answer, as Akira had spoken about extensive preparations but had yet to reveal the actual plan.
Akira gazed at the elders and his father, offering them a smile as he uttered words they may not understand fully at present but would in the future. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting'?"