Chapter 23: The Pre-War Strategy Meeting
Orochimaru, ignoring protocol, directly included Minato's squad in the strategic planning.
After seeing Sakumo Hatake off, Orochimaru summoned several frontline Jonin, including a squad captain from the Anbu—Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the eldest son of the Third Hokage.
As the overall frontline commander, Orochimaru wielded significant authority. Shinnosuke's role was akin to that of a military supervisor, ensuring major decisions were aligned with Konoha's directives.
In the meeting, Shinnosuke did not wear his Anbu mask. He was a young man bearing a striking resemblance to his father in his youth.
Once Orochimaru laid out the situation, he began explaining his plan:
"Sunagakure has dispatched a large number of shinobi to infiltrate and disrupt the Fire Nation's borders. Handling them piecemeal is too passive. I propose concentrating our forces and launching a counterattack into the Wind Nation. This would force Sunagakure to retreat and defend their home territory."
After a moment of silence, a Jonin from the Nara clan voiced his concern:
"This could indeed force Sunagakure to withdraw from our borders, but, Orochimaru-sama, if we leave the border thinly defended, Iwagakure won't miss the opportunity to strike."
The Fire Nation, centrally located among the Five Great Nations, has always been the primary target in any ninja war. Each conflict essentially boils down to the Fire Nation against the other four.
If only Sunagakure were involved, the Fire Nation wouldn't be overly concerned. With Konoha's strength, they could handle Sunagakure with ease.
But the western front, where Orochimaru was stationed, faced not only Sunagakure but also Iwagakure to the north.
Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, would undoubtedly exploit any opening to send his forces into the Fire Nation if Konoha's attention shifted too heavily towards Sunagakure.
Orochimaru turned to Minato. "I recall you encountering Iwagakure's Jinchūriki before. How capable are they?"
Typically, Kage-level figures wouldn't appear on the frontline unless it was a large-scale battle. Protecting the village always took precedence.
Thus, in conventional warfare, Jinchūriki served as the highest-tier weapons.
Minato thought for a moment before responding, "They're incredibly powerful, primarily because they excel at wide-area attacks. For them, numbers don't matter much."
The Tailed Beasts' Bijūdama was akin to a cannon in an age of cold weapons. While top-tier ninja might handle Tailed Beasts with ease, ordinary shinobi—even elite ones like Sakumo—would struggle against them.
The only reliable method to deal with Tailed Beasts was through sealing jutsu.
While the Mangekyō Sharingan could also control Tailed Beasts, this information was not widely known.
Orochimaru nodded. "Based on the intelligence I've gathered, Ōnoki has concentrated his forces along the Earth-Lightning border, leaving fewer troops on this front."
"He clearly doesn't think Lightning Country is stronger than the Fire Nation. The only logical explanation is that his Jinchūriki are stationed along the Earth-Fire border."
At this revelation, the room grew tense. The mere mention of Jinchūriki instilled unease in most shinobi.
"Minato, are you capable of handling a Jinchūriki right now?"
Minato didn't rush to answer, carefully weighing his capabilities. "I can stall one for a time, but Jinchūriki typically don't act alone."
The Earth Nation's Jinchūriki—those of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails—often worked in tandem. Minato and Jiraiya had encountered them together before.
This coordination was standard; no village would deploy such critical assets separately.
Orochimaru then looked at Kagami. "I believe Kagami can handle one as well."
"I'll leave the regular Iwagakure shinobi to others. The two Jinchūriki will be your responsibility."
Before Kagami could respond, a loud voice interrupted:
"What nonsense is this?!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke slammed the table, glaring at Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, you expect a child to face a Jinchūriki? What are you thinking?!"
Normally, Shinnosuke refrained from intervening in tactical discussions, content to observe. But Orochimaru's proposal was so outrageous it pushed him past his limits, stripping away any formality.
He had inherited his father's ideology of the "Will of Fire" and was already uncomfortable with children like Kagami and Kakashi being sent to the frontlines.
In his eyes, no matter how exceptional Kagami was, he was still a child.
"I've already filed several requests to recall these two from the frontlines. I've yet to hear back from the Hokage."
"New recruits shouldn't be subjected to this kind of danger!" Shinnosuke continued, his voice filled with genuine concern. "Asuma often talks about you two. I know you're exceptionally talented, far beyond ordinary kids, but you cannot understand the horrors of war. Please, return to safety."
Even Minato began questioning whether his two younger comrades should remain on the battlefield.
Kagami, however, had no such thoughts. If not for his ambitions for the Uchiha clan, he wouldn't be here at all.
He deeply understood the cruelty of war and the value of peace.
But peace would never come from compromise. Only through resistance could true peace be won!
Kagami's calm voice broke the silence:
"Thank you for your concern, Sarutobi Jonin. But I am a shinobi of Konoha. I will follow Orochimaru-sama's orders."
Turning to Orochimaru, he added, "With great power comes great responsibility. Given the village's current crisis, I request that a portion of Uchiha shinobi be deployed to support the frontlines. Is that acceptable?"
War was a catalyst for the Sharingan. The higher-ups in Konoha knew this well.
Unless absolutely necessary, they sought to confine the Uchiha within the village, preventing them from unleashing their power on the battlefield.
Their caution wasn't unfounded; it stemmed from the judgment passed down by the Second Hokage.
During the latter half of the Third Shinobi War, when the Uchiha were finally allowed to participate, it led to the awakening of Fugaku's Mangekyō, and later the Mangekyō awakenings of Shisui and Itachi.
Not to mention the emergence of Kamui, the most powerful Mangekyō technique.
Orochimaru didn't fully understand the conditions for the Sharingan's evolution, but he keenly sensed that Kagami wasn't as selfless as he appeared.
Not that it mattered.
Orochimaru cared little for Konoha's political scheming. His sole interest lay in seeing how far Kagami could go.
"I'll report to the Hokage and request Uchiha reinforcements."
He cast a meaningful glance at Kagami.
"Prepare a list, Kagami. No one knows better than you which Uchiha are most suitable for the battlefield."
The two had reached an unspoken agreement. Orochimaru would push for the Uchiha to join the war, and Kagami would secure the rear.
Even if the rear collapsed, Konoha was at its peak strength, boasting the highest number of Jonin in its history.
No one could have foreseen that this war, lasting over a decade, would drag Konoha into the depths of exhaustion.
It wasn't the war itself but the deaths of Minato, the departure of the Sannin, and the subsequent events—like Hizashi's sacrifice—that nearly tore Konoha apart.
Orochimaru, however, felt confident in his gambit. Konoha's resources were still abundant.
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