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Seeing the reactions of the various ninja clan representatives, the Third Hokage didn't hold back and directly made his stance clear:
"As Hokage, and as a member of the Sarutobi Clan, it's only right that I lead by example!"
He continued, "This time, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, will dispatch 500 clan ninjas to the battlefield, including 20 Jonin."
Danzo followed immediately: "On behalf of the Shimura Clan, I declare that we will send 400 ninjas, including 18 Jonin."
Utatane Koharu added, "The Utatane Clan is a small ninja clan, but we will still contribute 50 ninjas, including 5 Jonin."
Mitokado Homura chimed in, "The Mitokado Clan will also send 50 ninjas, with 5 Jonin among them."
When the four finished speaking, they turned their gazes to the other clan representatives, their eyes subtly landing on Uchiha Naori and Uzumaki Mito's group.
The message was clear.
At this point, who in Konoha didn't know that the Uchiha Clan was the true powerhouse of the village?
Uchiha Naori smirked inwardly but kept her expression calm. "In that case, the Uchiha Clan will send 300 clan members to the battlefield, including 80 Jonin."
Her intention was clear: prioritize elite forces over sheer numbers.
Instead of sending young, inexperienced ninjas to die, it was better to let them train and grow stronger first.
Most of the younger generation in the clan were already bound by contracts with Kaito, often sent to the world of pirates to train and gain experience.
Of course, among the forces being deployed, there were still a number of Chunin and Genin. These individuals, too, were bound by contracts, ensuring their survival through emergency teleportation mechanisms.
The crowd murmured in astonishment.
"What? 80 Jonin? Damn! All are Uchihas!"
" A true nightmare for the enemies!"
"Yeah, the number might not be huge, but the quality is insane!"
"The Uchiha Clan sure knows how to show sincerity!"
Many in the room gasped when they heard Uchiha Naori's declaration.
The sheer number of Jonin alone was almost double the combined total of the four clans led by the Third Hokage.
And everyone knew that the Uchiha Clan's Jonin were far stronger than the average Jonin from other clans or villages.
Each three-tomoe Sharingan Jonin was a real elite.
Over the past few years, this superiority had become even more apparent, as the Uchiha's physical strength and vitality had significantly improved.
The Third Hokage and Danzo's pupils constricted as they heard Naori's announcement.
They hadn't expected her to make such a move.
"She's deploying a large number of elites to reduce the involvement of weaker members," they thought. "It seems Uchiha Naori doesn't want her clan to suffer heavy losses on the battlefield."
"But that's not a wise decision," Hiruzen and Danzo mused.
After all, wasn't it common knowledge that awakening the Sharingan often required extreme emotional triggers?
And what better catalyst for the Sharingan than the battlefield itself?
Sure, the Uchiha's elites were powerful, but most of them already had awakened eyes. By keeping the weaker members out of the war, wouldn't that mean abandoning opportunities for them to awaken their Sharingan?
The Third Hokage and Danzo couldn't fathom Naori's reasoning.
They didn't believe someone as shrewd as her would overlook this.
"She must be preparing against us," they concluded. "Ha! Such caution is misguided!"
Both of them smirked inwardly, determined to ensure that as many of the Uchiha elites as possible would perish in battle.
This would significantly weaken the clan's strength, making it easier to suppress them in the future.
What they didn't realize was just how much the Uchiha had grown over the years.
The elite forces Naori planned to deploy were less than half of the clan's total Jonin and elite Jonin.
Most of their power was hidden, either sealed away or sent to the pirate world for training.
If Hiruzen and Danzo knew the full extent of the Uchiha's strength, they would have been horrified and possibly driven to desperate measures.
Naori and her group were deliberately keeping a low profile, avoiding provoking the Third Hokage and his faction into reckless actions that could harm Konoha's overall stability.
The time simply wasn't right before.
But now, the situation was nearing a turning point.
As for awakening the Sharingan, in recent years, Kaito and many other Uchiha members had proven that meditation techniques were highly effective in stimulating the process.
Other methods, like Life Force and chakra refinement techniques, had also shown promise.
These approaches not only extended lifespans and enhanced chakra quality but also subtly purified and strengthened their bloodlines.
With these advancements, even someone with mediocre talent could awaken the Sharingan after a few years of training.
There was no need to rely on the trauma of war to achieve this.
And if battle was truly necessary, the pirate world offered plenty of opportunities—hunting pirates, sea kings, and fierce beasts, for instance.
These experiences were abundant and didn't risk exposure to Hiruzen and Danzo's schemes.
Unfortunately, the Third Hokage and Danzo remained oblivious to all of this.
They assumed Naori's choice was a foolish one, born out of a desire to preserve the younger generation of the clan.
The Third Hokage and his faction weren't the only ones who thought Uchiha Naori's decision was a dumb move. Many representatives of other clans, familiar with the general methods for awakening the Sharingan, held similar views.
Under their scrutinizing stares, Naori appeared unfazed, though inwardly, she was scoffing.
"Heh, you think I'm foolish now. Just wait until the truth comes out—you'll regret underestimating me," Naori thought to herself with a mocking smile.
Following Naori's declaration, Uzumaki Mito spoke up.
"The Senju Clan will send 30 members to the battlefield, including 15 Jonin," she said, her calm gaze sweeping across the room.
"As you all know, over the years, most of the Senju branch families have merged with the general population, and many of the main family members were lost in the previous ninja war. The clan's numbers have dwindled, and these people represent the finest of what remains of the Senju."
Her explanation was only partially true.
Behind the scenes, Mito had been working to locate and gather members of the Senju Clan, including those from branch families that had separated long ago. These individuals were brought into the clan's fold for training and education.
To facilitate this, Mito had secretly arranged for Kaito to use shadow clones to instruct them, steadily building goodwill. Once trust was earned, these recruits were bound by contracts and sent to train in the pirate world.
Over the past three years, more than a hundred Senju clan members had been sent to the pirate world.
They still returned daily to the clan compound to rest and live, but their presences were hidden through sealing techniques that masked their auras.
The Third Hokage and his allies were aware of Mito's efforts to reclaim Senju bloodlines.
Mito hadn't made much effort to conceal it; after all, it was hard to hide so many people.
But what could they do about it? Stop her?
That would only create unnecessary trouble.
After all, this was an internal Senju matter—what justification did they have to interfere?
Could they use the Second Hokage's policy of integrating the Senju into Konoha as an excuse?
That policy never said clan members who had merged into the civilian population couldn't be re-educated or brought back into the fold.
Mito could easily frame her actions as being in Konoha's best interests, strengthening the next generation of the village.
The Third Hokage understood this and chose not to challenge Mito directly, though he kept a close watch on her activities.
"Thank you for your support, Lady Mito!"
Despite the inner turmoil, the Hokage bowed respectfully to Mito, hiding his true intentions behind a courteous facade.
Inwardly, however, his thoughts mirrored Danzo's:
"If we can ensure these last remnants of the Senju are wiped out on the battlefield, the clan's backbone and final hope will be utterly crushed. As for the younger generation—they'll be easy to deal with before they grow strong. It's just a matter of time and planning."
The Hokage was confident. After all, any aspiring young ninja would eventually have to graduate, take missions, and gain experience. Each of these steps presented opportunities for "accidents."
The same strategy applied to the Uchiha.
This time, the goal was to eliminate as many of the Uchiha elites as possible, crippling their power. Once weakened, it would be easier to target the remaining forces and up-and-coming talents within the clan.
In the process, they could even take control of the Uchiha's medicinal formulas, their mysterious shell resources, and other valuable secrets, turning them into assets for the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
With these resources in their hands, the four clans—especially the Sarutobi—would rise to new heights.
In fact, Sarutobi Hiruzen dreamed of a day when the Sarutobi Clan would become so powerful that it wouldn't matter if the Uchiha, Senju, Uzumaki, or Hyuga existed in Konoha.
If he grew strong enough, he wouldn't mind renaming the village "Sarutobi Village."
Although Uzumaki Mito wasn't privy to Hiruzen's exact thoughts, she could guess his intentions.
When the Hokage bowed to her, she merely nodded in acknowledgment, offering no further response.
Hiruzen didn't seem bothered by her lack of enthusiasm and instead turned his attention to the Uzumaki's representative, Uzumaki Ashina.
Sensing the Hokage's gaze, Ashina stepped forward and declared, "The Uzumaki Clan will contribute 200 members to the effort, including 20 Jonin."
"As you all know, our clan suffered heavy losses a few years ago. This is the most we can offer under the circumstances."
The Uzumaki Clan had around a thousand members left. Of these, about 500 were active ninjas, with the rest being elders, children, or non-combatants. Sending 200—nearly half of their active forces—was no small gesture.
In truth, the Uzumaki's ability to contribute so much was due to the secret support of the Uchiha and Senju.
Over the years, the Uchiha had provided advanced nutritional pills and other resources, significantly boosting the Uzumaki's strength and recovery.
Otherwise, their contribution would have been much smaller.
Still, there was no way for them to refuse participation entirely.
The Uzumaki had only formally joined Konoha three years ago, and their foundation within the village was still shallow.
Taking Konoha's protection during wartime without contributing any effort? That wasn't an option.
"You have my gratitude," the Hokage said, nodding with satisfaction.
In his mind, this was another opportunity.
By sending such a significant portion of the Uzumaki forces into battle, he saw the chance to further weaken them. The young would be left vulnerable, easily manipulated or eliminated before they could rise.
As the Hokage prepared to finalize the arrangements, he couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of triumph.
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