Naruto: Hyuga Warlord

December 1st, Year 38 of Konoha, was a bitterly cold winter day with heavy snowfall.

The Jonin Unit combat strategy meeting, presided over by Sakumo Hatake, proceeded smoothly.

This time, the sheer number of attendees had completely overwhelmed the Jonin Unit meeting hall. Soushu Hyuga did a quick count and found there were no fewer than 350 participants.

Among them, most faces were unfamiliar—even among the Hyuga Clan's Jonin ranks.

Truthfully speaking, Soushu never had many acquaintances within his clan to begin with. Most of his childhood companions from the Clan Academy had perished during the war years. Since returning to the village for rest and recovery, he'd been too busy entangled in political maneuvering against hostile factions or enjoying intimate moments with Mahiru-chan to socialize much. Moreover, other clan members held considerable apprehension toward the Main House's authority, so they naturally avoided initiating contact with Soushu.

Truth be told, Soushu didn't mind this at all.

The past month had been relatively peaceful, giving him enough time to get in sync with his squad.

Over this period, four individuals with vastly different personalities barely managed to mold themselves into something resembling a functioning unit. Nowadays, they could at least coordinate somewhat during battles—at least Might Duy wouldn't recklessly charge in screaming like a raging bull anymore.

In Soushu's tactical plan, he himself would be the spearhead piercing through enemy lines. Uchiha Mahiru, who excelled at Fire Release techniques, would provide battle support and cover the left flank. Maruboshi Kosuke, who was not only skilled in Water Release techniques and renowned Konoha-style swordsmanship but also the eldest and most experienced among them, primarily handled ranged Ninjutsu bombardments and right flank defense.

As for Might Duy, whose strength was still relatively weak—he could barely open the Healing Gate, the second of the Eight Gates, and could only maintain peak performance for three minutes due to physical limitations—he was mostly responsible for cleaning up the battlefield after the fighting was over.

"Jonin Soushu."

Yamanaka Toshimichi, who had briefly crossed paths with Soushu before, approached.

"Stay focused on the meeting."

Soushu raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise at his new Jonin vest, but saw no reason to continue the conversation for now. He gave a soft reminder before feigning intense concentration on Sakumo Hatake's long-winded prepared speech.

"The current dangerous situation facing Konoha urgently requires every one of us to exert maximum effort fighting bravely against external threats! On the frontlines, we will face countless difficulties and challenges. However, as long as our Konoha ninja stand united and march forward courageously, we shall overcome every enemy. We must remember our mission and responsibility—to dedicate our strength for the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire!"

Sakumo Hatake declared.

"In times of crisis, every Konoha ninja bears the duty to step forward—contributing strength for the Hidden Leaf Village and the Land of Fire! You are the very pillars of our village, the pride of the Land of Fire! Now, our country faces tremendous challenges and crises. Only the strongest ninja in the ninja world—our very own Konoha ninja—can turn this situation around!"

Hatake emphasized, "From Konoha to the entire Land of Fire, everyone needs you! And it's because you *are* us!"

But naturally, none of these filler speeches held any interest for the seasoned Jonin audience. Someone had already started yawning outright.

"Likewise, the village and nation will never forget the contributions and sacrifices made by every brave and loyal Konoha ninja. Based on my discussion with Lord Hokage, every jonin who participates in this conflict will receive deserved rewards according to their merits after the battle—including but not limited to [Secret Jutsu] from the [Scroll of Seals]!"

Sakumo Hatake concluded firmly.

No sooner had he spoken than the previously drowsy jonin snapped out of their drowsiness!

That was the [Scroll of Seals]!

The legendary foundation scroll containing all Konoha's secret techniques!

Of course, the jonin knew well that the Kinjutsu recorded within the Scroll of Seals wouldn't be easily accessible to them. But it was also common knowledge that most techniques documented in the scroll were at least A-rank Ninjutsu!

And just how many A-rank techniques could even a jonin truly master?

Not to mention, for jonin of common birth, they usually relied only on a few common B-rank techniques to get by—thus making the value of an A-rank technique evident indeed.

This was exactly the kind of technique that could keep a ninja clan thriving for generations!

The eyes of the jonin assembly burned with sudden intensity, and their admiration for Sakumo Hatake—who had won this reward for the jonin—soared.

"Now, according to an urgent report from Western Front Commander Shirakawa Namiko, large-scale Sand ninja are gathering along the border of the Land of Rivers. Therefore, the village intends to dispatch twelve hundred ninjas for reinforcement."

Having stirred up the jonin's spirits, Sakumo Hatake continued calmly.

Fighting Sunagakure, no less!

Upon hearing this, the Konoha jonin became even more spirited.

Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, Sunagakure in the Land of Wind was known to be the poorest and harshest place. Whether in terms of equipment or numbers, it lagged far behind the others. Though its shinobi were tough and courageous, their performance in the Land of Rain battlefield was particularly poor due to environmental factors. At one point, even Rain ninja managed to push them back.

Combined with Konoha's longstanding propaganda portraying contempt toward Sunagakure, the jonin naturally found fighting the Sand much more appealing. If they'd instead been ordered northward to confront Kumo, those Konoha jonin still haunted by the First Great Ninja War would've definitely doubted if it was worth the risk.

Sakumo carefully observed the expressions of the jonin before him, inwardly feeling a sense of relief.

Certainly, from the perspective of the village leadership, mobilizing and deploying ninja forces was nothing more than a simple order away. The will of individuals—even jonin—was insignificant compared to the unity demanded during wartime.

But Sakumo Hatake, who had risen step by step from the grassroots ranks, thought differently. He believed that motivation among ninja was the key to unleashing real combat effectiveness. And to inspire such motivation, it wasn't enough to rely solely on education about the Will of Fire; tangible, visible benefits were equally crucial. Only then could the full potential of Konoha ninja be maximized and unleashed.

Although the two advisors of Konoha's Big Four, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, firmly opposed the idea, arguing that dangerous high-level ninjutsu shouldn't run rampant among the Jonin assembly and cause unforeseen consequences, Danzo surprisingly stood on Sakumo Hatake's side, believing it was necessary to set up some effective rewards to boost motivation among active-duty ninja.

Thus, the debate ended in a 2-2 draw between both sides.

Finally, after careful consideration, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi made the final decision, approving Sakumo Hatake's proposal.

His logic was straightforward—who knew how many of Konoha's top Jonin would make it through this war?

Besides, weren't the criteria for evaluating battle merits and accessing jutsu ultimately determined by him? At worst, he'd simply allow only the top five meritorious Jonin to access the Scroll of Seals, compensating others with honors and money.

As for Sakumo Hatake at this moment, having successfully motivated all the remaining Jonin within the village, he too felt full of confidence about the future.

After all, Sunagakure wasn't anything extraordinary.

When he was stationed at the western border, he led a small ninja force into the Land of Rivers—buffer zone for invasion—and slaughtered countless Sand ninja, sending them retreating in disarray. If he could achieve that alone, then surely deploying dozens of Jonin should pose no problem!

"The ultimate victory will belong to Konoha!"

Sakumo Hatake declared solemnly.

"Victory to Konoha!"

The passionate Jonin of Konoha roared together.

"To the frontlines! To glory and achievements!"

Sakumo shouted again.

"For Konoha!"

The Jonin responded in unison once more.

"Honor our Jonin Unit leader Sakumo!"

Then came an outburst from Kodou Jonin—the same Kodou Jonin who had boldly confronted the former Jonin Unit leader and led the impeachment during the last Jonin Meeting—an undisputed loyal supporter of Sakumo Hatake in the eyes of the Jonin assembly!

However, his words carried obvious undertones of taking sides, so as soon as he spoke, the atmosphere inside the Jonin Unit meeting hall fell silent immediately.

"Honor our wise Jonin Unit leader Sakumo!"

Hyuga Soushu seized the opportunity, being the first to rise. He raised his left hand at about a 45-degree angle towards the front of the chamber and shouted loudly: "Konoha must triumph!"

Inspired by Hyuga Soushu's initiative, a large group of martial-faction-aligned Jonin followed suit and stood up as well.

Sakumo Hatake found this somewhat unexpected, yet he felt relieved.

While he appreciated Kodou Jonin's gesture, drawing too much attention wasn't something he particularly liked.

So, Sakumo Hatake stood up and responded loudly:

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