HGBW: Ch. 123

Seeing that Orochimaru had no objections, Shikaku shifted the topic to Jiraiya and Minato.

"Jiraiya-sama, Minato, I hope you can handle Iwa."

"The Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release is extremely tricky. If trapped in a barrier formed by Dust Release, even a Kage-level ninja is doomed. Only space-time ninjutsu can counter it."

"Especially you, Minato. Based on intelligence analysis, Iwa has the fewest Kage-level combatants among the three enemy factions. And with your Flying Thunder God Technique, before your chakra is depleted, there's no real difference between a jonin or a genin when facing you."

"So, you and Jiraiya-sama must eliminate Iwa's forces as quickly as possible, then use the Flying Thunder God to bypass Kumo's front lines and join forces with Orochimaru-sama."

"Killing the Third Raikage would be ideal, but even if that isn't possible, you must quickly crush Kumo."

"After that, head to the Suna front. Once all three fronts are united, we will shatter the strongest force of Suna."

Shikaku devised this strategy based on intelligence from the three great ninja villages, making full use of the abilities of the Sannin and Minato.

This plan satisfied Hiruzen's expectations—giving Minato a chance to build his reputation by defeating a weaker enemy while also ensuring Orochimaru gained prestige to solidify his position as the leader of the ANBU forces. At the same time, it assigned the right people to the most suitable positions.

Jiraiya was paired with Minato, and Orochimaru was paired with Danzō.

Only with such combinations could they trust each other and work together seamlessly.

If the teams were switched—whether Orochimaru with Minato or Jiraiya with Danzō—even if they didn't directly undermine one another, they would remain wary and unable to cooperate fully.

As Konoha's top strategist, Shikaku considered every detail meticulously.

From tactical arrangements to personnel deployments, everything was carefully planned.

"The last concern is Suna."

"In terms of military strength, Suna has the smallest forces among the great ninja villages. However, even though Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law were slain by Sakumo, Suna still boasts the highest number of Kage-level fighters among the great ninja villages."

"Among the three battlefronts, the Suna front is the most critical and bears the greatest pressure."

When discussing Suna, Shikaku hesitated slightly.

In the previous war against Suna, their many Kage-level fighters launched an overwhelming attack, which was countered by Tsunade and Sakumo working together.

One served as the army's pillar, stabilizing the front lines.

The other fought alone, slicing through enemy ranks and killing the parents of Sasori.

Their cooperation shattered Suna.

Now, even though Suna wasn't launching a full-scale invasion with all its Kage-level fighters, its attacks were still probing, and at least two Kage-level opponents were expected.

On the other hand, Konoha no longer had Sakumo, their strongest blade. Furthermore, the Sannin were barely maintaining their unity, on the verge of complete disbandment.

This meant immense pressure on Tsunade.

Blitzkrieg. Tanaka had been listening without speaking. Seeing Shikaku hesitate, he understood why.

Because of chakra's existence in the shinobi world, individual ninja strength was overwhelming—especially for elite jonin and above, where combat power per individual was exceptionally high.

As for Kage-level fighters, they were almost beyond ordinary human limitations. They had no apparent weaknesses, exceptional mobility, and could function like a small army on their own, even deciding the outcome of entire wars single-handedly.

Thus, wars in the shinobi world, whether fought with large formations or split forces, were always based on blitzkrieg tactics.

Rarely would armies engage in prolonged standoffs or battles of attrition. Because of this, while logistics and supplies were important, they weren't decisive. For example, during the First Great Ninja War, the conflict only lasted two or three days once it began. There was hardly any need for extensive logistics or supply chains.

Ninja could carry a small stock of food pills and blood-replenishing pills. If necessary, space-time ninjutsu could be used to store additional supplies in scrolls.

"Suna's tactics are well known to everyone. Unlike Kumo and Kiri, they don't favor dividing their forces."

"Suna excels in poison techniques—especially Chiyo, who can poison entire battalions at once. To maximize efficiency in eliminating enemies with minimal casualties, Suna prefers to concentrate its forces and advance in large-scale formations, forcing opponents into similar formations. Once the armies are locked in direct combat, mass poisoning becomes inevitable."

"The real problem is the geography of the Land of Wind. It's vast and sparsely populated, with most of its territory consisting of deserts. Even if we invade and wreak havoc, the short-term impact would be limited. Instead, by spreading our forces too thin, Suna's army could easily breach our lines and invade our homeland."

"The Land of Fire isn't like the Land of Wind. It has a strong economy, a dense population, and numerous towns."

"A single elite squad of Suna jonin could wreak havoc across our nation."

Shikaku's concerns were evident.

He viewed the bigger picture and understood that Tsunade and Hiruzen had already reached a breaking point in their conflict.

After careful consideration, he knew that to prevent internal strife from affecting the external war, he needed to make his superiors recognize Tsunade's crucial importance at this stage.

One word.

Irreplaceable.

"Tsunade, what do you need? If Konoha has it, we will give it to you. Ninjas, weapons, supplies—take whatever you need."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly as he gripped his pipe tightly.

After Shikaku's analysis, he realized the gravity of his mistake in eliminating Sakumo. But regret was meaningless now. The only hope left was to rely on Tsunade. After all, aside from Sakumo, Tsunade was the only one in Konoha most capable of handling Suna.

"I want him."

Tsunade turned her gaze to Tanaka, who had remained silent since the meeting began. There was nothing more to say. Choosing him was an obvious decision from the start.

"Give me a hand, can you?"

Even the clan leaders had to step onto the battlefield, except for Hiruzen. So Tsunade's words to Tanaka weren't a commanding order but a respectful request.

"I don't seem to have a reason to refuse you, Lady Tsunade."

Facing Tsunade's gaze, Tanaka could see a hint of longing in her eyes.

It made sense.

Jiraiya had Minato. Orochimaru had Danzō. But when Tsunade looked behind her, there was no one left.

"Heh… Hehehe." Seeing Tanaka agree without hesitation, Tsunade smirked, her eyebrows arching slightly as she turned to glance at the two cowardly advisors hiding behind Hiruzen.

"..."

Homura and Koharu shrank back even more, not daring to utter a word. After all, Hiruzen had just declared that as long as Tsunade made a request, they had to comply—whether it was manpower, weapons, or resources.

At such a crucial moment, if Tsunade insisted, they couldn't guarantee that Hiruzen wouldn't send them to the front lines in Suna's battlefield as well.

Orochimaru watched the scene unfold and sighed inwardly. In his view, Tanaka was absolutely a must-have asset. Unfortunately, he was one step too late. With Danzō and Root at his side, plus Tsunade making her move first, it was no longer appropriate for him to compete for Tanaka.

If he survives, Tsunade will surely rise in power.

Everyone looked at Tsunade, then turned their gazes toward Tanaka, the same thought running through their minds.

For ordinary ninjas, the Great Ninja War was a meat grinder—a battlefield that turned them into blood and corpses.

But for a genius like Tanaka, it was a grand stage.

Through the baptism of war, Tanaka would undoubtedly rise to greatness, no weaker than Sakumo in his prime—perhaps even surpassing him.

Originally, among the three Sannin, Tsunade was the weakest in influence.

But now?

That might no longer be the case.