klisemfg Chapter 586 Trembling
Chapter 586 Trembling
The Third Hokage, bearing the dignity befitting a First Hokage, wore an unprecedentedly solemn expression. He spoke in a deep, powerful voice: "Since the Second Shinobi World War began, I believe everyone is well aware of the scale of the war. The losses suffered by Konoha Village have reached an all-time high."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over every ninja present, each face etched with heaviness.
"According to the statistics," the Third Hokage's voice trembled slightly, yet remained exceptionally clear, "the Anbu's death toll reached three-quarters, and the number of ordinary ninjas exceeded eight hundred, including ninety-eight Jonin, one hundred and fifty-nine Chunin, and the remaining Genin were almost entirely wiped out..."
Upon hearing the Third Hokage's somber report, the atmosphere in the conference hall became unusually heavy, so oppressive that it seemed as if even the air itself had frozen. All the ninjas bowed their heads, clenched their teeth, or tightened their fists, expressing their silent mourning for their fallen comrades.
The Third Hokage took a deep breath, shouldering the responsibility. His voice was hoarse but firm: "The main responsibility for this incident lies with me. I did not anticipate that the scale of the war would continue to expand, which led to Konoha's inadequate preparation in terms of combat power."
Below, many ninjas spoke up, their voices filled with understanding and respect for the Hokage: "Third Hokage, don't blame yourself!" "You've done your best, Lord Hokage!"
Zhang Hai muttered to himself. He thought that no one could have imagined that the declaration of war by the small country of Amegakure would trigger a chain reaction across the entire ninja world. This could only mean that deep-seated conflicts existed between the countries, and Hanzo's declaration of war just happened to be a fuse, exacerbating these conflicts and leading to the continuous expansion of the war. This was not solely the responsibility of the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage waved his hand again, signaling everyone to calm down. His deep eyes swept across the room as he said authoritatively, "A mistake is a mistake, and the Hokage cannot shirk responsibility." He paused, his tone becoming serious and earnest: "The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss the upcoming war plans. Next,... a disciple of White Fang will explain the intelligence from various countries to everyone."
These words immediately caused an uproar in the conference hall. No one knew much about White Fang's student before, some only knowing him as a "connection hire." Was the Third Hokage's move to put him in the spotlight to entrust him with an important task? This left many puzzled and filled with curiosity.
Zhang Hai, who had been sitting quietly in the corner listening to the meeting, was startled when he heard the Third Hokage's words. He hadn't expected to be called upon to speak, and muttered to himself, "No wonder he specifically called me." At the same time, he wondered about the Third Hokage's intention in putting him in the spotlight. How could he possibly develop his career discreetly afterward? He certainly didn't want to become a center of attention.
Zhang Hai was in an extremely bad mood, but he remained outwardly calm. He humbly stood up, nodded to everyone, and then clearly and systematically reported to them the intelligence he had gathered and organized during his trip. He analyzed in detail the troop deployments and intelligence on key figures of various ninja villages, especially emphasizing the enemy powerhouses and individuals with special abilities that Konoha ninjas needed to be wary of. His explanation was logically clear and the information was comprehensive, giving many of the ninjas present a fresh perspective.
The Third Hokage smiled and stroked his beard, clearly very satisfied with Zhang Hai's remarks.
After Zhang Hai finished speaking and sat down, the Third Hokage continued, "Through this war, I also discovered the shortcomings of ninjas. Each ninja performs a variety of different missions, resulting in different development paths for each ninja. Some are good at taijutsu, some at ninjutsu, some at genjutsu, and others at sensory perception, tracking, medical treatment, and so on. Forcing them together would not maximize their combat effectiveness and would only affect the outcome of the battle. After all... ninjas are not an army."
He presented his thoughts, then changed the subject, his tone becoming firm and forceful: "Therefore, I propose a second decision: from now on, ninjas will operate in squads. Each squad will consist of four members, led by a Jonin. Furthermore, each squad must include members with specific special abilities to ensure the smooth execution of intelligence gathering and missions, minimize ninja losses, and achieve the effect of 'breaking down the whole into smaller units'."
The Third Hokage's words echoed in the conference room, and many ninjas fell into deep thought. This new method of warfare would undoubtedly completely change Konoha's ninja system.
"Does everyone agree with this proposal?" The Third Hokage looked around and asked for everyone's opinion.
No sooner had the Third Hokage finished speaking than a voice rang out, carrying an undisguised objection: "I have a problem with that!"
In the conference hall, everyone was stunned. They all turned to look in the direction of the voice, wondering who was so disrespectful to the Third Hokage, daring to offer an opinion so soon after he finished speaking.
Even Jiraiya, who was almost asleep, was startled awake by the sudden noise. He groggily looked around and saw that the source of the sound was Tsunade sitting next to him. Tsunade was frowning, her face clearly showing disapproval.
Ignoring the surprised looks around her, Tsunade resolutely stood up in the tense atmosphere, her voice loud and firm: "Regarding the four-person team system, I have a supplementary suggestion!" Her gaze swept over every ninja present, finally landing on the Third Hokage. "I believe that each team should be equipped with a medical expert! This will significantly improve the team's survival rate and mission success rate!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, her tone carrying an undeniable conviction: "Training medical ninjas with advanced medical skills, developing more efficient medical ninjutsu, and establishing this system are the most urgent tasks for Konoha right now!"
The Third Hokage nodded in agreement, a hint of relief on his face. He understood Tsunade's thoughts and the importance of medical ninjas. "Tsunade is right," he said in a deep voice, but then his tone shifted, tinged with helplessness: "However, Tsunade, this is wartime. Establishing a comprehensive medical system would take too much time, and we lack the knowledge in this area. The enemy won't give us that time."
Before the Third Hokage could finish speaking, Tsunade immediately flew into a rage. She slammed her hand on the table and roared, "What did you say, old man! At this rate, when will we ever get to...!"