https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-407-The-Bankrupt-God-s-Ascension-The-Demigod-Program-/12936346/
Chapter 406: The Battle for the General
Chapter 406: The Battle for the General
"Now, we must first decide who will lead this army as the main general!" Nara Shikaku suggested.
This was a critical decision.
Facing the enraged army of Cloud Village ninjas, it was necessary to dispatch a reinforcement unit, and the leader of this army would also be the one to repel the Cloud Village's offensive.
The office fell silent.
Dong Ping calmly observed the expressions of the others.
He didn't really care either way; if he were to lead, it would be an opportunity to boost his own achievements.
If he wasn't chosen, he would be even more delighted.
"Nenachi, let me take charge this time. I'll make the Cloud Village understand just how foolish it is to attack Konoha," Danzo confidently recommended himself.
"No!"
"You can't!"
But before Sarutobi Kazumi could even open his mouth, Choshin Kokoro and Mizuhara Monen, in perfect harmony, spoke up to stop him.
Yes, it wasn't Dong Ping or Nara Shikaku who spoke, but rather these two individuals.
And precisely because of their relationship with Danzo, they understood that the position of the main general absolutely could not be given to him.
They were well aware of Danzo's deep obsession with the Hokage position, so it was out of the question to let him lead the army.
Not to mention, with the current state of missing an eye, a hand, and a leg, he was in no condition to be a general (they were unaware of Danzo's transaction with Orochimaru and thought he was still disabled).
"Kokoro, Monen, you..."
Danzo seemed taken aback, not expecting to be backstabbed by the two.
"Do you have the confidence to stop the Fourth Raikage?" Choshin Kokoro's words struck Danzo right in the heart.
The main general, while possessing supreme authority, also bore immense risk.
In the Shinobi World, the act of defeating and capturing the enemy's general was not uncommon.
During a war, if one side's general retreated or was killed, the impact would be enormous.
"Of course, I..."
Danzo was about to say he had the confidence when his gaze suddenly fell upon his bandaged half-body, and he finally realized.
Indeed, in the eyes of others, he had no chance of stopping the Fourth Raikage.
Unless he revealed his true condition.
But that was out of the question! It would be like openly declaring that he had used Hashirama's cells for experiments, a sure path to social death. So, he was momentarily lost for words.
"And do you think the morale of the ninja army will be high under your command?" Mizuhara Monen brought up an even more practical concern.
Morale!
The morale of the ninja army varied depending on the leader.
After all, ninjas weren't like the killing machines of Root Division; their morale wasn't constant.
If they knew they would be serving under the 'Shadow of the Shinobi', their morale would undoubtedly be extremely low.
Danzo would genuinely treat his ninjas as chess pieces and cannons, and with his notorious reputation in the village, it would be a miracle if the army didn't collapse.
So, with these two fatal flaws, Danzo had no chance of becoming the main general.
"Then, aside from me, who else can be the general?" Danzo, realizing that the two were right, asked with dissatisfaction.
In the office, unless there was a major defeat on the front lines, it was impossible for Dong Ping to be considered for the role again.
"How about Shikaku?" Sarutobi Kazumi suggested a candidate.
As the 'Leaf Village Strategist', Shikaku's abilities and prestige were both high, making him qualified to be the general.
"No, he's no match for the Raikage, and the Boar-Deer-Butterfly Formation is too easy to counter!" Choshin Kokoro pointed out a weakness.
"But can't we assign him a vice-general?" Sarutobi Kazumi's gaze turned to Dong Ping.
Yes, this was the ideal arrangement in his mind.
Main General: Nara Shikaku. Vice-General: Uchiha Dong Ping.
This way, Dong Ping couldn't claim credit, and the combat strength of the ninja army would be assured.
But there was a problem!
With this arrangement, would the vice-general be willing to take on such a role?
The vice-general position meant taking on the hardships and blame while having no share in the achievements and benefits. A strong ninja would never willingly accept such a position.
Unless there was a special connection!
Jiraiya's role as the vice-general to the Fourth Hokage was solely because he wanted to support his own disciple's rise.
Try replacing him with someone else. Do you think strong ninjas have no temper?
It might be difficult to refuse a direct order from the Hokage, but there would be countless ways to make the general's position unattractive, while the general would be powerless to act.
So, Sarutobi Niji looked towards Dong Ping, actually testing his intentions.
Facing this test, Dong Ping maintained a calm expression, revealing not a hint of his thoughts, leaving it entirely up to others to guess.
Even if asked directly, he could agree on the surface but cause trouble behind the scenes, so forcing him with commands was out of the question.
"I have a candidate!" Choshin Kokoro suddenly spoke up. After everyone's attention was on her, she said the name, "Sarutobi Shinzo!"
Yes, the name she mentioned was the head of the Root Division.
And he had another identity.
The Hokage's Son!
His dream was also to become the Hokage.
"No way, Shinzo's strength and abilities are not enough to serve as the main general!"
Sarutobi Niji immediately voiced his opposition.
He was well aware of his eldest son; he had been captured by the Sand Village ninjas before and was barely rescued through a trade. Now, asking him to face the Cloud Village ninjas, who were stronger than the Sand ninjas, was practically a death sentence.
"We can have Danzo and Dong Ping as vice-generals, and Shikaku as the strategist!"
Choshin Kokoro suggested her arrangement.
This was undoubtedly the best configuration for the current situation.
Danzo couldn't be the main general, but as a vice-general, he would definitely provide a significant intelligence advantage to the main general.
As for Shikaku, he was an obvious choice for the strategist role, and no one would object to that.
Lastly, there was Dong Ping.
With Danzo and Shikaku keeping an eye on him, he wouldn't dare to openly cause trouble, and he would also be restrained.
Brilliant!
Choshin Kokoro's plan was indeed the best choice in this situation.
It wasn't the best choice, but merely the 'better' choice.
As for why Sarutobi Shinzo was chosen as the main general?
Apart from personal reasons, it was also because his identity was suitable for this position, and it would also give the two vice-generals room to perform.
"Dong Ping, can the others in the Heavenly Fortress participate in the battle?"
Mizuhara Monen suddenly asked.
"The 404th Squad can engage, but the others are not Konoha ninjas. I'm afraid there might be misunderstandings!"
Dong Ping nodded in agreement.
Indeed, within the Heavenly Fortress, only the 404th Squad was considered 'active ninjas', so they had to follow orders.
Unless they became rogue ninjas, they couldn't refuse the village's orders.
At most, due to your strength, the village's higher-ups wouldn't force you to undertake a suicidal mission.
However, the others in the Heavenly Fortress were a different matter.
They were essentially unregistered 'private armies' that the village couldn't command.
After all, these private armies didn't consume the village's resources or use its funds, so they weren't obligated to obey.
Remember the peace agreement from a few years ago?
Sarutobi Niji had played a trick on the major ninja clans, causing them significant casualties without providing corresponding compensation. The major clans still remembered it vividly.
The losses were devastating! The private armies they had cultivated over the years were almost wiped out, equivalent to countless wasted resources. The problem was that there was no return on investment, and even the ninja clans were struggling to cope.
Therefore, the idea of recruiting private armies was out of the question.
After this lesson, Dong Ping wouldn't involve his Heavenly Fortress in this ninja village war unless he had water on the brain.
His 404th Squad could participate, but not the Heavenly Fortress.
"Alright!"
Mizuhara Monen also understood Dong Ping's firm attitude and abandoned this plan.
After selecting the army's command structure, the next concern was the available combat power.
This was more complicated.
Not only did they need to ensure they could withstand the onslaught of the enraged Cloud Village ninjas, but they also had to prepare for contingencies and have sufficient backup forces.
The Mist, Sand, and Rock ninjas might tear up the agreement and directly invade the Fire Country, triggering the Fourth Ninja World War, if they saw an opportunity.
As for the village's recovery issue?
If they had this problem, didn't Konoha have it too? Everyone was in a similar state, which meant Konoha was in a good position.
Finally!
Konoha prepared to dispatch a thousand ninjas to form a support ninja army. The main general was Sarutobi Shinzo, with Danzo and Dong Ping as vice-generals and Shikaku as the strategist.
This support army had both quantity and quality, seemingly well-prepared to deal with the Cloud Village's offense.
If everyone worked together from within.
(End of Chapter)
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