Konoha: The Soul King from the Uchiha Clan

Chapter 122 The Second Generation Who Won at the Starting Line

When the news reached Konoha, many ninjas lamented...

The peace had barely lasted when war broke out again.

When will these chaotic and unsettling days finally end?

Although most ninjas do not go to the battlefield in small-scale wars, there are always some ninjas who cannot escape the order to go to the battlefield.

The ninjas sent to the battlefield were mostly ordinary civilian ninjas who were not particularly outstanding, while clan ninjas were usually only sent out in small numbers to serve in important positions.

Elite members of clan ninjas, outstanding commoner ninjas, or ninjas with protection, as well as ninjas in charge of internal affairs such as administration or education, will not go to the battlefield.

A small number of ninjas without connections or exceptional skills from the medical department are sent to the battlefield, but these technical talents are far more valuable than cannon fodder.

They usually stay in the rear of the battlefield and rarely go to the front lines. Even when they do go to the front lines, they are the ones being protected.

Tsunade's idea of ​​equipping a squad with a medical ninja is excellent, but it cannot be realized in reality for the time being because the threshold for mastering medical ninjutsu is too high.

Not to mention now, even the Konoha Twelve didn't achieve that; the ratio is still far from perfect.

Uchiha Gen also received news of the outbreak of war, but he didn't take it to heart and continued to live his life as usual...

Slacking off at work, collecting souls, researching ninjutsu, occasionally visiting Orochimaru, meeting up with three beautiful female subordinates, chatting with classmates I bump into, reading books that interest me, and so on...

Unless the war situation becomes extremely critical, the police department's ninjas will not go to the battlefield; it is not their duty.

With Orochimaru protecting him, it's even less likely that he'll get a chance.

Kurenai, Ako, and Yugao will not go to the battlefield.

With Anko protected by him and Orochimaru, and Kurenai and Yugao also protected by him, they can't be included in the list of ninjas to fill vacancies on the front lines.

Unless he wants to go to the battlefield on his own initiative!

However, he currently has no plans to go to the battlefield; he intends to go with Orochimaru when Orochimaru becomes a commander.

It is expected that by then, the Mangekyou Sharingan will have awakened, and then he will have the confidence to go to the battlefield to collect souls and lifespans.

A ninja's soul is far superior to that of an ordinary person; this is an opportunity not to be missed!

He estimated that the Konoha leadership on the Cloud Village side would not allow Orochimaru to become a commander, even though Orochimaru was very famous in the Cloud Village.

The reason was simple: Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that Orochimaru had gone astray and did not want to pass the Hokage position to Orochimaru.

Sending Orochimaru to the front lines of Kumogakure is giving Orochimaru a chance to make a name for himself, isn't it?

Once the war is over, Orochimaru will be at the height of his power. Will Hiruzen Sarutobi still have the nerve to keep Orochimaru in check?

According to his speculation, Orochimaru would at most serve as a troubleshooter, and would be replaced once the war gained the upper hand or the situation stabilized, allowing others to reap the rewards.

Only by diminishing Orochimaru's contributions and handling the matter discreetly could Hiruzen Sarutobi have an excuse to not pass the leadership to Orochimaru with a clear conscience.

Therefore, he would only go to the battlefield after Konoha could not find a suitable commander for a period of time.

He will leave after Orochimaru leaves the battlefield.

It's not that the student follows the master's lead, but rather that once Orochimaru is replaced, he certainly won't be as free on the battlefield.

Furthermore, he disliked being commanded by the most elite Jonin-level ninjas. Why should a Kage-level ninja accept the command of an elite Jonin?

Orochimaru is a Kage-level ninja, his teacher, and he treated him well, which gives him the right to command him.

Therefore, in order to harvest as many souls as possible, one needs to seize the time once on the battlefield and does not need to hold back one's strength.

The Homie can be used openly and legitimately, and the Mangekyou Sharingan can also be displayed if the time is right.

There's no need to be timid or hesitant!

Only when you show your strength will others be wary of you; if you hide it, others will think you are easy to bully and will come looking for trouble.

Although it may not necessarily cause any harm, it's like a toad crawling on your foot—it doesn't bite, but it's annoying!

If there isn't a suitable opportunity, then keep it hidden as a trump card.

The Homies are essential; otherwise, they cannot roam freely on the battlefield and reap souls on a massive scale.

……

Around 9 p.m. that same night, when the news reached Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was acting as Hokage in his capacity as the Third Hokage, returned from the Hokage Building to his residence on the Sarutobi clan's estate.

Having fully recovered, Sarutobi Biwako went to greet him, helping him remove the Hokage robe as she said, "The Grand Elder has arrived and has been waiting in the tea room for quite some time."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, then relaxed, and said calmly, "I understand."

Having changed out of his Hokage robes and into a loose white loungewear outfit, Hiruzen Sarutobi, pipe in hand, arrived at his family's tea room.

"Lord Hokage."

Wearing a purple kimono with the Sarutobi clan crest, and with high-bridged eyebrows and a prominent nose, the Sarutobi clan elder, who had a very stern face, rose from the ground and bowed respectfully.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is both the Hokage and the head of the Sarutobi clan.

The latter was certainly not worthy of such respect from the Sarutobi clan's elder, while the former clearly was.

"Haoyong, what's the matter so late?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly and then sat down, his tone somewhat impatient.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't particularly like this elder.

Because they are too selfish in family matters, unable to break free from the family's boundaries, and prioritize family interests over the interests of the village.

Sarutobi Gounaga didn't mind Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone at all. He knelt down and said respectfully, "I'm sorry to bother the Hokage so late. I have something important to discuss."

"To be frank, if it doesn't affect the village's interests, I'll do my best to handle it."

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the clan leader, prioritizes the interests of the village, he cannot escape the ties of family and the complexities of human relationships.

Because the Sarutobi clan's ninjas and members were his most solid base.

Sarutobi Goei was overjoyed. As the clan chief, he still prioritized the interests of the village as before, and would not tolerate any infringement on those interests.

However, it doesn't matter. The Sarutobi clan doesn't affect the village's interests; it only affects the interests of other families.

"I've heard that war has broken out, and a reliable frontline commander has yet to be appointed."

Therefore, I would like to recommend someone.

"Who?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat; he had already vaguely guessed who it was. The commotion within the clan could not be kept from him.

"Shinnosuke."

As expected of Shinnosuke, he refuses to stay in the Anbu and wants to become Hokage.

But Shinnosuke, are you made of that kind of material?

The head of the ANBU is quite different from the front-line commander. If things go wrong, not only will he lose his life, but he will also implicate the front-line ninjas.

"Lord Hokage, I know you are not comfortable with Orochimaru becoming the Fifth Hokage."

"Aside from Orochimaru, there are very few ninjas in the village who are qualified to be frontline commanders."

Jiraiya checked on Kushina and, after confirming that she was alright, quickly made his escape.

During this special period, Jiraiya, with his wisdom, had already realized that staying in Konoha would definitely bring him trouble.

"Among the short, the tallest is undoubtedly Shinnosuke, who has received your and the family's guidance since childhood."

"He is down-to-earth and steady, intelligent, experienced, and capable."

"If it's a large-scale war for the village's benefit, I would never recommend it to you, but for small-scale battles involving a thousand people, Shinnosuke is absolutely capable!"

"Even if something unexpected happens, you and Konoha are capable of handling it."

"He is, after all, your eldest son. How about giving him a chance to prove himself?"

"If he has the potential to become Hokage, then we should nurture him with great effort."

"What an honor it is to have two Hokage from one family!"

"Only the Senju clan has ever achieved this."

If not, then let's leave it at that.

"Yes...this is also the collective hope of the Sarutobi clan!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smoked a cigarette, remaining silent...

Sarutobi Gouya didn't urge him, but waited quietly. He didn't believe that Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't hope his son would become a dragon...

He was 90% sure about this, and the remaining 10% was just because he was afraid of becoming arrogant!

"Let's give it a try. I hope he won't let me down."

"To prevent him from acting recklessly and causing the front lines to collapse, I plan to have Shikaku keep him in check."

"The Hokage is wise!"

Sarutobi Goei suppressed his great joy and said solemnly.

This isn't about Shikaku restraining Shinnosuke; it's clearly about helping Shinnosuke!

I'll visit the two elders again later and ask them to suggest transferring Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza as well, so that the modern-day Ino-Shika-Cho trio will be formed.

With the help of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, plus Shinnosuke's abilities, even if they can't defeat Kumogakure, they won't be defeated, and their bottom line will be guaranteed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly and said, "I'm tired, I'm going to rest now."

"Respectfully seeing off the Hokage."

The following morning, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was appointed as the frontline commander of Kumogakure.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, accompanied by a squad of Sarutobi clan ninja...

Sorry, I feel like these three chapters contain a lot of rambling. I'll be more careful in the future.

(End of this chapter)