"Currently, after a new round of mobilization and recruitment, we've added another four thousand ninja to our ranks. With the reinforcements from Hidden Waterfall, our combined force now numbers twenty-two thousand. This means we've completely overturned the enemy's numerical advantage. And with the Three-Tails and Seven-Tails jinchūriki, plus the Eight Pillars of Waterfall joining us, our strategic strength is now overwhelming…"
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes gleamed as he pointed out positions and lines on the map, explaining the shifting tides to the assembled high command of Konoha and Takigakure. This kind of presentation used to be the domain of Chief Strategist Nara Shikaku, but with Danzō calling the shots now, Shikaku didn't even get a seat at the table. Fugaku, on the other hand, was thrilled—he'd burned the midnight oil, poured his heart into this new battle plan, and was ready to bask in the spotlight. But as he looked around, he realized the meeting wasn't going quite as planned.
Most of the senior officers watched Fugaku's presentation with rapt attention.
But one of the key guests—Third Takikage Amamiya—was sprawled sideways on a sofa, eyes half-lidded, head bobbing, occasionally murmuring a distracted "mm-hmm."
Was this guy… asleep?
Seriously? In the middle of a war council? The disrespect was unreal.
Danzō's face darkened. He shot Amamiya a glare, then glanced at Fugaku, jaw clenched. "Continue…"
Fugaku cleared his throat and pressed on. "According to our intel, the Wind-Lightning Alliance is currently rotating out about twelve thousand troops. I believe this presents us with a prime opportunity to launch a fresh offensive."
He glanced at Danzō again, who nodded silently. Encouraged, Fugaku continued, "Our ANBU have infiltrated both Sand and Cloud. The reports say Sand's One-Tail and Five-Tails jinchūriki are both back in their village, Cloud's Eight-Tails is also at home, and the Two-Tails is currently in Sunagakure. In other words, there isn't a single tailed beast left on the enemy front lines.
"My plan is simple: we use the Three-Tails and Seven-Tails jinchūriki as the spearhead—the first wave to smash through the Wind-Lightning Alliance's outer defenses. All Konoha and Takigakure jōnin will form the second wave, advancing along two axes to punch deep into the enemy camp. The rest of our ninja will form the third wave, moving up to expand our gains. That concludes my proposal. I welcome your feedback."
Fugaku stepped back, bowing slightly. He'd genuinely put work into this—leveraging ANBU intelligence, keeping the plan clear and actionable, and sidestepping the usual issues of poor Konoha-Waterfall coordination. It was, on paper, a solid plan.
Danzō nodded, clearly pleased. As a seasoned veteran, he could tell Fugaku had put real thought into this.
But then he glanced at Amamiya, who still looked half-asleep, and Danzō's patience snapped. You want to act above it all during a war council? Fine, I'll call you out.
"Lord Amamiya?"
"Mm?" Amamiya finally "woke up," opening his eyes with exaggerated slowness.
"I saw you were listening quite intently just now. What are your thoughts on this plan?"
Amamiya looked around, feigning confusion. "It's finished already?"
The Konoha officers snickered quietly. Let's see you squirm now.
"It's finished," Danzō prompted, voice cool.
"Oh, then I'll share my thoughts."
Amamiya stood, snapped open a small folding fan, and strolled unhurriedly to the map, all eyes on him.
"I have a few questions for…?"
"Uchiha Fugaku," Fugaku introduced himself, trying to keep his composure.
"Mm, Fugaku. Please, indulge me."
Amamiya pointed his fan at the arrow marking the first attack wave. "I've been in your village for two days now. As I understand it, your Three-Tails jinchūriki is still a child, correct?"
A ripple of shock went through the room. So he hadn't been sleeping after all!
Amamiya smiled faintly, ignoring the surprise. "May I ask—how far has your village's jinchūriki progressed in their training? Are they able to perfectly control the tailed beast's power?"
The implication was clear. If the jinchūriki couldn't control their beast, the attack could go wildly off target—or even backfire.
A hush fell, everyone sucking in a sharp breath.
"That's my first point," Amamiya continued.
Wait, there's more?
He gestured to the second wave. "You just said you'd concentrate all Konoha and Waterfall jōnin, split them into two teams, and have them follow up as the second wave. That's good—clear objectives. I assume you want these two teams to act as spearheads, breaking into the enemy camp and opening the way for the third wave?"
Fugaku's expression tightened, but he nodded. "Yes."
"Here's the problem," Amamiya said, smiling. "The Wind-Lightning Alliance has plenty of top-tier fighters. If our spearheads get bogged down, what's the third wave supposed to do—stand outside and watch? That's my second point."
Without giving Fugaku a chance to respond, Amamiya pressed on. "Third—my subordinates visited Konoha's recruitment office yesterday. I must say, you're scraping the bottom of the barrel—drafting academy graduates and retired old men. The spirit is admirable, but what can such people do on the battlefield besides serve as cannon fodder or dead weight?"
Amamiya swept his gaze around the room and bowed slightly. "The enemy commander we face—Jinghang—once said something I find deeply true: 'War is the greatest affair of the state, the ground of life and death, the path of survival or destruction—it must not be taken lightly.' Since this is a battle plan, we should treat it with the utmost care. Otherwise, aren't we just gambling with our soldiers' lives?"
The room was rocked into silence.
This guy wasn't just dead weight—he actually had substance.
Even Nara Shikaku, sidelined in the corner, nodded in approval.
Danzō's face, instead of darkening, grew calm and thoughtful.
"Lord Takikage speaks the truth. Fugaku, revise the plan based on these points."
Fugaku nodded stiffly. "Yes, sir."
"I don't think this is something to rush," Amamiya added, fanning himself with a relaxed confidence.
"What does Lord Amamiya suggest?" Danzō asked.
"Our two armies have different command structures, jutsu, tactics, and no real experience working together. If we launch a joint operation now, it's bound to go poorly. I think we need to address that first—otherwise, all this planning is just empty talk."
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