Ninja have extremely strong execution and obedience.
Even so, it still took the major clans a full week before they submitted their rosters to the Hokage Tower.
Clans that controlled various departments held enormous power, but their records and information were fully exposed—there was no room to falsify anything.
Aside from those who hadn't graduated yet or hadn't been assigned into departments, the names, ninja registration numbers, ranks, service records, and even specialties of every active clan member were laid out in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Just as Hiruzen had said, none of the clan heads chose to personally lead troops into battle.
However, the lists did include several jōnin-level members—representatives of their respective clans.
If you wanted to command those clan members, you had to "conquer" those representatives first.
Entrusted with heavy responsibility, the Konoha Sannin, Hatake Sakumo, and Shimura Danzō began selecting personnel and assembling combat units.
There were many types of units: reconnaissance teams for infiltration and intelligence gathering; surprise-raid teams for probing the enemy; mid-range squads specializing in weapons and projectiles; close-combat squads tasked with charging the front and killing; battle squads for prolonged engagements; long-range squads for frontline support and logistics protection; and special combat squads made up of those with unusual jutsu and secret arts.
In addition to the combat units led by Orochimaru and the others, each department also began building support units.
Support units handled logistics, medical care, sensing, and intelligence support.
These were jobs for designated clans and genin, and required longer preparation.
And beyond that, there was also the force working in darkness—assisting both combat and support units while doing unseen work: the assassination and special tactics unit representing the Hokage's will, commonly called Anbu.
As the combat units took shape, squads began leaving Konoha one after another, rushing toward the borders.
Once they left, unless the war failed to erupt, no one knew how many farewells were final.
Meanwhile, the support units—backed by the Land of Fire's financial power—began organizing supplies, ready to ship to the borders at any moment.
"War… it really broke out!"
Watching people leave the village in waves, Kushina couldn't believe her casual words had become prophecy.
She looked at Gojo Yoru, who was leaning on the balcony railing, and asked, "Yoru… did Orochimaru-sensei leave too?"
"Yeah." Yoru nodded. "He came a week ago to tell me—he's going to guard the border."
"Orochimaru-sensei didn't take you with him?"
"No. The war hasn't actually reached us yet," Yoru said with a smile. "I heard it's the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind fighting. The village is just preparing ahead of time. If the flames don't spread into the Land of Fire, once the Amegakure–Sunagakure war ends, they'll be back before long."
"Besides, the Land of Fire and Konoha are the strongest nation and village in the shinobi world. We don't need to send genin to the front lines yet."
"Even if we participate, it'll only be logistics support."
'Of course, that's for ordinary genin.'
Yoru didn't say that last line out loud.
After the First Great Ninja War, Konoha had recovered for many years. Its national strength had long returned to peak—arguably even stronger than before the first war.
Even with Uzumaki Mito gone and the new Nine-Tails jinchūriki not yet fully grown, Konoha still feared no nation.
There was no need to send genin to the very front.
But if a butterfly effect happened and Konoha's firepower became insufficient, genin could still be deployed.
In extreme cases, even academy trainees might be forced to graduate early and be sent to the battlefield.
If things ever reached that kind of crisis, Kushina—the Nine-Tails jinchūriki—would be placed on standby.
For now, though, Konoha still didn't need to deploy the jinchūriki.
Yoru was different.
Orochimaru hadn't said it outright, but Yoru could feel it: the village would make use of his Flying Thunder God.
His role was special.
"I see…"
Kushina, of course, didn't know what Yoru was thinking.
Hearing that Yoru wouldn't be sent to the battlefield—and even if he did participate it would be logistics—she finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
Even though Yoru had Flying Thunder God and incredible survivability, Kushina still couldn't help worrying.
After all, she understood the brutality of war better than anyone—she had witnessed the fall of the Land of Whirlpools.
"Yoru—let's train," Kushina suddenly said, eyes firm. "I want to train sensing and sealing at the same time, and also that Big Ball Rasengan you talked about."
The ever-present possibility of war exploding gave Kushina intense motivation to become stronger.
Lady Mito's chakra would only last a few years.
If, within those years, Kushina didn't awaken Adamantine Sealing Chains—power capable of suppressing the Nine-Tails—she could be influenced by the Nine-Tails' chakra at any time.
Kushina wasn't worried about hurting Yoru—he had Flying Thunder God.
The reason she wanted to become stronger was because she remembered Mito's final words:
The Nine-Tails is a living being made of chakra. If you gain a tailed beast's recognition, a special bond can form, giving the jinchūriki unbelievable power. This bond is called a "perfect jinchūriki."
Even if you can't win over the tailed beast, you can still use overwhelming power and sealing to forcibly suppress it and steal its chakra.
And that chakra can be granted to others.
Just like malice-and-goodwill sensing, that was a property of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
If someone even devoured the Nine-Tails' flesh and blood, they could gain Nine-Tails chakra too.
Yoru's current weakness was chakra reserves—he couldn't even fire off two Fire Release: Rasengan in a row.
If he went to the battlefield, he definitely couldn't freely use trump cards like Rasengan.
Rumor said even an elite jōnin like Orochimaru couldn't use Rasengan many times. Even when Yoru grew up, he might still be unable to use the Big Ball Rasengan or Rasenshuriken Yoru described.
So Kushina desperately wanted to help Yoru.
If she could share the Nine-Tails' chakra with him, not only could he freely use Flying Thunder God, he could also fully realize that incredible ninjutsu talent.
Yoru had no idea what Kushina was thinking.
Seeing her suddenly full of "get stronger" drive, he assumed she was remembering the jinchūriki's role as a strategic weapon and worrying the village would force her onto the battlefield—pressure building inside her.
He patted Kushina's head and smiled. "Don't worry, Tomato-na. I won't give them any chance to force you onto the battlefield."
Kushina froze slightly. Realizing Yoru had misunderstood, warmth surged in her chest.
And her motivation to become stronger only grew.
But on the surface, she teased him. "Then you, stinky-mouth Yoru, better get stronger too. If you end up needing my power to protect you, don't blame me for laughing at you."
"Save the dreams for when you're asleep, Tomato-na," Yoru said with a confident grin. "You won't get that chance!"
"Heh-heh… we'll see."
With no Orochimaru pushing them, the two of them actually trained even harder.
~~~
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