Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 272 White Fang and Iron Wall

"Everyone, calm down! This is the Hokage's order; it's a strategic necessity!"

Koharu Utatane displayed the composure expected of a Hokage advisor; though her voice was stern, it carried a hint of suppressed grievance and helplessness.

This order wasn't actually proposed by her; it was decided by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado in the Hokage's office. She was merely an executor.

However, no amount of explanation would help at this point. She had lost the trust of the frontline ninjas and completely lost the prestige that a Hokage advisor should have. She was now just a simple Hokage secretary.

When you respect her, call her Hokage Advisor; when you don't, just ignore her. She's not a powerful figure like Shimura Danzo; she's just a power appendage attached to the Third Hokage. All her power comes from the Third Hokage. Although they don't dare challenge the Third Hokage's authority, they certainly have the guts to target her under the guise of "purging the court of corrupt officials."

And it's quite big.

"Strategic needs? I think your strategic needs are sending us to our deaths!"

"Lord Hokage is wise and mighty, how could he issue such an order? It must be you advisors who are pulling strings behind the scenes and deceiving Lord Hokage!"

"Dormitory transfer advisor, is this your doing? You halted the reforms, slandered Lord Iron Wall, and now you want us to go and die?!"

The kunai in the hands of the frontline ninjas gleamed coldly as they sharpened their blades, and the crowd grew increasingly dense, with the situation on the verge of spiraling out of control.

"quiet!"

Just as the conflict was about to erupt, Hatake Sagumo defied the rules of the Anbu, ripped off his mask, and revealed his true face.

He stepped forward and stood in the middle of the agitated crowd. He did not draw his sword, but his eyes swept across the entire scene. His voice was calm but unquestionable as he said, "This is an order personally issued by the Third Hokage. If you understand it, you must carry it out. If you don't understand it, you must understand it while carrying it out."

Hatake Sagumo's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying the authority of a Konoha ANBU chief.

Then he added, "My secret service will also participate in this mission, and I will personally lead the team!"

Upon seeing Hatake Sagumo's true appearance, the frontline ninjas realized that this ANBU member was the "White Fang of Konoha," the head of the Konoha ANBU. They couldn't help but recall the scene from some time ago when the main force of Konoha's army was almost crushed by the Sand Ninja. It was the White Fang of Konoha who single-handedly turned the tide and saved their lives.

The moment the title of "Third Hokage" was uttered by Konoha's White Fang, it seemed to awaken some kind of magic, causing the frontline ninjas, who were almost out of control, to freeze in their tracks.

The prestige of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in Konoha was far from collapsing; he remained the "Hero of Shinobi," the leader who led them to victory in the First Shinobi World War.

Ninjas are bound by a mental constraint; the title "Hokage" represents the highest authority and the will that must be obeyed.

The idea that ninjas are tools is deeply ingrained, and their strong sense of obedience and servility cannot be changed overnight.

The previously chaotic scene cooled down immediately, as if doused with cold water, thanks to the personal testimony of Hatake Sagumo and the presence of the Third Hokage.

The impassioned words they had just spoken turned into suppressed whispers and discontented silence. Hatake Sagumo's words seemed to have awakened them. This was the Hokage's will, and they naturally carried a huge burden of shackles in their hearts when they defied the Hokage's orders.

“Hmm.” Sasuke Umino’s eyes sharpened, and his heart sank slightly.

He keenly noticed this and couldn't help but feel regretful. It seemed that Hiruzen's prestige was far greater than he had imagined. As expected of the former ninja hero, his prestige was high enough that even if he was very aggressive, he still had many followers.

This is not the most difficult part; the shackles and ironclad seal of servility in the minds of ninjas are the hardest to break.

"Quiet!"

Sasuke Umino's voice wasn't loud, but with the enhancement of his Sound Wave Release, it possessed a strange penetrating power, instantly overwhelming all the whispers and noise.

His gaze swept over the resentful yet silent frontline ninjas, finally settling on Koharu Utatane and Sagumo Hatake. The thought he had been harboring about "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders" vanished, awaiting the next opportunity.

Therefore, he quickly adjusted his strategy. Since he couldn't fight it head-on, he would continue to win people's hearts and minds, enhance his prestige, and make the idea of ​​the Second Hokage as the true successor even more deeply ingrained in people's minds.

He took a deep breath, a resolute look on his face: "I have received the Hokage's orders."

Then, he looked at the frontline ninjas, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces, and said in a deep voice, "Since it is the Third Hokage's order, as Konoha ninjas, we should carry it out!"

These words immediately caused a stir in the room.

"Lord Iron Wall, you mustn't!"

"This is clearly a trap. You can't just accept any order!"

"If we submit a joint petition, we can definitely persuade the Hokage to rescind the order!"

Sasuke Umino, however, acted like a leader, raising his hand to immediately silence the shouts of the frontline ninjas. At that moment, Sasuke Umino's eyes were resolute, and a strong Will of Fire erupted from his body as he feigned self-sacrifice, saying, "Attack on the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Wind is a perilous undertaking! You are my brothers who have shared life and death with me, you are Konoha's precious fighting force. I cannot let you sacrifice yourselves in the desert of the Land of Wind for the political infighting of some people."

Then, he paused, his voice resolute, as if he had taken all the burdens upon himself, and declared with righteous indignation, "Therefore, I will go on this mission alone!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene immediately erupted into an uproar.

"what?!"

"Sir, you can't go alone!"

"We're not afraid to die, we'll die together!"

"Yes, we'll go with you. It's not the first time we've gone deep behind enemy lines..."

Hearing Umino Sasuke's impassioned words, not only were the frontline mobile support ninjas moved to tears and eagerly volunteered for battle, but frontline ninjas from other units around them, whether they were ordinary ninjas who had just benefited from the reforms or newly promoted puppeteers, all shouted excitedly and volunteered to follow in his footsteps and fight deep behind enemy lines.

Looking at the excited and determined faces, Umino Sasuke felt both gratified and somewhat helpless. While moved, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. It seemed he had gone too far in showing off. Leading a large force deep behind enemy lines was dangerous. If he were alone, with the Flying Thunder God Technique at his side, he could run away at any time if he couldn't win. Wouldn't leading a large force be a burden?

So, with a look of emotion on his face, he created a tragic and solemn expression, like the line from the poem "The wind howls and the Yi River is cold," and said firmly, "I, Umino Sasuke, am deeply grateful for everyone's kindness! Attacking the daimyo's mansion with too many people would make us a bigger target and easier to expose, only increasing casualties. How could I bear to watch my comrades sacrifice themselves in vain?"

Then, his gaze swept across the entire area, filled with earnestness and expectation: "Frontline mobile support troops, you have an even more important task. Stay on the front lines and hold back the main force of the Sand Ninja. Other troops, hold the battle line in the Land of Rivers. Your perseverance is the greatest support you can give me!"

Only if you remain firmly rooted here can you give me a chance to survive.

This is far more significant than following me deep into the lion's den!

Do you understand?!

Sasuke Umino is a master of rhetoric. His words transformed "not including you" into "protecting you" and "giving you a greater mission." This not only completely concealed his intention to be a burden but also made the frontline ninjas feel his sense of responsibility—"not wanting to implicate his comrades, he is shouldering everything alone."

The ninjas on the front lines had tears in their eyes, deeply moved; they had finally understood the good intentions behind this gesture.

This choice to "bear the danger alone" and "leave the way to survival to his comrades" earned them the utmost respect.

At the same time, he felt even deeper dissatisfaction and resentment towards the Konoha high-ranking officials who issued the orders, Koharu Utatane who brought the orders, and even the Anbu.

As a result, Sasuke Umino gained a large number of new fans, of course, including Shikaku Nara, who witnessed all of this.

However, although Nara Shikaku knew the truth perfectly well, he pretended to be a little fanboy and shouted loudly.

"Hold back the main force of the Sand Village, defeat the Sand Village, and relieve the pressure on Lord Iron Wall."

"Lord Iron Wall, you must come back safely!"

Seeing that the Nara family's little ones had all become loyal supporters of Lord Iron Wall, the frontline ninjas were in a state of high spirits, and Hatake Sagumo couldn't very well stand up and object.

So he walked up to Umino Sasuke and said in a deep voice, "Umino Jonin, the Hokage's orders cannot be disobeyed. It is indeed unreasonable and illogical to send a meritorious unit to carry out such a dangerous mission. As the head of the Anbu, I have a responsibility to ensure the mission is carried out and to protect the village's strength."

Then, he paused for a moment, and said decisively, "I, Hatake Sagumo, request to join this operation deep behind enemy lines."

Seeing that Umino Sasuke remained unmoved, he glanced at the newly formed puppeteer unit and added, "My sword might be of some help. I have some experience dealing with Sunagakure puppets."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke Umino's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed. Good heavens, Konoha's White Fang is the bane of puppets. With him joining, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

Although Hatake Sagumo has not yet killed the Sandstorm couple or destroyed Sunagakure's late-game supply lines, and the "White Fang of Konoha" only has a reputation on the front lines of the Land of Rivers and has not yet become a household name throughout the ninja world, his strength is definitely that of a true Kage-level ninja, and he is the nemesis of puppeteers!
With him around, although security won't be improved much, the mission completion rate will immediately increase significantly. Perhaps with his participation, not only can the mission be completed, but the Wind Kingdom can also be turned upside down!

Thinking of this, Umino Sasuke said solemnly, "Alright! With Konoha's White Fang accompanying us, the safety of this trip will definitely be greatly increased. Captain Sagumo, welcome to join us!"

"Hmm!" Hatake Sagumo nodded arrogantly, his expression calm, and put the eagle-face mask back on.

With the matter settled, Umino Sasuke turned his attention to the frontline ninjas who had volunteered and wanted to fight: "With Chief Sakumo accompanying you, you should all be able to rest assured, right? Your mission is to stay here and hold off the main force of the Sand Ninja, relieving the pressure on us, understand?"

"clear!!!"

A deafening roar rang out once more, filled with resolute determination and an iron will.

(End of this chapter)