Uchiha's personal opinion

Since its founding, the rewards and punishments for ninjas in Konoha have been entirely controlled by the Hokage, who also serves as the Hokage's tool for controlling the ninja community as the village leader. Such crucial power cannot be allowed to be coveted by a mere Jonin or even a commander of a small ninja army.

"The village has its own system of rewards and punishments. The Hokage will fairly evaluate everyone's contributions, so Commander Homon need not worry about it."

Ignoring how many Jonin present would be offended by these words, Mitokado Homura, his face ashen, spoke coldly.

He did not reach out to take the documents that Uchiha Himon handed him.

"The Hokage will naturally have to evaluate it, but shouldn't the Hokage also consider the opinion of headquarters?"

Uchiha Tokuko spoke with a sorrowful expression.

Uchiha Himon continued handing over the documents, extending his arm even further.

The two were already sitting next to each other, and now Uchiha Himon was practically poking Mitokado in the face with his documents.

Mitokado En remained expressionless, ignoring the documents in front of him.

However, the heaving chest and bulging veins on the back of his hands silently indicated that his inner world was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

Inside the central command tent, dozens of high-ranking ninja were watching the scene unfolding before their eyes.

The air inside the tent immediately fell silent.

The only sound was Mitokado's increasingly heavy breathing.

After a while, Sakumo Hatake broke the deadlock.

"Since Advisor Mitomon cannot accept this document, let's just send it back to the village."

Sakumo Hatake kept his head down as he spoke, and no one could see his expression.

"Alright."

Uchiha Tokumitsu signaled Nara Yukihira to step forward.

Nara Yukihira walked nervously to the front of the stage, took the documents from Uchiha Himon's hands, and fled from the central command tent as if escaping.

"Regarding the post-war border defense arrangements, Commander Deguang has already made the necessary arrangements. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

Uchiha Himon looked around at the group of Jonin, who all bowed their heads and remained silent, indicating that they had no objections.

"Where is Mitomon, the advisor?" Uchiha Himon's gaze turned to Mitomon Homura.

At this moment, the Jonin of the Uchiha camp began to leave at the suggestion of Uchiha Tokumitsu, and the Jonin of the Sakumo camp also left. Other scattered clan ninjas also hurriedly followed the crowd and left.

“Commander Komon…” Mitomon Homura scanned the three people present, “and Commander Sakumo, Commander Tokumitsu…”

"You three are truly outstanding."

When he said this, Mitokado Homura's face was extremely gloomy, clearly speaking ironically.

"Without some tricks up our sleeves, we would probably have been wiped out long ago. How would we have had the chance to argue with the high and mighty Advisor?" Uchiha Tokumitsu said nonchalantly, with a smile on his face. "But thankfully, there was no bloodshed in the tent. That's a good thing, isn't it?"

“Sakumo-kun…” Mitokado Homura ignored Uchiha Tokumitsu’s words and turned his gaze to Hatake Sakumo, “…You have disappointed both me and Hiruzen.”

Sakumo Hatake raised his head.

His gaze was firm and resolute, looking directly into Mitokado Yan's eyes.

"I have never let my comrades in Konoha down. As for other opinions, they are none of my business."

Although Hatake Sakumo's voice was soft, it struck Mitokado Homura like thunder.

Uchiha Tokumitsu and Uchiha Himon were also somewhat surprised.

They thought that Sakumo Hatake would avoid the topic as usual, but to their surprise, he subtly but firmly drew a line between them.

"As for the three of you..." Mitokado Homura continued with a grim face, "You provoked a border conflict without the Hokage's approval, disregarded loyalty and rules, and attempted to drag the village into the abyss of a great power war. Your crimes are heinous..."

"So what?" Uchiha Tokumitsu interrupted Mitokado Homura with a smile.

"So what?" Uchiha Himon calmly repeated Uchiha Tokumitsu's words.

"The Hokage can't just let the headquarters get beaten up without fighting back!" Sakumo Hatake tried to reason with them.

"It's not about taking a beating without fighting back!" Mitomon Homura retorted angrily. "Sakumo-kun, is your tribe's behavior really just a simple border conflict?"

"If we don't strike first, are we just going to wait for Iwagakure to keep amassing its forces and annihilate our headquarters in one fell swoop?" Uchiha Tokumitsu's expression gradually turned gloomy.

"You are instigating a war between great powers!" Mitokado Homura glared at Hatake Sakumo through gritted teeth. "Sakumo-kun, do you really want to see your comrades from the village suffer endless casualties in this bloody grinder on the battlefield?!"

“I am even less willing to see the village shrink back for the sake of so-called temporary peace.” Hatake Sakumo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Rather than wearing down people’s hearts in concessions and getting caught in endless infighting and mutual accusations, it would be better to rebuild the soul of Konoha with blood and fire.”

"The darker the sky over Konoha, the brighter the flames of the Uchiha will shine."

A smile returned to Uchiha Tokumitsu's face.

"What exactly are you plotting?" Mitomon En was very puzzled.

"May I ask, how did Advisor Mitomon discuss this matter with the Hokage during this trip?" Uchiha Himon asked, stroking his short beard with a hint of disdain.

"If we follow the village's usual practice, when faced with the Iwagakure ninja army pressing in, shouldn't an advisor or high-ranking official have led the way to either command the troops or negotiate peace? We shouldn't have allowed us military leaders, especially those from the Uchiha clan, to take the initiative to attack, right?"

Uchiha Himon's words made Mitokado Homura's face even more gloomy.

"It also depends on the strength of the other side. If it's a small country, we'll naturally strike hard; if it's a large country, we might send advisors to discuss peace matters," Uchiha Tokumitsu added from the side.

“Peace is not maintained by concessions,” Sakumo Hatake said again.

"The great power peace order established by Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara is based on the strongest military deterrence." Uchiha Tokumitsu stared at Mitokado Homura. "Only war can bring lasting peace!"

"Neither Hiruzen nor I expected that Sakumo-kun would also be a member of the martial arts faction." Mitomon Homura continued to talk about Hatake Sakumo.

"My heart belongs only to Konoha." Sakumo Hatake bowed slightly.

"My ninja way has no retreat!"

Mitokado Yan closed his eyes and sighed softly.

“There is absolutely no possibility of compromise on core interests,” Uchiha Tokumitsu echoed.

"It seems... you've already considered the northwestern border defense forces as yours for the taking," Mitomon En said quietly. "Using the village's ninja army as a tool to pursue your own ambitions, paving the way forward with the blood and bones of your comrades—is this your ninja way?"

"Is it right for Sarutobi, Shimura, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to divide up the village's commercial interests?" Uchiha Tokumitsu sneered repeatedly. "Internal strife and external forbearance, is that your philosophy and ninja way?"

Mitomon En slowly stood up and took out two documents from his body.

"The Hokage hereby issues the following decree—"

Hatake Sakumo sat up straight, while Uchiha Tokumitsu and Uchiha Himon remained unmoved.

"Commanders Sakumo Hatake and Tokumitsu Uchiha, along with their respective ninja forces, are hereby transferred to the Rain Country Expeditionary Army to carry out sabotage operations, effective immediately!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu and Hatake Sakumo remained unmoved.

Ignoring their cold reactions, Mitokado Homura continued to unfold another imperial edict.

"It is hereby declared that Uchiha Hamon, the Commander-in-Chief of the Northwest Border Defense Force, has, without authorization, launched a war against Iwagakure without declaring war, placing Konoha in an unjust position, treating the ninja army as his own, wielding the power of garrisoning, and bullying the officials of the Daimyo of the Land of Grass. Although he has achieved victories, his temperament is unfit for the position of commander. Therefore, the Northwest Border Defense Force is hereby stripped of its right to allocate ninja troops, and all its troops are to be placed under the command of the General of the Rain Country Expeditionary Army!"

Uchiha Himon couldn't help but chuckle.

Mitomon Homura knew that these two edicts would only bring him humiliation at this point, so he read them and threw them on the table.

"We will reject the Hokage's edict ourselves," said Uchiha Himon, pointing to the two edicts on the table.

"However, in the war between headquarters and Iwagakure, the victory in the first border guerrilla and capture operation has already been reported to the village by the Ninja Hawk. I wonder if the Hokage saw it before drafting the order?"

“Commander, it’s fine.” Uchiha Tokumitsu said sarcastically, “The Jonin’s right to object is a rule set by Lord Hashirama, so we just need to follow the rules.”

“The mobile force has been through many battles, and the ninjas under its command are all exhausted and have suffered many injuries. They cannot be mobilized for the time being.” Hatake Sakumo refused the transfer order in a roundabout but firm manner. “Moreover, the headquarters has not yet determined the promotion and rewards for the Battle of Iwagakure, so it is really impossible to transfer them to other places for combat.”

Mitokado Yan sighed.

This was the most mentally exhausting experience he had had since becoming an advisor to Konoha and rising to a high-ranking position in the village.

Since the death of Uchiha Kagami, the Uchiha clan and the village have been estranged and turned against each other, with the gap between them widening. Now, the situation has led to the Uchiha clan openly defying the Hokage's edict, and he had long been prepared for this.

However, Sakumo Hatake's stance and reaction far exceeded everyone's expectations.

In the past, he, along with the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura, all thought that Sakumo Hatake was a gentle person and that his closeness with the Uchiha clan was simply a matter of being harmonious companions. Therefore, they never considered interfering or separating the two sides.

It is clear that Sakumo Hatake and the Uchiha clan, or rather the ninja faction represented by Tokumitsu Uchiha, have formed an alliance, either openly or covertly, to support each other.

This is like a nightmare.

The power of the Uchiha clan alone, and the various incidents they frequently instigate, are enough to make the Hokage line uneasy.

If, in addition, the renowned Sakumo Hatake were to step in and gather together the village's registered minor ninja clans and commoner ninjas, then...

Although it was warm inside the tent, Mitomon felt a chill run down his spine.

"Mitomon advisor, Mitomon advisor!" Uchiha Himon called out to him several times.

Mitokado Yan was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.

All three of them had already stood up, looking ready to leave.

“Since our differences are so great and we cannot reach an agreement in the short term, then I would like to ask Advisor Mitomon to report this matter to the village.” Uchiha Tokumitsu’s face showed concern that was hard to tell was genuine. “Advisor Mitomon, are you tired from your journey? But it’s alright, you can rest for one night and return to the village tomorrow morning.”

Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura's first reaction was to disrupt the chakra circulation within her body, intending to check whether she had been controlled by genjutsu.

"Since Advisor Mitomon is getting old, he should retire to the village and enjoy his remaining years."

Uchiha Himon picked up the two imperial edicts that Mitokado Homura had thrown on the table and stuffed them into Mitokado Homura's hands. "It's better to do less of these thankless tasks. After all, the village has always adhered to the principle of 'the victor is not condemned,' so it's better not to break the rules."

"Moreover, we didn't go alone. After all, we had already sent a document back to the village beforehand. It's just that the village's organization is really inefficient and bloated, and the headquarters had no choice but to act. So it's not surprising that the village didn't know about the great victory of the headquarters."

The two men's sarcastic remarks, which were both barbed and aggressive, convinced Mitokado Homura that he was not under a spell.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's apparent concern was actually a malicious sarcasm.

Sakumo Hatake, head held high and chest out, was the first to leave the central command tent.

Uchiha Tokumitsu gestured "please" towards the door.

Mitokado Yan walked away expressionlessly.

Chapter 83 Transfer Order! The Rise of a Military-Style Ninja Force

The coercive attitude of Uchiha Tokumitsu, Hatake Sakumo, and Uchiha Himon made Mitokado Homura, an advisor and elder of Konoha, particularly embarrassed.

But he just couldn't bring himself to lash out on the spot.

The solid northwestern border defense force, from top to bottom, consisted entirely of trusted subordinates of the Uchiha clan and Hatake Sakumo. Even though he was accompanied by a squad of Anbu, he was unable to retaliate against the resistance and coercion of three Jonin who had become de facto military leaders.

At the same time, although he didn't show it on his face, he felt extremely terrified inside.