After using a clever diversion to send Kushina Uzumaki away, Uchiha Ren finally let out a sigh of relief. However, before he could completely relax, Namikaze Minato's faint voice sounded beside his ear.
"Ren, I think you should give me an explanation about Obito and Rin."
Minato wore an extremely kind smile on his face—so kind that it made Ren feel a chill run down his spine.
Normally, Minato treated everyone with warmth and patience, and he was easy to talk to. But when he was truly angry, he could be very dangerous.
And right now, Minato was definitely angry.
Ren sighed helplessly.
"I'll definitely give you an explanation about that. But shouldn't we deal with the Iwagakure–Sunagakure–Kumogakure allied army first?"
After receiving Ren's promise, Minato didn't press the matter any further.
"You've all been busy the whole night without rest. Go get some proper sleep first. We'll take over the defenses here."
"As for the alliance of Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure, we still have a little time. We can discuss it after you've recovered."
Minato could clearly see how exhausted Ren was.
When a person is fatigued, their thinking becomes sluggish. Minato preferred to wait until Ren regained his condition before discussing strategy.
Ren didn't refuse.
Together with Hiashi Hyūga and Hizashi Hyūga, he handed over the defensive duties to Minato and Shikaku Nara . Afterward, he found a relatively intact room inside Kikyō Mountain Fortress and lay down to rest.
Perhaps it was because he was too exhausted, or perhaps Minato's arrival gave him a strong sense of security. The moment Ren closed his eyes, he quickly sank into a deep sleep.
Time passed, and night fell.
Ren slept for nearly ten hours straight. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that someone woke him to attend a war council meeting.
When Ren stepped outside, he noticed that most of the Konoha shinobi inside the fortress hadn't slept at all.
Nearly everyone was sitting with weapons ready, resting with their eyes closed while maintaining full alertness, prepared to mobilize at any moment.
Ren's heart tightened.
He knew the battle was about to begin.
Quickening his pace, he followed the guiding shinobi toward the temporary war council chamber.
The room was already packed with over a hundred people.
Among them were powerful figures capable of leading forces independently—such as Minato and Kushina, the married couple; the Hyūga brothers, Hiashi and Hizashi; and the current Ino–Shika–Chō trio: Shikaku Nara , Chōza Akimichi , and Inoichi Yamanaka .
There were also veteran jōnin with extensive leadership experience, such as Mimura Leafwind, as well as exceptionally powerful individuals like Might Duy and Kakashi Hatake .
Even the Uchiha clan had several elite representatives present, including Obito Uchiha , Uchiha Yashiro, and Uchiha Tekka.
It could be said that nearly everyone present in this war council chamber represented the backbone of Konohagakure's current military strength.
Ren swept his gaze across the room and noticed an empty seat in the central circle of the meeting. Without hesitation, he walked over and sat down.
Whether considering his status within the Uchiha clan or his personal strength, that seat could only have been reserved for him.
"Ahem. Since everyone is here, I won't waste time with unnecessary words. Let's begin the war council."
Once Ren sat down, Shikaku Nara cleared his throat and stepped toward the map that had been prepared at the front of the room.
Raising his hand, Shikaku pointed to a red circle marked on the map.
"According to intelligence from our reconnaissance teams, the allied army of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure is currently stationed here."
"The Iwagakure forces number roughly five thousand, led by Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Accompanying him are the Four-Tails jinchūriki, Rōshi, and the Five-Tails jinchūriki, Han."
"The Sunagakure army has about four thousand troops, led by the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, with Elder Chiyo accompanying him."
"The Kumogakure forces number just over one thousand, led by the Fourth Raikage, A. However, he was severely injured earlier by the Uchiha clan leader and is reportedly still undergoing treatment."
As he said this, Shikaku subconsciously glanced toward Ren, curiosity and scrutiny evident in his eyes.
He had long known that Ren was powerful—but he hadn't expected Ren to seriously wound the Fourth Raikage while fighting outnumbered.
With such strength, Shikaku suspected that within Konoha, only Minato might be capable of restraining him.
Everyone else in the war council chamber also looked at Ren with admiration—and even gratitude.
To be honest, if Ren hadn't killed Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki, captured the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, and then charged thousands of miles to severely injure the Fourth Raikage while defending Kikyō Mountain, they wouldn't be holding a war council here right now.
Instead, they would likely be fighting desperately while defending the gates of Konoha itself.
Regardless of the final outcome of this battle, Ren had already made an immeasurable contribution.
"Hahaha! As expected of Ren!"
"Looks like I'll have to work even harder in the coming battle!"
While others might restrain themselves due to the delicate relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village, the straightforward Might Duy had no such reservations and openly praised him.
Shikaku gathered his thoughts and continued.
"Preliminary estimates suggest the enemy force exceeds ten thousand troops. There are at least two jinchūriki, and the number of elite shinobi is countless."
"The pressure Konoha faces this time is greater than anything we encountered during the First, Second, or even the recently concluded Third Shinobi World War."
In previous wars, Konoha had certainly faced joint offensives from other villages.
But having the enemy break through the defensive line and reach Konoha's doorstep was something that had never happened since the founding of the village.
This time, Konoha had even deployed its ultimate trump card—the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki.
One could easily imagine the enormous pressure they were under.
Shikaku slowly exhaled a deep breath before continuing.
"But no matter how powerful the enemy forces are this time, we must hold them here."
"Because behind us… is the village."
"Our families, our comrades, our loved ones, and our friends are all there."
"If we retreat even one step, not only will the village fall into ruin—our families, comrades, loved ones, and friends will be destroyed along with it."
"So this time, I hope everyone can put aside past grievances, stop holding back, and overcome this crisis together."
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