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This stirred up a hornet's nest, and everyone present immediately became alert.
"No!"
"Mr. Hokage, what are you thinking? This is wishful thinking!"
"Mr. Hokage, this cannot be allowed!"
There were no fools present. Everyone quickly understood the implications of Ishigami Hara's words and naturally opposed it.
Ishigami Hara, however, was not annoyed. He simply smiled and said, "Is that so? Then forget it."
"Huh?"
Several were stunned, exchanging confused glances, wondering what Ishigami Hara was doing. When the proposal first came out, it had shocked them. Why was he so agreeable now?
Ishigami Hara's smile remained unchanged. "I merely made a suggestion. Since everyone is unwilling, let's set it aside. Now, let's discuss our battle strategy."
The group quickly refocused. Although Ishigami Hara's intentions were still unclear, they had no intention of bringing the matter up again if he wasn't pressing it.
The rest was straightforward. The battle plan itself wasn't difficult—frontline strategy, a decisive battle location, and caution around potential threats outside the battlefield. It was manageable.
The four ninja villages aside from Konoha had sustained significant losses, so Konoha would need to contribute substantially. Ishigami Hara expected this, and neither objected nor was surprised.
By the end of the discussion, Konoha bore more of the burden in some areas.
As Tsuchikage Ōnoki had noted, Konoha needed to take responsibility now. Ishigami Hara was not surprised by this arrangement and accepted it.
The mineral deposits weren't mentioned again, but this omission was intentional on Ishigami Hara's part. Once the war was over, the other four villages would find themselves more connected to Konoha, as Konoha's influence continued to grow. Under this "siphon effect," talents from across the ninja world would naturally gravitate towards Konoha.
In this context, if the other four villages wanted to advance like Konoha, they'd undoubtedly need more funds. This was an economic challenge they couldn't ignore. If they sought financial support, they'd need assets, and the only significant resources they could offer were their mineral deposits.
The Five Kage Conference concluded quickly, lasting less than a day. The host, the Land of Iron, also resolved to join the war. After all, this conflict threatened the entire ninja world, and they couldn't remain uninvolved.
Additionally, the Five Kage Conference agreed that smaller ninja villages should also contribute forces to the war. The number was not critical; they only needed to send shinobi.
In this way, the total number of the ninja coalition could reach approximately 30,000. Among them, Konoha would contribute 10,000, the four major villages another 10,000, and the remaining 10,000 would come from smaller villages.
Ishigami Hara would serve as the commander-in-chief, leading the entire ninja coalition. The other four Kage would serve as deputy commanders, each responsible for different aspects of the operation, though these specifics would be addressed later.
Time passed, and three days later, news of the ninja coalition's establishment had spread throughout the world.
Naturally, the entire ninja world was in an uproar.
The joint statement from the five major ninja villages was indisputable.
Upon learning that Uchiha Madara was still alive and aiming to destroy the entire ninja world, the smaller villages were terrified, and their willingness to send troops was assured.
With the five major villages united, they formed a force that could alter the course of the entire ninja world.
Moreover, this situation wasn't initiated by the five villages but was more of a passive response to an external threat.
The smaller villages understood that no one would be safe if the larger villages fell, so things proceeded smoothly.
The ninja coalition gathered quickly, seeming as though the power of the entire ninja world was converging. The process was seamless, without any complications.
Surprisingly, Uchiha Madara—whom everyone dreaded—did not emerge at this time. This brought a momentary sense of relief, though it also heightened the tension. With such a major event looming, everyone felt the pressure of facing someone as formidable as Uchiha Madara, though Ishigami Hara remained notably calm.
The assembling of the coalition was managed by his subordinates, so Ishigami Hara had little to do directly. However, this did not mean he was idle; rather, he had extensive preparations to complete, issuing orders and making crucial decisions.
His calm was primarily due to not needing to oversee every detail personally, focusing instead on critical matters as they arose.
As the agreed time approached, the atmosphere grew more serious, and the coalition was almost fully assembled.
With each passing moment, tension increased. Even the other Kage were affected, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation.
"Hokage, how confident are you about this war?"
In the command tent at the frontline, where the five Kage were gathered, Mizukage Yagura voiced his concern.
Given Kirigakure's weakened state, he was particularly invested in the outcome.
Ishigami Hara smiled. "Don't worry too much. We've prepared thoroughly up to this point; there's no reason we can't win."
"But... the number of White Zetsu is far greater than our 30,000-strong alliance."
The intelligence was clear. The White Zetsu numbered around 100,000. Despite their numbers being somewhat reduced from earlier skirmishes, at least 80,000 remained.
Eighty thousand versus thirty thousand—there was no need to spell out the disparity.
Moreover, the average strength of White Zetsu was roughly at the Chūnin level, presenting a challenge for the coalition, which had varied levels of skill.
Ishigami Hara said, "Everyone, although I haven't disclosed this information for security reasons, I'll share some details now."
"You know I have some expertise in ninjutsu development and scientific research."
"In fact, I encountered the White Zetsu creatures five years ago."
"Since then, I've been researching them and have made some progress."
"Among other things, I've developed a special medicine effective against White Zetsu."
Hearing this, the Kage were visibly pleased, with A eagerly asking, "What kind of medicine? What does it do?"
Ishigami Hara replied, "I won't go into the specifics, but essentially, it can paralyze White Zetsu, rendering his Chakra unusable."
Upon hearing this, everyone was thrilled.
Chakra was fundamental for any shinobi, and the same held true for White Zetsu. If the medicine could paralyze them, preventing the use of Chakra, it would effectively immobilize them. This was an excellent advantage.