"Damn it!" Uchiha Takashi cursed inwardly.
In his memory, the Sand Ninja launched the Battle of Kikyo Mountain at the end of the Third Shinobi World War.
Which was supposed to be years later!
Now that they've launched their attack so much earlier, how could he not be infuriated enough to curse out loud?
This was clearly targeting him! If it were Orochimaru... wait a minute.
Uchiha Takashi's mind raced, quickly piecing together the cause and effect.
It must be that the Sand Ninja knew Orochimaru was poisoned by Chiyo and unable to fight in the short term, so they chose to gamble on an all-out attack.
And in that previous battle, if it weren't for his presence, Orochimaru wouldn't have engaged, thus avoiding the poisoning.
In other words, all these changes were the result of the butterfly effect he caused.
"…"
At this moment, Uchiha Takashi didn't even know what to say.
He never expected that his previous actions would end up backfiring on him.
He had agreed to temporarily take on the role of commander, perhaps thinking the Sand Ninja wouldn't attack so soon, allowing him to enjoy the power without paying the price.
He didn't expect that he'd have to cough up everything he had swallowed.
Facing the Sand Ninja army head-on!
And there were more than one Kage-level opponents among them.
At this point, he truly wished the village would 'dismiss' him.
Whoever wants to be the commander can have it.
After all, as a temporary commander, you take the blame, and others reap the benefits. Who would want that?
It's not that he lacked confidence in holding the line; he just wasn't willing to 'give his all' for the village.
Unlike other transmigrators.
No matter which village they transmigrate to, they consider it home and are willing to do anything to protect it.
As for him, even if Konoha were about to be attacked by Nagato, he would at most take Hyuga Aotsuki, his two close friends, Uchiha Mei, and others to flee, rather than fight to the death.
He stayed in Konoha just to enjoy the fun and resources; risking his life was not part of the plan.
Tap, tap!
His fingers gently tapped on the table as Uchiha Takashi contemplated his next move.
After a while.
"Aotsuki, go help Koji with his missions, and make sure not to leak any information!"
Uchiha Takashi gestured for her to assist his friend with missions.
He needed to acquire the Eight Gates as soon as possible, and with her as a 'human radar' helping, completing missions would be a breeze.
Moreover, the tasks Uchiha Takashi assigned were high in contribution and short in duration, making rapid progress inevitable.
Having someone in high places is truly advantageous.
Once the office was empty, Uchiha Takashi quickly came to a realization.
This was an opportunity! Whether for advancement or to pass the buck, it was beneficial for him.
"Someone, come here!"
Having made his decision, Uchiha Takashi raised his voice to call out to the room outside.
Thud, thud!
A messenger ninja entered.
"Please summon Nara Jukumo!"
As the commander, he naturally didn't need to deliver orders himself.
Soon, Nara Jukumo arrived.
Since Uchiha Takashi acted as a 'hands-off boss,' unlike Orochimaru who handled everything personally, Nara Jukumo had been incredibly busy, with no time to slack off.
"What can I do for you, Lord Uchiha Takashi?"
Even if he felt awkward, Nara Jukumo had some sense of propriety and knew how to address him.
Who wouldn't feel awkward?
Just a few days ago, he was a mere 'Chunin,' and now he's his superior. It's a wonder he hasn't had a meltdown.
Ninjas can control their emotions, but that doesn't mean they don't have any.
"I hope the village can quickly appoint the 'real' commander to take over the ninja forces. Do you think three days is enough?"
Uchiha Takashi took a step back to advance.
According to the intelligence gathered by Hyuga Aotsuki, the Sand Ninja would take at least a week to launch their attack.
If a new commander could take over before then, he could successfully pass the buck.
If the main commander can't take up the position in time, then one has to hold the fort themselves and find a way to stay in the role a bit longer. After all, you can't be fighting tooth and nail to fend off the Sand Ninja's attack, only for someone to backstab you and snatch the commander's position right after, can you?
Honestly, the village's higher-ups are perfectly capable of pulling such stunts.
The practice of "killing the donkey when the grinding is done" is a bloody reality for the future Hyuga and Uchiha clans, not to mention the Senju clan and White Fang before them.
Especially White Fang! His bones haven't even gone cold yet.
With such a glaring example, the only ones still willing to selflessly dedicate themselves to the village are those ninjas brainwashed by the Will of Fire.
"This..."
Nara Jukumo's mind was racing.
He naturally understood why the village's higher-ups didn't immediately appoint a new commander but chose to let Uchiha Takashi "temporarily act" instead.
Isn't it just because there's no suitable strong candidate and someone is already holding the fort?
Now that the question was posed so directly, if he were to brush it off, he would definitely offend someone.
Offending people isn't scary, but offending a strong person is.
So he ultimately chose to speak the truth.
"It shouldn't be possible, the village can't find a new commander so quickly!"
Saying this, regardless of the outcome, at least he wouldn't offend a strong person, especially one so young.
"Hmm!" Uchiha Takashi directly responded, "Then can my temporary command be made permanent, or at least can we agree on a temporary duration?"
The dagger is revealed!
This was Uchiha Takashi's goal all along.
It's not that he's power-hungry, but he doesn't want to see his hard-earned achievements stolen by others.
Are you kidding me? I do the work, and you enjoy the benefits.
Doesn't make sense, right?
"...", Nara suddenly looked up, meeting Uchiha Takashi's calm gaze, then lowered his head again and said, "I will relay your request back to the village!"
He vaguely felt something was off, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
This was because he hadn't obtained key information.
No kidding, Hyuga Aotsuki managed to get this extremely confidential information thanks to his near-Kage level strength and Byakugan stronger than the main family.
By the time Mitokado Shihiro or others get this information, it will take at least a few more days.
In other words, Uchiha Takashi's intelligence advantage would last for a few more days.
As long as he gets a response from the village during this time, whether they agree or refuse, he benefits.
Byakugan forever!
In the future, if anyone dares to say the Byakugan is overrated, Uchiha Takashi would definitely beat them until they can't recognize their own mother.
Nara Jukumo knew that relaying this back to the village would definitely cause a stir.
And indeed, it did.
When Uchiha Takashi's conditions were sent back to the village, the reactions from Konoha's F4 were varied.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was very angry.
He felt that as a Konoha ninja raised under the Will of Fire, one shouldn't always talk about rewards, but should instead contribute to the village without expecting anything in return. It's not about what the village gives you, but what you do for the village...
In short, according to him, for the Will of Fire, one should give selflessly, and asking for rewards goes against the Will of Fire.
Like him, the Hokage, who hasn't taken a single penny in salary for decades, that's the true Will of Fire.
Indeed, Hiruzen Sarutobi really hasn't taken a salary.
However, since he took office, the Sarutobi clan has grown from less than a hundred people to over ten thousand, with assets multiplied a hundredfold and countless jutsus.
Meanwhile, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado felt that young people are in their prime for striving, so why ask for rewards? Enduring hardship is the best training.
Yes, most of their clan members have never seized others' "training" opportunities and have always stayed in positions within the village that are well-paid, have little work, and are close to home.
Only Danzo's reaction was the most intense.
"Damn Uchiha, such ambition, wanting to be the ninja army commander, it's simply impossible!"
He took Uchiha Takashi's conditions as "evidence" of Uchiha's ambition.
Today they dare to ask for the commander's position, who knows what they'll want tomorrow.
Due to Root's intelligence, Danzo knew the Sand Ninja army hadn't made any extra moves, so he felt the skies were clear, the rain had stopped, and he was back in action.
"Hiruzen, let me go to Kikyo Mountain, crush Uchiha's ambition, and block the Sand Ninja!"
Danzo was full of confidence, not afraid of being slapped in the face.
With Kikyo Mountain as a "diamond fortress," there's no way the Sand Ninja could attack now... right?
Thus, the position of the southwest ninja army commander, after Uchiha Takashi temporarily held it for a few days, welcomed a new owner.
The loyal Kikyo Mountain also welcomed its benevolent father.
(End of Chapter)
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