Chapter 94 : Danzo Methods
The commander of the 20,000-strong ninja army on the front lines of Konoha was Sarutobi Yaomaru of the Sarutobi Clan.
For victory in this war, the Third Hokage had decided that it was up to the Sarutobi Clan to secure the final triumph.
Konoha's army, nearly 20,000 strong, consisted of the Sarutobi Clan, Akimichi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Nara Clan, Aburame Clan, Uchiha Clan, Hyuga Clan, and many others.
Among them were elite shinobi such as the Blood-Red Pepper, Uzumaki Kushina, and the Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato. The Third Hokage, believing in Sarutobi Yaomaru's leadership, saw no reason why they would lose.
Moreover, Konoha had already triumphed in previous battles against the Cloud, Stone, and Sand shinobi.
Leading those victories were Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, and Hyuga Hikari. Now, these powerful figures had also joined the Sarutobi-led forces.
In the eyes of the Third Hokage, this army of nearly 20,000 Konoha shinobi was an invincible force.
Cloud, Stone, and Mist Shinobi had all taken caution and avoided direct battle. Yet, the Mist were the only ones still arrogant enough to stand against them.
For the Third Hokage, this was an opportunity. A decisive strike against the Mist Shinobi would cement Konoha's dominance.
Who could blame him? The Mist had chosen a cowardly strategy, lurking in the shadows while Konoha was busy fighting the other Great Villages. Instead of confronting Konoha head-on, they had waited for them to defeat the Cloud, Stone, and Sand shinobi before launching a surprise attack.
This deception angered the Third Hokage.