The Southern Front: A Critical Turning Point (2)

Fugaku's voice carried a mix of apprehension and even respect as he suddenly began discussing Minato's rising influence,

"That guy Minato is quite a misfortune for us... I never expected his strength to escalate so rapidly and significantly by this point.",

"He's already reached the level of the Hokage and likely matches Sakumo-san in prowess too. What's more, he's become the most renowned figure to emerge in the shinobi world during this war and is now one of the most famous ones globally - on par with the Kages.",

He sighed, his expression darkening with concern just like Hikari's, "However, the most troubling aspect, the one that poses a significant challenge to us and everyone else, even more than his power in total, is his unparalleled ability to teleport anywhere essentially.",

"He can appear virtually anywhere in the world, across all fronts and locations, which allows him to shift the tide of many conflicts on a global scale and force all of our enemies to always be on guard and on the defensive nowadays. And I hate to say it but I suspect that this will also become quite a large obstacle to our own faction's goals in the future as well..."

Hikari nodded somberly, absorbing Fugaku's observations before adding, "Minato's Flying Raijin technique is also uniquely problematic for us because it allows him to be omnipresent, 'cover more ground', and personally aid countless shinobi across countless battlefields...",

"This direct involvement and 'story' has greatly enhanced his reputation and regard within the village's lower and civilian ordinary shinobi ranks and many people in the Land of Fire.",

"It's no coincidence that the 'Yellow Flash' is so highly acclaimed now and held in such high moral esteem by the majority of our shinobi. His hero-like high strength also resonates quite well with that narrative...",

He paused, a hint of bitterness in his tone as he continued, "And let's not forget how Hiruzen initially always promoted him through his media manipulation tactics, though I believe he has since pulled back.",

"Minato's popularity has soared to the extent that it even threatens Hiruzen's position, which is no small feat considering it's not yet time for a new Hokage. However, knowing Hiruzen's personality, he wouldn't let that pass without intervention.",

"As a result of everything, Minato's image completely overshadows mine right now, by a notch, without a shadow of a doubt, despite my previous achievements in the Kirigakure in effectively securing the first truce and a victory for Konoha in this great ninja world war.",

Hikari's gaze hardened as he considered the strategic implications for his standing, "That's because my battle and victory over the Mizukage in the 'distant' Kirigakure wasn't directly witnessed by many, and our front was predominantly led by the Hyuga, so it didn't resonate as directly with the civilians. I've also never assisted anyone directly in the manner he did...",

His voice grew more determined, outlining a path forward, "If we want to boost our reputation to match his, we need significant achievements here on the Suna front too, and I must be at the forefront.",

"If I can manage to push back and secure peace with two great ninja villages, everyone will have to acknowledge my capabilities, regardless of my reserved demeanor and Minato's charismatic presence. The results will speak for themselves. So, we all must work diligently here for quite a while..."

|However, Takumi chimed in at this time, adding another layer to the discussion with a hint of relief in his tone, "You're right, Hikari-kun, and we get it. Thankfully, it seems like there has been a silent conflict of interests on the Western Front after Minato was established as the Vice Commander there by Hiruzen, and he and his team were more permanently stationed there in order to help.",

"Between Minato's newfound faction and Orochimaru's die-hard loyalists, there hasn't been a seamless integration of efforts. This internal discord has prevented them from fully utilizing all of Minato's individual gifts to secure a definitive victory on that front. They've managed only to reverse some of the previous losses and stabilize the situation, nothing more, which is good news."

"Initially, that front was entirely managed by Orochimaru, as decided during the pre-war convention.", Hiashi noted, adding depth to the discussion,

"However, it was performing very poorly, so eventually Hiruzen had to station Minato and his team there full-time to try and turn things around.",

He paused before adding, "But, despite this, Minato and his team still find opportunities to teleport and assist on Jiraiya's front from time to time, when needed, judging from our intel." 

Hikari's voice meanwhile carried a note of intrigue as he joined in the discussion of the shifting dynamics on the Western Front, again focusing on Takumi's words especially,

"Orochimaru is quite dissatisfied with Minato Namikaze now too, trust me. He might even harbor more resentment towards him than towards us.",

"Since the start of the war, Orochimaru had transformed that segment of the front into what seemed more like a personal army of almost servile followers to help his personal power.",

"Yet, despite his control, he often neglected to directly engage in leadership and war-related activities, opting instead to treat those under him harshly and coldly in his usual manner.",

"He probably didn't think anyone could challenge his leadership position there due to pride, and he couldn't fight his nature of always being disconnected from people weaker or less important than him and his secret ambitions; I'm sure he had planned to realize there.",

He continued, detailing the growing discontent among the ranks, "Ordinary shinobi there grew quite indignant over time. It was as if Orochimaru didn't care about them or the war effort at all.",

"Instead, he left most of the strategic planning and leadership to his more capable subordinates, disappearing for months into what I suspect were secret locations around Kusagakure—likely creating a personal stronghold, or perhaps some kind of secret base or laboratory.",

Hikari paused, reflecting on the implications while everyone listened to him intently with interest, "This was gauged by me from a lot of strange occurrences that our intelligence barely managed to gather from Kusagakure ever since he took it over and isolated the poor village from the rest of the world.",

"God knows what happened there ever since. Anyways, naturally, he didn't leave a good impression on the shinobi there, not to mention his overall cold, and some might even say evil, a persona that looked like it was unleashed over time as soon as he got that great power, whatever he wanted basically, from Hiruzen, as it was all chaos and wartime.",

He then shifted to the impact of Minato's arrival, "So, by the time Minato was stationed there, it was no wonder he managed to win over the hearts of many.",

"Those who were once under Orochimaru's command turned to pretty 'magnetic' Minato for leadership and protection, moving under his umbrella rapidly over time.",

"Leading to now, the majority of the Konoha shinobi, on that front, being in the Takigakure with him, which Minato also recently reclaimed from Iwagakure, and looked up to him as a hero who actually has many war achievements, a stark contrast to Orochimaru.",

"Only a few die-hard loyalists or those who were forced, due to war maneuvering, remained with Orochimaru in the Kusagakure, a significant change from the beginning of the war when he controlled the entire Division single-handedly to do his bidding like their king.",

"Not to mention how isolated Kusagakure's position has become now from a strategic and military standpoint, so he also has to constantly worry about some attack coming from the Iwagakure's direction as well. He barracked himself in that village now, basically, and is not even coming out to meet or talk with Minato. His current actions inside are unknown...",

Hikari's analysis painted a clear picture of a front undergoing significant transformation, influenced heavily by leadership styles and the personal charisma of those in command.

Kiyomi, who had listened intently to Hikari's thorough analysis the entire time, full of interest, seized a moment of pause to voice her insights and queries,

"Orochimaru's behavior regarding Kusagakure has indeed been peculiar the entire time... There were multiple instances where the leadership of Kusagakure covertly complained to the Hokage out of fear of Orochimaru.",

"We managed to catch wind of those complaints, but Hiruzen seemingly consistently ignored them. After all, vassals traditionally have little say.",

She leaned forward, her focus sharp as she connected the dots laid out by Hikari, "But now that you've mentioned it, some of Orochimaru's actions also do seem consistent with him building a personal stronghold, possibly for research purposes.",

"Do you think that Hiruzen finally grew weary of tolerating Orochimaru's antics and his lackluster performance in the war then? Is that why he sent Minato there?",

"That is a part of it, Kiyomi...", Hikari responded, acknowledging her observations, "But I also suspect that it's only recently that Hiruzen felt Minato had reached a level of strength sufficient to handle such an extensive combat and wartime participation.",

"Now dispatched there alongside his team, which includes Kushina, Choza Akimichi, and others, Minato has developed to the point where he doesn't need as much training as before.",

Hikari paused, his thoughts briefly turning inward as he considered another significant development.

Internally, he mulled over how Kushina had also made strides in her abilities, learning to tap into and better control the Nine Tails' powers within her during recent battles.

Kushina's battles against the Iwagakure jinchurikis, in particular, have been a crucial learning ground for her.

She's been able to observe and adapt their behaviors, enhancing her own control over the Nine Tails.

This revelation was another concern for Hikari, adding complexity to the already intricate web of strategic calculations he continuously made.

Kiyomi's brow suddenly furrowed in confusion as she considered Orochimaru's perplexing priorities for some reason,

"I just don't understand why Orochimaru would behave so carelessly and indifferently over time, before, and what kind of experiments he is conducting that seem more important to him than maintaining control over his Division and his influence...",

"It's unsettling to think that his secretive activities could have consequences we are not yet aware of..." she said, her voice tinged with curiosity and frustration.

Her eyes scanned Hikari and the room, seeking insights or theories that might explain Orochimaru's enigmatic actions, which had seemingly jeopardized not only his leadership position but potentially also the broader strategic interests of their coalition in the future.

Hearing that, Hikari shared his insights once again, painting a complex picture of Orochimaru's character and motivations.

"Orochimaru's personality tends to be a bit detached, and unlike his former teammates Jiraiya and Tsunade, he prefers isolation and relies mostly on himself. This can lead him to 'slip up' in maintaining strategic interests because of his ego and his personality type.",

"However, his capabilities in intellectual pursuits, shinobi arts, and scientific research are undeniable. Whatever he's working on must be of significant importance, believe me...",

He leaned forward, his expression serious, "We need to be very cautious regarding Orochimaru. I consider him to be as much a threat to our future goals as Minato...",

"Additionally, I suspect he has been collaborating with Danzo, this entire time, from the beginning of the war, whose main sphere of influence includes the nearby Amegakure.",

"It's unlikely that research operations and infrastructure on such a scale and also effectively isolating a shinobi village and taking full control of it so comprehensively, so quickly, could occur without substantial external support, possibly from an organization like Danzo's Root."

Hikari's analysis deepened as he considered the broader implications, "This adds another layer of complexity and requires even more heightened vigilance from us regarding their activities and any joint research they might be conducting.

"Also, let's not be naive enough to think that Hiruzen wasn't aware of this from the start. It's probable that he not only tolerated their actions but may have actively facilitated them, especially given the threat our Anti-Hokage faction poses to his leadership.",

Pausing to let his words sink in once again, Hikari finally concluded his assessment, "It's possible that their actions just became too extreme or they grew way too powerful even for Hiruzen somehow, prompting him to 'trim' their power to manage the situation better slightly, which is his usual 'modus operandi'."

Kiyomi nodded thoughtfully in response to Hikari, "That internal conflict and their overreach could indeed be something we could exploit in the future...", To which everyone agreed.

As Kiyomi and Hikari's discussion wound down, the focus of the meeting shifted back to the immediate concerns at hand.

The group focused on more practical decisions regarding their stance against Sunagakure.

Each member brought forward their insights and proposals, weaving together a tapestry of tactics and strategies designed to strengthen their position and exploit any vulnerabilities in their adversaries' ranks.

The meeting deepened in complexity as they mapped out their next moves, each decision critical to shaping the outcomes of the ongoing conflicts and ensuring their strategic objectives were met on the Southern Front.