Day 1 of the 4th Shinobi World War, 10 A.M.
An emergency meeting concerning the war's opening moves is convened in the Hokage Residence's meeting room. Everyone who is anyone in the village has been summoned to attend. Clan heads, department heads, the military attaché to the Daimyō, etc.
"Where's Lord Jiraiya?" Sakura whispered to Kakashi as she settled into a chair at the head of the table. "Don't tell me he's wandered off already, he's supposed to have my back in the Konoha Council…!"
"He told me you gave him permission to get a head start on his assignment to Nadeshiko Village," Kakashi whispered back. "He left yesterday evening."
"When did I ever say he could…"
Sakura's mind flashed back to her last meeting with Jiraiya. Get out of my sight, she had told him… he must have taken her words as an open invitation to go wherever he pleased, that ungovernable pervert! How dare he abandon her like this to the vultures, just because he thought it would be boring to sit around a table for at most an hour or two!
"Shall we begin, Milady?"
Sakura turned to Shikaku, who had taken advantage of Jiraiya's absence to claim the seat directly to her left. She nodded to him, and Shikaku cleared his throat loudly before standing, drawing every eye in the room towards him.
"Thank you for coming, everyone," he said, tapping his notepad with the back of his hand. "Since time is of the essence, we'll forgo the usual niceties and begin with the Lady Sixth's special wartime appointments."
Sakura tried her best to look as solemn as possible.
"Nara Shikaku, assigned to high command as grand strategist of the continental theatre.
Yamanaka Inoichi, assigned to high command as captain of the Intelligence Division.
Akimichi Chōza, assigned to logistical support as overseer of supply lines.
Katō Shizune, assigned to logistical support as chief medical officer."
Shikaku turned to the next page.
"Hyūga Hiashi, assigned to the eastern front as commander of the Kirigakure defensive line.
Orochimaru, assigned to the northern front as commander of the Kumogakure defensive line.
Lord Senju Hashirama, assigned to the north-western front as commander of the Iwagakure defensive line.
Lord Senju Tobirama, assigned to the western front as commander of the Sunagakure defensive line.
Lord Namikaze Minato, assigned to high command as captain of the rapid-response tactical team.
Lord Sarutobi Hiruzen, assigned to Konohagakure as the last line of defence."
Those were the assignments Shikaku had suggested to Sakura, and apart from a few details she could have nitpicked at, she had mostly agreed with his choices, walking back her decision to have Orochimaru personally pursue Danzō; while she was certain he would do a good job, a wild goose chase was not where his talents would best serve the village.
Of course, Sakura was a little wary of placing the Lord Third exactly where he wanted to be: in the chair behind the Hokage's desk. There, he would be free to slip back into his old ways, free to scheme with Danzō and Homura behind her back under the village's protection, but ironically, that was also where he would be least dangerous to her, since she would be able to keep an eye on him whenever she was home… and since he wouldn't be getting any glory unless the war situation took a turn for the disastrous, at which point, would it really matter who was the boss?
Besides, all she really needed from the old man was for him to stay put and summon a Rashōmon if the need ever arose. After all, Kumogakure possessed both a chakra cannon and the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu: the means to blast a great hole through the Hidden Leaf, and the means to get close enough to do it.
"These assignments…" said Mitokado Homura hesitantly. "Does this mean you'll take an active role in the war, Lady Sixth?"
Historically, the Gokage, save for the Hokage, had often taken to the battlefield during the previous wars, largely because they could afford to. Unlike the Hidden Leaf, the other four great nations often found themselves on the side of the aggressors, forever nipping at the heels of the exceedingly wealthy Land of Fire.
If the unlikely event that one of their Kage died, though it was known to happen, their invading armies would simply retreat home, but if Konoha lost its Hokage in the midst of a defensive battle, the collapse in morale would be catastrophic, and the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf would undoubtedly be driven all the way back to the gates of their village.
"I'm joining the Lord Fourth's rapid-response force, the grand strategy depends upon it," Sakura explained. "The objective on each of the four fronts will not be to hold the line at any cost, but rather to prioritise saving as many of our shinobi's lives as possible while slowing the enemy down."
Naturally, no war could be won through passivity alone. If no decisive action was ever taken, the Leaf would slowly be whittled down until it could be crushed in one fell swoop… and that was where Minato's rapid-response force came in.
"I see, that is indeed a fine strategy," said the attaché to the Daimyō, stroking his beard pensively. "However, the Daimyō will not be pleased. Retreating and constantly moving back the defensive lines means that our lands will be open to enemy pillaging. If the war drags on, the noblemen will be unable to collect taxes, and we will struggle to justify financing the war effort further."
Sakura resisted the urge to snort. As if they had any choice but to keep supporting the Hidden Leaf. If the Land of Fire was conquered by the enemy, the Fire nobles' heads would be next to roll after hers.
"Not to worry," Sakura said. "We'll be establishing our front lines outside the Land of Fire, so we'll have plenty of room to retreat to…"
The attaché's eyes brightened. So, the Hidden Leaf had finally grown a pair and decided to enact Shimura Danzō's old proposal! They would invade the Hidden Grass and annex them, allowing the Daimyō to easily resolve the succession dispute between his sons by granting one of them this new provincial territory!
"Ah, I see," he said, smiling slyly. "Most wise, Milady… I daresay the Daimyō will be very pleased. I'm certain he'll be able to scrounge a few more million ryō to add to your annual budget."
Sakura smiled pleasantly at the old fart.
Oh, she would annex Kusagakure, all right… but little did the Daimyō know that she had her own ideas about enacting this plan of theirs.
Although she was inexperienced, the Lady Sixth was no man's puppet...