Inside the Uzukage's Office, the atmosphere was as heavy as the sea before a storm.

On the massive sand table, the terrain of the Land of Whirlpools and the surrounding waters were precisely recreated.

In the northwest corner of the sand table, a black lion chess piece, symbolizing Hidden Cloud and poised for action, radiated an unsettling sense of oppression.

Uchiha Kei had just finished reading the urgent intelligence transmitted by Uchiha Itachi via his Kamui crow.

His expression was graver than ever before.

Uchiha Itachi's assessment aligned perfectly with his own previous simulations; in fact, Raikage A's greed and madness were even worse than he had imagined.

"Convene the supreme military council immediately." Kei's voice was low but exceptionally clear.

Orders were issued, and within ten minutes, the heads of all departments in the Land of Whirlpools were present.

Military Department head Uchiha Fugaku, Kage Guard Squad captain Uchiha Shisui, Department of Internal Affairs head Uchiha Inabi, Ministry of Education head Uchiha Izumi, and the newly appointed Coast Guard captain Uzumaki Shibuki.

Every person's face was etched with seriousness.

They had all read the intelligence from the Land of Lightning at the earliest opportunity.

The meeting began without pleasantries, diving straight into the topic.

"Minister Fugaku, the Military Department's plan." Kei's gaze first turned to Uchiha Fugaku.

Uchiha Fugaku stood up, walked to the sand table, and picked up a pointer.

"According to Uchiha Itachi's intelligence, Hidden Cloud's army will most likely attempt a central breakthrough, utilizing the Raikage and Jinchūriki's powerful assault capabilities to strike directly into our heartland.

Our ground defense plan is codenamed 'Iron Wall.'

Centering on three lines of defense, we will block them layer by layer and lure the enemy deep.

The first line of defense, relying on the coastline and mountainous terrain, has been set with over thirty thousand traps recently improved by the R&D Department, including Chakra-sensing explosive tag arrays and Earth Style: Flowing Sand traps.

The second line of defense is composed of Uchiha's conventional combat Ninja, utilizing the Sharingan's observational advantage to conduct small-scale guerrilla warfare and delaying tactics.

The third line of defense, which is also the core defense, is situated on the outskirts of Uzushiogakure, with myself, Tetsu, Uchiha Kagami, and other Mangekyō Sharingan owners personally stationed there.

Our goal is to drag their main force into the positional warfare we excel at after exhausting the majority of their effective strength, and then annihilate them completely."

Uchiha Fugaku's plan was steady and ruthless, a standard Uchiha-style defensive tactic.

"Shisui." Kei looked toward the Kage Guard Squad captain.

"The Kage Guard Squad is ready for deployment at any time." Uchiha Shisui's response was as concise as ever.

"Uchiha Itachi's intelligence has pinpointed the command structure of Hidden Cloud's high-ranking officials.

The Kage Guard Squad can act as an elite force, executing decapitation or harassment missions against the enemy's command post, logistics supply lines, or even secondary Jinchūriki like Yugito the moment the war breaks out, disrupting their war rhythm."

Next, everyone's gaze focused on Uzumaki Shibuki.

This was his first time attending such a high-level military meeting.

There was not a hint of nervousness on his face; instead, he carried an excitement akin to a hunter.

"Most Ninja from Hidden Cloud are not skilled in naval warfare." Uzumaki Shibuki walked to the other side of the sand table, pointing to the vast sea between the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Lightning.

"But we cannot rule out the possibility of them launching a surprise attack from the sea.

The plan I have formulated is called 'Raging Waves.'

The waters surrounding the Land of Whirlpools are filled with natural reefs and massive whirlpools.

These are natural barriers for us.

I can use my familiarity with ocean currents to guide the enemy fleet into our pre-set 'Death Lanes,' and then coordinate with Water Style Ninja to artificially create even larger whirlpools and giant waves, burying their entire fleet on the seabed far from our coastline."

Uzumaki Shibuki's plan was filled with the Uzumaki Clan's profound understanding of the ocean, vicious and effective.

Finally, Kei, as the concurrently serving head of the R&D Department, added the final piece of intelligence.

"The 'Chakra Interference Grenades' recently developed by the R&D Department can now be produced on a small scale.

After this grenade explodes, it releases a special interference wave that can temporarily disrupt precise Chakra control.

Although it cannot cause fatal effects to powerhouses of the Raikage's level, it might be able to cause a certain degree of interference to the stability of their Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, as well as their Jinchūriki Chakra Cloaks at critical moments."

With all plans reported, the focus of the meeting naturally shifted to the final strategic choice: passive defense or active offense.

"I insist on luring the enemy deep." Uchiha Fugaku said in a low voice.

"Our advantage lies in defense, in the Sharingan's observational power, and in our familiarity with the terrain.

By placing the battlefield on our own land, we can exchange the smallest cost for the greatest victory."

"I object." Uzumaki Shibuki retorted unceremoniously.

"War should not be fought in our home.

Even if it is just on the beach, that is still our territory.

Every inch of land destroyed, every citizen affected, is our dereliction of duty.

I advocate for an active strike, completely isolating the battlefield outside our national borders!

Annihilate their vanguard at sea and let them know that the ocean is an insurmountable chasm they cannot cross!"

The young generals largely agreed with Uzumaki Shibuki's viewpoint.

In this newborn nation, they were full of spirit and aggression.

Meanwhile, the older, more prudent faction like Uchiha Fugaku tended toward steady defensive counterattacks.

The atmosphere in the conference room became somewhat tense for a moment.

Everyone turned their gazes toward Kei in the main seat, waiting for his final verdict.

Kei listened to everyone's opinions without immediately stating his position.

He stood up slowly, walked to the massive sand table map, and silently stared at that black lion chess piece.

After a long while, he picked up the piece, but instead of pushing it toward the Land of Whirlpools or toward the sea as anyone expected, he placed it on a vast expanse of blank sea area surrounding the Land of Whirlpools, marked as an "Exercise Area."

"We will neither passively defend nor actively strike."

Kei's voice rang out clearly in everyone's ears, carrying a boldness that shocked them all.

"The lion wants to hunt, but we do not need to run into his home to kill him; that would trap us in an unfamiliar environment.

We also do not need to wait for him to enter our front door; that would damage our furniture and our family.

What we must do is let him see clearly, before he pounces, exactly how many spikes capable of piercing his heart are laid out at our doorstep."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and announced his decision word by word.

"I order that in three days, the Land of Whirlpools will conduct the largest defensive barrier activation exercise in history, covering the entire island.

Furthermore, we will turn this 'exercise' into a live broadcast for the whole world, especially for Hidden Cloud."

"I want Raikage A to watch, through all his intelligence channels, how he crashes to his death against an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron that he can never break.

I want his greed, which has inflated to the extreme, to completely cool down in the face of absolute, visible despair."

"This is our ultimatum to Hidden Cloud."

The entire conference room fell into a dead silence.

Everyone was stunned beyond measure by Kei's whimsical yet absolutely confident plan.

Exercise is actual combat; deterrence is war.