Chapter 618: Thoughts of Each Village
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
Inside the Tsuchikage's office in the Tsuchikage Building, Ōnoki looked at the intelligence report in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
"Danzo Shimura is actually dead, and he was killed by Sōsuke at a time like this."
This was somewhat beyond Ōnoki's expectations.
His plan had indeed been to use the Shinobi Sect to drain Konoha's strength, but that plan had not even truly begun. So how had Konoha and the Shinobi Sect already clashed, to the point that Konoha had even lost one of its high-ranking officials?
At that moment, Ōnoki felt a pleasant surprise, like waking up to find that a fruit tree he had planted yesterday had already matured and borne fruit overnight.
"Then the next steps will be much easier."
Joy appeared on Ōnoki's face.
Originally, his plan had one major flaw: the Shinobi Sect absolutely could not discover Iwagakure's intentions. Once exposed, the plan would backfire.
Now, things were no longer so troublesome.
With the irreconcilable conflict between the Shinobi Sect and Konoha, Iwagakure's intervention might even earn the Shinobi Sect's gratitude.
If the Shinobi Sect could withstand Konoha's pressure, then Iwagakure could support them over the long term and use them to constantly trouble Konoha.
Ōnoki smiled, picked up the teacup on his desk, and slowly savored the imported tea from the Land of Fire.
This was the only good news he had heard recently.
After putting down the teacup, Ōnoki felt his entire body relax considerably.
Because he had been unable to find Roshi, the pressure on him had been immense lately.
Roshi himself was dispensable to Iwagakure, but the Four-Tails sealed inside him was extremely important.
A Tailed Beast represented a top-tier powerhouse, and one that could be passed down continuously. That was something no genius could compare to.
Humans could not live forever, but Tailed Beasts were truly immortal. Not only would they not die of old age, even if they were killed, they could eventually revive.
Most importantly, it was still wartime, a period when every fighting force mattered. Roshi's departure had truly added insult to injury for Iwagakure.
Now, Ōnoki was quite grateful to the Shinobi Sect and Konoha.
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, they had generously delivered such a major event to cheer him up.
Under normal circumstances, the departure of a Jinchuriki would have a greater negative impact on a Ninja Village than the death of a high-ranking official.
However, Roshi had left quietly and acted discreetly after leaving the village, without exposing himself. That greatly reduced the impact of his departure.
Danzo's death was different. The news had spread rapidly throughout the Ninja World.
As a result, the actual impact of Danzo's death on Konoha was greater than Roshi's departure from Iwagakure.
"Was it Kumogakure or Sunagakure?" Ōnoki wondered who was moving behind the scenes.
The news spreading so quickly was clearly not natural. A major power was working in the shadows.
Although Sunagakure had not declared war on Konoha, the Land of Wind bordered the Land of Rain. Sunagakure might have been one of the first Ninja Villages to receive the news.
Ōnoki felt that Sunagakure was also highly suspicious.
Sunagakure was not far from Konoha. Even if they had no intention of sending troops to attack, they would probably be happy to see their neighbor suffer losses.
Ōnoki was the same. Even though he had no intention of going to war with Konoha recently, after receiving the news, he immediately ordered Iwagakure's forces to help spread it.
He did not want to fight, but what if someone else was interested?
And indeed, just as Ōnoki expected, some Ninja Villages became interested because of this.
On the other side, after learning the news, the Third Mizukage immediately convened a high-level meeting.
After suffering defeat, Kirigakure had not admitted defeat to Konoha. They had always been waiting for an opportunity to redeem themselves and reclaim the Ninja Swords.
"Everyone, share your opinions."
The Third Mizukage narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Konoha was not Kirigakure's only enemy, but it was their greatest enemy. Now that Konoha had suffered a change, it benefited Kirigakure and brought them no harm.
The high-ranking officials looked at one another. In the end, Kirigakure's Anbu Leader spoke first.
"This is a good opportunity for the village. Danzo's death not only deprives Konoha of a powerful individual, but also affects Konoha's morale to a certain extent."
"Moreover, Konoha now has a new opponent. Although the Shinobi Sect is a newly established organization, its leader and deputy leader are not weak. If Konoha wants revenge, they will have to spend some strength."
"This is too aggressive. Something is off."
The Kirigakure Advisor, whose lower face was wrapped in bandages, glanced subtly at the Third Mizukage.
He was a hawk among Kirigakure's high command and had always supported going to war with Konoha again.
The Jōnin Squad Leader was usually neutral, yet today, he suddenly sounded like an aggressive hawk. After thinking carefully, the Kirigakure Advisor concluded that the Third Mizukage wanted to go to war with Konoha again.
Unfortunately, the Kirigakure Advisor could not discern the Third Mizukage's true thoughts from that eternal smile.
"I also believe this is Kirigakure's chance to redeem itself. A high-ranking village official being killed by a Ninja force from a small country is proof that Konoha is showing signs of weakness."
After a moment of thought, the Kirigakure Advisor spoke.
Putting aside the influence of other factors, he did think this was a good opportunity, at least better than the last one.
"It is an opportunity, but the risks are also considerable," Genji said.
"Danzo's death is a loss for Konoha, but not an excessively severe one."
Genji did not fully agree with attacking Konoha now.
Danzo's death caused more damage to Konoha's face than to its actual strength.
If they rushed in now, they could easily be beaten down by an enraged Konoha.
If Hiruzen had died, then Genji would have agreed.
The sudden death of the Hokage would not merely mean the loss of a top-tier combatant. It would very likely cause internal strife due to a power struggle.
"Konoha has not yet suffered a major defeat and remains powerful. Any attack must be considered carefully and planned for the long term."
Once Genji finished speaking, another high-ranking official immediately followed with support.
With two high-ranking officials offering dissenting opinions, the atmosphere in the conference room became subtle.
"Elder Genji makes a valid point, but there is no such thing as a war without risk. The other four Great Shinobi Villages will not willingly give us a share of the continent's interests," the Jōnin Squad Leader continued.
The Kirigakure Advisor was slightly surprised and confirmed his suspicion.
Although everyone present was a high-ranking official of Kirigakure, because of differences in strength, influence, seniority, and other factors, their positions were not truly equal.
Genji was the highest-ranking and most powerful official in Kirigakure. Under normal circumstances, the Jōnin Squad Leader would never dare directly oppose him.
The direction of the meeting shifted subtly. The high-ranking officials who had previously supported Genji fell silent, while the hawks continued explaining the necessity of war.
"There will definitely be a war between Kirigakure and Konoha, but there is no need to be so hasty. We can first observe the situation in the Ninja World before making arrangements," Genji said after thinking for a moment.
He was not opposed to war. He simply felt that the timing was not right.
"Indeed, we cannot act too hastily. First, deploy a portion of our Ninja forces to the Land of Waves."
The Third Mizukage spoke.
The Third Mizukage wanted to wage war against Konoha and defeat Konoha.
Doing so would not only wash away the humiliation of their previous defeat, but also allow him to gain an honor that no previous Mizukage had ever achieved.
If he could thoroughly defeat Konoha, then perhaps in Kirigakure's history books, he would become the strongest Mizukage.
The future of defeating Konoha was very bright, but the Third Mizukage's mind was still clear.
With Kirigakure's strength, defeating Konoha one-on-one would be difficult. They needed to find the right opportunity.
Genji nodded, showing approval.
The Land of Waves was the closest island nation to the Land of Fire. From the Land of Waves, they could quickly reach the Land of Fire by boat.
Moreover, the Land of Waves had no Ninja force. It was a weak country that Kirigakure could easily manipulate.
Land of Wind, Sunagakure.
Sunagakure Building, Kazekage's Office.
"This Shinobi Sect is indeed a hidden danger," Rasa murmured to himself as he put down the intelligence report.
Previously, as the Shinobi Sect grew stronger and Sōsuke's influence became increasingly exaggerated, he had already felt that the Shinobi Sect might become a threat.
However, he had not expected the Shinobi Sect to clash so quickly with a neighboring country, and one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages at that: Konoha.
"But with Danzo killed at this time, the Ninja World is probably going to become lively again."
Rasa's face showed the smile of someone enjoying the spectacle.
There was no absolute hatred between Ninja Villages, only absolute interests.
Since the start of the war, Konoha had repeatedly won. If this continued until the end, Konoha's prestige in the Ninja World would greatly increase, and a large number of clients and patrons would flock to Konoha.
The other Great Shinobi Villages would certainly not stand by and watch that possibility become reality.
Under such circumstances, Konoha encountering trouble was practically an invitation for the other Ninja Villages to act.
Rasa did not know whether the Kage of the other Great Shinobi Villages were tempted, but he certainly was.
Since the war began, Sunagakure had first experienced internal strife, then had been taken advantage of by Kumogakure. They had been constantly attacked or threatened with attack, and their performance had been worrying.
The Land of Wind Daimyo's dissatisfaction with Sunagakure was practically written on his face.
For Sunagakure's development, Rasa truly wanted to bite off a piece of Konoha, which was overflowing with wealth.
After thinking for a moment, Rasa called the Sunagakure Anbu and ordered, "Strengthen intelligence operations in the Land of Fire. Dispatch more spies there."
Internal strife and the war with Kumogakure had caused Sunagakure to lose many Ninja. At present, Sunagakure did not have the ability to directly contend with Konoha.
Rasa's idea was to pay closer attention to Konoha and see whether they could pick up scraps and gain some benefits.
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
Raikage Building, conference room.
Although it was a meeting, the content of Kumogakure's meeting was somewhat different from Kirigakure's.
"Konoha has always been wary of us. Since the war began, they have often deployed large numbers of Ninja to guard the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Springs. This time, we can first reach the Land of Rice Fields by sea, then enter the Land of Fire from there."
Dodai enthusiastically explained his surprise attack plan.
That was right. Kumogakure had not only decided to act, but was already discussing specific operational plans.
"Although this will make the march take longer, it will indeed be harder to detect."
Dodai nodded, showing approval.
The Land of Rice Fields bordered the Land of Hot Springs. If they entered the Land of Fire from the Land of Hot Springs, they would likely be discovered by Konoha Ninja stationed there.
"Before the troops in the Land of Rice Fields officially attack, we can send several small teams to operate in the Land of Hot Springs, giving the Konoha Ninja the false impression that we are still preparing to attack from that direction," Dodai continued.
The Kumogakure Ninja in the conference room eagerly offered their ideas, and the broad framework of the attack plan was quickly completed.
"This time, you will lead the team."
The Third Raikage said, looking at A, who was seated to his left.
The battlefield was very dangerous, but it was also the best place to train people.
"Yes, Sandaime-sama," A replied with a serious expression.
Although they were father and son, this was a meeting, so they had to address each other by title.
"As for Bee, should I let him continue training in the village, or should he come with me on the mission?" A asked after thinking of something.
He himself did not have much feeling about going to the battlefield.
Although he was the Third Raikage's son, A had never known what it meant to be pampered since childhood. Going to the battlefield for dangerous missions was common for him.
However, Killer Bee's situation was special now, and A did not know how to handle it.
"Go together. Remember to protect your brother."
The Third Raikage spoke in a deep voice.
Killer Bee had not yet fully mastered the power of the Eight-Tails, so logically, it would be better for him to continue training in Kumogakure.
However, the Third Raikage felt that battlefield experience was more conducive to growth than solitary training.
In any case, even if something went wrong, he could cover for them. At worst, he would go personally.
"I will," A nodded seriously.
Killer Bee was not his biological brother, but through their constant interaction, their bond had become even stronger than that of most blood-related siblings.
Land of Fire, Konoha Village.
"Teacher, Danzo..."
Hiruzen suddenly opened his eyes wide, stared at the familiar ceiling, and let out a breath of relief.
"It was just a dream."
Perhaps he had been too busy with Danzo's affairs yesterday, causing his mind to be filled with thoughts of Danzo. Hiruzen had not only dreamed for once, but the dream had also been about Danzo.
In the dream, Danzo was the first to suggest becoming the decoy, and then Senju Tobirama immediately agreed.
How could Hiruzen watch his brother go to his death alone? He quickly offered to become a decoy as well, but Senju Tobirama refused.
In the end, Senju Tobirama stated that Danzo was not strong enough, then went with Danzo to serve as the decoys together.
"Because both Teacher and Danzo sacrificed themselves?" Hiruzen shook his head, no longer thinking about that strange dream.
Hiruzen first completed his morning routine, then ate breakfast as usual and went to the Hokage Building to handle official affairs.
He had already ordered Anbu to investigate Danzo's matter, so there was no need for him to personally go to Root's office to investigate. That would be irresponsible to Konoha.
However, while handling Konoha's affairs, Hiruzen occasionally could not help thinking about Danzo's death.
Danzo had been his good friend for several decades, after all.
"I hope Anbu finds clues soon," Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
If "Uchiha Madara" had not been involved, perhaps Hiruzen would not have cared so much. He might have directly dispatched Ninja to assassinate Sōsuke and avenge his old friend.
But now that even "Uchiha Madara" had appeared, Hiruzen always felt that if he did not investigate thoroughly, he might be used as someone else's pawn.
The village's safety came before everything else. With the situation still unclear, Hiruzen did not want to act rashly.
"Sandaime-sama, the intelligence has been compiled. New discoveries have also been made in several hidden secret rooms."
In the afternoon, an Anbu entered the Hokage Office to report.
Hiruzen's spirits instantly lifted.
.....
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