Although Kirigakure and Iwagakure had gone to great lengths to keep their military purchases discreet, the disappearance of such massive quantities of war materials inevitably caught the attention of Sunagakure and Kumogakure.
Either side could have traced the procurement trail with minimal effort, and it would lead straight to these two great Shinobi Villages.
At first, both villages had felt a ripple of tension. But soon after, Konoha began making moves of their own.
In less than three days, the price of military supplies had skyrocketed three to four times over.
This left Sunagakure and Kumogakure caught between pain and pleasure.
Nearly everything these three superpowers were purchasing came from their two villages. In a very short span of time, they had raked in enormous sums of money.
At the same time, their own inventories of military supplies were depleting at a visibly alarming rate.
Once the initial euphoria wore off, both villages found themselves growing genuinely uneasy.
Their respective advisory councils had clearly grasped the implications.
Chiyo of Sunagakure was among the first to sense that something was wrong. But she quickly made peace with the situation — going so far as to open their own stockpiles and sell proactively.
Chiyo understood that this money wasn't being given to them for nothing. It was a silent message telling them to stay out of what was coming.
By voluntarily opening their stores and selling, Chiyo, Gaara, and the rest of Sunagakure's leadership were signaling their firm decision not to interfere in this war.
Sunagakure's eagerness to comply stemmed from a simple truth — they had never intended to get involved in the first place.
After the series of setbacks they had suffered recently, Sunagakure's military strength had already fallen to the bottom. They were only too happy to keep their distance from the conflict.
Kumogakure, on the other hand, took a different approach.
Upon realizing the situation, the hot-tempered Fourth Raikage, A, immediately banned all military exports from the village.
That restriction lasted all of two days before the Fourth Raikage reversed his decision.
The change of heart was largely due to Mabui's counsel.
As Mabui put it, with the situation so uncertain, preserving their own village's strength was the top priority.
If the three great Shinobi Villages ended up crippling each other, the benefits for Kumogakure would far outweigh the costs.
So what if they sold a few ninja tools? The buyers were paying good money.
The Fourth Raikage A might have had a fiery temper, but he wasn't stupid. After weighing Mabui's advice, he could only scowl and quietly rescind his order.
Beyond these two villages, the numerous smaller Shinobi Villages also began reacting.
They hastily recalled their shinobi from abroad and ordered all active ninja to remain within village grounds for the time being.
Some of the smaller villages went so far as to seal themselves off entirely, desperate to avoid being dragged into the terrifying conflict that was brewing.
Konoha Village.
Inside the Hokage's office.
A massive map of the shinobi world hung on the wall.
Tsunade frowned, repeatedly pointing to several locations on the map.
Before her, a large group of Konoha's jonin stood with grave expressions, studying the map intently while discussing countermeasures.
Nara Shikaku, the current head of the Nara clan, stood off to one side, his expression similarly serious as he analyzed the situation and formulated strategy.
It took a long while before the heated discussions in the Hokage's office finally subsided.
"That's enough for now. Dismissed — go make your preparations."
Tsunade rubbed her temples, speaking softly to the assembled jonin.
"Yes, Lady Hokage!"
The Konoha shinobi answered in unison with respectful bows, then turned and filed out of the office.
"Lady Hokage, things are only going to get busier from here. Please make sure to rest."
Nara Shikaku looked at Tsunade rubbing her temples and offered the reminder with gentle concern.
"If anyone needs rest right now, it's you, Shikaku."
A faint smile crossed Tsunade's face as she replied softly.
"This is simply my duty."
Nara Shikaku scratched the back of his head, gave another bow, and walked out of the Hokage's office.
Only after the office was completely empty did Tsunade let out a heavy sigh. Her face etched with exhaustion, she slumped into her chair.
Over the past few days, dealing with the threat of two great Shinobi Villages had kept her awake for two days and a night straight.
Click!
With a sharp sound, the office door was pushed open.
Shizune walked in, carrying a cup of steaming tea.
"Lady Tsunade, would you like to get some rest?"
Shizune looked at the fatigue written across Tsunade's face, her own expression laced with worry as she set the tea down in front of her.
"I'm fine. I know my own limits."
Tsunade gave a small shake of her head and picked up the tea for a sip.
After a couple of sips, Tsunade seemed to recover a bit of energy. She looked up at Shizune.
"Any word from Jiraiya?"
Shizune reached for the teacup and was about to answer when a dark figure suddenly vaulted through the office window.
Shizune's expression shifted instantly. She threw herself in front of Tsunade, her entire body tensed for combat.
But when she got a clear look at the person who had climbed through the window, her face registered surprise.
It was Jiraiya.
"Why is it that every time, you climb through the window instead of using the door?"
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with a mixture of exasperation and disbelief.
"Haha, force of habit."
Jiraiya scratched his head and let out a hearty laugh.
What he received in return was an odd look from Shizune.
"Ahem — down to business."
Jiraiya cleared his throat, his expression turning serious in an instant.
At those words.
Tsunade's posture straightened. Her gaze locked onto Jiraiya, her face now entirely focused.
"The situation is worse than we anticipated."
"Iwagakure's current state is complicated. On the surface, everything appears normal, but the upper echelons have all thrown their lot in with Uchiha Madara."
"As for Onoki..."
Jiraiya's voice trailed off here. He shook his head slowly, an uncertain look on his face.
Seeing his expression, Tsunade let out a quiet sigh.
"So our hope of stopping this war through Iwagakure's leadership is gone. I never expected Uchiha Madara to gain the support of Iwagakure's top brass in such a short time."
Tsunade's gaze flickered as she spoke, a note of helpless resignation in her voice.
"Uchiha Madara may have gotten more than just their support."
Jiraiya shook his head, a peculiar expression crossing his face as he spoke.