A few days later.
Kirigakure's envoys arrived at the various villages, bringing proof of the Third Mizukage's sincerity by volunteering to send troops first.
...
Iwagakure.
Several days earlier, after returning to the village, Rōshi had submitted intelligence concerning Amegakure and Konoha to Ōnoki. He had also brought back a copy of Jiraiya's masterpiece, Saving Jōnin Yashiro.
Onoki felt an intense sense of urgency after reading the intelligence report. He had never expected that even Amegakure had been equipped with Sky Village technology...
That meant Konohagakure's shinobi undoubtedly possessed even more advanced equipment.
For Iwagakure and the Land of Earth, aerial power was both something they coveted and something they feared.
Most of the Land of Earth consisted of barren plateaus and towering mountains. In terms of natural conditions, it was only slightly better off than Sunagakure, and transportation was correspondingly underdeveloped.
If they could acquire aerial forces on a large scale, it would solve more than half of the Land of Earth's transportation problems. But if their enemies obtained them instead, then the strategic advantage provided by their natural terrain would also be more than half erased.
After finishing Jiraiya's book, Onoki cursed Hiruzen even more fiercely.
"He's actually trying to pull off this kind of propaganda? He's playing the Will of Fire card!"
"Instead of researching the Five Nature Transformations like a so-called Professor of Ninjutsu, why the hell is he using genjutsu now?!"
"And people call him an honest man? Is this what the God of Shinobi left the Will of Fire for?"
Grumble all he wanted, Onoki still reread the book several times. As he calculated the economic impact that the Sage Region Pills could bring, his expression grew increasingly grim...
There's a good chance half of this is actually true!
If that's the case...
then it would be absolutely terrifying.
Without delay, Onoki discussed the matter with the Daimyō and ordered the book classified as forbidden throughout the entire Land of Earth. Its sale and circulation were strictly prohibited, and anyone caught violating the ban would be severely punished.
The arrival of Kirigakure's envoy, however, greatly excited him.
At that moment, the Third Tsuchikage convened a meeting of the village's senior leadership and swept his gaze across the room.
"What do you all think?"
Rōshi, Han, Kitsuchi, and the others exchanged glances. Before any of them could speak, Onoki continued on his own.
"We can't afford not to fight Konohagakure!"
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen keeps this up, Konoha is going to advance by another huge leap. If we wait a few more years, Iwagakure will fall farther and farther behind. Right now is the best time to go to war!"
"For Iwagakure's interests, we must launch a preventive war. Even if we gain nothing from this conflict, we have to stop Konoha's unchecked development..."
A ruthless gleam flashed through Onoki's eyes.
A preventive war was one launched when it was foreseeable that an opponent's strength would continue to rise while one's own side had no rapid means of growth. To avoid being placed in an even more disadvantageous position in the future, one would strike first.
It was a classic product of geopolitics.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen knew what Onoki was thinking, he would have told him that this was called the Thucydides Trap.
When an emerging power rises rapidly and disrupts the existing balance of interests, the established powers easily fall into deep suspicion and misunderstanding. That ever-growing fear is highly likely to give birth to war.
Especially since Hiruzen was attacking on two fronts at once...
He wasn't just targeting the hidden villages—he had also planted a devastating time bomb beneath the noble classes of every nation.
The Land of Earth's resources and the nobles' wealth might remain stable for the next few years, but eventually they would inevitably flow toward Konohagakure!
And once that happened, Iwagakure would suffer severe internal hemorrhaging before the war had even begun.
How could they possibly fight under those circumstances?
Only after reviewing everything today did Onoki realize just how vicious Hiruzen's strategy truly was.
"You ask us what we think, then don't even let us speak. So why bother asking?"
Rōshi said with obvious dissatisfaction.
"You've been running this village like a one-man show for years now. Stop pretending you care about other people's opinions."
"If you want to attack Konoha, then issue the order. If you don't, hurry up and adjourn the meeting. I don't have time to waste here with you..."
With war approaching, Rōshi had become even more fearless.
What, was Onoki going to blast him to death with Dust Release?
To be fair, Rōshi thought Onoki had done a decent job as Tsuchikage.
Despite the Land of Earth's limited resources, he had managed to support the largest shinobi population among the Five Great Nations, and he was generally fair when handling everyday affairs.
His biggest flaw, however, was being far too authoritarian. Even toward Rōshi—a fully grown jinchūriki with immense strategic value who could actually wield the power of his Tailed Beast—Onoki still barked orders at him without showing the respect he deserved.
Nor was it something Onoki did out of malice.
The scarcity of resources left him no choice but to treat even the village's top combat forces equally—or even deliberately suppress them to some extent.
Doing so gave the other shinobi a sense of psychological satisfaction, effectively shifting part of the cost of governance onto them.
Instead of forcing the village treasury to bear the enormous cost of maintaining stability, he made a tiny handful of elite shinobi shoulder that burden in order to preserve the obedience of the overwhelming majority of Iwagakure's ninja.
"Rōshi, I hope you'll show that same temper on the battlefield."
Onoki narrowed his eyes, suppressing the anger welling up inside him.
"As long as Kirigakure really goes to war as they promised, then Iwagakure must join in as well..."
"This time, we must find a way to obtain Konoha's Sky Village technology. We also have to drive a wedge between Amegakure and Konohagakure. A Hokage like Sarutobi Hiruzen, who serves as the central hub radiating influence in every direction, is far too dangerous..."
"My orders are as follows: all shinobi are to enter a state of war readiness immediately!"
"Dispatch envoys to Kirigakure and Sunagakure..."
Onoki calculated for a moment before continuing.
"Tell the Third Mizukage that if he attacks Konoha, Iwagakure will certainly lend him our strength!"
"And those hyenas in Sunagakure won't stay quiet either. The Land of Wind's Daimyō and its geography have left them with fewer and fewer opportunities. If they keep drifting along like this, sooner or later they'll fall out of the ranks of the Five Great Hidden Villages."
Kitsuchi raised his hand.
"Tsuchikage-sama, what about Kumogakure?"
"Hmph, there's no need to talk to that brute..."
Onoki waved his hand dismissively.
"I originally intended to discuss it with him, but someone as shrewd as that guy will naturally understand the need to contain Konoha..."
"As for trying to negotiate an alliance with him beforehand, there's no point. Kumogakure has always turned on its allies faster than flipping a page. If Kirigakure's envoy is going, it's the same as us going."
Kitsuchi nodded thoughtfully.
He always felt that although his father and the Third Raikage constantly cursed each other whenever they met... whenever something important happened, the way the two of them thought was surprisingly in sync.
Rōshi silently listened to Onoki's orders before letting out a faint sigh.
"I actually wanted to find an opportunity to see the Konoha from that book... Looks like I won't get the chance now."
{If you don't want to fight, then why are you going to war?} the Four-Tails asked in confusion from within him.
{Because I'm still an Iwagakure shinobi. Even though I despise Onoki, I love the Land of Earth.}
Rōshi shook his head.
{I simply had bad luck in this life, so this is how things have to be. Hopefully, in my next life I'll be born into a peaceful world and become a free monk.}
The Four-Tails fell silent for a moment.
Those very thoughts were why it was willing to cooperate with Rōshi.
He wasn't someone who loved killing...
'The old man was once a monk too. He wanted to create a peaceful world...'
'It's a pity... you failed.'
'I wonder if you're still alive now. Even if you are, you're probably somewhere asleep...'
The Four-Tails lowered its simian head, its emotions tangled.
...
Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage gave a speech that was almost identical to Onoki's.
The gist of it was simple: they couldn't allow Konoha to continue growing. With Kirigakure willing to take the lead this time, there was no reason not to follow.
"Take it!"
"Take the Sky Village technology, Konoha's Kekkei Genkai, and its secret techniques..."
"And not just Konoha's. Once the great war breaks out, we must seize the resources of the other hidden villages as quickly as possible."
The Third Raikage crossed his arms, the muscles on them bulging like twisted roots.
"We have to recognize reality—we're already a step behind Konoha!"
"The reason we didn't interrupt their development before was because if we'd charged in alone, we'd only have let that shorty Onoki and the other villages reap the rewards. But now Kirigakure is willing to be the first one to bear the burden. We can't let this opportunity slip away..."
"Since we've fallen behind, the fastest way to catch up is to take what we need."
"But don't worry. A, Killer B, and I will be standing at the very front."
The Third Raikage's voice rumbled through the hall.
"Just follow me into battle!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the Kumo shinobi below. Not a single voice opposed him.
Compared to Iwagakure, the Third Raikage enjoyed greater resources and possessed far more obvious personal charisma. Under his leadership, Kumogakure had become a village whose organizational discipline was second only to Konohagakure.
"Gentlemen, there's one more thing you must remember."
Dodai stepped forward to add to the Third Raikage's speech.
"Whether it's Kirigakure, Iwagakure, or Sunagakure, if Konoha withstands the initial assault, there's a good chance one of the hidden villages will turn around and stab its own allies in the back to recover its losses..."
"Between villages—especially among the Five Great Hidden Villages—there is no such thing as a true ally."
The Third Raikage nodded.
That was exactly what he had wanted to say.
If Konoha proved exceptionally powerful and left Kumogakure with no chance to profit, then he would simply wait for the right opportunity to sink his teeth into another village instead, and afterward withdraw cleanly back to Kumogakure.
And he was convinced Onoki was thinking exactly the same thing.
...
Sunagakure.
"This is Sunagakure's greatest opportunity!"
Rasa swung both arms forcefully, his expression fierce.
"Kirigakure has taken the initiative! The other three great hidden villages will definitely follow. This is destiny's chance for us to obtain fertile land!"
"Third Kazekage-sama, please give the order!"
"I'm willing to serve as the village's vanguard and lead our elite forces to win glory for Sunagakure!"
The Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.
Compared to Iwagakure and Kumogakure, which could reach a consensus with their Daimyō, Hiruzen's dual offensive against both the nobility and the hidden villages hit Sunagakure even harder, since it had never enjoyed a close relationship with the Daimyō of the Land of Wind.
The Daimyō refused to spend his money on his own people, yet it was going to flow straight into Konoha instead?
Outrageous!
Watching the nobles throughout the Land of Wind cozy up to Konoha through Amegakure's trading platform, the Third Kazekage had become so anxious that he'd even considered assassinating the Daimyō and replacing him with someone who actually understood the situation.
But even that wasn't an option.
With members of the Hyūga main family serving as diplomats and commercial representatives, they maintained close ties with the Land of Wind's independent nobles. If the Daimyō died under suspicious circumstances, it would certainly be discovered.
And once the assassination was exposed, Sunagakure would immediately be branded a rogue by the other hidden villages of the shinobi world, giving the other four villages ample justification to unite and attack it.
But things were different now...
Once the war began, even if the Daimyō of the Land of Wind and his nobles were still secretly flirting with Konoha, they would have no choice but to obediently support Sunagakure through the war.
Chiyo nodded slightly.
She had always supported going to war against Konoha.
She carried a blood feud against it, and as someone who had lived through the Warring States Era, she was instinctively wary of a village that possessed both the Senju and the Uchiha.
"But... didn't we sign a peace treaty with Konoha?"
Pakura asked, frowning as she raised her hand.
The moment those words left her mouth, every Sunagakure shinobi present looked at Pakura as though she were some kind of strange animal...
Had this woman devoted her entire brain to training? How could she possibly ask something like that?
Did anyone in the shinobi world actually believe peace treaties were any different from scraps of paper?
"That's not what I meant..."
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under everyone's gaze, Pakura hurried to explain.
"I mean, if we're the ones who tear up the peace treaty first, then regardless of how much legal force it actually has, Konoha's hatred toward us will only grow stronger..."
"Konoha's military strength is considerable. You can see it from both the border skirmishes and what they did to Kusagakure."
"So... why don't we wait and see for now?"
Pakura carefully chose her words.
"If Konoha can't hold out, it won't be too late for us to enter the war then..."
"And judging from Amegakure's situation, perhaps we could choose to form a new kind of alliance with Konoha and Amegakure instead. There are quite a few benefits to that as well. What do you all think?"
Before the Third Kazekage could respond, Rasa exchanged a glance with him, then immediately slammed the table and roared, "Pakura, if you don't have a brain, then stop undermining morale here!"
"Do you think the other three hidden villages are idiots? That they'll just sit back and watch us reap all the rewards? If we did what you're suggesting, the moment Sunagakure entered the battlefield late, we'd be hit by all of them at once!"
Chiyo nodded slightly.
He wasn't wrong.
Playing both sides was a highly delicate balancing act. One careless mistake, and you'd end up being squeezed from both directions.
"Work with Konoha? I can't believe you actually said that!"
A fierce light flashed through Rasa's eyes.
"Amegakure may be satisfied picking at Konoha's leftovers and acting as Hanzo's watchdog, but that's their business! Are you seriously putting one of the Five Great Hidden Villages on the same level as some insignificant little village like that?"
"If you think you can make Konoha cede territory, then go do it yourself!"
After being shut down so harshly by Rasa, Pakura was left speechless.
"I'm telling you, Pakura—don't forget the will of the First Kazekage!"
Rasa continued, citing history.
"At the very first Five Kage Summit, Reto-sama personally demanded land from the other four Kage. The only reason he didn't get it was because they all united to reject him!"
"Land has been Reto-sama's lifelong obsession ever since he founded the village..."
"Pakura, are you trying to betray the First Kazekage's will?!"
Faced with such a crushing accusation, Pakura visibly faltered and quickly shook her head.
The First Kazekage, Reto, had once been someone Tobirama found utterly unbelievable.
At the First Five Kage Summit, because Sunagakure already possessed the One-Tail, he didn't want to buy another Tailed Beast. Instead, he demanded Konoha's fertile land.
The most outrageous part was that Reto wasn't offering to buy the land—he simply wanted them to hand it over.
On top of that, he also demanded thirty percent of the money the other hidden villages would pay for their Tailed Beasts. Otherwise, he refused to sign the peace agreement.
Tobirama had nearly laughed out loud when he heard it.
Did the man really think his elder brother was an idiot?
Fortunately, the other three First Kage stepped in and told Reto that if he kept making demands like that, he should be prepared to get beaten instead.
Though an even bigger reason was probably that they didn't want to give Madara and Tobirama an excuse to stir up trouble.
Even so, Tobirama never forgot Reto—or Sunagakure.
When Hiruzen was still a child, Tobirama had warned him more than once that any cooperation with that village should never be taken seriously.
"Since no one has any objections..."
The Third Kazekage nodded.
But at that very moment, Sasori lazily spoke up.
"I support Pakura."
Chiyo and Ebizō were both stunned.
Why hadn't their good grandson discussed this with them beforehand?
Rasa and the Third Kazekage were equally shocked.
Sasori had never been the type to speak during meetings.
"I already told you this was the will of the First Kazekage. You still support Pakura?"
Rasa frowned deeply.
"What will?"
Sasori let out a mocking laugh.
"The fantasy that we could've bought another Tailed Beast but ended up getting nothing instead?"
"Don't use Reto's name to intimidate people. Sunagakure rose because Shamon-sama, the Second Kazekage, developed Puppet Technique to compensate for the village's lack of resources."
"When it comes to Puppet Technique, I'm the strongest person in Sunagakure. None of you are."
"And your famous Sand Manipulation techniques were also created by Shamon-sama. You merely combined them with Magnet Release afterward."
"So let me ask you this."
"Have you inherited the Second Kazekage's will?"
"Instead of constantly thinking about starting wars, why not first figure out how to better integrate the resources we already have? During the Second Shinobi World War, did Sunagakure gain anything?"
"My parents could die fighting for Sunagakure..."
"...but they should never have died because of foolish decisions!"
Rasa's expression froze.
Wasn't Sasori usually just a withdrawn teenager?
How had he suddenly become so sharp-tongued?
He even knew how to counter the First Kazekage by invoking the Second?
A faint smile appeared in Sasori's mind.
He couldn't help but marvel that Tobirama-sama truly had no shortage of capable people serving under him.
Those arguments certainly hadn't been his own idea.
They had been put together by Hi-kun and the other "Six Kage" while they were idly passing the time. That bunch knew every piece of gossip in the shinobi world by heart.
After all, stirring up internal conflict in Sunagakure had nothing to do with them...
Chiyo blinked hard several times but remained silent.
To her, the fact that her beloved grandson was finally participating in Sunagakure's politics instead of shutting himself away was already wonderful news.
Everything else could be compromised for the sake of that.
As for Sasori openly contradicting the Third Kazekage, Chiyo couldn't care less.
Besides... what Sasori said wasn't without reason.
In terms of seniority and influence, Elders Chiyo and Ebizō were no less significant than the Third Kazekage.
"I'll make myself clear first. If you're determined to start a war, I'll take part in it. But I don't believe either you or Rasa are all that formidable once you're away from Sunagakure's desert environment..."
Sasori shrugged.
"If we lose again this time, I expect someone to answer to the village. I'm sick of incompetent people making decisions, making mistakes, and never paying the price for them."
With that, Sasori simply walked out of the meeting.
"Chiyo... was that your intention?"
The Third Kazekage asked with a dark expression.
"You know what my grandson is like. He's always been withdrawn. Losing his parents at such a young age left him deeply depressed..."
Chiyo waved her hand, but her gaze never wavered.
"Kazekage-sama, please don't take it to heart. Sasori was only speaking off the cuff. He probably remembered his parents again—the ones who sacrificed themselves for the village."
"I'll certainly give him a good talking-to after we get back. For now, though, I think Your Excellency should focus on how you're going to lead Sunagakure to victory in this war."
Watching the exchange, Pakura's mouth hung slightly open.
So this is what real political maneuvering looks like?
Compared to them, she was practically a fresh Genin in this regard.
The Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes.
Sometimes he genuinely wanted to ask...
Who was really in charge of Sunagakure?
Him—or Chiyo?
If I want to become a truly complete Kazekage... then I absolutely have to win a war.
The Third Kazekage silently reached that conclusion.
...
One month later.
Ichiraku Ramen.
Hiruzen and Duy sat side by side, enthusiastically devouring the restaurant's newest menu item.
Only after polishing off bowl after bowl did they reluctantly wipe their mouths.
"Teuchi and Ichiraku just keep getting better and better..."
Hiruzen praised them with complete sincerity.
"I've heard people say Ichiraku has the makings of a 'Ramen Sage.' At first I thought that was a bit of an exaggeration, but after trying it myself, I can honestly say it isn't."
The Sage of Six Paths burst into laughter and replied with a warm smile, "You're too kind, you're too kind. How could I possibly deserve to be called a sage? As long as Hokage-sama enjoys it, that's enough for me."
Hiruzen chuckled.
"You're far too modest..."
People who relied on honest craftsmanship and diligent work genuinely earned Hiruzen's respect.
The smile in the Sage of Six Paths' eyes deepened.
After observing Hiruzen throughout this period, he was fairly satisfied with him.
He treated the village's shinobi kindly and warmly, yet he had never neglected his own training.
He was promising enough that perhaps... he might deserve a little help someday.
Of course, whether he should help him—or how—was something the Sage of Six Paths still hadn't decided.
More importantly, what he truly wanted to observe was how Hiruzen would handle the coming war.
Duy and Hiruzen stood up.
The two chatted as they walked.
"Hokage-sama, thanks to Orochimaru-sama combining Yamato's serum with the First Hokage's, I've completely adapted to it!"
Might Duy raised his arm.
"I've never felt this powerful in my life!"
Hiruzen smiled.
"That's good to hear."
Although running into Duy today had been partly by chance, Hiruzen had also wanted to ask about the progress of his Hashirama cell implantation.
So far, it appeared to have been a complete success.
However, Duy possessed the rare constitution of someone with attribute-less chakra. If they wanted to expand the procedure throughout Konohagakure, further testing would still be necessary.
Still, now that they had their first successful case, future progress would come much faster.
After arriving at the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen had intended to continue chatting with Duy.
At that very moment, Danzō burst into the room.
His eyes were overflowing with barely restrained exhilaration, and his voice carried an unusual loss of composure.
"Hiruzen... the Third Mizukage has gone mad!"
"He actually declared war on Konoha!"
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---