"That's a good thing, Hiruzen!"
Danzo declared loudly.
"A village like Takigakure doesn't deserve to possess the Seven-Tails! Normally they hide inside that waterfall and nobody bothers with them, but now they've come running out looking for death!"
"Hiruzen, according to my intelligence, Takigakure possesses a secret medicine called the Hero Water. It's said to push the human body beyond its limits, but at the cost of the user's life..."
"I'd say that thing is an evil forbidden substance that has no place in the shinobi world. We should use this opportunity to wipe it out!"
Danzo had coveted the so-called Hero Water for a very long time.
But Hiruzen had never allowed him to make a move against Takigakure.
Before this, Takigakure had genuinely been a quiet village that hadn't clashed with Konoha for many years.
Who would have thought...
A dog that didn't bark could still bite.
"That has nothing to do with it."
"Takigakure once attacked the First Hokage. Even after receiving his forgiveness, they betrayed that goodwill and once again showed hostility toward Konoha. That is utterly intolerable!"
Hiruzen waved his hand.
He wasn't particularly interested in Danzo's argument that Takigakure possessed something akin to a "weapon of mass destruction."
Besides, that sort of justification could easily backfire.
When it came to forbidden techniques, Konoha possessed more than any other village in the shinobi world.
There was no need to use that as the basis for a just war.
That said...
Just as Danzo had declared, Hiruzen fully intended to pull every last one of Takigakure's teeth this time.
Among those seated in the advisory section, a strange light flickered in Kakuzu's eyes.
Not once had Hiruzen suggested that Takigakure's decision to join the war might have anything to do with him.
None of the other Konoha Council Members attacked him over it either.
Everyone knew Kakuzu was one of the Hokage's most trusted people, and that he had made enormous contributions to Konoha.
Providing Earth Grudge Fear...
Assisting the ANBU and Root...
Delivering all kinds of research materials and Kekkei Genkai...
'Having an organization behind you really is the best...'
Kakuzu sighed inwardly.
As for Takigakure's rotten leadership...
He was already an old hand at killing them.
"You all need to understand that Konoha is about to wage war simultaneously on four fronts against the major hidden villages."
"Next, I'll assign our operational deployments. If anyone has concerns, speak up immediately so we can coordinate them on the spot."
Hiruzen swept his gaze across the Konoha Council Members before speaking in a deep voice.
"First, Kirigakure."
"I'll personally lead the counteroffensive against the Third Mizukage. I'll do everything I can to defeat him as quickly as possible before moving to reinforce the other battlefields."
"Hizashi, Tenzō—you'll come with me."
Against Kirigakure's dense mists and combat tactics, the Byakugan was unquestionably the best reconnaissance tool available.
Hizashi's combat style was also exceptionally well suited for fighting Kirigakure's shinobi.
Even most of that village's elite fighters emphasized offense over defense, leaving them unable to withstand long-range Storm Release attacks.
As for Tenzō...
While his combat ability wasn't particularly remarkable, he had repeatedly told Hiruzen that Nakamaro was the inheritor of his will.
Could that perhaps bring him a pleasant surprise?
Hizashi and Tenzō answered in unison, "Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Tenzō suppressed the excitement bubbling inside him.
Originally, he'd only hoped Nakamaro might defect with a portion of the Kaguya Clan and a handful of Kirigakure shinobi...
Now the ceiling for military merit had skyrocketed!
Defecting after the war had already begun carried an entirely different level of prestige.
'Come on then, Third Mizukage...'
A gleam of ambition flashed through Tenzō's eyes.
'Just wait for your death.'
"Next, the Iwagakure front."
"Based on our intelligence, both of Iwagakure's jinchūriki appear capable of controlling their Tailed Beasts. Therefore, the deployment will be as follows."
"Uchiha Isshin, Fugaku, Tomie, Uzumaki Shio, Kushina, and Jiraiya..."
"The six of you will take charge of the Iwagakure battlefield. The Uchiha will form the core of the force, and more than half of our air squadrons will be assigned there as well. Ida from Root will accompany you. Isshin will serve as overall commander."
Jinchūriki who had achieved something close to perfect synchronization with their Tailed Beasts were terrifying opponents.
A jinchūriki and their Tailed Beast could release each other from genjutsu.
But Konoha possessed Mangekyō Sharingan, Adamantine Sealing Chains, and numerous Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Sometimes overwhelming force was the answer.
Furthermore, Iwagakure specialized in large-scale coordinated ninjutsu formations.
Jiraiya, with his mastery of Sage Mode, would take the lead in countering that style of warfare.
When it came to the power and scale of elemental techniques, Jiraiya had inherited Hiruzen's teachings in full.
"Be careful. Ōnoki's Dust Release is extremely dangerous, but it has a significant wind-up before it can be activated. Iwagakure's Explosion Corps may also deploy landmine-type ninja tools."
"Kushina and Shio, focus on sensory detection. The aerial units and the Super Beast Imitating Drawing users should concentrate on harassing Ōnoki from the air so he can't freely unleash Dust Release."
Hiruzen continued assigning responsibilities.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Isshin straightened proudly.
Entrusting him with confronting Ōnoki head-on was a tremendous vote of confidence.
It might be one of the toughest battlefields...
But Hiruzen had also given him an exceptionally strong hand to play.
"As for Kumogakure..."
Hiruzen exchanged a glance with Orochimaru, only to see his beloved disciple subtly shake his head.
Understanding immediately, Hiruzen adjusted his plans.
"Danzo, this time it'll be a test of your mastery over Wind Release."
"Danzo will serve as overall commander. Minato, Uchiha Seisui, and Kurama Genshin will accompany him. The remainder of Root's strongest forces will also be concentrated there."
"Kumogakure's shinobi excel primarily in taijutsu. The Aburame Clan's kikaichū and nano-sized venomous insects will be particularly effective against them. Minato's and Seisui's Flying Thunder God Technique can counter their mobility, while Duy's Eight Gates will provide the raw power needed for direct confrontations."
"The Iburi Clan and the Tsuchigumo Clan should also mobilize and enter the Kumogakure battlefield as reserve forces."
Hiruzen deliberately turned toward Duy.
"Duy, don't open the final Gate unless there's absolutely no other choice."
Might Duy nodded solemnly.
"I understand, Hokage-sama!"
As the current host of the Yamato–Hashirama Cell Construct, Duy's physical condition held immense research value.
He would also become one of the key participants in studying the Air Ninja's Body Activation and Regeneration techniques.
Konoha would not be brought down by this war.
Their plans had to look beyond the immediate conflict.
"As for Sunagakure..."
Hiruzen chuckled.
As long as they weren't fighting in the vast desert, he didn't regard Sunagakure as much of a threat.
The Second Shinobi World War had already proven one thing:
With sand, Sunagakure was half a dragon.
Without it, they were little more than worms.
Puppet techniques were also far better suited to ambushes and defensive warfare than to launching offensives.
The Second Kazekage, Shamon, had originally intended to turn Sunagakure into an impregnable fortress, relying on overwhelming homeland defenses while gradually solving the village's resource shortages.
But the Third Kazekage had devoted himself entirely to carrying on Reto's ideals instead, taking the village down a completely different path.
In the end...
The Second Kazekage failed to resemble the First.
And the Third failed to resemble the Second.
"Notify Hanzō."
"Have him lead Amegakure in intercepting Sunagakure."
"Sakumo, you'll support the Sunagakure front as Konoha's military advisor. You're an old acquaintance of both Hanzō and Sunagakure. You'll already have an understanding of how each side operates."
The moment Hiruzen finished speaking, the Konoha Council Members burst into good-natured laughter.
After all, Sakumo had cut down plenty of Sunagakure shinobi...
But he'd also cut down plenty from Amegakure.
Now that Amegakure had become an ally, the joke was admittedly rather dark.
Even so, cooperation between Konoha and Amegakure needed exactly this kind of battle fought side by side to forge genuine camaraderie.
Only after Amegakure had willingly paid the "blood tax" required to defend the Konoha–Amegakure Alliance could the two villages continue walking together with a stronger and more enduring bond.
Sakumo nodded with a smile.
"Back when I used to cross blades with Hanzō, I was under quite a bit of pressure..."
"But now it's different. The ones under pressure will be Sunagakure, having to face both Hanzō and me."
At present, the two of them could fairly be called the greatest masters of swordsmanship in the entire shinobi world.
Cutting puppet chakra threads was easier for them than mowing grass.
"Tsunade, you'll also be stationed in Amegakure."
"But unless absolutely necessary, don't take part in direct combat."
"Using Amegakure's strategic location and the Flying Thunder God Technique transmission towers we've deployed there, your priority will be allocating and coordinating medical resources while overseeing all logistical support."
"That responsibility is even more important than the fighting on the front lines."
Hiruzen spoke with a solemn expression.
"Yes, Sensei!" Tsunade nodded seriously.
Konoha now possessed a fully developed corps of medical ninja.
They were the industrial shinobi responsible for producing Medical Chakra Scrolls.
Each of them had mastered medical ninjutsu, making them capable of both manufacturing supplies and serving as emergency medical teams.
Every single one of them was one of Konoha's greatest treasures.
Determining how to distribute them across the various battlefields, ensuring their safety, balancing production with frontline deployment, and allocating the existing stockpile of Medical Chakra Scrolls would all be critically important tasks.
Reliable logistics and support formed the very foundation of an army's combat effectiveness.
"Hiruko, Orochimaru."
"The two of you will continue your normal research work. Together with Torifu, Mito-sama, and the Nine-Tails, you'll remain behind to defend the village against any surprise attacks. If any frontline collapses, you'll reinforce it."
"The village's day-to-day operations, along with overall coordination and plugging any gaps across the battlefield, will also fall to the two of you and Nara Shikayama. You'll serve as the General Staff and operational coordinators for the Third Shinobi World War."
Hiruzen issued the orders calmly.
He had originally thought Orochimaru might want to head to the front lines to earn military merit.
After all, his goal was to become the Fourth Hokage.
Although, at this point, no one could realistically shake his position as the heir apparent...
It would still have been perfectly understandable if he wanted to secure his standing even further.
But after exchanging a glance with Orochimaru, the young man had subtly indicated that he had no desire to go.
That was actually a good thing.
Even though Konoha was fighting on four fronts, committing every available soldier would have been a terrible decision.
Someone still had to guard home.
With Konoha's current military strength and intelligence network, strengthening central command would dramatically improve battlefield awareness.
As long as Orochimaru and Hiruko remained behind to maintain the intelligence systems, Konoha could avoid becoming a "paralyzed giant."
Unless absolutely necessary, there was no reason to send invaluable researchers to the battlefield to fight hand-to-hand.
Not that Orochimaru and Hiruko were the sort of researchers incapable of defending themselves.
Quite the opposite.
Both of them were remarkably difficult to kill.
Keeping them in the village would also ensure the continued production and efficient distribution of Konoha's ninja tools.
"Yes, Sensei!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Orochimaru and Hiruko accepted their orders without hesitation.
As the first- and second-in-command of the Research Department, both of them understood the situation perfectly.
Now that their research had already produced tangible results, there was no need to rush to the battlefield personally.
Every victory achieved by an enhanced shinobi would also carry a share of their contribution.
They might not be getting the kills...
But the assists would keep piling up.
Besides, once the war reached a favorable stage, Hiruzen certainly wouldn't object if they wanted to visit the battlefield later.
"Kakuzu."
"You'll continue operating independently."
"Move freely between the battlefields and provide support wherever the situation demands."
Meeting Kakuzu's gaze, Hiruzen gave him his assignment.
Kakuzu's bounty hunter fighting style had long since become second nature.
Forcing him into a rigid military formation would only limit his effectiveness.
As for Takigakure's forces and the Seven-Tails...
No matter which battlefield they reinforced, Hiruzen was confident his current deployments could hold them off in the short term.
Konoha's mobility simply wasn't something the other hidden villages could match.
"Koharu. Homura."
"The two of you will coordinate with the Land of Fire. Now that the war has begun, the major merchants and nobles must recognize that this is a special period. Keep prices under control and ensure the stable supply of military resources."
Hiruzen continued assigning responsibilities to his two longtime teammates.
Maintaining close coordination with the Land of Fire and unifying the nation's internal resources was another crucial part of the war effort.
Koharu and Homura nodded solemnly.
"Leave it to us, Hiruzen!"
Now was the time for the nobles to declare where they stood...
The entire Land of Fire had to be mobilized.
Its people had to throw their full support behind Konoha and channel every available resource toward the village.
Under the name of Hiruzen, the Shōgun of the Land of Fire.
"During this campaign, the genin will be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the battle lines. Do everything possible to keep them from confronting enemy elites directly."
"Make full use of our aerial reconnaissance advantage. Locate the enemy's advancing forces and seize the initiative by striking first."
"The genin still need time to grow."
Within the shinobi world, the tactic known as "holding the line" was both well established and indispensable.
Its purpose was to maintain a continuous front by filling every section of the battle line, preventing enemy forces from exploiting gaps and breaking through into the rear.
The troops assigned to hold the line were generally reserve forces, whose role was to free up elite units while probing the enemy's movements.
However...
With Konoha's aerial reconnaissance capabilities and the Byakugan, there was no need to learn the enemy's movements by absorbing their attacks.
Instead, Konoha could identify the enemy's weak points in advance and seize the initiative.
The line-holding units merely needed to secure the flanks and the rear supply routes.
"Sensei..."
"What about those kids who already possess chūnin-level combat ability?"
"They probably won't stay quietly inside the village..." Orochimaru said, raising a hand.
He was referring to people like Asuma, Kakashi, Obito, and Shisui.
"Students should remain in the village."
"Even if they're still young but already far stronger than ordinary chūnin, we should encourage them to take on the responsibility of protecting Konoha rather than sending them to the front lines."
"If they insist too strongly..."
"Then use your own judgment when assigning them, Orochimaru."
Hiruzen waved his hand decisively.
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully.
As for the Ninja Academy's Golden Generation that had graduated over the past two years—including Asuma—he decided to deploy those elite youngsters to the battlefield.
Fine steel had to be tempered.
Besides, if he kept that group of prodigies behind, they would undoubtedly start causing trouble inside the village.
After all, they were hailed every day by the villagers as the "Ninja Academy's Golden Generation."
If they hid in the rear the moment war broke out despite possessing combat abilities beyond those of ordinary chūnin...
People talking behind their backs was inevitable.
"Everyone, take your positions!"
"You now have time to coordinate your personnel and forces."
"After that, move to your respective battlefields with all possible speed!"
"For the Will of Fire and for peace..."
"Meet the enemy!" Hiruzen declared in a deep voice.
"For the Will of Fire!"
The Konoha Council Members answered solemnly, striking their fists against their chests in unison with a resounding thud.
The commanders of each unit immediately began coordinating with one another.
The distribution of the core shinobi clans—the Ino-Shika-Chō, Inuzuka, Aburame, Hyūga, and Uchiha...
The composition of their mixed forces...
Their respective assignments...
The advance briefings...
Hiruzen did not interfere too much.
He had never been one to micromanage.
The frontline troops understood the front lines better than anyone else.
Once the battle began, Hiruzen's own priority would also be his assigned sector.
He intended to decapitate the enemy's command structure as quickly as possible.
As long as Kirigakure collapsed first, the alliance among the other hidden villages would not remain stable for long.
Once the conflict devolved into chaos, Konoha could steadily begin pushing the front back.
Moments later...
The war machine of Konoha and the Land of Fire roared into motion.
Hiruzen did not choose Hashirama's crimson armor.
Instead...
He donned Madara's heavy black armor.
His anger toward the Third Mizukage still burned fiercely.
Compared to the compassionate Hashirama...
Madara's killing intent better matched Hiruzen's state of mind at this moment.
Together with Hizashi and Tenzō, he sped toward the coastline of the Land of Fire at full speed.
Meanwhile...
Within the Mountains' Graveyard.
Madara narrowed his eyes as a faint smile curled across his lips.
Although he disliked war...
War had always excited him.
"Hiruzen went to fight on the Kirigakure front?"
"Hm... Just as I expected."
"Go."
"Send Hōzuki Gengetsu to the Kirigakure battlefield and make things a little harder for Hiruzen. If the opportunity presents itself, allow him to fight."
"One Mizukage isn't enough."
"It takes two Mizukage to make things interesting."
Madara spoke with narrowed eyes.
"Madara-sama... What about the others?"
Hi-kun asked cautiously.
He was genuinely afraid Madara might overdo it and send every Kage into battle.
If that happened, Konoha would be in serious trouble.
"They'll remain on standby for now."
"We'll take this one step at a time."
After thinking for a moment, Madara shook his head.
In his opinion, adding Hōzuki Gengetsu alone was sufficient pressure.
Thanks to his earth-shattering plan...
Konoha was facing the unprecedented united assault of four hidden villages.
Takigakure had even joined them, bringing along a Tailed Beast.
As an initial trial, the difficulty was already more than enough.
Besides...
If he sent so many Kage out all at once, Madara was concerned he might corner Hiruzen into reviving Tobirama and Hashirama with Impure World Reincarnation.
That would defeat the entire purpose of testing the vitality of Konoha's Will of Fire.
Hi-kun couldn't help enthusiastically praising Madara, eagerly providing the emotional validation he enjoyed hearing.
"As expected of Madara-sama. Your foresight is unmatched, and every plan is carefully considered! You're truly striving for peace, yet so many fools continue to misunderstand you. Just thinking about it makes me furious..."
"Hahaha, it's fine!"
Madara laughed freely.
"There will always be people who understand me!"
"Hiruzen will, in the future."
"And you do too, kid."
Standing nearby, Black Zetsu ground his teeth in frustration.
What was wrong with Hi-kun?
Couldn't he tell that not sending everyone at once was the wrong decision?
Why was he agreeing with Madara?
He was subtly steering Madara away from going too far...
It almost sounded as though he was speaking in Konoha's favor.
But Black Zetsu couldn't do anything about it.
Because Hi-kun was now Madara's most trusted subordinate.
If Black Zetsu tried anything and was exposed...
Everything would be over.
...
Three days later.
Southeastern Land of Fire.
Because the area lay close to the coastline, there was simply no way to prevent Kirigakure's shinobi from making amphibious landings through surprise attacks.
This battlefield differed from all the others.
However, as the front lines expanded, Kirigakure's advance had already been halted, and the combat zones had gradually become clearly defined.
With their Byakugan activated and assisted by a small number of aerial reconnaissance units, Hizashi and Tenzō had already completed a survey of the enemy's troop deployments.
At that moment, Tenzō approached the Hokage, preparing to report which sector contained the greatest concentration of Kirigakure's elite forces...
Hiruzen stood expressionless.
The jet-black armor covering his body seemed to have absorbed the killing intent burning within his heart.
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