Iwagakure and Kumogakure had gone to war.
Having just left the Hokage Tower, Shinichi walked slowly through the slightly bustling streets of Konoha in the evening, heading home while silently reflecting on the news.
A short while ago, he had submitted to the Third Hokage the complete technical report for the current stage of the Medical Scroll project, along with preliminary assessments of material consumption and production capacity, as well as recommendations for the next phase of personnel training and production-line construction.
And while making that report, he had also learned something from the Third Hokage—
Iwagakure had declared war on Kumogakure.
That meant a new major conflict would erupt in the north. Kumogakure would be firmly tied down by Iwagakure and would likely no longer have the capacity to threaten Konoha's northeastern front.
For Konoha, that greatly reduced the pressure coming from the northeast. But at the same time, it also meant the flames of war across the shinobi world would burn even more fiercely, and the overall situation would become increasingly chaotic and unpredictable.
How will things develop from here...
Shinichi gazed northward as he quietly ran through the possibilities in his mind.
Kumogakure's military doctrine had always favored offense. They excelled at launching overwhelming lightning-fast assaults capable of crushing resistance and ending battles in a single decisive blow.
But times had changed.
Because of the logistics-destruction campaign that he and the Shinichi Battalion had carried out deep within the Land of Lightning, Kumogakure's supply network and medical system had suffered nearly catastrophic damage. Their vitality had been severely depleted, and both their material reserves and their ability to sustain prolonged warfare were shadows of what they once were.
Now they faced Iwagakure—a longtime rival that had entered the war late and whose strength remained largely intact.
Under those circumstances, Kumogakure would most likely be forced to alter its strategy, contract its front lines, and adopt a far more defensive posture.
The famed lightning offensives that had made them famous would be difficult to execute now that their logistics and medical systems had been crippled and they still had to remain vigilant against Konoha.
Their most realistic option was to leverage the advantages of fighting on home soil and drag the conflict into a prolonged war of attrition.
In other words, in this timeline, the Third Raikage probably won't get the chance to reenact that legendary feat of fighting ten thousand enemies alone for three days and three nights...
The details of the Third Great Ninja War in his memories from his previous life had always been vague.
The various databooks and manga narratives contradicted one another constantly, while timeline inconsistencies involving people and events were practically everywhere.
Still, based on his own deductions, Shinichi believed the Third Raikage had likely fallen into an encirclement due to overconfidence during a military operation.
To buy time for his subordinates to escape, he had stood alone against an army of more than ten thousand Iwa shinobi, battling for three days and three nights before dying, thereby creating the tragic legend of one man against ten thousand.
That legendary battlefield could not have been inside the Land of Lightning or anywhere nearby.
Otherwise, given Kumogakure's style and mobilization capabilities, three days would have been more than enough time for them to dispatch massive reinforcements.
There was no way they would have simply watched their Kage become trapped in such a hopeless situation.
The most likely explanation was that the Third Raikage had advanced too aggressively during an overseas operation or had acted on faulty intelligence. In order to save his subordinates, he had been forced into an extreme rear-guard action.
But in this timeline, his intervention had devastated Kumogakure's logistics and medical infrastructure, forcing the village into a defensive strategy.
A Kumogakure on the defensive.
A Third Raikage who needed to remain in his homeland to oversee reconstruction and coordinate defense.
Perhaps he would never again have the opportunity to make the reckless advance that eventually left him fighting alone.
Thinking of this, Shinichi felt even more at ease.
His very existence had already caused the Third Great Ninja War to diverge dramatically from the moment it began.
The flap of a butterfly's wings could trigger a storm through a chain reaction.
And Shinichi hadn't merely flapped his wings.
He had unleashed the storm itself.
If the course of the war still unfolded exactly as it had in the original timeline from his previous life, that would be the truly unbelievable outcome.
It would mean that all his efforts and all the changes he had made were meaningless.
The tide of the age had already shifted because of him.
A brand-new storm was taking shape.
This was the true shinobi world that belonged to Higashino Shinichi.
'Good.'
'Then I'll let you keep your life for now, Third Raikage.'
'Save it for the future.'
'When I stand at the summit of this era...'
'You'll make the most fitting—and the most dazzling—stepping stone.'
Shinichi calmly withdrew his gaze from the northeast and continued walking home.
Yet after only a few steps, a new concern surfaced in his mind.
The position of Hokage.
In the original timeline, after the Third Great Ninja War ended, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stepped down and initiated the selection of the Fourth Hokage for one critical reason.
Konoha had fought brutal wars against multiple powerful enemies—Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure—and had suffered tremendous losses and sacrifices.
After the war, someone needed to take responsibility.
The village also needed a new face to unite the people and heal the wounds left behind by the conflict.
But what about this timeline?
Thanks to his early warnings and intervention, Konoha had made extraordinarily thorough preparations before the war even began.
On the southwestern front against Sunagakure, they had kept the fighting firmly outside their borders from the very beginning and had even dragged the conflict into a war of attrition that favored Konoha.
On the northeastern front against Kumogakure, Konoha had achieved what could only be described as a brilliant victory. Not only had they repelled a powerful enemy head-on, they had also penetrated deep into the Land of Lightning and dealt a devastating blow to Kumogakure's war-making capability.
And now, with Iwagakure declaring war on Kumogakure, it was practically equivalent to announcing Kumogakure's withdrawal from the war against Konoha.
Both fronts had been fought magnificently. In fact, Konoha held a decisive advantage on both. Judging from current trends, the wars to come would likely unfold the same way—perhaps even more favorably.
So what would happen after the war?
A Konoha that had not only stabilized itself amid the desperate situation of fighting on four fronts, but had also secured multiple strategic victories, would see the prestige of its leader, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, rise rather than fall.
His reputation would reach unprecedented heights.
He would become the heroic Hokage who had guided Konoha through its darkest hour.
At that point, not only would he have no reason to resign and take responsibility, but public opinion would overwhelmingly support him continuing to lead Konoha.
After all, by then the Third Hokage would only be fifty-five or fifty-six years old. For a political leader, that was still the prime of life.
He would have every reason—and every capability—to continue leading Konoha for another ten years, perhaps even longer.
Even if he truly appreciated Shinichi's accomplishments and abilities and genuinely intended for him to inherit the position one day...
At the very least, he would wait until Shinichi turned twenty, the age considered adulthood in this world.
Or perhaps until he was twenty-five or even older, an age widely regarded as sufficiently mature.
After all, throughout the history of the shinobi world, there had never been a Kage younger than twenty-five.
Gaara becoming Kazekage while still a minor in the original timeline had been the product of extraordinarily unusual circumstances.
Likewise, Minato succeeding as the Fourth Hokage at the age of twenty-four had only happened because several special conditions had aligned simultaneously.
The Third Hokage had needed to step down and accept responsibility.
The Sannin had either left the village or refused the position.
And Minato himself had earned unparalleled achievements during the war, enjoyed unmatched prestige, and received both Jiraiya's strong support and the approval of Konoha's leadership.
The most crucial prerequisite among all of those factors was simple:
The Third Hokage had to step down.
Only then was there a vacancy to fill.
But in Shinichi's timeline, that crucial prerequisite might never exist.
Especially when the time came and the Third Hokage looked at Onoki of Iwagakure—a man several years older than himself who still sat firmly on the Tsuchikage's seat, full of vigor and energy.
Wouldn't he think:
That old fossil Onoki hasn't retired yet. Why should I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, retire?
I'm still in my prime. I can keep working for Konoha for another decade or two.
Shinichi is still young. Let him gain a few more years of experience before taking over...
That was an outcome Shinichi absolutely could not accept.
The sooner he became Hokage and gained access to the highest level of authority and resources, the sooner—and more efficiently—he could mobilize the strength of the entire village and the Land of Fire.
That would provide an unparalleled platform and acceleration for acquiring new Entries and upgrading existing ones.
He could not accept wasting years—or even more than a decade—simply because of something as arbitrary as age.
Every year earlier meant a greater advantage.
The effect could even snowball over time.
'Ten thousand years is far too long. Seize the day.'
Shinichi silently repeated the phrase to himself.
We'll see when the time comes.
If...
If I can't become Hokage for the time being—
Then I'll go become Kazekage.
At the thought, Shinichi's eyes narrowed.
But a moment later, he shook his head slightly.
That was ultimately the worst possible option.
A last resort to be used only if he had no other choice.
No rush.
First, he would watch how the war developed.
After the war, he would observe the Third Hokage's attitude and see whether there was a smoother path available.
...
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, naturally had no idea that the inheritor of the Will of Fire in whom he had placed such high hopes...
Was already calmly planning how to accelerate his retirement after the war.
He had even prepared a backup plan involving changing employers and becoming Kazekage.
Having just finished reading the comprehensive report and future plans for the Medical Scroll project that Shinichi had submitted, Hiruzen set it down with complete satisfaction.
"Truly, the heavens favor Konoha."
The Third Hokage sighed with emotion, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
With Shinichi around, the village's future seemed brighter and more full of possibilities than ever before.
At this moment, he was eagerly looking forward to seeing what other surprises this young miracle-maker would bring in the future.
As for stepping down?
Although Shinichi had already become one of his chosen successors—and arguably his foremost candidate—
What occupied Hiruzen's mind right now was how to better nurture, protect, and support Shinichi's growth so that he could one day shoulder that even greater responsibility.
As for exactly how many years away that "one day" might be, he hadn't given it much thought.
He simply felt that Shinichi was still very young.
There was plenty of time.
No need to rush.
At present, the Third Hokage's mood was considerably lighter, especially after hearing the news that Iwagakure had gone to war with Kumogakure.
"Hmm..."
Hiruzen pulled out another document, considered it for a moment, then wrote a few words before issuing an order.
"Notify the Mission Department. Officially assign this mission to Team Ten, with Tsunade leading the operation."
"Yes, sir!"
The ANBU accepted the document and vanished in a Body Flicker.
From the very beginning, Hiruzen had arranged for Shinichi to join Team Ten because he hoped the boy would build deep bonds with people his own age.
But after the war broke out, Shinichi had thrown himself onto the front lines with astonishing momentum and amassed one remarkable achievement after another. The gap between him and his peers had only continued to widen, and that was not what the Third Hokage wanted.
Now that the situation on the battlefield had eased somewhat and Team Ten had regrouped, it was time for them to begin carrying out simpler missions as a complete squad again, continuing to build teamwork and forge the bonds unique to their team.
Meanwhile, in Takumi Village, located in the Land of Artisans.
Like Uzushiogakure in the former Land of Whirlpools, it was a small nation that operated under a unified nation-village system.
The nation was the village, and the village was the nation.
Takumi Village was renowned throughout the shinobi world for its masterful craftsmanship in ninja tools. It served as a major supplier and custom workshop for the Five Great Nations and many smaller shinobi villages alike, regularly fulfilling orders for weapons, armor, and even large-scale machinery.
At that moment, inside a modest residence near the center of the village, Takumi Village's widely acknowledged chief craftsman and genius jōnin—Seimei—sat alone on the tatami floor of a quiet room.
He appeared to be around thirty years old and possessed fairly handsome features. Spread out before him was the latest briefing on developments across the shinobi world, prominently displaying the news that Iwagakure had declared war on Kumogakure.
Yet his eyes did not seem focused on the words.
As a once-in-a-century prodigy of Takumi Village, he had not only brought the village's traditional forging techniques to an unprecedented level of mastery, but had also achieved breakthroughs in functional innovation beyond anything previous generations had managed.
He was the pride of the village.
The future leader upon whom everyone had placed their hopes.
Yet in Seimei's heart, that honor and those expectations had gradually fermented into humiliation and resentment.
What was Takumi Village, really?
Nothing more than a somewhat useful workshop caught in the struggles of the great nations.
Forever dependent on others.
Forever surviving by accepting orders from outsiders and forging weapons for other people's wars.
The Five Great Nations stood high above everyone else, casually declaring wars and shaping the course of the world.
Meanwhile, the Land of Artisans and Takumi Village could only maneuver cautiously between them, constantly afraid of choosing the wrong side and bringing disaster upon themselves.
He had had enough of that fate.
He wanted change.
He wanted Takumi Village and the Land of Artisans to escape their miserable status as little more than subordinate tools.
He yearned for true power.
Power great enough that even the Five Great Nations would be forced to acknowledge them and negotiate as equals.
"The time has come."
Seimei murmured softly.
Within the next couple of days, he intended to launch a purge and a coup, sweeping away those conservative elders who were content with the status quo and clung stubbornly to outdated thinking.
He would cast them into the dustbin of history once and for all.
The supreme authority of Takumi Village would belong entirely to him.
Originally, Seimei had intended to accumulate a few more bargaining chips and wait for a more perfect opportunity.
But today, a strange stirring had arisen in his heart.
Especially during the past few hours, that inexplicable sensation had become clearer and stronger, as if something unseen were repeatedly crashing against his soul and urging him to act immediately.
It made Seimei realize that this was a revelation beyond ordinary understanding.
Fate itself was whispering to him.
The opportunity was here.
Right now.
To hesitate would be to betray this heaven-sent chance.
...
The next day, Konoha.
Team Ten's gathering point.
"Hmm. We've got a mission today."
With her arms folded, Tsunade swept her gaze across her three students and spoke.
But after saying that, she didn't immediately explain the mission. Instead, she looked Shinichi up and down several times, one eyebrow rising as though she had suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right. The Chūnin Exams are next month. Shinichi, are you planning to participate?"
"Huh?"
The question left not only Shinichi stunned, but also Shizune and Yūhi Kurenai standing beside him.
A moment later, Shinichi pointed at himself and replied with a helpless smile.
"Tsunade-sensei, I have to take the Chūnin Exams too?"
Tsunade froze instantly.
Then she realized just how ridiculous a question she had asked.
The brat standing in front of her was the youngest jōnin in Konoha's history.
The Crimson Flame Shinichi who had shattered the Strongest Shield.
The legendary squad captain who had led his team deep into the Land of Lightning and fought his way in and out of enemy territory multiple times.
Send him to take the Chūnin Exams?
The very image was absurd.
Not to mention that some of the examiners would probably be his former subordinates.
The awkward question stemmed from a casual conversation Tsunade had happened to have with Minato the day before.
Minato had mentioned that he planned to have Kakashi participate in this year's Chūnin Exams as a member of Team Seven alongside Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.
It would essentially serve as a make-up opportunity for Kakashi while also giving the team a formal promotion experience together.
At the time, Tsunade had thought Minato's arrangement was quite thoughtful.
But when she saw Shinichi today, her brain short-circuited for a moment and the question slipped out without thinking.
Looking back on it now, Kakashi was still only a chūnin and didn't have any major accomplishments to his name. People could simply turn a blind eye and let it pass.
But Shinichi was a genuine jōnin whose achievements were more outrageous than the last.
Sending him to the Chūnin Exams with Shizune and Kurenai, two little girls, was simply too much bullying.
"Ahem."
Tsunade coughed lightly and forcibly changed the subject.
"We can talk about the Chūnin Exams later. Right now, let's discuss today's mission."
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