In the Land of Rain, inside one of Konoha's hidden strongholds, Danzō was reading the latest report from the village.
In response to Hanzō's declaration of war, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had granted Danzō the authority to act on the spot. If he chose, he could declare war on Amegakure immediately without waiting for further instructions from Konoha.
If it were the Danzō of the future—the one shaped by the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, whose ambition and authority had both swelled—he would have seized that power without hesitation, launched the war himself, and used the chaos to expand his influence.
But things were different now.
Danzō was in a close alliance with Hiruzen. More importantly, the Shimura clan now had Kizaru—a once-in-a-generation genius who had become both their political pillar and the ideal successor to carry their future.
Because of Kizaru's existence, the Shimura and Sarutobi clans had become more closely tied than ever before. The same was true for Danzō and Hiruzen themselves.
Kizaru was not only the Shimura clan's greatest prodigy and Danzō's direct nephew, but also Hiruzen Sarutobi's student.
He represented the future of both clans.
No—more than that, he represented the future of the entire Hokage faction.
As long as Kizaru became Hokage, the future interests of both Danzō and the Shimura clan, as well as Hiruzen and the Sarutobi clan, would be secure.
Because of that, Danzō had never once doubted whether his genius nephew would inherit the title of Hokage.
The position of Hokage would belong to Kizaru.
Unless the entire Hokage faction collapsed with him, no one in Konoha was qualified to compete with Kizaru for that seat.
As he continued reading, Danzō's eyes paused on the section stating that Iwagakure hoped to form an alliance with Konoha—and that Hiruzen had ordered Kizaru to accompany him as the Hokage's guard during the meeting.
A smile slowly appeared on Danzō's face.
To him, it looked like the first light of dawn breaking over the future he had always longed for.
Danzō's greatest ambition had never been limited to becoming Hokage.
No—that title alone was far too small for him.
What he truly desired was for Konoha to stand above all others and unify the entire shinobi world.
In the past, Danzō had believed that dream could only be realized if he himself became Hokage.
But Kizaru's appearance had changed that.
Shimura Kizaru.
A new "God of Shinobi" with the potential to surpass even the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
If Kizaru ascended to the position of Hokage, and if he himself continued to support him from the shadows, then Konoha defeating the other four great nations and bringing the shinobi world under one banner would no longer be a fantasy.
It would become a real possibility.
And now, Hiruzen had appointed Kizaru to stand at his side during a high-level diplomatic meeting.
That alone was enough to reveal the true meaning behind the arrangement.
Politically, Kizaru was already being pushed forward as the Hokage's successor.
Setting the document down, Danzō's mood grew unusually bright.
He began to consider how he might repay Hiruzen for such careful and deliberate support.
After a moment of thought, he arrived at a decision.
Since Hiruzen had chosen to promote Kizaru, then he, too, would use this battlefield to polish Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya into sharper weapons for Konoha.
With that thought in mind, Danzō ordered one of his subordinates to call the three of them to his tent.
At this point, Konoha had not yet officially gone to war with Amegakure, and the three shinobi who would one day become the Legendary Sannin were still stationed here on standby.
After receiving word that Danzō wanted to speak with them, the three of them quickly entered the tent.
"News has arrived from the village," Danzō said as he looked at the three standing before him. "Konoha has decided to formally declare war on the Land of Rain."
As he spoke, he lifted the document in front of him and handed it to Orochimaru, who stood at the front.
Orochimaru accepted it, then the three of them gathered together and read through its contents.
"Iwagakure actually wants to ally with us?" Jiraiya's face lit up the moment he saw that line.
If Konoha and Iwagakure formed an alliance, then there was a good chance this war could be brought to an end much sooner than expected.
"Danzō-sama," Orochimaru said after finishing the report and passing it to Jiraiya, "what is your judgment regarding the battle against Amegakure?"
"Chiyo of Sunagakure has already found a way to deal with Hanzō's poison," Danzō replied calmly. "Because of that, Sunagakure has managed to secure its footing in the Land of Rain and has even begun to seize the initiative. Hanzō's setbacks are already clear."
Danzō had always placed great importance on intelligence. Naturally, his understanding of the war between Hanzō and Sunagakure was extremely detailed.
"Even so," he continued, "this battle has also made one thing very clear—Hanzō cannot be underestimated. But Sunagakure will not be willing to keep pouring manpower and resources into the Land of Rain for long."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"My prediction is that Hanzō and Sunagakure will agree to a ceasefire before long."
Danzō understood Sunagakure—and the Third Kazekage in particular—better than most.
The Land of Wind was dominated by barren desert, and its resources had always been scarce. Even Sunagakure struggled under that burden.
The Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage in history, was an ambitious man. Since taking office, he had focused on strengthening the village's military power while keeping his gaze fixed on Konoha and the Land of Fire.
For a man like that, wasting too much of Sunagakure's strength on Hanzō and Amegakure—a difficult enemy with little actual value—would be a foolish trade.
It simply was not worth it.
"So, Orochimaru. Jiraiya. Tsunade." Danzō's expression turned serious as he looked at the three of them. "Prepare yourselves to enter battle at any moment. Once Hanzō and Sunagakure cease hostilities, the moment both sides relax and lower their guard, you will lead Konoha's elite forces in a direct strike against Hanzō."
This arrangement was not made because Danzō wanted to throw the three of them into danger.
On the contrary—he was preparing a battlefield for them to earn glory.
In Danzō's eyes, if Hanzō and Amegakure were forced into a ceasefire after being worn down by Sunagakure, then that would be the moment when they were at their weakest and most exhausted.
At that point, if Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya led a fresh elite force in a sudden blitz assault, there was every chance they could overwhelm Hanzō in one stroke, take his head, and shatter Amegakure completely.
If the plan succeeded, the three of them would become the heroes of Konoha's victory in the war in the Land of Rain.
This military merit was Danzō's return gift to his old friend, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Based on the timeline, Tsunade and the others would soon confront Hanzō.
And after being defeated by him, they would be given the name that would one day shake the shinobi world—the Sannin.
Sitting inside a dessert shop with Yugao and eating a plate of dango, Kizaru quietly turned those thoughts over in his mind.
Tomorrow, he and Hiruzen Sarutobi would leave the village for the Land of Grass, where they were set to meet with the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.
The Land of Grass lay between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. To its north were the Land of Iron and Takigakure, while the Land of Rain sat to its south.
Honestly speaking, it was a place with an excellent location—and a terrible one.
Because of that awkward position, the Land of Grass had spent generations serving as a battleground for other nations.
If it was not Takigakure passing through, then it was the Land of Rain. If the Land of Rain was not causing trouble, then the Land of Earth was. And after the Land of Earth left, someone like Danzō would probably show up next.
Caught between so many major powers, the Land of Grass was either dragged into someone else's war or forced to endure being trampled for free. It had never once had the luxury of choosing its own fate.
The fact that a country like that had managed to survive until now was already a miracle.
Kizaru lowered his gaze and lazily bit into another dango.
Considering the Land of Grass's location, he found himself wondering whether, after the meeting was over, he should make a trip to the Land of Rain as well.
If he timed it right, waited until after the Sannin were defeated…
Then he could turn into a ray of light, descend from the sky, defeat Hanzō, and save Tsunade in one dramatic move.
A single battle.
Raise the synchronization.
Raise the relationship.
A clean little win-win.
Kizaru chewed slowly, then tilted his head a little, looking as relaxed as ever.
"Yare yare… that does sound convenient, doesn't it?"
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