Hiruko had already completed extensive preparations for this grand war. On Minato Namikaze's end, the mobilization of supplies had long since begun.
Having lived through the Third Shinobi World War, Hiruko wasn't particularly curious about the reality of the front lines. Shinobi warfare was fundamentally different from the wars of his previous world. Instead of massive infantry charges, two armies would vanish into the mountains and forests, playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Today you wipe out one of my squads; tomorrow I assassinate one of yours. The intensity of individual skirmishes was sky-high, but overall? There was a reason these villages hadn't gone extinct despite decades of fighting. Compared to the sheer attrition of a World War II-style conflict, this didn't even come close.
The Hokage's Office
"We can't keep going like this," the Third Hokage said gravely. "The alliance of the four nations has been grinding against each other near Sunagakure for nearly a week now."
"Even though the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone have been taking the brunt of the actual casualties, we can't let this drag on," Hiruzen continued. Because the war had started, the roads in the Land of Fire were under martial law. Merchant traffic had dried up, meaning Konoha was starting to eat through its reserves.
Hiruko pulled an ice-cold bottle of Cola from a nearby fridge and handed it to the agitated old man. "Don't be in such a rush. Have something to eat first," he said with a smile.
The summer heat was beginning to settle in. Being able to enjoy cold soda, ice cream, and sweet chocolate in the middle of a war was an incredible luxury. Hiruzen took a long swig, but didn't forget to glare at Hiruko.
In his heart, the Third knew this was Hiruko's "shrewd" idea—proposing that the village purchase cola, ice cream, and chocolate from his own factories as mandatory military supplies. Was Konoha really so flush with cash that they could afford this?
"As war materiel, if you were buying high-quality ninja tools or explosive tags, I wouldn't say a word," Hiruzen grumbled. "But why are you buying all this? Providing a bottle to every person every day... what, are we planning to pelt the enemy to death with soda bottles? The guys on the other side don't even have a cup of ice water to drink!"
Gulp, gulp! Hiruko took a deep draught of his own drink.
"Old man, relax. Didn't we take that massive loan from the Daimyo? We're going to drown the enemy in money!" Hiruko laughed.
"Hmph!" Hiruzen huffed, clearly annoyed that Minato had backed Hiruko on this.
Hiruko looked at the condensation on his bottle. He knew that in the sweltering heat, a cold cola was a massive morale booster. It was like a psychological anesthetic—the same reason the US military historically prioritized such comforts for its troops. Hiruko himself was quite addicted to it.
His strategy was simple: Total Attrition. He wanted to bleed the enemy's supplies dry.
While it was a sound plan, the Third and the other elders hadn't been fully on board initially. It required an astronomical amount of money. Theoretically, since Konoha had the financial edge, why not use it? Winning without fighting is the highest form of war.
But the elders had lived through times of extreme poverty. Now that they had money, they couldn't fathom "wasting" it this way. Hiruko, however, had his own calculations. He had borrowed from the Fire Daimyo and the high officials with absolutely no intention of paying them back.
If you owe the bank a million, the bank is your master. If you owe the bank a hundred billion, you're the master. The bank is terrified of you dying.
Konoha didn't owe quite that much, but the principle remained. After hours of debate, Hiruzen finally gave a hesitant nod to Hiruko's strategy. They would wait. They would grind the enemy down until their war potential was spent before delivering the final blow.
After the briefing, Hiruko returned to the Research Department to work on his own projects. For him, staying off the front lines was the smartest move. Otherwise, the Kage-level powerhouses from the other villages would likely team up to kidnap him. Even if he were to participate, he'd only send a clone.
However, some "materials" required Hiruko to collect them personally. Furthermore, he needed some battle achievements if he wanted to eventually succeed Minato as Hokage.
Currently, the other hidden villages were in a dire state. Feeding an army and maintaining mounts was a massive daily expense. Unlike Konoha, they didn't have Hiruko's financial backing. Within a month, they would be pushed to the brink and forced to launch a desperate, all-out assault to end the war.
In the original timeline, the friction between Konoha and the Stone lasted for years, but that was low-intensity local friction—more like testing each other's boundaries. If they had truly fought to the death back then, the "Fourth War" wouldn't have waited until Naruto's time to explode.
Now, the roles were reversed. This was a true Great War. The Stone and Cloud were being backed into a corner. With limited funds, they would inevitably collapse.
If a decisive, large-scale battle were to occur, Mount Tielan—near the Land of Iron—would likely be the final stage.
Currently, Konoha had over 13,000 shinobi, while the Sand had 6,000. The combined forces of the Cloud and Stone were estimated at over 20,000. While their exact numbers were unknown, both sides had a decent grasp of each other's strength after weeks of skirmishing.
There were also various emerging powers and neutral factions joining the fray, but the Great Nations viewed them as "extras"—mere warm bodies that would shatter at the first sign of real combat.
Hiruko, however, treated his allies well, providing them with the "Big Three" supplies: Cola, Ice Cream, and Chocolate. To make the horse run, you must feed it the best grass. Hiruko wasn't a miser. He couldn't stand the idea of working people to the bone without providing real benefits.
From a purely numerical standpoint, Konoha held the slight edge. More importantly, their morale was sky-high. When you're provided with high-end luxury treats in the middle of a desert summer, how could you not be motivated to fight for the guy providing them?
Especially a guy like Hiruko.
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