Some time later...
Konohagakure.
Hiruzen Sarutobi convened another high-level meeting.
This was wartime. Any shift in the balance of power could affect the entire battlefield. Whenever major events occurred, the village had no choice but to reassess its strategy.
Wearing the Hokage's robes, Hiruzen exhaled slowly as he took his seat.
"This meeting concerns a single matter."
"The Third Kazekage… and Chiyo of the Sand… are dead."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Every clan head present looked shaken—especially Orochimaru.
He had fought the Third Kazekage personally. No one understood better than he did just how terrifying that man was.
As an aerial combatant, the Kazekage was nearly untouchable. His Iron Sand rendered most attacks useless. Even Orochimaru and Manda had been forced on the defensive.
And Chiyo—
The greatest puppet master in Sunagakure's history.
The user of the Ten Puppets Technique, capable of controlling enemies themselves through chakra threads.
Those two… dead?
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened as he looked at Hiruzen.
"Sensei… who did it?"
Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
"Hanzō of the Salamander."
"An assassination?" Orochimaru asked.
"Or…"
"It was a frontal engagement," Hiruzen said solemnly.
"In full view of thousands of Iwagakure shinobi—and our own intelligence operatives."
"Hanzō killed the Third Kazekage and Chiyo alone. Then annihilated the Suna forces that followed."
Silence fell again.
"…What?" Danzō finally spoke. "Weren't the Suna and Ame allied?"
"Why would Hanzō turn on them?"
"And he killed both the Kazekage and Chiyo?"
Hiruzen unfolded a document—Ame's official notice to the shinobi world.
"The cause was simple."
"The Suna attempted to pass through Land of Rain to attack Iwagakure. Hanzō denied them entry."
"It appears he struck a deal with Iwa—or at the very least, intended to prevent the Sand from attacking."
"The Kazekage and Chiyo attacked first."
"And during that battle… Hanzō displayed a new forbidden jutsu."
"Or rather, he used it on the Suna army."
"Their forces were nearly wiped out."
"Against the Kazekage and Chiyo themselves, he relied solely on Water Release… and still overwhelmed them."
"In the end, both were slain. Their bodies were taken by Hanzō."
"Afterward, the Fourth Tsuchikage seized the opportunity and counterattacked, driving the Suna forces out of the Land of Earth and pressing into Wind Country."
"Our intelligence from Sunagakure has gone dark."
"But without the Third Kazekage and Chiyo, the Suna's command structure has collapsed."
"And Hanzō has formally declared the Suna's actions a violation of Ame's neutrality… and has begun mobilizing his forces."
The room fell into deep silence.
"This meeting," Hiruzen continued, "is to reassess Hanzō's strength… and reconsider our stance toward both Ame and the Suna."
As he spoke, Hiruzen couldn't help recalling someone from his past.
His teacher.
Tobirama Senju.
Like Tobirama, Hanzō was a master of Water Release.
Like Tobirama, he wielded terrifying forbidden jutsus.
"Any thoughts?" Hiruzen asked.
Danzō slammed his fist against the table.
"This is our chance!"
"Sunagakure is leaderless. Their military is shattered!"
"If we strike now, we can crush them before they recover!"
"And repay them for what they did to us!"
"No." Hiruzen cut him off instantly.
"We have a ceasefire with the Suna."
"Breaking it would destroy Konoha's credibility."
"Exactly," Koharu added. "And we don't have spare forces. The Kiri is pressing us hard already."
Homura hesitated, but said nothing.
Danzō scowled.
"That's exactly because we lost before that the Kiri dared to act!"
"If we don't strike now, we'll regret it!"
"No." Hiruzen shook his head again.
"Konoha will not become the one who breaks the rules."
"If the Suna weakens, the Kiri may move on them instead. That relieves pressure on us."
Koharu and Homura nodded in agreement.
Danzō clenched his teeth.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
"I am the Hokage," Hiruzen replied quietly.
Danzō leaned back, arms crossed, seething.
The clan heads exchanged glances. This tension had become all too familiar.
Finally, the Nara clan head raised a hand.
"Lord Hokage, I have a suggestion."
"Go on."
"Instead of attacking… we conduct reconnaissance."
The emphasis on the word was unmistakable.
Hiruzen smiled faintly.
"Who do you suggest?"
"Orochimaru and Tsunade."
"They've fought the Suna before. No one understands them better."
Hiruzen nodded.
"Very well."
He turned to them.
"Any objections?"
"None."
"No."
Tsunade hesitated, then spoke:
"Since we're discussing Ame… there's something we should learn from them."
"What?"
"Medical reform."
She stood.
"On the Kiri front, wounded shinobi die not from injuries—but from lack of treatment."
"If a team has even one medic, casualty rates drop dramatically."
"I propose we assign medical-nin to combat units."
Homura shook his head.
"Unrealistic. Training medics takes too long."
"And our resources are already stretched thin."
Tsunade sat back down, visibly frustrated.
Then a voice spoke.
"I agree with her."
It was Dan Katō.
A war hero recently recalled to Konoha.
Tsunade turned in surprise.
After the meeting, the two walked home together.
He spoke of losing his sister in the war.
Tsunade listened silently.
Unseen, ROOT operatives observed from the shadows.
That night, Danzō received the report.
"Dan Katō… Tsunade…"
His expression darkened.
"If the Senju gain another candidate…"
His fingers tightened around a familiar note.
The one Ame had sent him.
"…Hanzō of the Salamander."
A thought surfaced.
Perhaps… this wasn't coincidence at all.
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