At the very moment Chiba escorted Tsunade and the Hyūga Clan back to Kirigakure, a furious and despairing Hiruzen Sarutobi finally led Konoha into a desperate gamble-declaring a final, all-out war against the Mist Village.
This was the last and most helpless decision Hiruzen could make under immense pressure. His foreign policy had long been weak and conciliatory, largely because under his leadership Konoha had steadily grown weaker. Once the unquestioned strongest village in the shinobi world, it had fallen to the point where even Kumogakure had surpassed it, with Kirigakure now clearly pulling ahead as well. Even Iwagakure could stand toe-to-toe with Konoha.
The only village still clearly weaker was Sunagakure, little more than a junior ally.
Hiruzen might have continued clinging to this fragile, illusory peace if things had remained the same. But Chiba's steady encroachment-his relentless erosion of Konoha's strength-had awakened a sense of crisis unlike anything Hiruzen had ever felt before.
If this continued, it would no longer be a question of whether to fight or not.
Konoha would soon lose even the courage-and the qualification-to go to war at all.
Hiruzen Sarutobi might have been timid, ossified, and obsessed with power, but he was no fool. He could see the situation clearly. Cornered with no path left, a desperate counterattack had become both the best and the final option.
Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Everyone present agreed with Hiruzen's reasoning, yet the thought of truly going to war with Kirigakure filled them all with unease.
Koharu Utatane sighed softly. "Once this war begins, no matter who wins, Konoha will suffer catastrophic losses. Hiruzen… have you really thought this through?"
Hiruzen's voice was icy. "If we don't fight, Konoha will only be driven into even deeper despair by Chiba and Kirigakure. Besides, victory isn't impossible. If we win, Chiba and Kirigakure will be dealt with once and for all-and Konoha will reclaim its former glory."
Jiraiya frowned. "What you're saying makes sense, Sensei. But if we go to war, we also have to consider how the other great villages will react."
"Konoha and Sunagakure are allies, and Suna hates Kirigakure to the bone. They'll stand with us-there's no doubt about that. But Kirigakure is also allied with Iwagakure. Once war breaks out, will Ōnoki enter the battlefield and join forces with the Mizukage against us?"
"And then there's Kumogakure. They're aggressive by nature, obsessed with expansion through force. If a war erupts, they might seize the opportunity to strike while we're distracted."
"Not to mention the Akatsuki, lurking in the shadows of the shinobi world. They've been quiet for years due to the Dawn Alliance led by the Mizukage, but once war breaks out, they'll inevitably resurface and wreak havoc."
Orochimaru let out a low chuckle. "Indeed. For the Akatsuki, war is exactly what they want. It would shatter the Dawn Alliance among the Five Great Nations and give them the perfect chance to act-manipulating conflicts, expanding their influence, and capturing bijuuss all at once."
Hiruzen snorted coldly. "The Akatsuki aren't something Konoha has to face alone. As for Iwagakure… you don't truly understand that old fox Ōnoki."
"Do you really think that just because he's allied with Kirigakure, he'll fight shoulder to shoulder with Chiba against us? At most, he'll offer token support in name only, sit back, and watch the tigers fight-waiting to reap the benefits as the fisherman."
After a brief silence, everyone nodded. Based on what they knew of Ōnoki, it was entirely plausible.
"As for Kumogakure," Hiruzen continued, "they will definitely try to profit from the chaos. But whether they target Konoha or Kirigakure is another matter. The Yondaime Raikage may be a brute, but Kumogakure isn't lacking in clever minds. If Ōnoki sits on the sidelines, Kumo will likely do the same."
"Otherwise, they'd only end up as the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind-handing all the benefits to Iwagakure. Kumogakure's hatred for Iwa runs deep. The Third Raikage died at their hands. They won't allow Iwagakure to profit."
As Hokage, Hiruzen's perspective was undeniably sharp.
"Once we declare war on Kirigakure, the situation will look like this: on the surface, Konoha, Sunagakure, and the Sound Village against Kirigakure and Iwagakure."
"But in reality, it will be three villages against Kirigakure alone. Both Iwagakure and Kumogakure will simply observe."
Everyone nodded again.
Koharu spoke up. "As expected of you, Hiruzen. Your analysis is sound. Still, even with three villages united, facing a rapidly rising Kirigakure doesn't guarantee victory. Our strategy needs careful planning."
"Of course," Hiruzen replied coldly. "Sunagakure's crushing defeat back then is still fresh in my mind. I won't underestimate Kirigakure-or Chiba."
Jiraiya added, "That defeat wasn't just about strength. Choosing to fight Kirigakure at sea was a massive strategic blunder."
Orochimaru smiled thinly. "Exactly. Kirigakure's naval power and maritime combat ability are unmatched among the Five Great Nations. Most of their shinobi excel in Water Release, allowing them to fight at peak effectiveness at sea. And with Mizukage Chiba's Ice Release…"
"At sea, no force can rival Kirigakure."
Koharu frowned. "Kirigakure knows this better than anyone. They won't abandon their greatest advantage willingly. How do we draw them into a land-based decisive battle?"
"There are only two ways," Hiruzen said. "Either we find a way to lure them onto land, or we strike while they're unprepared-cross the sea and attack Kirigakure directly on their home turf."
Avoiding naval combat was simple enough-skip the sea entirely.
"Luring them out will be difficult," he continued, "but infiltrating Kirigakure and launching a surprise attack isn't impossible. In fact, the two approaches can be combined. If we infiltrate successfully and inflict devastating losses, Chiba and Kirigakure will retaliate in fury. When that happens, we'll meet them on land."
Danzō spoke up. "But how do we infiltrate Kirigakure? Any sizable force will be detected."
"That's why we use only a small number of people," Hiruzen replied. "And the key to this plan is Orochimaru. Haven't you and Danzō been researching Edo Tensei? How is the Edo Tensei army coming along?"
Orochimaru grinned. "Improving the technique's precision isn't easy. But in terms of numbers, we've made significant progress."
"Besides our greatest trump cards-the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama-we've obtained biological data from many powerful deceased shinobi."
"That includes numerous elites from the Uchiha and Hyūga clans. Since they've defected from Konoha and even abandoned their ancestral cemeteries, collecting samples was effortless."
Jiraiya's brow furrowed. "You dug up the graves of the Uchiha and Hyūga?"
Orochimaru glanced at him. "Don't tell me you're about to give another naïve lecture, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya fell silent.
Hiruzen looked at him as well. "I know you think this is madness, but this is wartime. And the shortage of high-end combat power in Konoha is a fact. Even the Nidaime Hokage would have done the same."
Jiraiya sighed. "I understand. But this will make the entire shinobi world despise Konoha."
"Survive first," Hiruzen snapped, "then talk about principles."
Orochimaru continued calmly. "Among them are Uchiha Tajima, Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Shisui… many powerful figures."
"Shisui's body was never found, but Danzō has one of his Mangekyō Sharingan. Extracting biological data from it is trivial for me."
"From the Hyūga, there are previous generations of strong shinobi, including Hyūga Hizashi, Hiashi's younger brother."
"Beyond that-Senju Butsuma from the Warring States era, Konoha's White Fang Hatake Sakumo, Might Duy who killed four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Mitokado Homura, Katō Dan who mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique, Akimichi Torifu, who trained under the Nidaime Hokage alongside you, Sensei, and Yūhi Shinku, Kurenai's father…"
"And countless others whose names history has forgotten."
"In total, two to three hundred shinobi-thirty to forty of them true top-tier combatants. A force capable of sweeping the entire shinobi world."
At last, Hiruzen smiled.
"Excellent. Well done, Orochimaru. With this, we have the perfect means to infiltrate Kirigakure and catch them completely off guard."
"All you need to do is infiltrate alone. Once inside, activate Edo Tensei and summon the entire army directly within Kirigakure. They'll suffer devastating losses before they can even react."
Hiruzen, Danzō, Koharu, and Orochimaru all wore cold, satisfied smiles.
Jiraiya, however, felt growing dread.
That Edo Tensei army included not only exhumed members of the Uchiha and Hyūga-but also Hatake Sakumo, Might Guy's father Might Duy, Yūhi Shinku, Akimichi Torifu, Mitokado Homura, Uchiha Kagami…
To obtain that data, Orochimaru and Danzō must have disturbed even the remains of Hatake Kakashi's and Might Guy's fathers.
If Kakashi and Guy found out, what would they think?
Had everyone truly lost their minds?
A deep, unprecedented fear gripped Jiraiya.
Hiruzen looked at him, as if seeing straight through his thoughts. "This is war, Jiraiya. Many things are done out of necessity. Put away your naïve ideals."
"Orochimaru and his Edo Tensei army will be our strongest weapon against Kirigakure."
"Of course, he can't do everything alone. You'll infiltrate with him. He'll control the Edo Tensei army, and you'll summon the toads of Mount Myōboku to counter Chiba and the serpents of Ryūchi Cave."
"That's an order."
Jiraiya sighed, then nodded. "Understood."
Hiruzen finally smiled with genuine satisfaction. "Good. Very good."
"Once Kirigakure is devastated from within, Chiba will retaliate in rage. When he does, we'll be waiting on land, rested and prepared. This time, we'll crush Kirigakure completely and wash away our humiliation in blood."
Danzō, Koharu, and Orochimaru shared the same sinister smiles.
Jiraiya could only sigh.
…
While Konoha prepared for war, Chiba returned to Kirigakure with Tsunade, Mei Terumī, Shizune, and the entire Hyūga Clan-where they were greeted with an enthusiastic welcome from the whole village.
Tsunade was one of the legendary Sannin, granddaughter of the God of Shinobi himself. Her strength was extraordinary, and she was hailed as the greatest medical-nin in the world. Her arrival alone caused Kirigakure's power to surge dramatically.
The Hyūga Clan, a prestigious family renowned throughout the shinobi world, boasted a millennium-long legacy and the Byakugan-an even older dōjutsu than the Sharingan. Their collective strength placed them firmly among the elite.
With both Tsunade and the Hyūga Clan joining, Kirigakure reached an unprecedented scale.
As Tsunade, Shizune, Hiashi, Neji, Hinata, Hanabi, and the others explored the village, they were all left speechless.
This was nothing like the infamous Blood Mist they had heard about.
Kirigakure was vast, populous, prosperous, and thriving-more magnificent than even Konoha at its peak.
At this moment, Kirigakure stood unmistakably as the strongest village in the entire shinobi world.
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