The next morning arrived with the kind of clarity that made hesitation feel even uglier.
Hiruzen Sarutobi still couldn't settle his mind. He returned to Kumogakure's reception hall with the same heavy steps, as if each one carried the weight of an entire village. His thoughts were tangled-pride, fear, anger, and that stubborn, poisonous certainty that told him he could still force the world to bend if he pushed hard enough.
Chiba and Tsunade were already there, invited by the Yondaime Raikage and waiting without a trace of impatience. Chiba sat with an easy stillness, his expression calm, almost amused, as if he were watching a play whose ending he already knew. Tsunade remained at his side, relaxed but sharp, her gaze steady in a way that made Hiruzen instinctively avoid looking at her for too long.
The Yondaime Raikage strode in, his laughter booming through the hall the moment he saw Hiruzen.
"Hokage! Have you made up your mind?"
Hiruzen hesitated. "About that…"
The Raikage walked right up and clapped a heavy hand onto his shoulder, friendly in appearance, dominant in intent. "I can tell you're still wavering. But these things require decisiveness. As Hokage, you need the courage to choose."
Hiruzen exhaled, the sound tight and bitter. "I carry the safety of all Konoha on my back. I can't afford to act rashly."
He was already shaken-by Chiba's warning the day before, and by Shikaku's quiet, unflinching counsel. Somewhere beneath his rage, logic had begun to claw its way back into his mind.
That was exactly when the Raikage struck.
"I know what you're worried about," the Yondaime Raikage said, voice deceptively casual. "You're afraid Kumogakure will take advantage of your situation and demand too much-right?"
He smiled. "Relax. We're not greedy to that extent. Tell you what-based on the terms you offered yesterday, I'll cut them by half. Fifty percent. How does that sound?"
Hiruzen's eyes widened.
For a heartbeat, it wasn't diplomacy in his face-it was relief, raw and childlike, bursting through the cracks. "Th-that… really?!"
"Of course," the Raikage said smoothly. "Kumogakure is cooperating sincerely."
Hiruzen's chest loosened so suddenly it almost hurt.
In his mind, the math immediately became mercy: he would still secure an alliance, still gain the strength he needed to crush Kirigakure, and the price-though shameful-would be "lighter." Enough that he could pretend the stain on his conscience was smaller.
Behind him, Asuma and Shikaku exchanged a brief, grim look.
Even halved, Hiruzen's original offer had been monstrous. For Konoha, it would still be a deep cut-resources, territory, compensation that would weaken the village further while pretending it was an "investment" in peace. This wasn't generosity. It was strategy. The Raikage had simply realized Kirigakure wouldn't play his bidding game, so he turned to the easier prey and pretended to show kindness while still sinking his teeth in.
Shikaku started forward immediately. "Hokage-sama, this-"
But Hiruzen didn't even let him finish.
The momentary "good news" had dulled his caution and inflated his hope. He raised a hand to stop Shikaku, voice loud enough to lock the decision into the air before anyone could pull it back.
"Fine!"
His words struck the hall like a gavel.
"Raikage, let's do it that way!"
Asuma and Shikaku's expressions shifted in unison-shock first, then something heavier, like resignation. They knew what this meant. Not just for the negotiations, but for the path Konoha was choosing with its own hands.
The Yondaime Raikage's smile widened.
Around him, Kumogakure's people also smiled, some openly, some behind carefully controlled expressions. The deal was unfolding exactly as they wanted.
On the other side, Chiba and Tsunade exchanged a look.
A quiet, mutual understanding passed between them, and then both of them gave a small, contemptuous smile-cold enough to be unmistakable. Hiruzen had been dangling on the edge of a different choice yesterday; there had been a faint, nearly laughable chance he might step back from the cliff.
Today, he'd tightened the noose himself.
Chiba rose smoothly, as if the outcome had been settled from the start. "So it seems the Hokage has thought it through," he said pleasantly, eyes flicking toward the Raikage. "And the Raikage as well."
"Since that's the case, I won't interrupt an alliance meeting between partners."
He took Tsunade's hand, fingers lacing with familiar ease. "I'll take my leave."
As he turned, Hiruzen's voice cut across the hall-flat, cold, and full of spite.
"Mizukage. The next time we meet… it may be the last."
Chiba understood exactly what he meant: the next time would be on a battlefield where only one of them walked away.
He looked back, smiling, almost kindly-like a man granting a doomed elder his final wish. "Good. Hiruzen Sarutobi-if you want to die, I don't mind sending you on your way."
Hiruzen's face twisted. "You-!"
But Chiba didn't wait for the rest. He and Tsunade strode out, their footsteps unhurried, their backs straight.
And the moment they were gone, Hiruzen's expression changed again-as if he were slipping on a mask he'd used too long to remember it wasn't his real face.
He turned back toward the Raikage with a forced smile.
"Raikage… shall we continue discussing the details of our cooperation?"
"Of course," the Raikage replied, satisfied.
Behind them, Asuma and Shikaku could only sigh. The sound carried the helpless humor of men watching a train continue down the tracks even after the bridge ahead had collapsed.
…
Outside the reception hall, Tsunade's irritation finally spilled out.
"I can't believe it," she said, voice sharp. "You practically handed Hiruzen the answer yesterday, and he still didn't think it through. Shikaku must've warned him too-and yet the moment the Raikage took one step back, Hiruzen fell for it again. He really is an old fool."
Her eyes narrowed. "This time, he's chosen a dead end for himself and for Konoha."
Chiba's expression didn't change. If anything, his calm became colder-less emotion, more certainty.
"Yes," he said simply. "So there's nothing to be done."
Then he added, almost amused, "Good advice can't save someone determined to die."
Tsunade exhaled, then glanced at him. "So… what now?"
Chiba's smile returned, faint and dangerous. "We're going to Konoha."
"…What?" Tsunade stopped short, disbelief flashing across her face. "Aren't we going to Iwagakure? If Kumogakure has decided to ally with Konoha, shouldn't we go persuade Ōnoki to honor our alliance-get Iwagakure on our side?"
Chiba shook his head. "Too slow."
His voice remained calm, but it carried a cutting edge that made Tsunade's skin prickle-because she recognized the kind of decisiveness that created bloodshed before anyone understood it was coming.
"If Konoha is determined to become our enemy, then there's nothing left to talk about. In war, speed is everything."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll teach Hiruzen what it means to strike straight for the heart."
Tsunade stared at him, and for a moment, the man beside her felt unfathomable-like the surface of a frozen lake that could crack without warning and swallow you whole.
Then understanding clicked into place.
"…You're right," she murmured, the strategist in her mind snapping awake. "Konoha is at its most vulnerable right now. Hiruzen isn't there, and without him the village leadership will be scattered. If we launch a sudden attack, we can catch them completely off guard."
She hesitated, frowning. "But we only have two people…"
Chiba chuckled. "Did you forget? When Konoha invaded Kirigakure, they only sent two people as well. And what happened?"
Tsunade's eyes widened, then she nodded slowly.
Back then, Konoha had indeed sent only Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
Just two-and yet behind them were forces that didn't resemble "two" at all. Orochimaru had his Edo Tensei (穢土転生, "Impure World Reincarnation") army-warriors beyond counting, each one a high-level killing weapon. Jiraiya had Mount Myōboku behind him, with the toad forces that could sweep through villages like a tide.
Now Chiba was doing the same.
Paying blood with blood.
Returning the method the way Konoha had taught it-without pretending to feel guilty.
There was no moral pressure on him, because Konoha had chosen this first. He was simply answering in the shinobi world's most honest language.
An eye for an eye.
A tooth for a tooth.
Tsunade's lips curved into a small smile. "As expected of the Mizukage. This kind of decisiveness… most people simply can't do it."
Chiba glanced at her with an easy grin. "You're not most people either. Otherwise, how could you fight me three hundred rounds and still not lose?"
Tsunade's cheeks flushed red. "Idiot. I'm talking about serious matters and you say things like that!"
Chiba laughed, openly pleased.
With that, they abandoned their original route and turned directly toward Konoha.
The path to the Land of Fire would take them through the Land of Rice Fields-Otogakure, the Hidden Sound. Chiba decided to stop there first and see how Orochimaru's side was progressing. More importantly, he could mobilize the Hidden Sound's strength and bring them along.
Before long, they reached the outskirts of Otogakure.
The village was young, but the Land of Rice Fields was relatively wealthy, and Orochimaru's mind was as sharp as it was ruthless. Under his management, Otogakure had already taken shape-organized, guarded, functioning like something real instead of a hollow name.
Shinobi stood watch outside, but the moment they recognized the Mizukage of Kirigakure, their faces changed. Shock flashed through them, and they hurried to report inside.
Orochimaru came personally to greet them.
"Mizukage," he said with a smooth smile, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You left Kumogakure rather quickly. I take it the negotiations weren't very successful."
Chiba nodded, unbothered. "Correct. But it was within expectations."
Then he looked Orochimaru over, measuring. "How are things on your end? How is Otogakure?"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Don't worry. Everything is under control."
He led Chiba and Tsunade into the village, guiding them deeper until they reached the true heart of Otogakure-his real base. It wasn't merely a small village anymore; it had the density of a minor nation. In the original timeline, Otogakure had made its presence known during the Chūnin Exams, fielding numbers and strength that rivaled most factions aside from the great nations themselves, and even forming an alliance with Sunagakure to launch the Konoha Crush plan.
That alone spoke of its foundation.
As they walked, Orochimaru explained the village's current state, his voice carrying that familiar, almost pleased pride.
"Otogakure hasn't existed for long," he said, "but I've gathered quite a number of shinobi. They aren't all famous names, but when it comes to discovering potential… I'd say I'm quite capable. Second only to you, Mizukage."
Chiba gave a slight nod. That much was true.
In the world's darker corners, Orochimaru had always been infamous for how many children and promising talents he'd 'collected.' Many of those-Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan, Karin of the Uzumaki, Suigetsu Hōzuki, Jūgo-had already been taken by Chiba instead, but Orochimaru still retained a frightening network: Yakushi Kabuto, the Sound Four-Tayuya, Kidōmaru, Sakon and Ukon, Jirōbō-along with groups like Sakon's generation of exam participants and other recruited teams such as Zaku Abumi, Dosu Kinuta, and Kin Tsuchi.
There was also Guren, a kunoichi with the Shōton ("Crystal Release") kekkei genkai-dangerous enough to be counted among Otogakure's top combat assets-and her subordinates, including Yugito-maru's related operations personnel like Yūkimaru and others who followed her into the shadows. Beyond them, Orochimaru had even drawn in obscure clans with rare abilities-families like the Iburī clan, known for their mistification technique, a power reminiscent of the Hōzuki clan's Suika no Jutsu ( "Hydrification Technique"), but far harder to control. In mist form, they could evade most attacks and strike like drifting fog, yet if scattered too far they risked death-until Orochimaru refined their method and bound them to him.
Whether shinobi or clan, many of these forces were hidden by nature, difficult to find even if you knew what to search for.
Orochimaru knew anyway.
That was what made him terrifying.
In the end, even if Otogakure couldn't match the major nations in sheer depth, among smaller countries it was already first-rate-sharp, vicious, and ready to be pointed like a spear.
Orochimaru gathered his subordinates and elites together, having them stand before Chiba-this new master whose authority now overshadowed even Orochimaru's.
They were obedient to Orochimaru, and if Orochimaru bowed, none of them could afford to refuse.
Chiba surveyed them, and even he felt a flicker of appreciation. Orochimaru's ability to gather dangerous pieces was undeniable.
"You've done well," Chiba said.
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "They were only ever my experimental materials. But if you require their strength, Mizukage… then of course I will follow your orders."
The bluntness turned several faces pale.
They had always known, in some corner of their minds. They had simply learned not to look directly at it.
But now things had changed. Chiba had taken Orochimaru-and by doing so, had taken all of them. Under Chiba's rule, Orochimaru would no longer treat them as disposable tools, at least not in the same way. Survival became a real possibility, not just a delayed sentence.
That alone was enough to stir gratitude in the eyes of people who had lived too long in cages.
Chiba's gaze swept the crowd once more, then paused.
One presence was missing.
"Where is Yakushi Kabuto?" he asked. "He should be your most capable subordinate."
Orochimaru's smile didn't falter. "He is. I sent him to infiltrate Akatsuki as a spy. He's currently operating under Sasori of the Red Sand-an S-rank missing-nin from Sunagakure-gathering intelligence on the organization."
Chiba considered it briefly. Kabuto had indeed been linked to Sasori in the past-at least on the surface. In truth, he had always been Orochimaru's hidden blade.
Chiba nodded. "Fine."
Orochimaru's voice turned sharp as he addressed the assembled forces. "From today onward-whether it's me, you, or Otogakure itself-we all belong to the Mizukage. You will obey the Mizukage's orders. Those who disobey will be executed."
The entire crowd straightened, answering as one.
"We will follow the Mizukage's commands!!!"
Chiba smiled faintly. "Good."
Then his gaze hardened, the air around him seeming to tighten as the intent behind his words became unmistakable.
"A soldier is raised for a thousand days to be used in a single moment," he said, voice steady. "This is your moment to earn merit."
He lifted his chin slightly.
"Follow me."
"Attack Konohagakure!!!"
The shout that followed wasn't immediate-first there was shock, a ripple of disbelief. Konoha was still one of the Five Great Nations, still the village whose name carried weight even in decline. Even those who would obey orders felt their hearts tighten at the thought of striking such a target.
Chiba saw it, and his smile sharpened into certainty.
"Konoha is strong on the outside, weak within," he said calmly. "And their Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, isn't there. They're leaderless-scattered. This is a rare opportunity."
He let the promise settle like fire into dry grass.
"After this battle, every one of you will be rewarded."
"That is my pledge-as Mizukage."
For the first time, the eyes of those shinobi truly ignited.
Many of them had been imprisoned, used, studied, discarded. To them, war under Chiba wasn't terror-it was liberation. At least on the battlefield, they could fight for something that resembled dignity instead of being cut open in a laboratory.
And Chiba's name carried its own gravity. Everyone knew how those who followed him-shinobi and clans alike-had been given unimaginable benefits.
When that thought spread through the crowd, it became fuel.
Their blood heated. Their breath quickened. Voices rose until the very air trembled.
A roar thundered through Otogakure-raw, hungry, alive.
With a single command, Chiba set everything in motion. He, Orochimaru, and Tsunade led the forces of the Hidden Sound, marching like a dark tide toward Konohagakure.
This campaign-this sudden strike-would later be recorded in shinobi history as a name that carried shock and dread across generations:
The Blitz on Konoha.
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