The elders were furious.
They went to Danzo and Hiruzen, claiming that the brat was seizing power.
Danzo sat in the Anbu office, listening to their complaints with an expressionless face.
He didn't go to reason with Nobunaga because he knew reasoning was useless.
He was just waiting.
Waiting for Nobunaga to make a mistake.
Hiruzen was different.
He went to find Nobunaga.
That evening, Nobunaga was reviewing documents in the Hokage Office when Hiruzen pushed the door open and entered without knocking.
"Nobunaga-kun." Hiruzen's voice was gentle. "I want to talk to you."
Nobunaga looked up and saw him.
Hiruzen's expression was calm, but something was churning beneath his eyes.
"Please, have a seat."
Hiruzen sat down and remained silent for a while.
"Shinnosuke has been very close to you lately," he began.
Nobunaga didn't say anything.
Hiruzen looked at him.
"He's my son. Since he was a child, I've hoped he would become an excellent Ninja and protect Konoha.
Now he's following you, doing some... things I don't quite understand."
"What things?"
"He says he wants to change the world."
The corner of Hiruzen's mouth twitched; it wasn't a smile.
"He says he wants everyone to be able to survive, for every child to have food, and for war to stop forever.
Lord Hashirama said these things. The Second Hokage said them too. But neither of them succeeded."
Nobunaga looked at him. "So?"
"So—do you think you can do it?"
Nobunaga was silent for a while.
"I don't know. But if I don't try, I'll never succeed."
Hiruzen looked at him for a long time.
Then he stood up and walked to the window.
Outside, the rain had stopped, and the setting sun emerged from behind the clouds, dyeing all of Konoha in gold.
"Shinnosuke is a good boy."
He said, "He's admired Lord Hashirama since he was a child, always saying he wanted to protect the Village just like him.
Then he met you, and he started saying those things—those things about peace.
I thought he was just joking. But he's not. He's serious."
He turned around and looked at Nobunaga: "If one day you really can do it—I will support you."
Nobunaga looked at him.
In those gentle eyes, there was something he had never seen before.
It wasn't compromise or retreat; it was a profound exhaustion.
It was the exhaustion of someone who had fought for an ideal, only to find it drifting further and further away.
"Thank you," Nobunaga said.
Hiruzen left.
The door closed gently behind him.
Nobunaga sat there, staring at the closed door for a long time.
But Danzo was different.
He didn't come to find Nobunaga, nor did he compromise or retreat.
He just waited in the shadows.
Waiting for an opportunity.
The opportunity came quickly.
Late that night, Danzo sat in a secret room of the Anbu, with someone sitting across from him.
That person wore a Kumogakure Anbu uniform and a mask.
"Konoha's new Hokage is just a sixteen-year-old brat."
Danzo's voice was very low.
"He's young and idealistic, but he doesn't understand war.
He thinks that if he treats people well, they will treat him well in return.
He thinks that as long as things are fair, people will be satisfied.
He doesn't know how this world works."
The Kumogakure Anbu looked at him. "What do you want to do?"
Danzo smiled.
The smile was brief and cold.
"I want him to know that the world isn't the way he thinks it is."
War broke out six months after Nobunaga took office.
Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and the Hidden Mist attacked simultaneously from four directions.
Konoha's border defenses were torn open in countless places overnight; intelligence reports flew into the Hokage Office like snowflakes, each one worse than the last.
Nobunaga sat in the office, a Ninja World Map spread out before him.
The map was densely packed with markers—Kumogakure to the north, Iwagakure to the west, Sunagakure to the south, and the Hidden Mist to the east.
Besieged on all sides, Konoha had never faced so many enemies at once.
His hand pressed against the map, his fingertips resting on Kumogakure's position.
He knew how this war had come about.
It wasn't an accident; it was a conspiracy.
Someone was pushing all of this from behind, someone wanted Konoha plunged into war, someone wanted him to step down.
That person was currently sitting in the Anbu office, waiting to see how he would respond.
Nobunaga stood up and walked to the window.
Outside, the streets of Konoha were empty; people were hiding in their homes with doors and windows tightly shut.
At the distant Training Ground, young Genin were gathering, preparing to head to the battlefield.
Many of them would never return.
He closed his eyes.
Shinku Yuhi's short sword swayed gently at his waist.
He remembered what Shinku Yuhi had said—"Live on, and see that dawn for me."
He opened his eyes.
"Someone, come."
Mitarashi Shishio appeared at the door.
He wasn't wearing an Anbu uniform but a dark kimono, with a Kunai pouch hanging at his waist.
His eyes were bright, carrying a lazy sharpness.
"Hokage-sama."
"Notify everyone. We're having a meeting."
The meeting room was full of people.
The elders from the Council of Elders, Danzo's people, Hiruzen's people, and the young people Nobunaga had promoted.
They sat on both sides of the long table, their gazes crossing; hostility and wariness permeated the air.
Nobunaga stood at the front, with a giant Ninja World Map behind him.
His gaze swept over everyone before he spoke.
"Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and the Hidden Mist are attacking simultaneously from four directions."
"We are facing four enemies at the same time."
"We don't have enough troops, supplies, or time."
"So we cannot fight them head-on."
He turned and pointed to the map.
"The Eastern Front, the Hidden Mist. I'm leaving it to the Council of Elders."
Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed slightly.
The members of the Council of Elders looked at each other; someone wanted to say something, but Nobunaga didn't give them the chance.
"The Western Front, Sunagakure, will be handled by Sakumo Hatake."
He looked at Sakumo.
Sakumo sat in the corner with his arms crossed, his silver-white hair gleaming under the lights.
He nodded without saying a word.
"The Northern Front, Kumogakure, will be handled by Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
Jiraiya leaned back in his chair, uncharacteristically not smiling.
Orochimaru sat beside him, hands in his pockets, his face expressionless.
"The Western Front, Iwagakure, will be handled by Tsunade and Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
Tsunade sat beside Nobunaga and nodded.
Shinnosuke sat behind her, his young face tense.
"The Anbu, Mitarashi Shishio will be in charge of intelligence."
He looked at Shishio, "And—surveillance."
Shishio's eyes lit up, and then he nodded.
He understood.
Danzo stood up.
"Leave the Eastern Front to the Council of Elders?" His voice was cold. "Are you sure?"
Nobunaga looked at him.
"I'm sure."
Danzo smiled.
The smile was brief and cold.
"Fine."
He turned and left.
Hiruzen glanced at Nobunaga, a look that held too much.
Then he left as well.
Only Nobunaga's people remained in the meeting room.
Sakumo stood up and walked to the map.
"You sent him to the Eastern Front on purpose."
Nobunaga didn't speak.
Sakumo looked at him.
"The Eastern Front is the furthest and the least important. By moving him away, Konoha is yours."
Nobunaga still didn't speak.
Sakumo was silent for a moment.
"Aren't you afraid of him coming back?"
"I am," Nobunaga said. "But by the time he returns from the Eastern Front, Konoha will no longer need him."