Setting aside personal emotions, there was a clear agreement between the Uchiha clan and the Mist Village: if one needed help through military force, the other would provide support. That clause gave Mizukage Terumi Mei the grounds to reach out for Uchiha's assistance—even though the Uchiha clan had shut down outside employment offers.
After all, Mist Village suffered deeply under the manipulation of Obito. Though things had improved since the Fourth Mizukage's death—especially economically—the true fighting strength of the village was still lacking. It takes years to properly train a skilled shinobi, especially when so many bloodline clans had been decimated. Despite being a "Great Ninja Village" by name, Mist Village lacked elite combat forces. Terumi Mei was determined to join the fight against Akatsuki, but she couldn't leave the village poorly defended.
Even within this alliance, none of the five Great Villages were completely trusting. Kisame and Fuguuki Suikazan, two of the village's strongest, were not allowed to leave Mist. Terumi Mei had no choice but to rely on outside help—especially from the Uchiha.
Andrew didn't answer Terumi Mei right away. Instead, he asked about Konoha's coalition army.
"Who exactly did the Third Hokage recruit? He can't have just pulled troops from the borders, right?"
Raimon smirked. "Oh, he totally could have. Half of the coalition force comes from four clans: Sarutobi, Shimura, Tanden, and Mito. But the Third isn't just using them. He's called on other clans too. Konoha wants to show off its full strength this time."
This move wasn't about clan loyalty or giving these families a chance to shine. It was politics. The Third Hokage wanted to use the war to clean house—especially after the Uchiha clan moved out of the village. Konoha's image had been damaged lately, and rumors swirled that the village was weakening.
Though the goal was to fight Akatsuki, this was also a rare event—all five Great Villages acting together. The Third wanted to send a message: Konoha is still strong. Don't underestimate us.
But there was another reason: those four powerful clans had gotten stronger during Konoha's recent economic slump. People suspected that the top brass—including the Hokage—had protected and favored them. This favoritism damaged their reputation, and now the Third hoped to fix that. By putting these clans in the front lines, he could prove their loyalty and Konoha's fairness at the same time.
It was a calculated move: fight an external enemy to settle internal unrest.
Andrew listened, then shook his head. "Let them do what they want. You return to Evernight City. Tell the clan leader to maintain communication with Mist Village. I'm heading to the Rain Village."
At this point, the Uchiha didn't care about Konoha's tricks. Whenever Konoha acted suspiciously, the Uchiha would automatically assume the worst—and they were usually right. Andrew once questioned if he had been too harsh, but now it seemed justified.
---
Time passed.
The various troops started gathering in the Land of Grass. One by one, forces from each village arrived for the coalition meeting.
When Raikage and Tsuchikage spotted Andrew standing behind Terumi Mei, their eyes nearly fell out of their heads.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, leader of the Konoha force, almost couldn't believe it. "What the hell? Isn't that Andrew from Uchiha? Why is he with Mist? Didn't they say Uchiha wasn't participating?"
Andrew had been clear in earlier meetings—Uchiha wouldn't join the war effort. And yet, here he was. Even Onoki and Raikage were confused. Both of them had tried to hire the Uchiha but were turned down. So how had Mist Village managed to bring Andrew in?
Onoki raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Strange. I remember during the Third War, Uchiha and Mist were enemies who fought to the death. Now they're partners? How does Konoha feel about this?"
Andrew responded calmly but with a sharp edge, "Lord Tsuchikage, there's no need to stir trouble between Uchiha and Konoha. Things are already as bad as they can be. This is a private matter between me and Mizukage. It has nothing to do with the Uchiha clan."
The room fell silent. Onoki felt awkward—he had slipped into his old habit of provoking conflicts, forgetting that Uchiha was no longer a pushover.
He looked at Andrew's sharp gaze and regretted his words instantly.
Fourth Raikage considered scolding Onoki too, but for the sake of the alliance, he held back.
In truth, Andrew's presence was a good thing. The alliance needed all the help it could get to face the leader of Akatsuki. Uchiha strength could tip the scales.
"All right," said Raikage, his voice calm but firm. "Let's skip the politics. We're all here to defeat Akatsuki. The question is—do we attack together or from separate directions?"
That sparked the real debate.
The alliance was made of five villages. But who would lead? Every ninja present was an elite from their own home. No one wanted their people to be sacrificed because of another village's bad leadership.
In the worst-case scenario, the battlefield would become a bloodbath where each village suffered huge losses—especially if one leader played favorites.
Terumi Mei raised her hand and offered a solution. "I think... we should split into three groups. Each of the three Kage—myself, Raikage, and Tsuchikage—will lead a team and attack Akatsuki from different directions."
Her suggestion made Sarutobi Shinnosuke and the representative from the Sand Village go pale.
If the troops were divided into three forces, the shinobi from their villages would be spread out, placed under commanders who had no loyalty to them.
They weren't stupid.
Each Kage would protect their own people. That meant anyone outside their village—like Konoha or Sand ninjas—might become cannon fodder. Would their forces be treated like stepchildren in a family? Sacrificed first, protected last?
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Bolded Highlights Recap:
Uchiha has a force agreement with Mist Village, allowing Mizukage to request help despite other restrictions.
Mist Village lacks high-end combat strength due to past manipulations by Obito and limited recovery time.
Konoha's Third Hokage is using this war to clean up internal politics, putting favored clans on the front lines.
Andrew refuses to support Konoha, choosing instead to assist Mist Village and head to Rain Village.
Andrew's appearance shocks other Kage, especially since Uchiha turned down offers from other villages.
Onoki tries to provoke conflict, but Andrew shuts him down quickly.
Raikage pushes the meeting forward, asking how the coalition should engage Akatsuki.
Terumi Mei proposes splitting forces into three groups, led by the Kage, causing fear in Konoha and Sand reps.
Konoha and Sand shinobi fear becoming "stepchildren" on the battlefield, expendable under foreign commanders.
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