"But what will happen in the future if we don't take on some responsibility ourselves? We can't keep relying on you to fight for us forever, as if we were children who never grow up. I think that's exactly why I'm here."
Asuma, seated at the far end of the room, wore a warm, approving smile after hearing Shikamaru's words.
He knew that although Shikamaru often appeared lazy and indifferent, he was actually quite capable—it's just that he disliked unnecessary thinking.
"Well said, Shikamaru," Asuma mused with quiet pride.
Just then, the meeting room door opened and Tsunade entered, followed by Jiraiya and the two elder advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Tsunade took her seat at the head table, scanning the room until silence settled before she spoke:
"You've all surely heard—Sunagakure has been attacked by Pain, leader of Amegakure. The damage was severe. Post-battle reports indicate Suna lost over thirty percent of its shinobi."
"This is only the beginning," Jiraiya cut in gravely. "We are now in a desperate situation, surrounded on all sides by enemies. Besides Amegakure, there's Otogakure, Takigakure, Yugakagure, Hoshigakure, Tsukigakure… and dozens of other smaller ninja villages. They all see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've even received intelligence that similar attacks have already begun elsewhere."
A Jonin voiced the concern everyone was thinking:
"So what you're saying is—we won't just be fighting Amegakure and Otogakure, which practically qualifies as one of the Five Great Countries already—but also every single minor village trying to make their move right now?"
"What about those villages friendly with us? Won't they send reinforcements?" another ninja asked.
"Not yet," Asuma replied tightly, frowning deeply as he resisted the urge to light a cigarette.
Jiraiya never sugarcoated things. His expression darkened further as he continued:
"Meanwhile, Sunagakure itself faces enormous danger. All those villages bordering the Land of Wind and Land of Earth won't miss this chance either."
"What about Iwagakure? What will they do?"
"What choice do they have?" Shikaku shot back, his tone laced with mockery. "They have no intention of helping us—and so far, they haven't even responded. Not even those small villages would dare provoke Iwa unless they were out of their minds."
Tsunade felt furious at Tsuchikage's indecision. "That stubborn old man must be waiting to reap the benefits while others do the fighting—like a classic fisherman's gain. When Suna becomes too weak to resist, he'll send troops southward and claim whatever remains, whether it's ours or belongs to Sunagakure..."
Iwagakure's intentions were blatantly clear, but Konoha could do little except dispatch additional ninjas to defend its borders.
However, under current circumstances, Konoha barely had any surplus forces available at all.
"We'll soon face the problem of insufficient manpower..." Homura Mitokado said sternly. "With Sunagakure in chaos, Konoha will become the target of all arrows (meaning: the main focus of widespread attack)."
This war will be far more complicated than any before. While the smaller ninja villages may not possess overwhelming strength on their own, they have the advantage of terrain and excel in defensive tactics. This puts us at a serious disadvantage.
For example, the location of Takigakure remains unknown to this day.
Enemy villages that are well-prepared for war hold a significant advantage—they can choose both when and where to strike.
However... Tsunade has already devised countermeasures. She expressed full confidence after the last meeting.
"What about Naruto?"
When someone mentioned Naruto, many people in the room turned their gaze toward the speaker.
"What about him?" Tsunade asked, signaling the person to clarify.
"He isn't the Akatsuki's target? Like the Kazekage was. Even Kumogakure assigned guards to remain behind in their village. We can't keep sending him into every battle."
"That kid is stronger than me, though he won't admit it yet," Jiraiya added this time. "So far, no member of the Akatsuki has managed to defeat him. I doubt anyone from those small villages could match him either. That means only another Akatsuki member or a ninja with equal strength could possibly beat him."
Jiraiya couldn't think of anyone besides Pain and Konan who could possibly defeat Naruto.
That's right—Naruto definitely will join the battle.
Moreover, to show sincerity, Kumogakure specifically left B guarding Konoha.
If Konoha keeps Naruto out of the battlefield under these circumstances, Kumogakure would certainly become discontented. It could even fracture the Allied Ninja Forces—an outcome we cannot afford.
"Lady Hokage, what should we do next?" one ninja asked.
"While mobilizing for full-scale war, we must also dispatch ninjas to scout and defend along Fire Country's borders," Tsunade replied immediately. "This means we'll need many sensor-type ninjas. The Hyūga clan, Aburame clan, and Inuzuka clan should prepare accordingly and send sufficient personnel to strengthen border defenses."
It would be naive to believe that enemy attacks would only come from the border regions.
Once war begins, enemy scouts and small units will likely infiltrate deep into the Land of Fire, gathering intelligence and lying in wait for the right opportunity.
While these small forces may not pose significant threats, Konoha still cannot afford to be careless. Comprehensive preparations are essential to handle all kinds of unexpected situations.
******
Meanwhile, far away in the Land of Earth, within Otogakure's hideout, a shift in power was silently unfolding.
Kabuto strode confidently through the base, just as Orochimaru had done not long before. The ninja who saw him quickly lowered their heads, avoiding the gaze of the man in the hoodie, his face twisted in a mocking smirk.
After Orochimaru's death, Kabuto hadn't originally intended to return. But Madara Uchiha personally invited him to join his plan, and eventually, Kabuto was convinced.
He realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance—to finally seize control of Otogakure and become its true ruler.
After all, he had once been the second-in-command of Otogakure. Now that Orochimaru was dead, he was naturally the most powerful figure in the village.
Kabuto strode down the hallway. Suddenly, two ninja leapt from the shadows, swinging their kunai at Kabuto in a desperate bid to avenge Orochimaru.
However, in Kabuto's eyes, their movements were painfully slow.
In the blink of an eye, Kabuto vanished—only to reappear behind them. The two ninja crumpled into a pool of blood before they even hit the ground.
Without so much as a glance backward, Kabuto kept walking, as though nothing had occurred.
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