c121: Ninja's Hell, Noble's Paradise
Soon after Obito, now operating as Tobi, received the intelligence, the major powers of the shinobi world also caught wind of the upheaval at Konoha.
The minor villages merely watched the flames from the other side of the river. They dared not make provocative moves. After all, a weakened Konoha was still a Five Great Nation, its hidden reserves still far surpassed theirs.
Even Amegakure, the strongest among the small nations, remained silent. Hanzo of the Salamander was long gone having been overthrown by the Akatsuki and the village was barely keeping its head above water.
Once the news of the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato's death and the Nine-Tails' attack spread, the remaining four great villages quickly convened high-level meetings.
Sunagakure acted fastest.
Suna was in turmoil.
During the Third Shinobi World War, their forces had been shattered at the hands of Konoha's Yellow Flash, and the Third Kazekage once called the strongest in their history.had vanished under suspicious circumstances. Secretly assassinated by Sasori, his absence left a gaping power vacuum.
Following this crushing defeat, the Wind Daimyō dramatically slashed their military budget. Missions now trickled into Suna's coffers as Konoha cornered the market, further tightening the noose.
Internally, fierce political infighting erupted as candidates vied to succeed the absent Kazekage. The Council was split, the Puppet Brigade weakened, and even Chiyo had withdrawn from active affairs.
With no funds, no leader, and no allies, Suna dared not lift a finger. They chose to watch and wait.but inwardly, many could not help but feel vindicated.
Konoha was reaping what it had sown. Many Suna shinobi had fallen to Minato Namikaze in the last war.
Kirigakure's response was quieter, but more strategic.
The Land of Water, cut off from the mainland and steeped in internal bloodshed, still reeled from the effects of the Bloody Mist era under the rule of the Fourth Mizukage.who unbeknownst to most, was already under Obito's genjutsu manipulation.
Despite internal purges and civil unrest, Kirigakure covertly increased surveillance operations in the former Land of Whirlpools, the now-ruined homeland of the Uzumaki Clan. The presence of a newborn jinchūriki—Naruto
had raised alarms among those still monitoring seal arts.
While no open declaration of hostility was issued, the Land of Water began quietly mobilizing resources, awaiting the moment to act.
Kumogakure was the most audacious.
Having suffered the fewest losses in the Third War, they retained a strong, well-trained force. Their elite shinobi, including Killer Bee and the future Fourth Raikage A (now acting as leader), had been preserved for the most part.
In the waning days of the war, Kumo had frequently tested Konoha's western borders through the Land of Fields. At times, they probed for weaknesses, looking for an opportunity.
The moment Minato's death was confirmed and Hiruzen Sarutobi was reinstated, Kumogakure struck.
A border division of nearly a thousand shinobi crossed into the Land of Fields and began slowly moving toward the Fire Country's edge bold, open, and unhidden.
This was no invasion.
It was a political gambit testing Konoha's resolve.
In contrast, Iwagakure under the aging Tsuchikage Onoki played a deeper, more insidious game.
Crushed at Kannabi Bridge and humiliated by Minato's blitz strikes, Iwa still harbored deep resentment toward Konoha.
Yet Onoki was a survivor.
He declared neutrality on the surface.
Behind closed doors, Onoki began funding mercenary cells using the black market. His intent? Hire rogue shinobi and warbands to masquerade as Kumo and Konoha shinobi, conducting cross-border raids to inflame tensions.
He ordered them to prioritize sabotage operations near the Kumo-Konoha front.
He even greenlit false-flag missions posing as Iwagakure shinobi just enough to confuse intelligence networks and sow paranoia.
Even the minor villages weren't spared.
If any small nation showed signs of ambition or recklessness, Iwa would let them take the first blow.
The world, though technically at peace, turned tense and volatile.
Konoha's response was immediate.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, a veteran of two previous wars, understood Kumogakure's intentions. They weren't here for war not yet.but for leverage.
He couldn't afford to blink.
Konoha's border units were ordered to mobilize an equal-sized force. The two armies met in the grasslands of the Land of Fields tense, alert, but not yet clashing.
The goal was psychological.
Konoha had to appear confident firm but not provocative.
As for the Land of Fields, no one cared.
The local daimyō had long grown used to ninja trampling through their fields. As long as towns weren't leveled and nobles weren't killed, it was business as usual.
If things escalated, the Land of Fields would issue official protests to both the Fire and Lightning Daimyō but no more than that.
The political system had made clear: civilian complaints meant little if they didn't shake the central capitals.
Before Orochimaru founded the Hidden Sound Village, the Land of Fields had no major ninja village and was constantly manipulated by greater powers.
Ordinary citizens lived in uncertainty.
Nobles, however, lived untouched.
This was the paradox of the shinobi world.
Despite being the most powerful fighters, shinobi rarely harmed nobility.
Not because of morality, but because of consequence.
If a noble was murdered by a shinobi, retaliation would be swift and severe not just from that nation, but from neighboring daimyō who viewed it as a dangerous precedent.
Bounty networks would be flooded with contracts.
The killer would be pursued not only by hunter-nin, but by every rogue, missing-nin, and greedy mercenary drawn by the money.
Even clans like Uchiha or Hyūga, once tied to noble bloodlines, maintained diplomatic ties with ruling classes.
Nobles used this web of shinobi connections and wealth to ensure stability. Their lives were not only protected they were insulated.
While civilians might get caught in jutsu crossfire, nobles sat comfortably behind silken screens.
A shinobi's world was blood and fire.
A noble's was tea and politics.
As a result, the shinobi world became a battlefield of hell for its soldiers especially low-ranking or independent ninja.and a paradise of unshakable privilege for nobles.
Back to the border.
The standoff between Konoha and Kumo dragged on.
Neither side dared to strike first.
Despite his reputation as brash and temperamental, the Fourth Raikage A was a seasoned tactician.
He knew that if Kumogakure struck prematurely, they'd become the villain. Other great nations would bide their time then move in once Kumo was weakened.
Still, events spiraled beyond control.
Onoki's mercenary pawns began launching false-flag raids dressed in Kumo and Konoha attire.
Outposts were torched. Supplies were stolen. Ambushes and murders sparked rumors and accusations.
Tensions escalated.
Even if some attacks were uncovered as fakes, the doubt lingered.
The Fourth Raikage realized the truth: no one wanted to act first but someone had to.
Kumo had the strongest standing army post-war. If they showed restraint, they might lose momentum.
But if they took initiative, others would follow.
Believing in his shinobi's strength and his own overwhelming power, the Raikage made his move.
A swift strike.
Not to raze villages, but to test the waters. To measure Konoha's defenses. To bait a reaction.
If Konoha faltered, the floodgates would open.
If they didn't… Kumo would treat it as training.
The war drums began to echo quietly at first.
But they would grow louder.
News of the skirmish quickly reached Konoha…
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