Chapter 167
2-in-1-chapter
-----------------
Uchiha Rēn quickly understood the implication behind Nara Shikaku's words.
What Shikaku meant was that Ōnoki was a fence-sitter. As long as Iwagakure realized that Konoha was still a hard bone to chew, he would likely abandon any intention of going to war with them. If Konoha could inflict heavy losses on Kumogakure in the Land of Hot Water, it was even possible that Iwagakure might seize the opportunity to strike Kumogakure from the side.
"That's right. With the Third Tsuchikage's cunning nature and his habit of never acting without profit, the sight of us allied with the Mist-nin would very likely make him hesitate. As long as we can gain the upper hand in the conflict with the Cloud, Iwagakure will almost certainly abandon the idea of pushing south. They might even advance eastward and strike the Cloud from behind."
Shikaku's assessment matched Rēn's own understanding with little discrepancy.
Still, Rēn pressed further. "Department head Nara, you said the Third Tsuchikage might hold back after seeing our alliance with the Mist. But what if he decides that Konoha is too strong, and instead joins hands firmly with the Cloud to weaken us? Then what?"
"That's impossible."
Shikaku spoke without hesitation.
"Why impossible?"
"As long as the Third Tsuchikage has not gone senile, he could not possibly believe that Konoha is strong enough to require such a joint effort to weaken. To put it bluntly, with so many spies within our village, aside from the most critical secrets, both the Third Tsuchikage and the Fourth Raikage should have a fairly clear picture of our situation.
Otherwise, the Cloud would never have dared to start another war at this time. For them to do so, they must have believed they had at least some chance of victory."
But both the Cloud and the Stone had misjudged Konoha's true upper echelon of strength.
The Uchiha clan was an unpredictable variable that even an insider like Shikaku could not fully gauge. Uchiha Rēn had already proven himself with the feat of capturing the Fourth Mizukage alive. Reports also claimed that Uchiha Shisui had encountered the rogue Orochimaru in the Land of Water and emerged victorious. The strength displayed by just these two was enough to compensate for the void left by the deaths of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō.
Moreover, unlike the aged and declining Hiruzen and Danzō, both Rēn and Shisui had yet to reach their true prime. In the shinobi world, a ninja's peak was generally regarded as between thirty and fifty years of age, excluding outliers who had pursued longevity.
At forty-seven, Jiraiya was in that peak: vigorous, seasoned, and at the height of his power.
What Rēn and Shisui might become at their full peak—and whether they would rival the dominance once held by the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara—Shikaku could not predict. But he was certain of one thing: in this war with the Cloud, Konoha would not lose.
"Therefore, the Third Tsuchikage will never truly ally with the Cloud. At most, he'll act independently. If we demonstrate enough resistance and then send emissaries to Iwagakure, we may even persuade them to turn east, joining us in striking the Cloud from both sides, delivering those barbarians a harsh lesson."
Rēn blinked, taken aback as he looked at Shikaku. This was the first time he had ever seen the strategist with such murderous resolve and fighting spirit. Until now, his impression of Shikaku was of a man adept at protecting himself, never seeking needless attention, and always prioritizing the safety of his clan and family. Such an aggressive strategy was entirely new to him.
"Captain Nara, I never knew you hated the Cloud-nin this much."
"I've never liked those barbarians."
Shikaku's reply was plain and genuine. And it was not only the Cloud he hated. Stone, Sand, Mist—he disliked every one of Konoha's enemies. In his younger days, he had even dreamed of Konoha retaliating against the other four great villages, drawing up detailed plans for such campaigns without rest.
But during the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha had been beset on all sides. By the time the cycle of battles had run its course, the village had little strength left to strike back. More importantly, the aging Third Hokage no longer had the will to fight as he once did, and even sacrificed Konoha's interests simply to end the war sooner.
From that, Shikaku had concluded that for the foreseeable future, Konoha would remain on the defensive. Retaliation was nothing but a dream.
Yet fate had its own plans.
Even Shikaku had not foreseen the sudden rise of the Uchiha clan, who toppled the Third Hokage's rule with overwhelming force, ushering in a new era—an era where Konoha might finally retaliate against the Cloud's aggression and deliver them the punishment they deserved.
Akimichi Torifu was the same age as Sarutobi Hiruzen, and his health was no better. Yet unlike Hiruzen, the ruthless core of this old man had not been eroded away. After hearing Shikaku's plan, he agreed almost instantly, without hesitation.
The acting Fifth Hokage cared nothing for adding another brilliant achievement to his record.
"Hahaha!"
Rēn laughed with satisfaction. Seeing Shikaku so fierce suited him well. "Hokage-sama, let those two thousand Mist-nin deal with the Stone. Since the Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage perished together, all it will take is a little stirring of words, and they'll fight to the death with Iwagakure."
He handed over command of the two thousand Mist-nin decisively.
Shikaku's plan was not complicated. But as the saying went, the simplest plans were often the most likely to succeed. Even if it failed, it would hardly matter. Two thousand Mist-nin were not worth Rēn's concern. Even if they all died, he would feel no loss.
He was happy to entrust them to Shikaku, eager to see what sort of spectacle Konoha's strategist would create.
"Clan Head Uchiha, the village will remember your contribution."
Torifu expressed his thanks for Rēn's willingness to cooperate.
"It's all for the sake of the village," Rēn answered with an easy phrase.
The acting Fifth Hokage nodded, then turned toward Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, aside from these two thousand Mist-nin, I'll do my best to assemble another thousand Konoha shinobi for you. I know that three thousand in total is hardly enough to stand against the Stone, but as long as Shikaku's plan holds, it should suffice to withstand their attack. The specifics will be handed over to you by Shikaku."
"Three thousand? The village really is in a poor state."
Jiraiya shook his head with a wry smile. He remembered the heyday of Konoha under his teacher Hiruzen's rule, long after the Second War and before the Third had begun. At that time, the village could easily mobilize more than ten thousand shinobi even while maintaining defensive forces on all its borders. White Fang still lived, Tsunade's hemophobia had not yet worsened, and Orochimaru had not yet strayed fully into darkness.
In those days, Konoha had been so powerful.
And yet somehow, that mighty Konoha had become nothing but a fleeting illusion. White Fang had taken his own life, Tsunade's condition had worsened to the point she could no longer fight and she left the village, leaving only Jiraiya and Orochimaru to hold on. They endured until Jiraiya's student, the Yellow Flash, burst onto the stage, his brilliance illuminating the shinobi world.
"I will do everything in my power," Jiraiya promised.
"By the way, Hokage-sama, didn't you also say you wanted to send someone to escort the Wandering Shrine Maiden? Has a candidate been chosen yet?" Seeing that the conversation between Jiraiya and Torifu was winding down, Rēn brought up another matter—one that, strictly speaking, was even more urgent than the question of the Mist-nin.
"At present, two candidates have been selected," Torifu replied honestly.
His gaze turned to the ANBU commander, "Matsuzō," who stood silently at the side.
"One is an elite ANBU, skilled in infiltration and reconnaissance, with exceptional mobility. The other is Hatake Kakashi. Among the younger generation, he is one of the most outstanding. There were other options… but none felt truly reliable. Escorting the Walking Shrine Maiden may well require crossing the border into the Land of Earth. Two people may be too few, but too many would risk exposing the mission. We need true elites for this task."
"That is why I wanted to ask you, Rēn. Could the Uchiha clan spare one or two of your best? Ideally, true combat specialists."
The Uchiha's fighting power was recognized across the shinobi world.
It was common knowledge that at least two shinobi of equal level were required to handle even one awakened Uchiha. Within Konoha, no clan's Jōnin could compare to the Uchiha in raw combat strength. If one wanted elite warriors, there was no better place to turn.
"Kakashi, is it?"
Rēn muttered under his breath.
It was not surprising that Kakashi's name appeared. Though he had not yet reached his peak, he had already been a Jōnin for over six years. His selection for such an important mission was to be expected. As for the other ANBU operative, Rēn did not know who it was, but it sounded like another skilled specialist in support and reconnaissance.