Time passed quietly, and before anyone realized it, half a year had already gone by. It was now the second half of Konoha Year 37. The already turbulent Ninja World was growing increasingly chaotic.
With the military forces from the Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Fire entering Amegakure along their respective Kage's orders, tensions had started to rise. Provocations were already escalating — a clear sign that the Second Great Ninja World War was about to begin.
In Konoha, at the Hokage Tower inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado were holding a very serious meeting. Naturally, the topic of discussion was the imminent outbreak of the Second Great Ninja World War.
Danzo Shimura, head of intelligence, spoke first:
"Now the war is almost breaking out in Amegakure, and urgent, substantial support is needed from the village.
On the Wind Country's border, things are similarly tense—they're invading the River Country, and fighting has already begun with our border defense units. A trusted subordinate of the Third Kazekage is leading the charge in person, clearly showing the Land of Wind's great ambitions toward the Land of Fire. This place urgently needs reinforcements, as a large-scale battle could erupt at any moment. Tsunade should go — she's our best bet against the Sand-nin Puppet Brigade's poison.
The Land of Water isn't quiet either. The Land of Whirlpool's Uzumaki clan has already requested aid from Konoha, so we need to send people to assist them.
The border of the Land of Lightning is no exception either. The Cloud-nin are invading the Land of Hot Springs, although the intensity is not yet high. According to our intelligence, they probably have plans against the Iwa-nin. The reason they've entered the Land of Hot Springs may be just to cover their intentions. But I think the Cloud-nin might've intentionally fed us this intel. If our defenses slacken even slightly, they might turn this pretense into real conflict.
As for the Land of Earth, things seem calm — they currently have no intention of opening another front. Onoki remains calm and unreadable, hiding his true intentions completely. However, the number of their border troops along Grass Country remains high, so we cannot afford to neglect the situation there either."
Following Danzo's report, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane discussed the situation. After a long discussion, the three of them still struggled to reach a decision. Finally, they turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who sat at the main seat in the Hokage's office, hoping he would decide whether to deploy forces and how many.
Right now, Hiruzen truly lived up to being called the greatest ninja of his time. These three were just advisors — they could suggest, but not make decisions. No matter what proposals they made, they all ultimately had to follow Hiruzen's lead. Even Danzo dared not oppose him in the slightest. They acted nothing like how they would behave in the future.
Hiruzen then stood up, looking out the window toward the Hokage Rock. He gazed at the statues of The First and The Second Hokage, and made his decision inwardly.
After collecting his words, he finally spoke: "Exactly as we expected, the Second Great Ninja World War has already begun. We must risk everything to protect the village our master left in our hands. Now that military forces from the Land of Wind and Land of Earth have already started clashing with ours along the border near Ame, we must dispatch our forces immediately."
"Hiruzen, are you saying you want to deploy on all fronts?"
"If it comes to this, a major war could erupt at any moment, and we'd be held responsible for starting it," said Koharu Utatane with deep concern. Homura Mitokado and Danzo Shimura also turned their gaze toward Danzo Shimura.
"Do you really believe that if we retreat, war won't happen? That's impossible. At best, it might delay things by a year or so—utterly useless. Instead, we should seize the initiative early and defend our borders proactively. Moreover, if we remain passive, our frontline forces will suffer heavier losses. They're fighting to protect their homes, driven by the Will of Fire. Can I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sacrifice these men pointlessly just for personal reputation? Don't try to stop me anymore."
After speaking these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi deeply moved Homura and Koharu, who no longer voiced objections. Even Danzo's eyes lit up—he saw exactly what he had always pursued and was determined to reshape himself into such a man.
Then Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to the Hokage seat and earnestly said to Koharu and Homura: "You two, Koharu and Homura, will be in charge of the situation in Ame. The Inuzuka, Aburame, Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans will assist you. I will dispatch 500 elite warriors from the Sarutobi clan along with 500 clan soldiers from the other four clans, plus 8000 shinobi forces to support the border units. I hope you both can end the fighting in Ame as soon as possible.
However, this force of ten thousand shinobi must march in three batches. The first batch of 1000 clan soldiers from three clans will accompany you to rendezvous with the 1000 border troops already stationed there—all under your command. Then another 3000 and finally 5000 more troops will follow shortly. Hiruzen Sarutobi had placed immense trust in his two old friends, hoping they could change the course of events—just as they had helped him claim the Hokage title years ago. But in the end, they would fail him.
At this time, the Sarutobi clan was not yet the mighty independent clan it would later become. After many years of growth, the entire clan barely numbered around one thousand ninja. When removing those unfit for battle, sending 500 elite soldiers represented nearly the clan's full strength.
Upon hearing Hiruzen's orders, Homura and Koharu quickly rose with high spirits: "We will prepare immediately. Our clan forces shall make preparations tonight and set off within three days for the frontlines." They pledged their commitment to Hiruzen, who motioned them to sit back down.
He continued, "Second, regarding the Land of Water, since the Uzumaki have requested aid, I'll place Jen Senju in charge, with Jiraiya assisting. They will lead 300 Senju clan elite warriors and 3000 shinobi forces, divided into two groups—1300 first and then 2000—to rendezvous with the Uzumaki forces. Additionally, they should carry sufficient supplies to support the Land of Whirlpools."
Since the Land of Whirlpools has few border forces, none need be transferred. It would be better to keep them patrolling the borders to prevent infiltration.
After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, all three nodded in agreement. Thus, Hiruzen continued, "As for the Iwa-nin in the Grass Country, Danzo Shimura will take command with Orochimaru assisting. They will lead 500 Shimura elite warriors and 2000 shinobi forces into the Grass Country."
However, the forces need to be divided into two units. The first unit, consisting of 500 clan soldiers and 1,000 border troops, will enter the Grass Country, but there's no need to reach the border of the Land of Earth—just show our strength. The second unit of 2,000 will be stationed at the border between the Land of Fire and the Grass Country, without entering immediately. Do you understand what I mean, Danzo?
"Don't worry, Hiruzen. Leave it to me," Danzo Shimura replied in a low voice. Envy stirred within him as he watched Sarutobi Hiruzen issue orders so calmly, fueling his determination to one day become just like him.
After hearing Danzo's response, Hiruzen placed his full trust in his old friend as he continued, "If anything changes, you have complete authority to make decisions. Just inform me afterward."
Then, Sarutobi brought up the Land of Earth. "As for the Land of Lightning, the Ino–Shika–Cho clan force will be responsible. Leading their clan forces along with several minor allied clans, totaling 1,000 clan forces and 3,000 ninja forces. No need to split them into separate units. They will join the border forces to guard against the Land of Lightning in the Land of Hot Springs. At the same time, we'll give the Nara Head full discretion, and if necessary, he can immediately launch an attack on the Land of Lightning. I will also be able to provide support at any time."
"The Third Raikage, A, will certainly wait until the outcome between the Land of Earth and us is decided before making his move. But right now, he's definitely already prepared to attack either the Land of Earth or us. Hmph!" Hiruzen was well aware of the Cloud-nin's underhanded schemes.
"Besides, the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode hasn't yet reached its peak. It is still under development and refinement, so his strength isn't yet as terrifying as it was during the Third Great Ninja War."
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