With the rear lines of the Land of Fire finally stabilized, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, resolved to stake everything on one decisive gamble.
Though Konoha now faced the dual threat of Kumogakure and Kirigakure, the scale of this conflict was still smaller than during the Third Great Ninja War.
But this time, Hiruzen had no intention of taking the field himself. Instead, he would remain in Konoha and entrust the entire front-line operation to Senju Haruto.
Inside the Hokage's office—
Senju Haruto, Hatake Kakashi, Yamato, Hyūga Hiashi, and representatives from Konoha's major clans had all gathered.
Sitting in the Hokage's chair, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked more solemn than anyone present had ever seen him.
This battle would decide not only whether Konoha could preserve its peace, but could very well determine the entire future of the ninja world.
"Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, and the Hyūga main house—you'll remain behind to protect the village."
Hiruzen's gaze swept over everyone in the room as he began issuing assignments.
Although Haruto had stabilized the situation with Sunagakure, smaller hidden villages from surrounding minor nations still lingered near Konoha's borders.
They also had no reliable intelligence on Iwagakure's current movements.
That meant that even with war breaking out, Konoha needed to hold back a portion of its forces for home defense.
"Yes!"
Akimichi Chōza, Nara Shikaku, and Yamanaka Inoichi immediately responded in unison. They would ensure Konoha's safety during this critical period and not allow any foreign force to breach the village.
Hiashi, however, did not reply right away. The mention of the Hyūga main house told him Hiruzen had more instructions yet to be revealed.
The Byakugan was one of Konoha's most important dōjutsu.
In fact, the root cause of this war lay in Kumogakure's attempt to abduct young Hinata and seize the Byakugan's secrets.
To ensure the Cloud-nin never got the chance, Hiruzen had decided the Hyūga main house would remain in the village.
The Byakugan's near-perfect 360-degree field of vision would also be invaluable for detecting infiltrators—if any spies were already lurking within Konoha.
Still, this was no ordinary war.
Even with Haruto's overwhelming strength, the battlefield was unpredictable and the front stretched long and wide.
Hiruzen knew Haruto could not be everywhere at once.
The Uchiha clan was another unstable factor. Haruto would need to keep them in check to prevent desertion—or worse, outright defection—in the middle of battle.
"Have Hizashi lead the branch family. Is that acceptable?" Hiruzen asked calmly, looking to Hiashi for confirmation.
"Of course," Hiashi replied without hesitation, his face grave.
He knew well why this war had come about—Konoha had chosen to protect the Hyūga clan, and now the village had to face the consequences.
If Hiruzen permitted it, Hiashi would gladly take the front lines himself to wipe out those shameless Cloud-nin.
But he also understood the Hokage's reasoning. And so, without the slightest hesitation, he accepted the order.
Hiruzen moved on to assign the rest of the duties.
Senju Haruto would serve as overall commander of the front lines. Kakashi would act as his deputy, supporting him whenever possible.
This was a matter of double insurance—Haruto was undoubtedly stronger than Hiruzen himself, but the Hokage had never seen him command an army.
To guard against unforeseen situations, Hiruzen had made this call.
Haruto offered no objection.
The remaining clan representatives would each serve as captains of individual squads, taking their orders directly from Haruto.
As for the Uchiha—those who had taken part in the attempted coup—the entire contingent would be placed under Haruto's direct command.
"I understand."
Once all assignments were given, the assembled ninja filed out of the Hokage's office to prepare for the coming storm.
"Haruto."
Only Haruto was stopped by Hiruzen's voice.
"What is it?"
Haruto had just reached the doorway when the call made him halt and turn back.
"Nothing…"
Their eyes met. Hiruzen hesitated, visibly torn.
Then, after a moment's pause, he simply waved his hand and said nothing more.
Haruto gave him a puzzled look but said nothing either. Closing the office door behind him, he headed toward the Uchiha holding area.
Left alone in the now-empty office, Hiruzen slumped into his chair and tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling.
He had been about to ask Haruto how much confidence he had in victory—but the thought of potentially shaking morale had stayed his tongue.
The war between Konoha and the Cloud was now inevitable, yet the knowledge that the fires of battle would once again consume the land weighed heavily on him.
Lord Tobirama… was my decision truly the right one?
Scenes from the Third Great Ninja War replayed before Hiruzen's eyes.
Ever since then, he had ruled with benevolence.
For the sake of peace, he had compromised—again and again, yielding more than many would consider wise.
But those "soft" political moves had kept Konoha in peace and stability for years.
Sometimes, he couldn't help wondering: if he had refused Haruto's counsel back then and chosen instead to sacrifice Hizashi… would things be different now?
But he knew those thoughts were pointless.
The truth before him was simple—war could no longer be avoided.
Meanwhile, Haruto was already leaving the Hokage building, Kakashi at his side.
"So, the overall commander really is you," Kakashi remarked, glancing sidelong at Haruto.
His tone carried a trace of wry humor, but his feelings were more complicated than he let on.
Ever since Rin's death, Kakashi had closed himself off, immersing himself in darkness and almost seeking death.
But during this time spent with Haruto, he found his thoughts drawn to the man again and again—especially since their return from Sunagakure.
"Yes," Haruto said with a nod. He found the role a little unexpected himself.
No matter how powerful he was, he had little experience leading ninja in open war.
Most likely… it had everything to do with the Uchiha.
Hundreds of Uchiha had joined the coup—an undeniably powerful force.
"You nervous?" Kakashi asked suddenly. "This isn't like our usual missions. This is war. Countless comrades will… die—"
He stopped abruptly, frowning at himself. "Sorry. I shouldn't say that right now."
Haruto glanced at him, reading between the lines.
Even if Kakashi denied it at this point in his life, Haruto knew—deep down, Kakashi had always valued his comrades above all else.
What he'd been about to say was clear enough: Countless comrades will die before your eyes.
"No matter what happens," Haruto said quietly, "I won't let you be one of them, Kakashi."
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