Konoha's forceful rebuttal to the Hidden Cloud Village quickly drew attention from the other hidden villages. Discussions spread like ripples across the shinobi world.
In the Hidden Stone Village, the Third Tsuchikage, Ohnoki, floated in midair, his brow tightly furrowed.
"Our spies confirm that something did happen in the Hidden Cloud Village."
"But that brute acting like this… I can't tell what's real and what's a bluff anymore."
Standing beside him was his son, Kitsuchi.
Ohnoki was small and wiry. Kitsuchi, in contrast, was broad-shouldered and massive, towering like a mountain.
"Father, will they go to war?" Kitsuchi asked in a low voice.
"You don't have your own judgment?" Ohnoki shot him an annoyed look.
When it came to chakra reserves and mastery of Earth Style, his son was flawless.
But his temperament was too upright. Too honest.
That was not a compliment for someone meant to lead a village.
Ohnoki worried about the future of the Hidden Stone Village. They had numbers on their side among the great villages, but where was the one who truly stood above the rest?
Even if Kitsuchi was his son, Ohnoki would not hand him the seat of Tsuchikage just because of blood.
Back then, his teacher, Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, had taught him Dust Release for reasons far beyond lineage.
"I don't know, Father." Kitsuchi showed no frustration. He simply waited for instructions.
Ohnoki let out a heavy sigh. "There won't be a war."
He then explained his reasoning, not much different from the discussion between the Third Raikage and A (Fourth Raikage).
Unless the Third Raikage had lost his mind, he would not continue provoking Konoha. He would look for a way to give both sides room to step back.
Kitsuchi nodded, understanding dawning on him.
Ohnoki rolled his eyes. He truly had no solution for his son.
Perfect as an executor. Lacking as a decision-maker.
"But we need to speak up," Ohnoki continued.
"We'll give Hiruzen Sarutobi a push. Publicly criticize the Hidden Cloud. Expose their attempts to covet Kekkei Genkai."
"There's no reconciliation between us and the Hidden Cloud. This is a chance to tarnish their reputation. It will serve some purpose."
At the very least, it would lower the odds of the Hidden Cloud forming alliances if war erupted again.
"Konoha has changed."
Ohnoki's gaze deepened. "Has Hiruzen Sarutobi finally woken up? I expected him to explain himself."
"What a nuisance."
The Hidden Stone Village had long coveted Konoha's secret techniques and the fertile land of the Land of Fire.
To be honest, every village did.
The prestige of the First and Second Hokage had once suppressed those ambitions. After the Second Shinobi War, they began to stir again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's strong response felt like a warning to anyone entertaining such thoughts.
"Kitsuchi, how are Roshi and Han?"
"Roshi is still traveling the shinobi world. Han remains in the village."
Ohnoki's voice turned stern. "Tell Roshi the village's tolerance exists so he can master the power of the Four-Tails. If he cannot, he will face punishment."
Roshi and Han were the Hidden Stone's two Jinchuriki, hosts of the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's shift in tone had made Ohnoki wary.
When a Hokage hardened his stance, the effects spread in chains.
The Hidden Sand Village came to a similar conclusion.
The Third Kazekage, Chiyo, and Ebizo agreed on one thing.
They would support Konoha's tough response to the Hidden Cloud. Firmly. Even encourage the tension to escalate.
During the last war, they had stood against Konoha.
They did not want a hardened Konoha. But since that was now reality, the best option was to let Konoha fall into conflict with multiple forces.
If a strong Konoha rose further and war broke out again…
The Hidden Sand Village, once an enemy, would likely receive no mercy.
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Mist Village.
The Third Mizukage let out a cold laugh.
For twenty years he had maneuvered among the various Kekkei Genkai clans of the Hidden Mist, yet the conflicts had only intensified.
He had made up his mind.
A great purge would begin.
Power he could not control would be crushed by the Mizukage himself.
"Good. We'll use the worsening shinobi world situation as justification. Claim the need to strengthen the village's combat ability. Let the clans tear at each other."
His fist slowly tightened.
"Anyone who opposes me dies."
"The Hidden Mist doesn't need so many voices."
"The name of this plan…"
"Blood Mist Village."
On that isolated island of the shinobi world, the Mizukage began sealing the village shut, preparing for a brutal internal culling.
Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura walked through the village together, inspecting the results of the Patrol Unit's reorganization.
Even Danzo, who had come ready to nitpick, had to admit Sakumo Hatake had done well.
Hidden sentry positions shifted daily. Visible guard posts were constantly adjusted.
A team composed of the Inuzuka, Aburame, and Uchiha clans.
Danzo had personally tried approaching them and had been detected by those seasoned veterans.
It was not that Danzo was weak.
It was the layered detection, scent, insects, and near-omniscient observation combined.
Without some extremely specialized jutsu, it was overwhelming.
Danzo walked shoulder to shoulder with Hiruzen. A strange feeling rose in his chest.
It had been a long time since they had strolled like this through the village, talking about affairs as if they were young again.
"The only flaw is the lack of Byakugan. We only have Hizashi," Hiruzen said, sounding reasonably satisfied.
"Should I handle Tenzo Hyuga?" Danzo's ears twitched slightly. "Leave it to me. I'm good at this."
The Hyuga Main House was just another political knot.
Given the current situation, Danzo could think of nine different ways to force compliance on the spot.
"You should rest for once."
Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head. "Danzo, do you think I can't use the same methods? Maybe you believe that if you do it, my reputation as Hokage will stay cleaner."
"That's not what matters."
Danzo frowned. "Then what does?"
"If you do it, you may act as a buffer. But the essence won't change."
Hiruzen's tone softened. "The Hyuga Main House is still part of the village. They've fought on the battlefield. They've bled for Konoha."
"If you treat them like enemies, you may gain something short term. But the damage will be greater."
He pulled out a small bundle of rice balls.
"You hungry? Eat while you listen. My wife made these. They're decent."
Danzo took one instinctively, momentarily stunned.
What was this?
Since when were they this close?
Well… perhaps they always had been.
"Seeing the shinobi of our village as people is our core advantage."
"In this shinobi world, only Konoha carries the Will of Fire, along with the structure and resources to truly put it into practice."
"High-pressure rule and cruel coercion bring short-term gains. I won't deny that."
"But we need to look further. This is a silent war. We're building Konoha's cohesion from within, while eroding the unity of our enemies."
"Of course, anyone who poses a real threat to the village will receive no mercy from me."
"With the other villages as contrast, even a small lead gives us twice the return for half the effort. And this is our duty as leadership."
Hiruzen lightly bumped Danzo's shoulder, just like decades ago when they were boys.
"Killing isn't hard. What matters is striking the heart. Don't you think?"
Danzo chewed his rice ball slowly and nodded.
Teaching me Hokage-level thinking again, are you?
Hiruzen… you really are something else.
At that moment, another Patrol Unit team spotted Hiruzen from a distance.
Their faces lit up.
"Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen smiled and stepped forward, waving.
"Have you eaten? Come try some. My family's cooking."
Danzo watched his back and took a deep breath.
He would not be left behind.
And he would not concede.
But quietly, a thought formed in his mind.
The day he became Hokage, he would make sure the textbooks devoted a few extra pages to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The children of Konoha should know him better.