While Hoshiyomi was living his carefree "sword immortal" days in Konoha, a certain document appeared simultaneously on the desks of the Four Kage.
The document contained only one shocking piece of information: the man known as "the strongest Kazekage in history," the Third Kazekage, Ryūnosuke, had mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Sunagakure had dispatched large search parties, but he remained missing, leaving the village in a headless, chaotic state.
The moment this intelligence spread, the four great hidden villages grew extremely alert. They rushed to confirm its authenticity, and once verified, the shinobi world—silent for nearly five years—suddenly boiled with turbulence.
In the Raikage's office of Kumogakure, the elderly Third Raikage read the report and burst into hearty laughter. His fist, as massive as a cooking pot, slammed onto his desk with a thunderous bang, instantly reducing the solid wood to splinters.
"Hahaha! Five years! It's been five years since we ambushed Iwagakure, and now at last, another chance to strike hard has come. Truly, the ancestors bless us!"
With that, he shoved the document into the hands of his son. This son, A—the future Fourth Raikage—was no longer the brash youth of years past. Now twenty-seven years old, A had grown into a full-fledged man. His body, as burly as a black bear, radiated power; he was the perfect heir to his father's mighty bloodline.
His natural talent was outstanding as well. His current strength already reached semi-Kage level, with a true breakthrough into Kage level only a matter of time. Within Kumogakure, he was recognized as the future pillar of the village.
After reading the contents of the report, the Fourth Raikage-in-waiting also grinned:
"Father, we've been stockpiling our forces for five long years. Finally, the time has come for Kumogakure to shine. Let's start with Sunagakure—announce our ambitions to the entire shinobi world."
Hearing this, the Third Raikage's smile widened. Nurturing such an outstanding son was, to him, the greatest accomplishment since assuming the mantle of Raikage.
"Exactly! We've honed our blades for five years. Now we bare our fangs. Even if we can't dominate the entire shinobi world, we'll tear a chunk of flesh from the other villages.
We will proclaim to all shinobi: the title of the number one great shinobi village is about to change hands!"
He had every reason to speak with such confidence. Yes, he knew of Konoha's supposed "Four Kage-level" shinobi—but so what? Kumogakure, after five years of military buildup, feared no one.
Konoha might have four Kage-level, but Kumogakure matched them: The Third Raikage himself, plus the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Blue B, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, plus his son A, and Killer B—Kumogakure also had four Kage-level combatants.
In both elite combat power and overall numbers, Kumogakure did not trail Konoha. The Third Raikage was convinced: even if they couldn't unify the shinobi world, they could at least create a new bipolar balance of power.
His blood boiling with anticipation, the Third Raikage declared confidently to his son:
"Pass down my command. Kumogakure enters wartime readiness immediately. Ordinary missions will be cut back. Mobilize fifteen thousand troops—we march on Sunagakure in half a month!"
——
Meanwhile, in the Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki read the same report. His eyes flickered with barely concealed greed.
Yes, Sunagakure and Iwagakure had been allies during the Second War—but that did not mean they were allies now.
In this world, there are no eternal friends and no eternal enemies. Only eternal interests.
The title of "alliance" holds meaning only when both sides stand on equal footing. But if one side suffers heavy losses… then who could blame their "allies" for swooping in to absorb their strength?
No, not absorb…
At that moment, Ōnoki's eyes suddenly sharpened—because he realized he wasn't the only one eyeing Sunagakure's juicy prize.
There was another… a certain black-skinned gorilla who had long been restless.
Thinking of the Third Raikage, A, Ōnoki's gaze grew colder. The memory of Kumogakure stabbing Iwagakure in the back five years ago—when he and Roshi had rushed to the frontlines—was still fresh in his mind.
He had sworn then that the debt of that arrow in the back would be repaid tenfold. And Ōnoki was not a man who forgot grudges.
Turning, he fixed his eyes on the massive map of the shinobi world hanging behind him. His finger traced over the routes, outlining Kumogakure's likely march toward Sunagakure. The more he studied it, the wider his grin became.
Kumogakure's warpath toward Sunagakure would not be short. If he could intercept it midway, close the gates, and trap them like dogs in a cage… the day of revenge would not be far off.
After five years of recovery, Iwagakure's strength had returned to nearly eighty percent of its peak. If this plan succeeded, it wouldn't just be vengeance—he could rip a fat chunk of flesh straight out of Kumogakure's body.
But his intent could not be too obvious. If he wanted to conceal his true purpose, what could mask his movements from that black gorilla?
His eyes roamed over the map, until finally they settled on the vast expanse of Konoha's territory. Yes… that would be the perfect cover.
——
Meanwhile, in the Mizukage's office, Yagura—still new to his position—sat tapping his small fingers against the desk. Should he act?
It seemed like a golden opportunity. But given Kirigakure's current strength… could they really march into the desert and snatch meat from the jaws of Iwa and Kumo? That sounded… very unlikely.
And yet… to just hand over this fat prize?
As Yagura hesitated, the teachings of the former Third Mizukage echoed in his ears:
"For our backwater, godforsaken Kirigakure to thrive, we must accumulate strength in secret, waiting quietly for the others to clash like clam and snipe. Only when the other villages are bloodied and weakened will we strike like lightning.
Only in this way can the weakest survive the longest."
With that in mind, Yagura decided to wait. If both Iwa and Kumo struck at Suna, then surely Konoha would not sit idle. Whether it became a four-way brawl or a siege of Konoha, Kirigakure would simply bide its time, waiting for the heavens to present the perfect chance.
——
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade, Hoshiyomi, Sakumo, and the others were also studying the report.
After reading it, Tsunade spoke first:
"It's almost certain. Once Iwa and Kumo learn of this, they will move against Suna. The question is—what should we do?"
Shikaku replied calmly:
"I think we must prepare for war. The other villages surely have their eyes on Konoha as well. After all, we've held the position of the Number One Hidden Village for far too long."
Among the group, Hoshiyomi wore a faint, amused smile.
So it begins—the Third Shinobi World War. The war that would change countless fates.