Konoha — Hokage Tower.
Night had already deepened, yet the Hokage's office remained brightly lit.
Wearing the Hokage's ceremonial robes, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked older than usual. His expression was weary as his gaze slowly lifted from the intelligence scroll spread across his desk.
He took a deep drag from his pipe, letting the bitter smoke swirl in his mouth.
Yet even that could not dispel the gloom weighing on his mind.
According to the latest intelligence—
The Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning, the Hidden Stone Village of the Land of Earth, and the Hidden Sand Village of the Land of Wind had all mobilized their ninja forces.
Following the unspoken understanding among the Five Great Nations, their troops had been stationed in the buffer zones surrounding the Land of Fire.
None of them wanted to be the first to suffer Konoha's full retaliation.
At the same time, they were attempting to absorb the ninja villages of smaller nations and use them as cannon fodder.
Sunagakure coveted the strategic corridor between the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers.
Iwagakure watched the borders of the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfall.
Kumogakure's blade pointed directly toward the Land of Hot Water.
Numerous small ninja squads had already infiltrated the Land of Fire, assassinating Konoha shinobi.
Minor clashes could escalate into full-scale war at any moment.
Many regions were already overwhelmed.
Konoha's garrison forces were forced to respond constantly, and even ninja from smaller nations had begun opportunistically raiding within the Land of Fire.
Because of the vast territory, many regions could only watch helplessly as enemy ninja wreaked havoc.
Even more worrying—
The distant Hidden Mist Village, across the sea, might invade at any time.
"We cannot sit and wait to die."
"The legacy of Konoha must not end in my generation."
A ruthless glint flashed across Hiruzen's eyes.
He took another deep breath from his pipe.
Two streams of smoke drifted out through his nostrils.
Thick white smoke quickly filled the room.
At that moment—
The office door quietly opened.
"Cough… cough…"
The first to enter, Homura Mitokado, frowned as the smoke irritated his throat.
Behind him, Koharu Utatane glanced at the old friend shrouded in smoke and sighed softly.
Without a word, she walked to the window and pushed it open.
The night wind poured in—
Carrying the damp scent of Konoha's forests, mixed with the fading warmth of the distant marketplace.
The fresh air quickly diluted the suffocating smoke filling the office.
The sharp smell of tobacco around Hiruzen's nose faded, replaced by the cool scent of dew and soil.
His mind, clouded by constant worry, finally cleared slightly.
"Hiruzen, you don't need to be overly anxious," Homura Mitokado said as he sat down beside the table, attempting to sound relaxed.
"Konoha is known as the strongest ninja village."
"That kind of foundation isn't something they can shake easily."
"Haven't we already survived two great ninja wars?"
Koharu Utatane nodded and calmly added,
"Homura is right."
"Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure—have they ever truly trusted one another?"
"They are only united by profit."
"If they realize Konoha is a bone too hard to chew, and we push the situation slightly…"
"They will soon begin to distrust one another and fight among themselves over those same benefits."
"In that case, Konoha might even reap the rewards without lifting a finger."
The analysis was logical and well-structured.
The deep lines in Hiruzen's brow finally eased slightly.
But then Koharu seemed to recall something.
She glanced around the room and frowned.
"By the way…"
"At a time like this… where is Danzō?"
As soon as she finished speaking—
A cold laugh came from the doorway, sharp as ice striking stone.
"'Push the situation slightly'?"
"That sounds nice."
Shimura Danzō stepped out from the shadows of the doorway.
"But in the end, you're just asking me and my Root to do all the dirty work."
He stopped beneath the light.
The deep lines of age on his face were filled with dark hostility.
Anyone could tell at a glance—
This was not a man who inspired trust.
"What a joke."
"The good tasks never come to me, but every dangerous one lands on my shoulders."
"That's enough, Danzō."
Hiruzen set down his pipe and waved impatiently at his old friend.
He cut off the sarcastic complaint without hesitation.
Ever since the Jōnin Council meeting—when Hiruzen had personally spoken privately with the Uchiha Clan Head—Danzō had been sulking like a corpse.
Hiruzen felt utterly helpless.
At this moment, powerful enemies surrounded Konoha on all sides.
The village desperately needed manpower.
Especially the formidable combat power of the Uchiha clan.
Yet Danzō stubbornly clung to his extreme ideology.
His face clearly displayed his deep distrust of the Uchiha.
He even seemed eager to eradicate them entirely.
This rigid refusal to consider the bigger picture made Hiruzen feel exhausted.
He had no energy left to persuade him.
"Danzō, come sit down."
As the only woman among the four senior leaders, Koharu often played the role of mediator during heated arguments.
Danzō's expression remained gloomy as he sat in the empty chair.
He closed his eyes and remained silent.
Hiruzen glanced at him.
Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he wasted no more time and began explaining the current situation clearly.
"The conflicts between the Five Great Ninja Villages are ultimately struggles for profit."
"And inevitably, the nations behind them will also become involved."
After hearing this, Homura immediately spoke.
"I suggest we begin diplomatic action immediately."
"I will personally travel to the capital of the Land of Fire to meet the Daimyō."
His tone was confident and organized.
"This trip will have two objectives."
"First—report the border crisis to the Daimyō and request emergency financial support from the Land of Fire to sustain the long-term war that may come."
"Second—and more importantly—"
"Request the Daimyō to use his authority and influence to issue formal diplomatic inquiries to the other four great nations."
"To condemn their unjust aggression and pressure them to restrain their ninja villages."
"That may at least create a small opportunity for peaceful resolution."
"Surely the Daimyō would not want the Land of Fire to suffer further losses."
Danzō half-opened his eyes and glanced sideways at Homura.
Those lofty diplomatic arguments sounded like nothing but excuses to him.
Homura simply wanted to avoid the battlefield.
Trying to replace bloodshed and war with paperwork and negotiations.
Moreover—
In a war sweeping across the entire ninja world…
Were the Daimyō, who sat behind the nations, truly innocent?
They appeared detached from the conflict.
But who could guarantee that the endless supplies sent to the battlefield—
Or the silent approval allowing ninja villages to wage war—
Did not conceal deeper calculations?
These seemingly righteous rulers might very well be the ones fueling the flames—
Or watching the chaos unfold from the safety of the shore.
"Homura."
"We'll leave this matter to you."
Hiruzen made his decision.
"Depart tomorrow morning and secure the Daimyō's support as soon as possible."
Then he turned toward Koharu.
She presented the plan she had just finished considering.
"Konoha does not currently lack war supplies."
"We can immediately send the ninja forces waiting within the village to reinforce the front lines."
"But the real problem right now…"
"Is the commanders of those forces."
"If their strength is insufficient, they will not be able to withstand the offensive power of the other ninja villages."