"Well, from now on, our alliance is officially formed, Hanzō-sama."
"I understand, but you must withstand the pressure; otherwise, we'll both suffer for nothing."
Inside a building in the Land of Rain, Ebizō and Hanzō were discussing their strategy to attack Konoha.
After three days of probing and skirmishing, they finally came up with a plan that both sides could reluctantly agree on.
Both the Sand and Rain ninja held high expectations for this battle.
For these inherently disadvantaged ninja villages, seizing a piece of lush, vibrant land greatly stimulated their nerves.
In a sense, this could be considered their unique "war of establishment."
The grueling diplomatic tug-of-war had ended, and Ebizō rubbed his sore face, relaxing as he took out a cigarette.
With a hopeful smile spreading across his face amidst the smoke, he seemed to already see the children of the Land of Wind no longer running in the sandstorms or suffering from hunger, but growing freely and beautifully.
He offered Hanzō a cigarette, but seeing the ever-present gas mask on his face, he chuckled silently and enjoyed it by himself.
Hanzō sneered. If not for their current alliance, he would have had Ebizō try some of the Salamander-brand specialties.
"In any case, now is not the time to slack off. I emphasize again, you Sand ninjas must draw Fūma Uchiha to the battlefield."
Ebizō squinted, pondering Hanzō's intentions, and slowly replied, "No one can predict the battlefield. All we can do is increase our troop deployment."
"If Hiruzen Sarutobi sticks to his conservative tactics, he will surely send Sakumo Hatake or Fūma Uchiha to face us."
"After all, our Sand ninja's puppet techniques are a nightmare for those Ninjutsu ninjas."
Hanzō's face remained grim. Despite the alliance, he still didn't trust the Sand Village people.
If puppet techniques were as unbeatable as the Sand claimed, they wouldn't have been confined to the desert for so long.
Konoha's profound strength and power were unparalleled in the ninja world, and Hanzō understood this deeply.
"I don't care about the details. If Fūma Uchiha's position on the battlefield isn't clear, I will not take action myself."
"You Sand ninjas must be prepared to deploy your tailed beast, not just keep it in the temple as a mascot!"
Ebizō waved his hand and said, "Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is the First Hokage's wife. Hiruzen and the others wouldn't shamelessly send her to the battlefield."
"In this war, the probability of tailed beasts appearing isn't very high."
Hanzō stopped speaking. Facing the Land of Rain, even the weakest of the Five Great Nations, the Land of Wind, couldn't help but reveal a hint of arrogance in their tone.
After all, the Land of Wind possessed a tailed beast known as a "natural disaster." The Rain ninja only had an old man and a few salamanders.
"I'm just advising you. Also, don't play any tricks on the battlefield. To Konoha, both the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain are insignificant countries."
Ebizō's expression remained unchanged in the face of Hanzō's threat. He finished his cigarette, stood up amicably to shake hands, and then turned to leave.
"Damn Rain ninja, they even talk with a damp tone."
"Damn Sand ninja, they even talk with a barren taste."
This is the ninja world. Here, believing in an ally is less reliable than believing in the Sage of Six Paths. Betrayal is common, and loyalty is a laughable quality.
.........
One month later, in Konoha's square.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in the Hokage's robe, stood on a high platform, solemnly reading the order from the Daimyo.
"To protect the peace of our vassal state, the Land of Rivers, Konoha is hereby ordered to retaliate forcefully. Expel the invaders to maintain the prestige of the Land of Fire."
"This decree is issued by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire on July 5th, the 38th year of the new era of the Land of Fire."
The Third Hokage coughed and quietly observed the expressions of the villagers.
Having sat in the Hokage's position for over twenty years without leading a major war, this battle would leave a significant mark in Konoha's history and define his legacy as the Third Hokage.
Would he be remembered as a prosperous ruler who inherited the Second Hokage's legacy, or as a failed leader who squandered their golden opportunity?
History's judgment of him would begin with this war.
Reflecting on the time he volunteered to be the rear guard, Hiruzen looked at the vast crowd before him.
A wave of pride surged in his heart—this was the fruit of his labor, the embodiment of Konoha's prosperity!
He coughed heavily and said in a deep voice:
"All stand at attention. Hereby, the Hokage orders are announced!"
"Orochimaru is appointed as the supreme commander of the battlefield against the Rain ninja, with Tsunade and Jiraiya as deputy commanders."
"Sakumo Hatake is appointed as the supreme commander of the battlefield against the Sand ninja, with Dan Katō and Shikayama Nara as deputy commanders."
"Fūma Uchiha is appointed as the supreme commander of the scouting unit, with Fugaku Uchiha as deputy commander."
Hearing Fugaku's name, many Jōnin present showed expressions of surprise.
A teenager being appointed as a deputy commander—was this a joke?
Beside Fūma, Setsuna Uchiha was already fuming with anger. If not for the inappropriate setting, he would have rushed to the stage.
Hiruzen's expression remained unchanged. He solemnly handed the orders to the three supreme commanders and then slightly bowed to the crowd.
"This war is Konoha's first in twenty years of peace."
"Many in the ninja world have forgotten Konoha's prestige, daring to challenge our ninja and seize our land!"
"For the Land of Fire, for Konoha, for the Will of Fire, everyone, please give it your all!!"
The Third Hokage shouted, and the surrounding Anbu enhanced his speech with jutsu, making his voice resonate throughout Konoha.
Civilians looked on with hope, while the ninjas showed varied expressions.
Some wept passionately, roaring to blossom their youth—this was Might Duy.
Some remained calm, eyes filled with respect—this was Sakumo Hatake.
Some appeared thoughtful, squinting at the Third Hokage—these were the leaders of the major ninja clans.
Only the Uchiha clan had eyes filled with both anger and excitement. They both longed for war and resented the order.
The Third Hokage bowed his head, surveying the crowd's reactions with a hint of satisfaction, and solemnly said:
"Then, I wish you all good luck in battle. VICTORY AWAITS US!!"
"VICTORY AWAITS US!!"
The fervent response at the village meeting echoed throughout Konoha.
The Third Hokage, trying to control his expression, couldn't hide his smile as he looked at the enthusiastic response.
In the shadows of the meeting, Danzō Shimura watched with a dark expression, his thoughts unknown.
The troops were assembling, and various forces were gathering in an orderly manner.
Setsuna Uchiha approached Fūma, angrily questioning:
"What is this? Your unit is mostly our Uchiha clansmen, and the rest are those civilian ninjas!"
"How dare those scoundrels in the Hokage building treat us Uchiha like this!"
Fūma glanced at the Third Hokage, a cold glint in his eyes, and calmly reassured Setsuna.
"Be patient, clan leader. I'll teach you a saying: 'Small impatience leads to big mistakes.' I have a plan."
As the battlefield commander, what else could one gain besides war merits?
The most crucial thing was the unparalleled opportunity to build bonds of camaraderie with various ninjas in the village.
War is not only a meat grinder for ninjas but also a catalyst for friendships and bonds.
Through war, a battlefield leader can weave a vast network of comrades as their staunchest supporters.
This move by the Third Hokage could be called an open strategy.
Using Fūma's combat style as a pretext, he assigned him to the scouting unit, which did not bear the main battlefield responsibilities.
A few days ago, he even privately approached Fūma, subtly hinting at Minato and Kushina's relationship, with a veiled threat.
After some negotiation, they reached an agreement.
The scouting unit would primarily be composed of the Uchiha clan, with a few other ninja clans as supplements.
As for Kushina and Minato's relationship, the Third Hokage would no longer interfere, and Kushina could decide whether to become the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki herself.
This condition was quite a concession from the Third Hokage.
Fūma embraced Sestsuna and whispered, "Take care of the clan, old clan leader. Trust me, their smugness won't last long."
_______________________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ShadySmuggler