What are nobles?
Just ordinary people!
They aren't the bloodline of some deity.
Haven't the ninjas realized this yet?
It's just that long-standing habits have bound them.
Breaking those chains requires a little push.
Money!
That's the biggest push!
When other ninjas, especially the Kage of the Five Great Ninja Villages, see that Itsuki robbed two cities and gained a huge amount of money, will they really be able to stay calm?
If they can, great! That means all the money from those cities will go straight into Itsuki's pocket.
With that money, the development of Fire Hidden Village will skyrocket.
But!
Itsuki estimates that these Kage won't be able to sit still.
They're not fools.
Money is essential for development.
There's no way they'll just stand by and watch Fire Hidden Village grow stronger.
Take Fire Hidden Village for example.
With money, they won't need to work anymore. All they have to do is focus on having more children and training their ninja skills—simple!
In their spare time, they can make a few explosive tags and blow away their enemies during battle!
But without money, they'll have to figure out how to survive first.
They'll have to think about how many children they can afford and which ninjutsu is worth training, while also considering the cost-effectiveness of every tool they use.
This is true no matter the world.
Rich people can do whatever they want!
Poor people, however, have to calculate every move!
So...
Konan, the undeniable richest woman in the ninja world.
Six trillion explosive tags!
Who needs to fight when you could practically buy out all five Great Ninja Villages with that?
And that's exactly what happened!
When Fire Hidden Village gained a massive amount of wealth from Fire City, all the ninja villages were shaken.
Konoha immediately sent a messenger to condemn and threaten Fire Hidden Village, demanding an immediate retreat.
But unfortunately!
That messenger didn't even get to meet Itsuki.
So, Sarutobi Hiruzen decisively dispatched 5,000 ninjas to march on Fire Hidden Village.
"If you don't retreat, I'll force you to!"
In just two years, Konoha had undergone significant changes.
Although the Sarutobi clan didn't fully control Konoha, they had stepped out of the shadows and officially became one of the major clans in Konoha.
Their true strength hadn't been fully exposed, but they had already revealed over a thousand ninjas, replacing the Uchiha's former position after their departure.
This time, after Sarutobi Hiruzen discussed it with Nara Shikaku, both the Hokage faction and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio each sent a thousand ninjas.
The rest were mostly neutral ninjas.
But being neutral also meant being unstable.
If you don't step up now, then who will?
Do you really think being neutral is that easy?
Not taking sides might seem risk-free, but in reality, it's the greatest risk of all.
To everyone's surprise, the Hyuga clan dispatched 20 Jonin and over 300 elite ninjas this time.
Even during the great ninja wars, they hadn't mobilized this many people.
Even Hyuga Hiashi personally took action.
Shimura Danzo was appointed as the leader of the ninja army!
Yes!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's most trusted ally, once again, stepped forward.
With one eye, Danzo swept across the group.
"Move out!"
With Danzo's cold grunt, the 5,000 ninjas set off.
...
Nara Clan.
Shikaku rubbed his temples, feeling the headache.
"I'm telling you…"
The massive Choji hesitated, "What is the Hyuga clan thinking? Even Hiashi is personally involved."
"There's a new Hyuga family in Fire Hidden Village. They couldn't sit still. They likely want to go to war and wipe out the Hyuga clan in Fire Hidden Village. Too bad, Danzo might not let them have their way," Nara Shikaku replied casually.
"Sigh!"
Yamanaka Inoichi sighed, "Shikaku, you need to take care of yourself. You've been looking awful lately."
"There's just too much going on," Shikaku replied with a wry smile. "The Hokage faction, the Hyuga, even the Aburame and Inuzuka clans… Then there's the upcoming Chunin exams, and don't forget about Fire Hidden Village and the Daimyo..."
"My mind can't handle all of this."
Choji grumbled, "What is the Third Hokage thinking? Jiraiya already returned, yet he refuses to step down. Now Jiraiya's gone again, and he seems happy about it."
"When will Konoha finally get its Fifth Hokage?"
After handling the Itsuki situation, Jiraiya stayed in Konoha for a while to help with rebuilding efforts before leaving to resume his travels.
"Once you grasp power, it's not easy to let it go. Besides, if I'm already worrying about all this, imagine how much more Hiruzen must be concerned," Shikaku said sarcastically. "He's secretly built up the ninja clans to their current strength. He must want to protect them even more now."
"There's too much uncertainty with Jiraiya becoming Hokage."
"Maybe Hiruzen even doubts Jiraiya, since he and Uchiha Itsuki seem to have a decent relationship."
Ino-Shika-Cho fell silent.
"So what do we do? Just keep fighting against this?" Choji fumed. "The village is splitting into three factions. Just look at what's become of it!"
"I know," Shikaku sighed deeply. "But I'm more worried about the safety of our families. Do you realize they're genuinely prepared to take over Konoha by force?"
"One wrong move, and Ino-Shika-Cho could become a thing of the past."
Sarutobi Hiruzen probably thinks the same, which is why he won't relinquish his power.
Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nara Shikaku are now caught at the top, unable to step down.
They both fear that if they retreat, their families might be destroyed.
...
Fire Hidden Village!
The pre-battle mobilization had begun.
Although Itsuki had made arrangements before leaving, Shisui hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to make his move so quickly.
Fire Hidden Village had barely issued its announcement when the opposing forces already set out.
It had all been prepared in advance.
"Don't be afraid," Shisui sighed deeply, his Mangekyo Sharingan glowing.
… As long as these eyes remain, I can protect the village.
"Shisui, don't be nervous!"
An elderly voice suddenly spoke, "We old bones are still here. Besides, my eyes can still be used once more."
The old man revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan.
He could still unleash the Mangekyo one final time and use Susanoo in battle.
If used well, it could absolutely turn the tide of battle.
Touji, standing nearby, coldly remarked, "Even though I don't have the Mangekyo, I'm still willing to fight to the death."
"Thank you, elders," Shisui exhaled, a relaxed smile on his face. "Honestly, we're not in such a tough spot."
"Fire Hidden Village still has over a thousand ninjas, and with Itachi and me both possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan, plus the Two-Tails here, we've got nothing to worry about."
"It's good to see you think that way, Shisui!"
The two elders chuckled, got up, and left.
"Sigh!"
Shisui sighed again.
"What's wrong?" Itachi appeared before Shisui.
"Itachi, wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to fight?"
"Just be ready," Itachi said, shaking his head. "If you've got time to think like that, it means you're not busy enough. I'll assign the Chunin exams to you too. With more work, you won't have time to daydream."
Shisui's mouth twitched. "Thanks, Itachi. You're really too kind."
(End of Chapter)