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After the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the Hidden Sand Village poured all its resources into the search but couldn't find even the slightest trace, not to mention the Kazekage himself. For a ninja village, the Kage represents the village's strength and is the key to its prosperity. The disappearance of the Third Kazekage at such a crucial time left the Hidden Sand Village deeply unsettled.
Due to the large-scale search by the Hidden Sand, the other ninja villages quickly became aware of the situation, each reacting differently.
As the country with the largest territory, the Land of Wind is located in a harsh desert, a region filled with sand and rock with limited rainfall throughout the year, making survival extremely difficult.
Yet, it is this harsh environment that has produced exceptional ninjas. However, despite their elite training, the national strength of the Land of Wind and the military might of the Hidden Sand Village remain the weakest among the five great nations. Even with their focus on elite warriors, this fact cannot be changed.
Compared to Konoha, the Land of Wind holds little appeal. Even with the Kazekage's disappearance, neighboring countries like the Land of Earth have little reason to covet it.
Sometimes, a harsh environment can act as a shield—an ironic reality.
Among the other ninja villages, the Hidden Sand Village actually has the most reason to envy Konoha. The Land of Fire is vast, fertile, and filled with greenery, with an incredibly favorable environment for survival.
This envy applies to the other villages as well.
Weakening one's enemies while strengthening oneself is a fundamental part of human nature, and only war can reveal that nature.
The Hidden Stone, Hidden Cloud, and Hidden Mist Villages, along with the now-leaderless Hidden Sand Village, have all gradually begun applying pressure on the borders of the Land of Fire. Although their actions are not yet overt, the drumbeats of war have clearly begun to sound.
This unified goal among the great ninja villages has placed tremendous pressure on Konoha.
However, this scenario had been anticipated by Konoha's advisory team. As the Land of Fire, with the strongest military force in Konoha, they were always the target of such assaults.
Despite the immense pressure, Konoha showed no fear. Given the current strength of the village, it could still stand proudly above the rest. The only regret was the death of Dan Kato. If he were still alive, he could have alleviated some of the burden.
Intelligence reports flowed like flying papers, landing on the Hokage's desk. The hidden fangs of their enemies were beginning to show.
"It's finally here," Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered. In an effort to maintain a solemn atmosphere, he had set aside his usual pipe. Although he was reluctant to go to war, Hiruzen would not back down when the time came.
"The front lines are getting strained," said Koharu Utatane, scanning the intelligence reports carefully.
In addition to Koharu, Homura Mitokado and Danzo Shimura were also present.
"The greatest threat comes from the Hidden Stone Village. Their movements are the most obvious. After that is the Hidden Cloud Village. These two fronts will need the most attention," Koharu said, her gaze fixed on the maps of the Stone and Cloud territories.
Homura nodded in agreement but added cautiously, "Although the Hidden Mist Village has been relatively quiet, we can't ignore them. At a critical moment, they might strike, especially when our lines are most strained."
Danzo, lowering his head slightly, rested his cane with the hidden sword beside the sofa. His left eye narrowed, and his bandaged right eye seemed to hide a secret. He asked, "How should we arrange the front lines?"
After a moment of contemplation, Hiruzen replied, "Orochimaru can hold one front. Aside from him, Minato should be the best fit to handle the Hidden Stone and Cloud."
Danzo's already narrowed eyes became slits as he said coldly, "Minato is too young. Jiraiya is better suited for this task."
Hiruzen calmly responded, "Age is not a measure of ability. Minato is more than capable."
Danzo remained expressionless. He could tell that Hiruzen was paving the way for Minato. If Minato performed exceptionally in this war, his reputation would rise, possibly even surpassing Orochimaru's.
So, Hiruzen had finally decided—Minato would be the next Hokage?
"War is no child's play. If there is a better option, there's no reason to give Minato such a heavy responsibility," Danzo stated, subtly expressing his disagreement.
"Minato is more than capable," Hiruzen repeated, standing firm against Danzo's objections.
Danzo replied calmly, "Minato's abilities are well-known, but the front lines against the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud are too important. Jiraiya and Orochimaru would be more appropriate."
Seeing Danzo's continued opposition to the decision, Hiruzen's brow furrowed slightly.
"There's nothing wrong with entrusting Minato with this responsibility. We can also send Shikaku Nara to assist him," Homura interjected. Like Hiruzen, he held great expectations for Minato's future. Moreover, Shikaku's intelligence and strategic mind made him the perfect partner for Minato. With these two working together, they could handle the front lines with confidence.
After a moment of consideration, Koharu also voiced her opinion: "We need the younger generation to step up in the future. Given Minato's demonstrated abilities in recent years, along with Nara Shikaku's support, it wouldn't be unreasonable to send him to one of the fronts."
In truth, compared to sending Jiraiya to the front, Koharu was more willing to let Minato take on this responsibility. If Dan Kato were still alive, the two fronts would undoubtedly be entrusted to Orochimaru and Dan.
Three against one.
Danzo's narrowed eyes concealed his intense dissatisfaction. Unable to change the decision, he silently conceded.
Even he had to admit that Minato's abilities were no less than Orochimaru's. That's precisely why he didn't want Minato to be given such an important position—it was clearly a way to boost his reputation, further clearing his path to becoming Hokage.
Danzo coveted the position of Hokage himself, but he knew that even if Sarutobi stepped down, he wouldn't be chosen. So, his ideal scenario was to see Orochimaru, with whom he had a cooperative relationship, ascend to the position instead.
But since the decision had already been made, Danzo chose not to argue further.
"Minato will lead the defense against the Hidden Stone, and Orochimaru will handle the Hidden Cloud. Jiraiya will take charge of the Hidden Mist. As for the Hidden Sand, we don't need to deploy too many troops there. We just need to keep an eye on their movements. If they do decide to attack, we can always divert forces from the front against the Hidden Stone," Homura finalized the plan. Of course, this decision wasn't as simple as it seemed; it required careful deliberation to ensure a well-coordinated strategy.
With that, they delved into more detailed discussions based on intelligence reports, focusing primarily on troop distribution.
In contrast to Konoha's intense strategic planning, the other villages had it much easier. Their goal was singular: Konoha. They didn't need to worry too much about the other villages.
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