He believed that he could grasp the secret of immortality. The cells of Hashirama Senju were the key to opening the door to eternal life.
Orochimaru wanted to become Hokage, which for Danzo meant yet another potential enemy. But Danzo had no intention of targeting Orochimaru. On the contrary, he would help Orochimaru eliminate his rivals, eventually pushing him into the position of the Fourth Hokage.
Orochimaru, like Danzo, operated in the shadows. They were like insects tied to the same thread—neither could easily shake off the other. For Orochimaru to secure the Hokage seat, Danzo's assistance would be crucial. In return, Danzo would receive some benefits, allowing him to solidify his influence and start laying down his plans. And once the time was right, Danzo would ensure that Orochimaru was taken down.
Taking down Orochimaru wouldn't be difficult; after all, his activities were far from clean. If the truth about their deeds was ever exposed, no matter if Orochimaru was Hokage or not, there would be no place for him in Konoha. The bigger threat to Danzo was if Sakumo Hatake managed to take the role of Hokage. Thus, discrediting Sakumo was necessary, regardless of whether Orochimaru was involved or not—Danzo was determined to do it.
Two days later, Konoha's advance forces, led by Orochimaru and Jiraiya, left the village. They headed for the coastline near the Uzumaki Clan's former settlement, where Konoha would set up a defensive line. If Mist Village dared to attack Konoha, this area would become the main battlefield. The goal was to keep the fire of war away from the Land of Fire. The former Uzumaki Clan territory, the surrounding islands, and the sea itself would serve as the battleground.
Konoha's response was strong. They refused to hand over Sakumo Hatake and even sent more troops to the border, clearly preparing for any sudden assaults from Mist Village. The damage from the ambush during the Second Shinobi World War by Sand Village was still fresh, and Konoha was determined to avoid a repeat of such losses.
With tensions escalating, the whole shinobi world turned its attention to the direction of the Uzumaki territory. Konoha moved quickly, but Mist Village was not far behind. As soon as Konoha's advance forces arrived, a shocking announcement spread across the shinobi world—Mist Village, led by the Third Mizukage, had officially declared war on Konoha.
In a hidden underground chamber, Black Zetsu phased through the wall, slipping into the room.
"Lord Madara, it seems Tobi has gone a bit too far. He's declared war on Konoha."
"Oh?" The sleeping Uchiha Madara slowly opened his eyes, sounding a bit surprised. He didn't expect Tobi to be so bold. He had said to make use of any means, but Tobi had pushed it all the way to open warfare.
"If this becomes a prelude to other conflicts, perhaps it will spark a broader war, weakening all the Great Shinobi Villages. That would be helpful for my plans," Madara mused.
"Let him play his games then," he concluded.
Whether Mist Village fought against Konoha or not, Madara didn't care. As long as his plans proceeded without a hitch, nothing else mattered. Besides, a weakened state for all five of the Great Shinobi Villages would only be beneficial to him. Having said that, Madara closed his eyes again.
Black Zetsu, meanwhile, contemplated whether to further stir the pot and drag the other villages into this escalating conflict.
Currently, Mist Village and Konoha were mobilizing their forces, while Sand Village, Stone Village, and Cloud Village watched intently from a distance.
They were watching, waiting for the right opportunity. Stone Village and Cloud Village had long coveted the fertile lands of the Land of Fire, but they had never found a suitable moment to strike. Now, opportunity seemed to be knocking at their door.
As for Sand Village, they were the most likely to make the first move. They were growing tired of paying war reparations. In just a few years, it was impossible for them to compensate Konoha with such vast sums of money. The Third Kazekage had tightened the village's belt, scouring for precious minerals to repay debts, but life in Sand Village was becoming increasingly difficult.
Mist Village's declaration of war gave the Third Kazekage an opening. If war broke out, the reparations agreement would be null and void. Sand Village wouldn't need to pay Konoha another cent. And if they could seize some fertile land from the Land of Fire, it would be an enormous gain for them. Though tempted, the Third Kazekage restrained himself—he knew Sand Village couldn't face Konoha alone. He needed to wait for the right moment.
The Third Kazekage waited, and so did Onoki and the Third Raikage. If Konoha crushed Mist Village quickly and emerged largely unscathed, they would remain on the sidelines. But if Konoha found itself stuck in a quagmire, that would be their moment to strike.
The sudden onset of war caught many by surprise. Though Konoha had made some preparations, the abruptness of the conflict left its villagers confused and uneasy.
Most people's first thought was, "Are we really going to war again?"
After all, it had only been three years since the end of the Second Shinobi World War. The shadows of that conflict still loomed over them, and now a new war was knocking at their doors. For countless villagers, this was far from good news.
"Why do we have to go to war again? The last one just ended a couple of years ago, and now this," someone lamented.
"Tell me about it. Many merchants have already packed up and left," another chimed in.
"I went to buy groceries this morning, and prices have gone up a lot," someone else complained.
For the shinobi, war wasn't unexpected. The life of a shinobi was dangerous, but it came with high rewards. For the average villager, however, a looming war was nothing but trouble. It would disrupt their daily lives, and the thought of war spreading fear among them was unavoidable.
Even businesses like the hotpot restaurant were seeing fewer customers. War was on the horizon, and things were changing in Konoha. More and more shinobi were being sent to the front lines to guard against a large-scale Mist Village invasion.
Konoha, however, faced a critical issue—the Fire Country's warships were insufficient in number and inferior to those of Mist Village. This left Tsunade with a major headache. The Land of Fire was inland and rarely needed warships, but during times of war, the lack of proper ships posed a significant problem.
To make matters worse, both the Third Hokage and the daimyo of the Land of Fire wanted to keep the conflict away from the Land of Fire's borders. They insisted that even if there was war, it must not reach their land. This left Tsunade and the Third Hokage at odds again over how to handle the battlefield.
"The daimyo insists that the battlefield must not be on the Land of Fire's territory. During the Second Shinobi War, the Sand Village's invasion caused enormous damage. The daimyo is afraid of history repeating itself," the Third Hokage explained, frustration evident as he spoke.
The Mist Village had only just declared war, and even before Konoha's main forces reached the front lines, the daimyo had already sent his orders—he wanted the battle fought outside the Land of Fire, preventing it from reaching his domain. It was unreasonable, and yet...
"Well, let him try to keep it out," Danzo scoffed. He had long since been fed up with the daimyo. If it weren't for that old fool, Sakumo Hatake wouldn't have had even a chance at the Hokage position.
"If he doesn't want the flames of war in his domain, how does he expect us to fight it? Does the Land of Fire have a fleet of warships at the ready for us? If not, then he should stay out of it," Danzo snapped.
The Third Hokage sighed, exasperated. He knew Danzo had a long-standing grudge against the daimyo, but he hadn't expected him to speak so irresponsibly.
"This isn't practical," Tsunade said, shaking her head as she looked at the map.
____________Bonus Chapter______________
Next Bonus: 2400 Power Stones ╰ (´꒳`) ╯
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 340+ at patreon.com/ Emik01. ಥ‿ಥ
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