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A little over an hour later, at the Hokage Tower, the large assembly hall was filled with people.
Nearly all of Konoha's registered jōnin and representatives from the various ninja clans had gathered.
Sitting together were Uzumaki Mito, Uchiha Naori, and Uzumaki Ashina.
"Any word on what this is about?" Uzumaki Mito asked Uchiha Naori in a hushed tone.
Despite her efforts, alongside Tsunade's and the Uchiha clan's support, the Senju had only just begun to regain some of their former strength over the past few years.
It wasn't enough time. Their intelligence network was far from fully restored.
The Uzumaki Clan's resources were even more limited in that regard.
"It's probably about the Hidden Rain's invasion of the Land of Fire," Naori replied through mental communication.
The ability to transmit thoughts directly was a skill she had mastered six months into practicing her Sharingan meditation techniques.
It was incredibly useful—especially in situations where speaking openly wasn't wise.
Even whispered words could easily be overheard in a room full of sharp senses and powerful ninjas.
"It's clear some people have grown restless during these years of peace," Naori continued. "Now that they feel their strength has recovered, they're eager to start another shinobi war and reap the benefits."
"The Third Hokage and his circle won't miss this opportunity either."
Naori's tone was sharp. "It's time for us to play along and move forward with the next phase of our plan."
Mito nodded, her expression calm but her eyes gleaming with understanding. "So that's how it is. Too bad for them—they're blind if they think this will work."
"They've been waiting for their chance, but haven't we been doing the same?"
"Next, we'll need to carefully orchestrate things. We need to ensure the elite forces of Sarutobi and the other allied clans are heavily damaged on the battlefield," Mito added.
"And we'll make sure Danzo and the Third Hokage take full responsibility for any failures," she continued.
"At the same time, we'll have our people earn as much merit as possible while winning over the hearts of neutral ninja clans and civilian ninjas. That way, when the war ends, we can finally topple the Third Hokage and his allies, driving them into irrelevance."
Naori nodded in agreement. "We also need to use this opportunity to deal with the other four great ninja villages, making sure they're unable to start any more wars for years to come. That will give us time to reorganize and reform Konoha internally."
At the moment, the Uchiha clan was terrifyingly strong.
They had over a hundred elite jōnin with three-tomoe Sharingan, and countless more regular jōnin.
If it weren't for many of the younger generation still maturing, their numbers would be even greater.
However, most of the elite jōnin weren't bound by Kaito contracts, which limited the clan's ability to fully support their growth.
Otherwise, a good number of them would likely have already reached Kage-level strength.
"You're right," Mito replied. "If that's the case, should we step in directly this time?"
"After all, Onoki and the Third Raikage aren't exactly easy opponents."
Over the past three years, both Mito and Naori had made tremendous progress.
With access to resources from the pirate world and Kaito's guidance in advanced techniques, their powers had far surpassed the typical Kage level.
They were no longer at the initial stages of Kage-level strength but firmly beyond it.
Physically, they were incredibly strong—comparable to, if not quite at, the level of admirals in the pirate world. They were certainly at the admiral candidate level.
Both had also awakened Conqueror's Haki, something Kaito wasn't surprised by.
Mito and Naori were both determined, strong-willed women with unwavering beliefs. Awakening Conqueror's Haki felt natural.
Through mastering and refining it, Kaito had come to understand the essence of Conqueror's Haki—it was an extension of one's will and spirit.
"We'll see," Naori replied vaguely. "Kaito is already at the peak of Kage-level strength. With his mastery of both physical and spiritual techniques, he can handle Onoki and the Third Raikage."
"Even without him, Tsunade has reached Kage-level peak strength. She shouldn't need our help either."
Naori paused briefly before adding, "Besides, if we want Kaito to take the position of Hokage after the war, we can't intervene too much. We need him to earn the highest merit on his own and erase any doubts about his qualifications."
"Otherwise, it'll be hard to win everyone over."
The urgency to elevate Kaito to Hokage was clear—it would pave the way for him to earn widespread respect and admiration.
This would make it easier for him to garner support from Konoha's ninja and prepare for the village's eventual move to the pirate world.
Without the title of Hokage, achieving this would be much harder.
Otherwise, letting Tsunade serve as a transitional Hokage after the war would have been the better option.
"True! Let's hold off for now," Mito said through their mental link.
"For now, just keep an eye on things," she added.
"Unless that old geezer Madara can't resist making a move. Then we'll see if it's worth stepping in," Mito continued.
When it came to Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara, Uzumaki Mito knew quite a bit.
In recent years, they had frequently detected traces of Black Zetsu's and even White Zetsu's activities, especially in Konoha and the Uchiha Clan's territory.
If it hadn't been for poor timing, they would've already acted.
Even though they hadn't made a direct move, they hadn't been idle.
After more than a year of effort, two years ago, Mito and Naori developed a sealing technique specifically designed to counter Yin-Yang Release and Black Zetsu.
When the time came, they could take Black Zetsu down with confidence—assuming it became necessary.
At that moment, the Third Hokage entered the hall, flanked by Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura. Their entrance instantly drew everyone's attention.
The four of them made their way to the front, where Sarutobi Hiruzen took his seat at the head of the table.
Hiruzen's gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on Mito, Naori, and Ashina before moving on. Then he stood up and began to speak.
"Everyone! The reason I've gathered you here on such short notice is simple: war is upon us!"
"A few days ago, Hanzo of the Salamander led a force from the Hidden Rain into the Land of Fire, causing serious damage."
"They've killed more than a dozen of our border patrol ninjas."
"This has enraged the Daimyō, who has ordered us to mobilize, reclaim our territory, and teach the Land of Rain a lesson."
"After discussions with the council, we've decided to officially declare war on the Hidden Rain. We'll deploy our forces to drive them out of the Land of Fire, invade the Land of Rain, and defeat Hanzo of the Salamander."
"We'll show him—and anyone else watching—that Konoha is not to be trifled with!"
The moment those words left Hiruzen's mouth, the room erupted in chatter.
"Since when did the Rain Village have the guts to provoke Konoha and the Land of Fire? Does Hanzo really think his 'demigod' title makes him untouchable?"
"Hah! Maybe he does think that way!"
"No question about it, we've got to hit them hard. Otherwise, every small-time nobody will think they can invade the Land of Fire whenever they feel like it!"
"Exactly! We can't show mercy here. Time to strike back with full force!"
The discussions grew louder, filled with indignation and enthusiasm for war.
Hiruzen nodded, satisfied with the response.
This was precisely the reaction he wanted.
The crowd's energy and unity were essential for the battles ahead.
Once the chatter began to die down, Hiruzen raised his hand to quiet the room.
"Now that we're all on the same page, let's discuss the specifics of the deployment," he continued.
"According to our intelligence, the Rain Village's actions have been instigated by the Hidden Rock and Hidden Sand."
"This isn't just a conflict between us and the Hidden Rain—it's likely the prelude to a larger shinobi war."
"If we engage with the Land of Rain, the Rock and Sand Villages will undoubtedly seize the opportunity to act."
"And if we become bogged down fighting the Rock, Sand, and Rain, there's no guarantee that the Cloud and Mist won't make moves of their own."
"They've always had their eyes on our Land of Fire's territory."
Hearing this, many in the room grew serious, their expressions tense.
"That's... entirely possible."
"The signs of another major war have been there since the last shinobi war."
"Damn the Rock and Mist! I knew Hanzo wouldn't dare provoke us on his own. There's definitely someone backing him!"
"This just got more complicated."
"What's so complicated? Let's fight! Since when has Konoha backed down from a challenge?"
Reactions varied, but the disdain for the meddling Rock and Sand Villages was unanimous.
Hiruzen, seeing that he had sufficiently steered the mood, raised his hand again for silence.
"Given the situation, we must prepare to fight not just one, but potentially two, three, or even four major villages simultaneously," he said.
"To do this, we'll need to reinforce all our borders with elite forces as a precaution."
"Within the village, we must also prepare additional ninja units to respond to any threats."
"However, the current ninja forces within the village and the Anbu alone won't be enough."
"That's why I'm asking all of you clan representatives to send your clan's ninjas to support Konoha."
The clan representatives exchanged glances, their expressions subtle but telling.
Ah, so that's why Hiruzen had called them all here and made such a big speech—it was to recruit their clans for the war effort.
The reactions among the clans were mixed. Some seemed willing, others cautious, and a few downright resistant.
Still, no one spoke up immediately. They all waited for Hiruzen to continue, watching to see if his words would convince them.
After all, if Hiruzen expected their clans to send their forces, then surely the clans behind Konoha's leadership—the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado—would lead by example, right?
Otherwise, why would they willingly sacrifice their clan's strength?
Hiruzen's twelve years in power had been fruitful for his own clan, the Sarutobi.
With their naturally large population and his access to resources, they had quietly grown significantly stronger.
Although he had tried to keep this hidden, the larger clans weren't entirely in the dark.
The same was true for the Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans, whose expansions had been blatant and aggressive.
In fact, their overt growth had drawn so much attention that it helped Hiruzen expand the Sarutobi clan quietly in the background.
A smart move from Hiruzen.
But...
.
.
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