Hidden Mist Village.
"Lord Third Mizukage, this five-year-long war has nearly drained our village dry, and we are still pinned down on the islands of the Land of Whirlpools by Konoha, unable to advance even a single step."
"Indeed. Our Hidden Mist Village's economy has always ranked lower among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. The years of heavy consumption, the countless losses of our shinobi, and yet we've gained nothing on the battlefield. The discontent in the village is growing..."
In the Mizukage's office, the elders' faces were grim as they discussed the current dire situation. While Konoha was struggling under the combined assault of the Four Great Shinobi Villages, the Hidden Mist Village was faring no better.
Although Konoha was being besieged, their resources and strength were outrageously deep. On top of that, they were defending their holand. In contrast, the Hidden Mist was in a far weaker position.
"That's precisely why I called you here to discuss this plan!"
The mysterious, long-haired Third Mizukage lowered his head and spoke in a raspy voice. None of the elders noticed the fleeting crimson glow in his eyes.
"Lord Mizukage, isn't this plan far too risky?"
"Exactly! We're talking about using the Three-Tails!"
"Even with the distraction provided by the Seven Swordsn, this plan is still extrely dangerous!"
The elders' faces grew increasingly tense, but the Third Mizukage simply let out a cold laugh.
"Dangerous? The Hidden Mist Village has been waging this war for five years! The other shinobi villages have at least managed to push into the Land of Fire, but we have made no progress at all.
If we were to negotiate with Konoha now, what would be left of the Hidden Mist's reputation after the war? How many missions do you think we'd be entrusted with?"
The Five Great Shinobi Villages rely heavily on missions to sustain themselves. If a village's reputation falls, its mission count naturally decreases, leading to economic collapse.
"And what danger are you talking about?"
The Third Mizukage's grin turned ferocious, a chilling killing intent radiating from him, making the elders tense up involuntarily.
"The Seven Swordsn will infiltrate the Land of Fire, causing chaos and drawing attention. anwhile, the Three-Tails will appear in Konoha. By then, it will be Konoha who will have to deal with the fallout!
Our Hidden Mist's Three-Tails will have been 'stolen' by Konoha!"
"Such a thing has never happened before—one village stealing another's tailed beast. If Konoha breaks this taboo, they'll be the ones in trouble!"
The Third Mizukage's sinister smile deepened as he laid out his audacious and perilous plan.
First, the Seven Swordsn would infiltrate the Land of Fire. If they were discovered, they would create as much chaos as possible to draw attention. Then, the Three-Tails would be unleashed.
If luck was on their side, the Three-Tails would cause massive destruction within Konoha, throwing their forces into disarray. This would allow the Mist Shinobi to seize control of the Land of Whirlpools as a forward base to launch a direct attack on the Land of Fire.
If the Three-Tails failed to achieve significant results, the Hidden Mist would still play the victim, accusing Konoha of stealing their tailed beast.
Stealing a tailed beast—this was a forbidden red line...
...
Konoha.
"Lord Hokage, this is the latest intelligence from the Land of Whirlpools battlefield against the Hidden Mist..."
"Lord Third Hokage, this is the newest report from the Root spies…"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, exhaled a puff of smoke and slowly raised his head, a faint smile of relief appearing on his face.
"It seems the Hidden Mist is at the end of its rope. The discontent among their clans, the shortage of supplies, and their dwindling reinforcents on the front lines—all point to their limits."
As Hiruzen looked up, his gaze fell on a young man standing before him, whose features bore a striking resemblance to his own. A look of pride crossed his face.
"Shinnosuke, this is the latest intelligence from the Hidden Mist battlefield. Study it carefully."
"Yes, Father!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the eldest son of the Third Hokage, had inherited his father's short stature.
Though he did not possess all five chakra natures, he was proficient in Earth, Fire, and Wind styles and was considered an elite among Jonin. However, a deep lightning-inflicted scar marred his face, a reminder of past battles.
As Shinnosuke frowned while studying the intelligence, he spoke confidently under his father's watchful gaze.
"Father, I will lead an elite force to patrol the coastal borders and ensure the Hidden Mist cannot infiltrate the Land of Fire."
Hiruzen nodded in approval but added with a shake of his head:
"Infiltration is a shinobi's specialty. Your task is not just to patrol but to detect and eliminate the Mist Shinobi. You are Konoha's last line of defense…"
The Hidden Mist, using the Land of Whirlpools as a stepping stone to invade the Land of Fire, would face no natural barriers. The terrain was a vast, unbroken forest.
"But you must also understand your true mission!"
At this, Hiruzen's tone grew heavier. Shinnosuke solemnly nodded, fully understanding his father's intent.
"Yes, Father. I will assist Minato to the best of my ability!"
Seeing his son's maturity, Hiruzen's weathered face softened with a smile.
"Shinnosuke, you've grown up. You can now share your father's burdens. It's not that I favor Minato over you, but while both of you have inherited the Will of Fire, Minato's strength has already reached a level where he can stand alone..."
Shinnosuke nodded earnestly, fully aware of his abilities.
"Don't worry, Father. I understand your intentions."
He was tasked with assisting Namikaze Minato in earning glory and recognition. On the battlefield, the fa of the Uchiha Shirou's Mangekyō Sharingan had already overshadowed everything else.
During this war, Uchiha Shirou had outshone even the legendary Sannin.
Although Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique had made waves, Shirou's mastery of the sa technique, coupled with the Mangekyō, had stolen much of Minato's spotlight.
After all, Minato's Flying Thunder God was impressive, but Shirou had it too—and he also wielded the Mangekyō, a power Minato did not possess. Naturally, Shirou's achievents stood out more.
"Anbu, the Root, and the Intelligence Division will fully support you. This is the ti to crush the Hidden Mist in one decisive strike and sound the horn to end this war! Konoha can no longer afford to continue fighting!"
Hiruzen's heavy words echoed through the Hokage's office as the two cast their gazes out the window, looking at the desolate streets of Konoha.
For over twenty years, Konoha had never been this bleak.
Nearly every household was shrouded in sorrow, mourning the countless shinobi lost in the war—many of whom were re children or teenagers.
Even the Ninja Academy was affected. Once a place filled with laughter and sunlight, the classrooms now carried a stifling atmosphere.
The students' faces were somber, their focus unwavering. Their arms and legs were often wrapped in bandages, evidence of the grueling training they endured.
Under the shadow of war and death, even these children understood that graduation ant being sent to the battlefield.
And on the battlefield, their predecessors—their older brothers, sisters, and friends—would soon have their nas engraved on the morial Stone.
Faced with the fear of death, no student dared to slack off. Rigorous training left no room for laziness, especially under the watchful eyes of strict parents.
Though the intense training stunted their long-term growth, everyone knew one thing:
If they couldn't survive the war, there would be no future to worry about.
...
On the Frontlines.
"Captain Minato, here is your latest mission!"
A Konoha chunin respectfully handed over a mission scroll. Namikaze Minato opened it, and a smile spread across his face.
"Gather everyone and prepare for battle."
Minato's bright and sunny smile radiated warmth, filling his subordinates with a sense of camaraderie. As the Konoha shinobi laughed and began to assemble, soone asked eagerly:
"Minato, what's this mission about?"
Akimichi Chōza, with his portly figure and honest deanor, asked a question, while Nara Shikaku, standing nearby, seed to have thought of sothing. A glimr of light flashed across his eyes.
As the Ino-Shika-Chō trio served as the right-hand man of Minato Namikaze, Nara Shikaku's intelligence had long since discerned the intentions of their Third Hokage.
Third Hokage wanted to elevate soone from his own circle to power, rather than letting the Hokage title fall into the hands of an outsider.
"Even though it's difficult this ti, the clan no longer has any choice," Nara Shikaku thought, frowning with frustration.
There was no such thing as a neutral party. If the three clans didn't pick a side, how could they have obtained the vast resources that allowed them to develop over the years?
"However…"
Shikaku's gaze swept over Yamanaka Inoichi, who stood nearby.
"The internal divisions in the Yamanaka clan from years ago unexpectedly turned out to be advantageous. A branch of the Yamanaka clan had long since aligned themselves with the Senju…"
In just a brief mont, Nara Shikaku's mind rapidly processed the intelligence on all of Konoha's major clans.
This also explained why, in the future, the mbers of Root led by Danzo included Yamanaka ninjas—clearly, it was a form of pressure and coercion.
"Shikaku, could you analyze the intel for this mission?"
Minato Namikaze's warm, sunny smile brought Nara Shikaku back to reality. Accepting the information, Shikaku nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
At this point, the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans had long since beco vassals of the Third Hokage. After enjoying so many years of resources, it was natural for them to bear the mark of the Third Hokage—this was the cost of doing so.
Their current priority was to win the war. As for who the next Hokage would be, they would leave that to fate. Even if the Senju or Uchiha gained power, the three clans would at most be sidelined.
The years of developnt they had enjoyed were already sufficient. No clan could remain prosperous forever. The ones truly facing suppression would be clans like the Sarutobi, while the three clans would only be lightly affected.
Understanding this, Shikaku lowered his head and studied the intelligence in his hands with a serious expression. Gradually, a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"Root and Anbu's overlapping intelligence confirm that this is 80% accurate. A Mist Village elite unit is preparing to launch a sneak attack from here… Even if it's false information, the battlefield is in our district, so we don't have to worry about traps…"
After hearing Shikaku's analysis, Minato Namikaze nodded with a smile and said:
"In that case, our target this ti is here!"
When Minato pointed at the target, Shikaku froze for a mont. He then looked up at Minato's sunny smile, and for the first ti, felt a sense of pressure.
"Minato! Are you suggesting…!?"
Shikaku swallowed nervously, but at that mont, Minato's sunny smile remained, his eyes filled with determination.
"Since we have obtained such valuable intelligence, it would be too wasteful to simply defend passively. After all, intelligence is the hardest thing to co by. This ti, the information also indirectly reveals that this Mist Village area is poorly defended. If we take this opportunity to attack here…"
Minato lightly tapped a key point on the Mist Village's defensive line with his finger. Shikaku's expression grew heavier as he pondered Minato's words before responding gravely:
"According to your plan, Minato, the success rate is very high. However, our elite force is too small to achieve substantial results. If we bring more people, it's more likely we'll be exposed…"
Shikaku's tactful words essentially ant that the mission would be too difficult to yield major results. However, Minato's eyes narrowed with a smile.
"What if Naiko is involved?"
Uzumaki Naiko!
That na echoed in Shikaku's mind, and he froze for a mont before realizing Minato's intentions. Seeing the determined smile on Minato's face, Shikaku understood.
Minato Namikaze was also feeling competitive!
Realizing this, Shikaku's expression grew more serious.
"If that's the case, then the success rate is very high. We might even have the chance to destroy this Mist Village base. The only question is…?"
Though Shikaku left the sentence unfinished, Minato understood and nodded firmly:
"Don't worry. While Naiko isn't as strong as Kushina, she can control the Four-Tails' state for twenty minutes of continuous combat—more than enough ti for us to complete this mission."
As Minato and Shikaku finalized their battle plan, they failed to notice a pale face hidden behind a distant tree, quietly listening. A sinister smile crept across that face.
Monts later, Minato Namikaze led a hundred-mber elite force into the forest, disappearing from view.
...
Inside a dimly lit cave.
"Lord Madara, Konoha's Minato Namikaze has already been lured away. At this distance, he can't provide tily support. The only remaining obstacle to your plan is Uchiha Shirou."
Hearing White Zetsu's report, Uchiha Madara's expression remained calm.
"Lured away? In that case, no one will be able to interfere with this battle."
His calm voice echoed. It was unclear whether Madara was referring to his design for Obito or to his final battle before his death.
"Lord Madara?"
White Zetsu tilted his head in confusion, but Madara slowly turned his gaze toward Obito, who was training diligently in the distance.
"The fusion of Senju and Uchiha's powers… It's almost complete. The plan remains unchanged. Begin. As for Uchiha Shirou, draw him here… I will personally teach him a lesson."
Madara's hoarse, calm voice carried a hint of excitent.
In Madara's heart, Uchiha Shirou was his hand-picked protégé, soone who had inherited his ideals. No one could understand the emotions he was feeling.
To him, Uchiha Shirou was like seeing his younger self, soone who was walking the sa path he had once taken.
"Will he live up to my expectations? Or exceed them?"
As Madara spoke, a smile of excitent appeared on his face. White Zetsu looked at him in astonishnt.
"Lord Madara, if we bring Uchiha Shirou here, everything in this place will be exposed…"
Before White Zetsu could finish speaking, Madara cut him off with a wave of his hand. Casting a glance at the white tubes connected to him, Madara's expression montarily showed a trace of disdain.
"Proceed as planned. Everything here is only what I choose to reveal! Anything I don't want revealed will remain undiscovered!"
Madara's commanding voice echoed as a smile of anticipation spread across his face.
He was eager to see whether the successor he had personally trained could et his expectations.
Obito was nothing more than a puppet to him. Uchiha Shirou, however, was the true inheritor of his will!
Reviews
All reviews (0)