"What? Another meeting?" In the classroom, Masashi, still holding a piece of chalk, looked displeased as he stared at Inoka. "Are you kidding me? I'm teaching right now."
Inoka chuckled awkwardly.
Since they were in a classroom full of students, he couldn't explain too much.
However, having known each other for years, Masashi could tell something was up just from looking into his eyes.
Setting the chalk down, he clapped his hands together and looked at his students, and said, "Alright, today's lesson ends here. I won't give you any homework this time—go home and digest what you've learned, got it?"
"Yes!" the students responded in unison.
For the first time, they realized that a theory class could be so enjoyable.
They also discovered just how deep the topic of chakra truly was.
For those who had already been studying under Masashi, this was a great review session. Everything he taught today was something he had gone over before.
But revisiting the material a second time, with more experience, gave them new insights.
Things that once seemed confusing now made perfect sense.
Even concepts they thought they had fully grasped before now seemed to hold deeper meaning.
"Alright, I'll talk to the administration about the remaining classes today. Other teachers will take over, but no slacking off! You have to listen carefully to every lesson, got it?"
"Yes, Teacher!"
Seeing his students so eager to learn, he felt a deep sense of accomplishment. After dismissing the class, he walked out with Inoka.
"What's going on?"
"Masashi, something big must have happened. Today, I..."
Inoka explained everything, adding his own speculations.
"They attacked our ANBU?" Masashi raised an eyebrow. "Go back to the Police Force and make sure everyone stays on high alert. I don't think there will be a war, but other things might happen."
"Understood." Inoka nodded before heading off.
Meanwhile, Masashi made his way to the Hokage's office.
The Academy was close to the Hokage Building, with a direct passage leading inside.
As he walked down the hallway on the Hokage's office floor, he noticed that the atmosphere was different today.
Apart from the Hokage's office, this floor housed the workspaces of his administrative staff. Normally, the environment was relaxed, but today, tension filled the air.
Everyone looked nervous.
Something had definitely happened.
It had been a long time since the Hokage Building felt this heavy.
For the past six years, Konoha had thrived in an era of peace. Kumo had settled down, and with allies in Iwa and Kiri, Konoha's external threats had eased significantly. Suna, meanwhile, was still being kept in check.
As a result, this floor had developed a calm and even lighthearted atmosphere—because as long as the enemy wasn't a major village, Konoha had nothing to worry about.
Two Konoha ninjas opened the door to the Hokage's office for Masashi.
Stepping inside, he saw Minato standing at his desk, deep in thought as he examined an intelligence report.
Beside him, Shikaku was also staring at the document.
When Masashi entered, both men shifted their focus away from the report.
"You're finally here," Minato said. "Something happened with Suna."
"They're rebelling?" Masashi asked.
He couldn't help it—when it came to Suna, the Konoha Crush Plan was burned into his memory.
That plan was no joke.
In the original timeline, Suna was struggling, but Konoha didn't have it easy either. A major village had planned and executed a full-scale attack, leading to the death of a Hokage and the loss of nearly half of Konoha's ninja force.
Since both villages suffered heavy casualties, Suna quickly accepted Tsunade's peace offer, forming a real military alliance with Konoha to counter external threats.
With this alliance, Suna could fend off Iwa, and Konoha gained the confidence to deter another military provocation—or even an invasion—from Kumo.
But that was in the original timeline. In this version of events, Suna was simply being exploited by Konoha.
It wouldn't be surprising if they had some grievances.
"Not exactly, but our ANBU were attacked in Suna's territory," Minato said. "According to our intel, Suna is secretly working with Kumo."
"Have they officially allied?" Masashi asked. "And who attacked the ANBU—Suna ninjas or Kumo ninjas?"
An official alliance would mean a long-term and stable agreement.
And the identity of the attackers would reveal a lot.
"Not an alliance yet, but they now share a common target," Minato said, tapping the intelligence report. "And they made an interesting choice—it's Iwa."
Masashi was caught off guard.
Whenever he thought of Suna, he instinctively assumed their target would be Konoha.
But he had overlooked one key fact: Suna and Iwa were historically close allies.
The relationships between the Five Great Hidden Villages were complex, but some alliances were particularly strong.
Suna and Iwa.
Iwa and Kumo.
Kumo and Konoha.
These were the three strongest rivalries—where battles were inevitable.
Thinking it through again, Masashi realized that Iwa hadn't been "chosen" as a target; they were simply the only choice.
A Suna-Kumo alliance made sense geographically—it created a north-south pincer formation.
Together, they could attack either Konoha or Iwa.
Attacking Kiri, however, would be difficult. If Suna wanted to reach Kiri, they would have to bypass the Land of Fire and take the Land of Tea route.
But attacking Konoha wasn't a good option either. Kiri had a close relationship with Konoha and was geographically nearby. At the same time, Suna itself was still Konoha's ally—albeit a superficial one—and without a valid reason, they couldn't just break their alliance.
Betraying an alliance came at a high cost.
Besides, Suna wasn't in the desperate situation it had been in the original timeline, where Konoha had forced them into a corner.
However, attacking Iwa was a different story. Konoha couldn't interfere—while Iwa was Konoha's ally, so was Suna. It wouldn't make sense for Konoha to side with one against the other.
In this case, the existing alliances actually worked as a shield for Suna, allowing them to attack Iwa without worrying about repercussions from Konoha.
As for Kumo, now that their debts were repaid, there was nothing stopping them.
But in recent years, Iwa's relationship with Konoha had become complicated.
Otherwise, how could Suna and Kumo have teamed up?
"Who proposed this alliance?" Masashi asked.
His first suspicion was Kumo.
And he wasn't wrong.
"It was Dodai's idea," Nara Shikaku replied. "Ever since Kumo repaid its debts, its strength has recovered considerably over the years, though it still hasn't fully regained its financial and material resources. On the other hand, Iwa has been making a lot of money lately."
"They sure have..." Masashi nodded, then asked, "And the ones who attacked our ANBU—were they Kumo ninjas?"
It would make sense if Kumo ninjas attacked Konoha's ANBU in the Land of Wind.
After all, Kumo ninjas had traveled across vast distances to attack Suna before.
"No, the attack happened in the Land of Rivers. The assailants' identities are unclear, but they used Water Release techniques."
"Someone is trying to start a war..." Masashi sighed.
It had been six years. It was about time for something to stir up trouble.
The five great villages didn't only fight during major ninja wars.
Smaller skirmishes—one-on-one conflicts—were common.
These fights weren't large-scale, usually localized conflicts that led to negotiations almost as soon as they began.
Sometimes, the major villages would have their subordinate factions fight while publicly calling for peace—while secretly selling them weapons.
But this time, Suna and Kumo's moves were bold. If things escalated, it could trigger another full-scale ninja war.
Masashi wasn't naive enough to believe that the Fourth Great Ninja War was destined to be against Kaguya.
After all, the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars were only a few years apart—not even a full decade. And now, it had been about the same amount of time since the Third Great Ninja War ended.
"Hokage-sama, this is a big deal. Why didn't you call in more people for this?"
"I wanted to hear your opinion first," Minato replied. "You're the one primarily managing the Association. If war breaks out and Iwa requests Konoha's assistance, do you think we should fight Kumo?"
Of course not.
The whole point of bringing Iwa into an alliance was to keep Kumo in check. Now that Iwa was stronger and Kumo was weaker, why would Konoha help Iwa?
That was the logic, but he couldn't say it so bluntly.
"It's a tough decision," Masashi said, pretending to struggle. "As allies, we can't outright refuse Iwa's request for aid. But the village is in the middle of its third phase of infrastructure development. If we go to war, construction will be delayed—maybe even abandoned."
"Exactly..." Minato sighed, playing along. "This is really difficult..."
Shikaku watched the two of them, thinking to himself: Do they take me for an idiot?
They were clearly waiting for him to speak up.
Could they be a little less obvious? He was the leader of the jonin corps, not a policymaker.
As he stared at them, Minato awkwardly looked away, his face slightly red.
"Hokage-sama, this is a major issue," Shikaku said flatly. "A few of us discussing it won't get us anywhere. I suggest we immediately notify the Hokage Advisor, the Elders and the Sandaime."
"Good point!" Minato said with exaggerated relief. "The village really can't do without the Sandaime and the others."
"Of course. The Sandaime is an invaluable figure," Masashi chimed in.
Then he turned to Minato and Shikaku with a smirk.
"Hokage-sama, Captain Shikaku, wait here for a moment. I'll go fetch the Sandaime right away."
"Wait—" Minato started, but before he could stop him, Masashi was already gone.
"...Don't bother looking for him. He used Flying Thunder God," Shikaku said, feeling oddly satisfied. "Feels nice, doesn't it? Getting left behind like that? My dear Hokage-sama."
---
The secret alliance between Suna and Kumo wasn't just noticed by Konoha—it didn't escape Iwa's attention either.
Even Kiri wasn't unaware. After all, not only did it border Konoha, but it also 'bordered' both Kumo and Suna.
What was happening in the Hokage Building was also happening in the Tsuchikage and Mizukage Buildings.
The difference was that, upon learning about the secret alliance between Suna and Kumo, Ōnoki couldn't help but curse out loud, spat out the window, and then, after being scolded by Kitsuchi, took his frustration out on him instead.
Meanwhile, Yagura simply laughed three times and went back to whatever he was doing.
The first signs of change appeared in the Land of Stone and the Land of Iron.
The Land of Stone, situated between the great nations of Earth and Wind, had been seeing more and more unfamiliar faces recently.
When it comes to the most tragic small nations, ever since the outbreak of the Second Great Ninja War up to Year 54, the Land of Rain held the undisputed first place. If it claimed second place, no other country would dare claim first.
However, after Konoha and Iwa clashed there during the Third Great Ninja War, the country's fate took a turn.
Both the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire increased their economic aid to the nation.
And after Iwa allied with Konoha, the country began improving. Once Hanzō died, the fragmented ninja factions within the nation reunited. The missing-nin causing chaos either joined Ame, fled, or perished.
By Year 54, with the trade between the Lands of Earth and Fire, the nation regained stability, and its production capacity was restored.
As a result, it was no longer the most tragic nation—not even a tragic one at all.
The real sufferers were the nations caught between great powers but unable to benefit from trade with the Lands of Earth, Fire, or Water.
The high-risk regions shifted from the former war-torn nations of Rain and Grass to the more remote areas.
Ninja village alliances were always one-sided.
Iwa was allied with Konoha. Suna was also allied with Konoha. But Iwa and Suna remained enemies.
Over the past six years, smaller nations replaced the former core battlegrounds and became the new arenas for great nations' struggles.
Now, the Land of Stone had taken the top spot.
The samurai nation, the Land of Iron, faced a similar predicament. Ninjas from Iwa and Kumo seemed to 'coincidentally' encounter each other frequently in its northern territories.
When all the great nations had no choice but to avoid Konoha, so-called neutral nations could no longer truly maintain neutrality.
Previously, the Five Great Shinobi Nations refrained from stirring trouble with the Land of Iron—not because they feared it, but because they didn't care about its cold and harsh environment.
It wasn't that they couldn't provoke the Land of Iron—they simply didn't bother.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzō didn't care whether the Land of Iron was neutral; he simply attacked it.
Now, facing Iwa and Kumo's growing presence in its northern border, the Land of Iron could only pretend not to see. After all, that area was sparsely populated anyway.
The Land of Iron's tactful silence satisfied both Iwa and Kumo. Out of courtesy, they refrained from expanding their 'coincidentally encounters' any further.
In contrast, the Land of Stone had no such dignity.
It lacked the chakra-wielding samurai of the Land of Iron. It had no ninja village of its own.
Both Suna and Iwa came and went as they pleased, encountering each other wherever they wished.
To outsiders, both Suna ninjas and Iwa ninjas seemed cold, taciturn, and indifferent.
But that perception was utterly wrong.
They simply hadn't met the right people.
Whenever Suna ninjas and Iwa ninjas 'coincidentally' ran into each other, their interactions were fiery and passionate.
The same could be said for Iwa ninjas and Kumo ninjasn in the northern Land of Iron.
Their intense encounters deeply annoyed a certain underground figure.
In a vast, dark underground chamber, Black Zetsu, whom Masashi hadn't seen for a long time, was currently discussing with a group of White Zetsus how to deal with the increasingly frequent issue of seawater seeping into their base.
Boom!
A faint rumbling echoed from afar, shaking even the underground space.
"This kind of commotion... it must be jonin fighting, right?" White Zetsu glanced up at the ceiling and turned to Black Zetsu. "Black Zetsu, aren't you going to check it out? At this intensity, I'd say there's a risk of water leakage."
"…"
When he first moved here, his feelings were complicated.
Masashi's actions in Kiri forced him to acknowledge that they were not on the same path.
So, he left the Land of Grass and relocated to the Land of Iron.
He had no choice—his old base had already been discovered by Masashi.
Moreover, Black Zetsu wasn't sure how to handle things if Masashi showed up again.
Ask him directly? That didn't seem appropriate.
Ignore it? That would be too frustrating.
Leaving was the easiest solution—out of sight, out of mind.
"…Let's go take a look," Black Zetsu said gloomily.
"Alright!" White Zetsu replied cheerfully. It had been itching to slip away anyway.
It suspected that Black Zetsu's brain had stopped working.
Apart from Black Zetsu himself, the only ones here were a bunch of other White Zetsu. Yet Black Zetsu was asking them how to prevent water seepage from an engineering perspective.
If they knew, would they still be White Zetsu?
They could follow blueprints to construct things, sure. But designing them? They might as well trigger a landslide for fun.
As the main body left, the other White Zetsus blankly stared at Black Zetsu, seemingly waiting for instructions.
Black Zetsu found it incredibly annoying.
"Scatter, scatter." He waved his hand. "Go do whatever you need to do."
Seriously, not even a little peace of mind!
When he first chose this place to build the base, Black Zetsu had been quite satisfied.
But now, he had changed his mind.
This place was too close to the ocean. When the surface was relatively undisturbed, it hadn't been a problem. But now, with Iwa ninjas and Kumo ninjas throwing wild parties up there, the consequences were showing.
Earth Release—such a pain!
But Black Zetsu had to endure it.
Moving again wasn't an option. It was too difficult now.
This base had already "grown" nearly twenty thousand White Zetsu. If they relocated, the entire shinobi world would know.
Damn Iwa! I need to tell Obito to weaken that village first!
Once, Black Zetsu had thought Konoha was the biggest nuisance.
Now, he was convinced Iwa was worse. Those Iwa ninjas were constantly using large-scale Earth Release jutsu, causing massive damage to his base.
Speaking of Obito, he arrived just then.
As the tremors ceased, the space in front of Black Zetsu twisted, and Obito emerged—wearing a Kumo ninjas battle uniform.
"Black Zetsu, has the base been affected?"
The first thing Obito asked upon arrival was this.
Black Zetsu was momentarily stunned before realizing that the battle just now had likely involved Obito himself.
"That was you just now?"
"What do you mean 'that was me'?" Obito sounded irritated. "I just eliminated the Iwa ninjas who were messing around with Earth Release here!"
"The damage is significant. Two days ago, one of the incubation chambers collapsed, crushing many clones. I had to expend more resources to restore them." Black Zetsu didn't argue with Obito, simply stating the facts.
"Obito, how much longer will this continue?"
"It won't end anytime soon. At this rate, we'll have to move the base—it's too close to the ocean."
"How do we move it?" Black Zetsu shook his head. "With so many White Zetsu, we can't relocate."
"I never said to completely move the base." Obito sighed, thinking Black Zetsu was being too rigid. "Just dig new space further inland and use the extracted earth to reinforce this side."
"But if this place collapses, it'll still be discovered." Black Zetsu countered. "The issue isn't just its proximity to the sea—it's that this place is turning into a battlefield."
That was his main concern. He had waited a thousand years for this chance. He couldn't afford such a risk.
"Don't worry, Kumo is also wary of Konoha's interference. They won't venture too far inland." Obito scoffed before adding, "Time is of the essence. Start now. The Kumo and Suna forces will officially launch their attack next month."
"…Fine." Black Zetsu thought for a moment but couldn't come up with a better solution, so he had to agree.
Gazing at Obito in his full Kumo uniform, he couldn't help but ask, "How much longer until you control Kumo?"
"I am already a jonin." Obito replied. "But this war is a great opportunity. If I become a war hero, I'll get even closer to that position."
"What about that brat from the Yotsuki clan?" Black Zetsu saw this as good news and couldn't resist offering some advice. "Should I take care of him in secret?"
He calculated that using a hundred White Zetsu, plus himself, should be enough to eliminate that kid.
White Zetsu had a deadly advantage in the current shinobi world—they were the perfect ambush killers.
"No need. He's not a threat to me." Obito shook his head. "But I have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"This face you gave me—what's the deal with it? The Kumo ninjas seem to have strong opinions about this person, but I haven't been able to find anything concrete."
"It's nothing special." Black Zetsu was puzzled. "Just a relatively strong member of the Senju clan at the time. Nowhere near the level of Hashirama or Madara."
In his eyes, only Asura and Indra mattered. The only other person he had ever truly taken note of was Tobirama.
As for Muzo, he was just someone particularly ruthless, cunning, and with a high kill count—especially against Kumo ninjas.
But given the nature of those Kumo ninjas, shouldn't that be a point in his favor?
"Why are you investigating this?"
"What do you think?" Obito's voice carried a trace of frustration. "Those women are insane, alright? I don't even dare to take off my clothes when I sleep now!"
"Not taking off your clothes?" Black Zetsu, who had never worn clothes, failed to grasp the issue at all. "Do they hold hostility toward you?"
"No, I wish it was hostility." Obito glared at Black Zetsu, realizing that explaining this to him was pointless.
And he meant what he said.
In Kiri, he had dealt with straightforward assassination attempts. Those were easy to handle.
But now?
What kind of ridiculous situation was this?
How was he supposed to deal with this?
Was he supposed to start sleeping in trees every night?
"…Forget it. I shouldn't have asked you. I'll figure this out myself."
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