Not only the Daimyō's Manor of the Land of Fire, but the manors of several other nations were under attack as well.
The war had begun, and the very first battle was aimed at the Daimyō's Manors.
The Land of Waterfalls was perhaps the safest place right now, along with Amegakure. After all, the daimyo of these two regions had long since merged their courts and spent their days drinking, singing, and enjoying life together.
Inside the Daimyō's Manor of the Land of Waterfalls:
"Hehehe, Yahiko and Konan truly are the village heads who understand me best."
"Well then, Lord Daimyo of the Land of Rain, wasn't it a good decision to move to the Land of Waterfalls early?"
The daimyo of the Land of Waterfalls, Masaru Shibukawa, had been looking younger every year thanks to the medicine Orochimaru regularly provided—tonics for blood, vitality, and spirit.
And with Takigakure's takeover of Amegakure, the Land of Waterfalls' national strength had risen dramatically.
Listening to his smug tone, the daimyo of the Land of Rain could only smile helplessly.
"Indeed. According to reports, the other nations' Daimyō's Manors are all under attack."
"Only the Land of Waterfalls remains untouched. And with the Allied Shinobi Forces' headquarters established here, Lord Shibukawa, your nation has certainly gained great prestige."
The daimyo of the Land of Rain didn't mind in the slightest. His nation and the Land of Waterfalls were now one in prosperity and loss.
Hearing this, Masaru Shibukawa laughed even louder, his laughter echoing through the manor.
...
Allied Shinobi Forces Headquarters.
Minato Namikaze and the Fourth Raikage were listening to their subordinates' reports.
The war had begun, though they had temporarily lost the initiative.
"Commander, Deputy Commander."
"According to intelligence, reinforcements have been dispatched to the Daimyō's Manor of the Land of Fire, led personally by Kazuyama Gekkō."
"The Daimyō's Manor of Kirigakure is the most secure—Lord Mizukage already relocated the daimyo before departing."
"The situations in the other villages are also under control."
Hearing this, Minato and the Fourth Raikage finally looked a bit more at ease.
Standing beside them, Shikaku Nara suddenly furrowed his brows. Minato immediately noticed.
"Shikaku, what's wrong?"
"Is something off?"
Shikaku Nara held great weight in Minato's eyes, and even the Fourth Raikage respected him. The Nara Clan were born strategists.
With everyone's attention on him, Shikaku spoke calmly:
"The attacks on the Daimyō's Manors are only meant to delay the advance of our allied forces."
"Based on intelligence, the enemy has been hiding inside Mount Kikyō Pass in the western Land of Fire."
"The vast waves of pale creatures and the inhuman beings that attacked the villages all originated from there."
"After emerging, the enemy immediately split their forces—those attacking the Daimyō's Manor are expendable pawns."
"Their main army is now moving north, and has already reached the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth."
"We need to redeploy our main forces for interception."
His eyes remained fixed on the sand table. He stepped forward, studying the long frontline stretching from the Land of Fire, through the Land of Rain, all the way to the Land of Earth.
This war would span a massive region.
"Hmph! If that's the case, I'll issue orders right away. Assemble the troops and send them to these nations in waves to intercept!"
The Fourth Raikage was eager to strike.
This time, Minato didn't object. He nodded.
"Inoichi, aside from the forces supporting the Daimyō's Manor, immediately contact all unit captains. We attack now!"
Then he turned back to Shikaku.
"Shikaku, do you think our first offensive will go smoothly?"
Shikaku shook his head helplessly.
"Hokage-sama, the battle hasn't even begun. How would I know?"
"We'll only know after the first clash."
Minato let out an awkward laugh.
Meanwhile, within the Land of Waterfalls, a massive number of ninja were gathering.
Ninja from the Five Great Villages and numerous others—nearly 80,000 in total.
They were divided into five formations, representing the five divisions of the Allied Shinobi Forces, each commanded by a division leader.
"Hehehe, I never thought I'd live to see such a grand sight."
"What about you, Lord Kazekage?"
As the Tsuchikage, Ōnoki naturally became one of the division leaders.
Beside him stood Kazekage Rasa.
"If Lord Tsuchikage hadn't spoken so much back then, the alliance could've assembled even faster."
"The Hokage has issued the order—the enemy's main force has appeared. We need to form up and depart immediately."
Rasa had disliked Ōnoki for a long time. Unified front or not, his sharp tongue couldn't stay idle.
"Hey, you two, what's with the fighting?"
"You're not young anymore—bickering every day isn't fun, you know?"
Just as things were heating up, a displeased female voice cut in.
Wearing a green robe and radiating the confidence of a mature woman, Tsunade glared at them.
As one of Konoha's Sannin and the strongest medical ninja in the world, her appointment as a division leader was only natural.
Hearing her speak, both men instantly shut their mouths. The name "Princess Tsunade" carried real weight.
"Lady Tsunade, please calm down. But does anyone know where Kazuyama is?"
"As a division leader, shouldn't he be here?"
Yahiko, the Village Head of Takigakure and fellow division leader, stepped in to ease the tension.
Despite being less experienced, his voice held authority—internal conflict was unacceptable now.
"Him? Apparently he went to reinforce the Daimyō's Manor. That little brat has the Flying Thunder God—he probably—"
"There he is."
Before Tsunade finished speaking, a figure appeared before them—
Kazuyama, returning via Flying Thunder God.
"Oh? You already gathered?"
"Then let's begin!"
"The Fourth Shinobi World War! Target: Akatsukigakure!"
"Let's go!"
Kazuyama landed full of energy. In his mind, once this battle ended, he could retire in peace—so he was unusually motivated!
The other four were startled by his excitement but quickly composed themselves.
The five of them stood in a row atop the high ground, overlooking the massive Allied Shinobi Forces.
And below, tens of thousands of ninja gazed back at them.
These five individuals—whether in power or status—stood at the absolute peak of the ninja world.