Konoha, Year 37.
The smoke of war had finally ignited.
Iwagakure and Sunagakure launched simultaneous attacks—signaling the full outbreak of war.
Fortunately, the front lines were held by both Sakumo Hatake and Jiraiya, who managed to fend off the fierce assaults from the enemy villages.
Two distinct warfronts had now formed.
Konoha was locked in a stalemate with both Iwa and Suna.
Battle reports from the front kept pouring into the village.
Even the atmosphere in Konoha grew noticeably heavier, with food and ninja tool prices skyrocketing.
Though the enemy's advance was blocked for now, war affects every aspect of life. Prices showed no sign of dropping.
Inside the Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, puffing smoke rings while studying his old comrades.
Danzo Shimura sat with his eyes closed as if meditating, while Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane frowned deeply at the latest war intel.
These were the people who would determine the course of the war.
"Iwagakure and Sunagakure must have formed an alliance,"
"There's no way they could have coordinated an attack otherwise."
"Kumogakure and Kirigakure are quiet for now—maybe the only good news we've got."
"But what do we do about the Land of Rain? The village can't handle a third front."
They all turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, waiting for his response.
At the moment, Konoha had heavily committed its ninja forces to both fronts—especially the Iwa front.
That battlefront lay at a crossroads between three nations and also had to watch for possible attacks from Takigakure and Kusagakure—two smaller villages with shifting loyalties. If they sensed weakness in Konoha, who knew what they'd do?
By contrast, the Suna front was slightly more stable. The Land of Rivers wouldn't dare move against Konoha, and while its geography was vast, it had a sparse population. It only needed to contend with Sunagakure, without too many outside threats.
Still, Sunagakure was no easy enemy.
Together, the two battlefronts had already consumed seventy percent of Konoha's military strength.
As for the remaining forces—
Konoha still had to leave enough strength to protect the village itself. At most, they could spare another 15%.
And yet, the Land of Rain was critical—it sat at the junction of three nations. It wasn't just Iwa and Suna that needed to be dealt with; Amegakure's own ninja were a serious complication.
But reducing strength on the other fronts would be disastrous—Suna and Iwa could drive straight in if they saw weakness.
Hiruzen couldn't think of a good solution.
"Danzo, what's your take?"
He passed the burden to Danzo Shimura.
Danzo finally opened his eyes.
"Reassign the Uchiha. Send them to the Suna front. That's the best option."
Hiruzen hesitated but made no immediate response.
"We'll discuss that further."
The Uchiha Clan's main forces were stationed to counter any sudden moves from Kirigakure. Although Kiri had made no sign of movement yet, they couldn't afford to be caught unprepared.
Everyone understood Hiruzen's concern. The Uchiha were powerful and full of elite shinobi. Sending them to the battlefield would let them easily rack up achievements.
And military merit brings reputation. Hiruzen feared losing control over them.
Just one Uchiha Gin was already a handful.
"Isn't Uchiha Gin stacking up a few too many achievements?" Mitokado Homura said, glancing at the war report where Gin's name towered above the others.
At that, Hiruzen rubbed his temples.
"He submitted an A-rank ninjutsu and six B-rank taijutsu techniques from the front lines."
The room fell silent.
It was Koharu Utatane who eventually asked, suspiciously—
"He's developing new techniques during the war?"
"He created them before, only submitted them now."
That only made Hiruzen more irritated. It felt like a technical loophole—but one he couldn't patch. Gin's submissions were incredibly effective, and if more like those came in, Konoha's overall strength would rise significantly.
"Hmph." Danzo grunted coldly. "Enough about that—what are we going to do about the Land of Rain?"
Hiruzen quickly changed the subject.
"Orochimaru will lead a team to open a third front in the Land of Rain."
"Hiruzen, Orochimaru isn't ready for that," Danzo cut in sharply.
"I'll lead the team to the Rain front."
"Danzo, your role is to stay ready for a potential strike from Kumogakure."
Danzo frowned at this. Kumo had taken a serious hit in the First Great Ninja War and still hadn't fully recovered. A sudden offensive seemed unlikely.
But the assignment ruined Danzo's own plans—he'd hoped to go to the front to poach talented shinobi for Root.
"You'll regret sending Orochimaru. He's not ready," Danzo warned bitterly.
"Danzo, I'm still the Hokage."
Hiruzen had made up his mind.
News of Orochimaru leading a campaign in the Land of Rain spread quickly through the village.
It was also a message to the other ninja—to step up and contribute to Konoha.
Elsewhere in Konoha
Might Duy was helping a merchant haul cargo when he overheard a few shinobi talking on the roadside.
"The front lines, huh…"
He paused in thought.
After a long day of labor, Duy went to the mission office to settle his pay.
Looking at the 2,000 ryo in his hands, he mentally calculated:
"Diapers. Milk. Clothes. And future ninja gear. Tuition…"
He sighed deeply.
With muddy, calloused hands, he carefully tucked the money inside his coat.
Arriving at the door of his modest home, he hesitated.
"Little Guy, hurry and grow up so you can help your dad," he said softly.
Inside, a gentle woman's voice replied.
Might Duy smiled and opened the door.
"I'm home."
His kind wife was gently rocking their newborn son. When she saw Duy return, she said:
"Dinner's on the table."
Then she returned to calming the baby, little Guy, who was reaching out and giggling happily.
"Thanks for working hard," she said.
"Sorry," Duy scratched his head, embarrassed. "Only made 2,000 ryo today."
His wife smiled.
"That's enough to cover us for a little while."
Duy sat down at the table and began eating her cooking.
A kind wife. An adorable child.
In truth, he was satisfied.
Even with a genin's income, their family could scrape by. With some effort, they could save a little each month for Guy.
As long as life stayed this peaceful, he thought—
But… is peace really enough?
Duy paused mid-bite. His lips moved, hesitating. Then, suddenly, he ate faster and louder, shoveling food into his mouth.
"Delicious! So, so good!"
His behavior caught his wife's attention—she could tell something was off.
This man… sometimes he really acted like a child.
Maybe sensing something, little Guy stopped laughing and closed his eyes, falling asleep.
Only then did Duy's wife sit at the table.
"Alright," she said calmly, "Tell me. What's going on?"
The two sat across from each other.
Duy set down his chopsticks. Rice stuck in his beard, he inhaled deeply—
Then declared in a booming voice:
"I want to protect the village! I want to give you and Guy a better life! I want to…"
"Go to the front lines!"