To everyone's surprise, despite Konohagakure's ninjas rapidly deploying to the frontlines, no immediate battle broke out.
This was because Kumogakure's ninjas merely operated just outside the borders of the Land of Fire, showing no intention of launching an actual invasion.
For a time, this left Konohagakure somewhat puzzled.
In response, the village's leadership convened a meeting. Elder Danzo naturally advocated for a preemptive strike, arguing that if they didn't sever Kumogakure's overreaching claws, how could they maintain order in the ninja world?
In contrast, the Third Hokage and Koharu Utatane still pinned their hopes on negotiations. After all, Kumogakure hadn't truly invaded the Land of Fire, and Sunagakure was stationed to the south, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey.
If they were to engage in a two-front war, Konohagakure would find itself at a significant disadvantage.
Minato Namikaze, however, refrained from siding with either faction. Instead, he immediately contacted Kirigakure to discuss a secret plan for allied resistance, while also preparing for both possibilities.
If Kumogakure was willing to negotiate, they would welcome it with open arms. If Kumogakure wanted to fight, they would meet them head-on.
Uchiha Fugaku, recently promoted to elder by Minato despite opposition, remained silent during the meeting. He merely proposed leading the Uchiha clan to guard a key northern stronghold.
This straightforward approach left Danzo momentarily speechless. His usual accusations—that the Uchiha sought to consolidate power and crown themselves—were left unsaid.
After all, if Danzo was truly concerned about such matters, Minato could easily counter by suggesting that Danzo lead his Root organization to join the Uchiha on the frontlines, creating a mutual check-and-balance.
But Danzo, faced with a formidable enemy like Kumogakure, would never willingly place himself on the frontlines—especially not alongside the Uchiha clan.
Danzo harbored deep apprehension toward the unassuming Fugaku. He secretly hoped Minato's arrangements would fail, leading to a collapse of the frontlines and heavy losses. Such a scenario would give him grounds to impeach Minato and force him to step down from the position of Hokage.
At that point, surely it would be his turn, as a senior elder, to assume the mantle of Hokage...
Thus, both Konohagakure and Kumogakure's ninjas gathered at the Land of Fire's border, staring each other down from a distance, neither side making the first move.
Time passed slowly in this tense standoff, as winter gave way to the spring equinox.
Meanwhile, Sunagakure and Kirigakure's ninja forces had also completed their preparations.
However, a significant portion of Kirigakure's forces were stationed across the sea from the Land of Water, on the Land of Fire's territory.
On the opposite side of the peninsula was the Land of Rivers.
Perhaps seeking revenge for the previous reparations and Sōmi's massacre of the Kaguya clan, Kirigakure seemed to be targeting Sunagakure.
The Third Kazekage took this threat seriously, urgently recalling Elder Chiyo from her vacation to serve as commander of the puppet forces. She joined Pakura, Sasori, and others in defending the border between the Lands of Fire and Rivers.
As for Sōmi, according to the agreement with Kumogakure, he would act as a hidden piece in their strategy. Alongside Kumogakure's forces, he would attack Konohagakure's northern stronghold, drawing much of their strength away to create an opportunity for Sunagakure to exploit.
After all, if Sunagakure were to face both Konohagakure and Kirigakure simultaneously, even if they could hold the line, the casualties would be catastrophic.
In reality, Kumogakure's delay in attacking the Land of Fire had a simple reason.
They were busy transporting all the "illegally acquired resources" from their conquered territories back to their village.
What constituted "terrorists" or "hidden financial groups of enemy states" depended entirely on the wealth they possessed.
After completing this task, Kumogakure launched a fierce assault, even against Konohagakure's well-prepared defenses!
Upon hearing this news, both the Masked Man in the Land of Rain and Sōmi in the Land of Hot Water quickly headed to the battlefield for the same purpose.
With the outbreak of war between the Lands of Lightning and Fire, Kirigakure's forces also began crossing the sea, preparing to land on enemy territory.
On a battlefield along the Lightning-Fire border.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Sizzle!
Several house-sized fireballs radiated intense heat, instantly evaporating the lingering spring mist as they hurtled toward Kumogakure's ninjas.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A chorus of voices rang out as multiple Kumogakure ninjas simultaneously performed the technique.
Splash!
Streams of water erupted from their mouths, converging into a torrential cascade that surged forward like a waterfall, colliding with the fireballs.
Boom!
The fireballs and cascading water clashed, creating dense clouds of steam that shrouded the battlefield.
Even after extinguishing the fireballs, the torrent didn't stop. It continued to surge toward Konohagakure's ninjas.
"Lightning Release: Shockwave!"
Once again, Kumogakure's ninjas acted in unison, unleashing a Lightning Release technique. Blue and white lightning crackled and surged through the torrent, transforming it into a deadly electrified stream.
"Get out of the way!"
Even in the dense mist, a pair of blood-red Sharingan spun rapidly. In the user's vision, a torrent filled with blue Chakra was rushing toward the group.
"Huh?!"
"Aah!"
A slower-reacting ninja hesitated for a moment, and the electrified torrent engulfed him. Intense currents surged through his body, wreaking havoc on his organs.
Within moments, the smell of burnt flesh wafted from his body. His lifeless corpse, eyes rolled back, fell into the water. The crackling electricity continued to dance across his body, as if ensuring he wouldn't rise again.
This wasn't an isolated incident. Many ordinary ninjas lacked the ability to see through the mist, and the torrent's speed and concealment made it even more lethal.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Hearing the screams, a Konohagakure ninja quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a Wind Release technique.
The gusts weren't strong enough to shatter wood or stone, but they were more than sufficient to disperse the dense mist.
"Over here!"
"We need to regroup and form squads. Coordinated teamwork will be more effective against the enemy!"
An Uchiha ninja raised his arm and shouted.
The other Konohagakure ninjas, though wary of his crimson, slightly sinister Sharingan, prioritized survival. Strength was what mattered most in battle, and the nature of that strength could be questioned later.
Thanks to the efforts of Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku, relations between Konohagakure's ninjas and the Uchiha clan had significantly improved.
Unseen by both Konohagakure and Kumogakure, a masked man silently arrived in a separate dimension. His cold gaze briefly lingered on a pair of Two Tomoe Sharingan before he left without a word.
After all, a Two Tomoe Sharingan, incapable of even activating Izanagi once, wasn't worth his attention.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong