"What about the situation on Mist's side? Have there been any obvious movements?"
"There's nothing noticeable happening on the Eastern Front. Although word of Lord Hokage's sacrifice has spread, considering that Konoha remains stable for now, and our northern front line has only withdrawn to the Land of Fire without collapsing..."
"In terms of the overall war effort, we're still holding steady."
"Overall speaking, although the loss of The Third is a major blow, the Northern Front hasn't yet been lost... At least according to current intelligence, there's no sign of retaliation from Mist."
"Hmm... Is Danzo receiving information in a timely manner?"
"Very timely. They should be taking their mission seriously."
Even if things aren't going perfectly at times like this, Shimura Danzo wouldn't go so far as deliberately sabotaging or doing anything harmful for the sake of it.
After all, "Lord Danzo" is still a ninja of Konoha.
Although Konoha is experiencing some turbulence, Mist remains unusually quiet. For one thing, the chaos here isn't significant enough for them to join forces against us; secondly, the issues within Konoha do not directly threaten Kumo's core interests.
What was lost here is the Third Hokage, not Haseo. If the person who died had been Haseo, Mist would certainly not have remained this silent.
Well, perhaps they wouldn't declare war immediately, but they certainly would celebrate without delay.
"Konoha currently poses no major issues, nor does Mist. So next, are you considering heading to the front lines, Lord Haseo?" asked Uzumaki Shikou.
The battlefield on the Northern Front has already advanced into the Land of Fire. This kind of situation is extremely rare throughout the course of previous wars… Fighting a war on home soil—such memories must be uncommon even in Konoha's history.
Moreover, since Sakumo Hatake is barely holding the line, Haseo will inevitably have to head to the battlefield sooner or later.
"To be honest, I really don't want to go. After all, who wants to face an opponent as thick-skinned and hardy as Raikage? Wasn't being a ninja supposed to be about fair duels—one strike from you, one from me? Behaviors like Raikage's violate industry rules and make no sense.
Fighting the Raikage will definitely turn into a prolonged stalemate. Secondly, the problem is that I'm not even sure I can win against him; his Lightning Release Mode is extremely difficult to break through.
The Third Raikage is probably the most formidable enemy I've encountered since becoming a ninja.
He truly is a veteran of the old school—more formidable than ever despite his age. Back then, before I had even become a ninja, he was already serving as Raikage."
Precisely speaking, at that time, Haseo had just stepped into the world of ninjas, while Raikage was about to assume the title.
Haseo had only met Raikage once, during a diplomatic mission to Kumogakure. Thinking back now, those days feel like ancient history—the young boy, the still-youthful Sakumo Hatake, and himself, who were then already pillars of Konoha, and the late Uchiha Kagami, along with Sansho, both having passed away long ago.
Looking back feels like recalling a different lifetime altogether.
"If I end up killed by the Third Raikage next, things will become much worse for Konoha. But on the bright side, that won't be my problem anymore, just like how current issues in Konoha are no longer the Third Hokage's concern after his death."
"Lord Haseo, you... really have no confidence?" Uzumaki Shikou asked worriedly.
"It's hard to say. I can't judge exactly how strong the Raikage's defense is without having seen it myself."
If Haseo encountered the Third Raikage on the battlefield, given that both were high-speed ninja, the fight would likely come down to a direct confrontation—straightforward and head-on.
Minor tricks wouldn't work, nor would they even be worth trying.
"You don't need to worry too much. Actually, I've already figured out a way to deal with the Raikage... Well, this idea came from my experience battling the Fourth Mizukage:
When fighting close-range opponents specialized in hand-to-hand combat, using a long polearm might bring unexpected success.
There's truth to the saying 'the longer reach holds the advantage.' Even if we're both high-speed Lightning Release users, if I can hit the Raikage while staying out of his range, doesn't that put him at a disadvantage?
Having the edge in range and attack distance means gaining the upper hand in battle."
Haseo explained seriously.
It appeared that he truly intended to adopt an old-fashioned strategy—acting as a spearman this time.
However, everything he said was nonsense. What good was attack range really? If that logic held, instead of messing with long weapons, why not just borrow a bow and call it a day?
"What about a naginata?" Uzumaki Shikou said, clearly unimpressed; she had expected Haseo to come up with something more substantial.
"...It's long enough, so maybe it'll work."
Naginatas were usually wielded by warrior monks or female warriors, so it felt odd for a ninja to be carrying one.
"Lord Haseo, surely you're joking?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"..."
That was tough to say. Sometimes Haseo himself was like a joke—just not a funny one.
"In any case, prepare something just in case. It's better to be safe than sorry."
Shikou decided to drop the topic, but since Haseo wasn't reliable, she couldn't afford to be careless either. Thus, she reminded him seriously again: "The Fourth A was heavily injured previously by the Third Hokage, but some time has passed since that incident. We don't know his recovery status yet, so Lord Haseo must mentally prepare yourself for the possibility that he might reappear on the battlefield."
"I understand. The same mistake won't happen twice."
Would both versions of Fourth A end up fighting together again? Haseo didn't know. Regardless, he needed to prepare himself for heading toward the Front Line soon.
In truth, there wasn't much preparation necessary. The so-called preparations mostly involved convincing—and getting rid of—the Anbu guards... In the end, Haseo got furious. Come on! You're Anbu, not palace eunuchs—you don't need to stick to me every second!
Because of Haseo's firm stance, those Anbu ninjas eventually remained obediently in Konoha, reassigned to monitor potential threats and maintain internal security. For no clear reason, they suddenly felt like they'd lost their purpose entirely.
It was practically a joke—denying the Direct Anbu Ninja the right to guard the Hokage's side. Wasn't that just plain bullying?
But Lord Haseo's decision remained unshaken.
For this journey to the battleground, Haseo planned to bring only Kohei Sarutobi with him.
The Third Hokage's son should become an outstanding ninja, so Haseo hoped he'd properly hone his skills and grow quickly. After all, the Sarutobi clan would soon rely on him to carry their legacy forward.
Yet sometimes, Haseo couldn't help but feel delusional—why was he so confident he could cultivate exceptional ninjas?
This confidence of his made zero sense.
Kohei Sarutobi might once again end up as just another *sacrifice*.
Three days later, Haseo and Kohei Sarutobi prepared to leave Konoha toward the battleground.
They wouldn't head straight to the Northern Front though. First, Haseo intended to move westward, checking the Western Front situation before shifting northward. The western front wouldn't take much of his time. The most severe problem must be tackled last.
Early that morning, everything seemed like a usual departure—Haseo left from the Kagenami base as always.
"Considering the danger involved in this mission, I might not return at all. Shikou, do you have any final words of advice for me?"
"I certainly do have quite a few things to say, Lord Haseo, but… are you really brave enough to hear them?"
Since Haseo appeared unusually relaxed, Uzumaki Shikou also adopted a similarly casual tone, although whether her inner feelings truly matched this attitude was something known only to herself.
The Third Hokage had just perished on the battlefield—life was as fickle as the wind. Had Haseo's strength surpassed the Third's? Even if it had, by how much could he exceed him?
Faced with Shikou's question, Haseo simply turned and walked away without a word. Definitely not because he was scared—just didn't have time to spare.
Behind him, Kohei Sarutobi looked back and forth between Haseo and Uzumaki Shikou, beginning to weigh whether he should report this scene to Tsunade-sama.
There was definitely no issue of bribery here. Naturally, Kohei Sarutobi leaned closer to Tsunade.
The reason was simple—they were both die-hard members of the *Hokage faction* (pro-Kage political group).
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>