Konoha War Room
Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, stared at the map unfurled across the large table, his brow deeply furrowed.
"A four-pronged attack?" he asked, his voice thick with skepticism.
From across the room, Madara Uchiha let out a short, derisive snort.
"What's the matter? Surrounding the Land of Waves from four sides is a straightforward way to ensure Hayashi Yuto has nowhere to run. Or do you have a better idea?"
"With all due respect," Hiruzen Sarutobi interjected, choosing his words with care, "our last strategy was a three-pronged pincer movement. Our forces were wiped out long before they even sighted the coast."
He left the rest unspoken, but the implication hung heavy in the air: How is your idea any different?
Madara's glare could have cut stone.
"That's because you sent a bunch of fools. You could plan a hundred-pronged attack and it wouldn't matter. What exactly are any of you supposed to do when you run into one of those Arrancar?"
Hiruzen's face darkened. "I—"
The Fourth Raikage stepped forward, his massive arms crossed over his chest.
"Alright, Uchiha, we get it. You're strong. But we're not exactly helpless here. Underestimating them is a quick way for even you to get burned."
"Has anyone even briefed you on what we faced last time?" added the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, his voice a low, grim rumble.
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, floated slightly higher, a familiar scowl etched on his face.
"Some things never change. Still looking down on the rest of us from that lofty perch of yours, Madara."
Madara's eyes flicked to him, cold and dismissive. "Give me one reason I should respect you, failures."
"We're funding this war! My shinobi are bleeding alongside yours!" Ōnoki shot back, his voice rising.
A harsh, mocking laugh escaped Madara.
"Ha! Is that so? Then feel free to pull out from this war. Take your money and go home."
The room went still. Ōnoki's eyes widened in fury. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me. This alliance won't miss the Hidden Stone. Your presence or absence makes no difference."
"Lord Madara, that's enough!" Hiruzen's tone was sharp. "We are supposed to be united in this."
"He's right," the Raikage boomed. "This isn't your personal army."
Yagura gave a curt nod. "We value your experience. But we don't need your condescension."
The Second Tsuchikage, Mū, simply shrugged, his expression unreadable.
"So, what's the plan then? Should the rest of us 'lowlifes' just pack up and leave the fighting to the noble Konoha shinobi?"
"I AM NOT FROM KONOHA!" Madara roared, his composure finally shattering.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
"Hey, easy now," Hashirama said, his voice a calming presence. "Everyone, just… take a breath. Arguing among ourselves is exactly what our enemy wants."
"The First Hokage is correct," Minato Namikaze added, offering a conciliatory smile. "We have a common enemy. Let's focus on that."
Madara shook off Hashirama's hand with a disgusted "Hmph," and turned away, fuming.
Tobirama, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, finally spoke again, his voice cutting through the tension and pulling everyone back to the grim reality.
"The number of attack routes is irrelevant if we don't solve the real problem. We have less than forty Arrancar on our side. If we split them ten per route, we're just presenting Hayashi Yuto with four weaker, easier-to-crush targets. We are planning an assault without the faintest idea of what we're attacking." His gaze swept the room. "What is their defensive layout? How many soldiers do they actually have? Does anyone have a concrete answer?"
Silence.
It was a heavy, uncomfortable silence. They were the leaders of the world's greatest military nations, and they were going in blind.
Tobirama pinched the bridge of his nose, a sigh of exhaustion escaping him.
"Let me get this straight. You've committed to a full-scale war, and we don't have the most basic intelligence on our enemy's forces?"
"Our… estimates suggest they can't have more than a hundred Arrancar," Hiruzen offered weakly. "Their population is small. The resources required to sustain…"
"Your estimates might be wrong," Ōnoki interrupted, his anger replaced by a deep unease. "Has anyone noticed? Over seventy percent of the goods in any major market now comes from the Land of Waves."
A wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the tent.
"Seventy percent?"
"How?"
"Why wasn't I informed?"
"Of course you didn't notice," Ōnoki said, his voice low. "I only just found out from my own clan's merchants. That kid, Hayashi Yuto… he wasn't just building an army. He was building an empire."
Hiruzen's face went pale. "Seventy percent… They completely dominate our economy. If we go to war…"
'Is it really that serious?' Hashirama thought, scratching his head.
He wasn't entirely clueless about economics, but he wasn't particularly sensitive to them either. He struggled to connect economic power to military strength.
Madara was much the same. Both men believed raw power was what mattered; economics were a secondary concern for the truly strong.
"It's not just their economy that will shatter," Tobirama finished, his expression grim. "Ours will, too. And more importantly, that kind of economic power means his military, his Arrancar… they could be far beyond anything we've anticipated."
The weight of that realization settled over the room like a shroud. The bravado and arguments vanished, replaced by a cold dread.
It was in this heavy silence that a messenger ninja timidly spoke from the entrance of the tent.
"Lord Hokage? The Land of Waves. They've dropped leaflets again."
"What?"
"Those bastards!"
"Again?"
A chorus of groans and curses erupted from those who remembered the last time.
Hashirama looked confused.
"Leaflets? What for?"
"You'll see," Hiruzen muttered, rubbing his temples. "It's not exactly… respectful."
Madara snatched the paper from the messenger's hand.
"Only an idiot would get riled up by some cheap taunts," he scoffed, unfolding it.
His eyes scanned the text.
[*To the Esteemed Leaders of the Various Shinobi Villages, and the Magical Girl Madara Uchiha (who does not belong to Konoha)*]
[*Our nation is aware of your intentions to invade. Our leader, Lord Hayashi Yuto, and all our citizens issue this final warning: Cease all invasion plans!*]
[*To the aforementioned Magical Girl, Lord Madara Uchiha: Even if you can use magical transformations, you are no match for our Land of Waves! We sincerely advise you to hit the books and strive to become a better person!*]
[*Your and Lord Hashirama's beloved offspring, White Zetsu Spiral 'Tobi,' does not wish to see you end up behind bars! We implore you to think twice!*]
[*Respectfully Yours, The Land of Waves*]
The color drained from his face, then flooded back in a wave of crimson rage. A vein throbbed violently at his temple. The paper crumpled in his tightening fist.
"THAT LITTLE BASTARD! HAYASHI YUTO! I AM GOING TO TEAR HIM APART!"
_____
_______
Show your support with Power Stones guys!
[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)