Taking the scroll, Orochimaru glanced at it, and the corners of his mouth curved up.
"Kumogakure Village, finally making a move? Hmph… took them long enough."
After a few dark chuckles, Orochimaru's figure vanished from the spot.
This ninja war was a perfect chance for him—a chance to firmly seize control over the Uchiha clan.
No one would stop him.
…
Outside the Hokage building, lines of urgently summoned ninja stood at attention. A rough count showed hundreds, all elites of the village. Not a single genin was in sight.
Kakashi and Guy were among the crowd, standing with Kurenai and Mitarashi Anko, their fellow classmates.
Kurenai frowned slightly. "Gathering this many ninja… it looks like another war is coming."
Not long ago, during the Nine-Tails' attack, Kurenai had just lost her father. Her grief was still raw, and now the village was about to be dragged into war again by opportunists. Her words carried a heavy, bitter tone.
This wasn't fear before battle—it was the spirit of someone ready to fight back with all they had, eager to strike down the enemy.
Many other Konohagakure ninja felt the same. The Nine-Tails' rampage had come out of nowhere, and even by the end, no one had uncovered the mastermind. But on the battlefield, the enemy would be plain to see.
Kakashi also wore a cold expression, staying silent from the start. Suddenly, his face changed, as if he had seen something unbelievable. "Why are they here?"
Everyone followed his gaze and saw a newly assembled squad of ninja.
They wore identical uniforms, with the fan crest of the Uchiha clan on their backs. Men and women alike had emotionless faces, giving off a sharp, unapproachable aura.
Guy frowned in confusion. "What about the Uchiha? They joined the last war too."
"You idiot, that's not what Kakashi means." Mitarashi Anko shot him a look and explained, "Last time, some Uchiha were pulled in to join. This time, it's different—they're coming as the Uchiha Police Force, as a unit. In the past three wars, this has never happened."
"Oh, I see." Guy nodded, though he only understood the most surface-level part.
Then he said in surprise, "Anko, you're amazing, you really know a lot about the Uchiha."
"This much is obvious to anyone." Anko pouted and acted casual.
But in truth, she had only paid extra attention after hearing that Orochimaru had crushed the Uchiha Police Force by himself.
"Whoosh…"
With a sharp gust of wind, a figure appeared in front of the Hokage building, then vanished into the doors in the blink of an eye.
Among the gathered ninjas, some with sharper eyes recognized the newcomer, and a few surprised gasps broke out in the crowd.
"It's Orochimaru-sama!"
"Will the 'Three Legendary Ninjas' be taking part in this war?"
"If Orochimaru-sama leads us, victory will definitely be much easier."
"..."
With the war drawing near, there were people like Kurenai, holding back their anger, eager to charge into battle. And of course, there were also those who knew well the cruelty of war, carrying unease in their hearts.
Everyone felt uneasy to some degree, and having a strong ninja nearby no doubt eased that fear.
So the crowd began discussing Orochimaru's strength and his past battles.
The most recent and most talked about story was his fight against a certain clan known for their eye techniques, where he crushed them completely.
Since the fight wasn't just one match, some brave jonin had dared to watch from a distance. Now, as they recounted it, their faces lit up, speaking as if it had been their own victory.
Not far away, the Uchiha stood expressionless, their faces stiff and dark.
If it weren't for the looming war, some of them would have surely stepped forward to teach that bragging jonin a lesson.
"Orochimaru-sensei really is amazing."
Hearing the chatter around him, Guy wore a proud expression, as if he were basking in the glory himself.
Anko glared at Guy with clear dissatisfaction. "Why are you calling Orochimaru-sama 'sensei'?"
Guy grinned. "When Orochimaru-sensei taught me Taijutsu, he said I could call him that. If you don't believe me, ask Kakashi."
When Kakashi nodded in confirmation, Anko's face turned sour at once, her eyes full of displeasure, looking like a child abandoned by her father.
...
Leaving aside what was happening outside the Hokage building, when Orochimaru stepped into the meeting room, the long table was already packed with people.
Because his underground lab was far from the village center, Orochimaru was the last to arrive.
But aside from the Third Hokage and Danzo, no one dared show him any attitude. The rumors spreading through the village lately had made them much more cautious.
Pulling out a chair at the head of the table, Orochimaru sat down and lifted his chin. At once, the Hokage's assistant hurried over and began reporting the latest intelligence.
After listening, Orochimaru raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.
Kumogakure Village had gone all out this time. Other than leaving behind enough ninjas to guard against an attack from Iwagakure, they had practically sent everyone to the battlefield.
This was a gamble of all or nothing—taking advantage of Konoha's weakened state to decide the outcome in one stroke, aiming to completely crush it.
The current Raikage actually had such nerve.
If that was the case, then the earlier strategy of relying solely on the Uchiha Police Force was clearly no longer suitable. Even if it were brought up now, no one would accept it.
Still, the general plan didn't need to change.
After a brief moment of thought, Orochimaru already had the answer in his mind.
The main topic of this meeting came down to a single issue: how to divide the forces.
How many should be sent to face Kumogakure's assault head-on? How many should be stationed at the borders to stop other hidden villages from taking advantage of the chaos?
And most importantly, who would lead each side?
Facing Kumogakure directly was without doubt the most dangerous assignment. With so many of their ninjas attacking, the coming battle was sure to be brutal.
Guarding against the other villages wasn't easy either, but until the fighting truly broke out, it was more a burden of effort than a risk of life.
The village had only just suffered the Nine-Tails' attack. Some clans had lost heavily, while others came out unscathed. Naturally, those who had already taken heavy losses were unwilling to shoulder the front-line burden.
But for Orochimaru, none of this was really a problem.
If this war was a game of shogi, then he had already decided which pieces would be used to attack.
Amid the noisy debate, Orochimaru suddenly spoke:
"Put everything else aside for now. First, we need to ask one question.
Why exactly did Kumogakure start this war? Does Raikage really believe that just one Kumogakure could destroy our Konoha?"
As soon as he said this, the room fell silent. Many clan heads wore thoughtful looks, while even the Third Hokage and his two advisors frowned.
That's right. Even after the Night of the Nine-Tails, when Konoha lost two kage-level fighters and many mid-to-high-ranking ninjas, Kumogakure still could not possibly surpass Konoha.
This wasn't arrogance from the strongest village of the past decades. It was simply the truth—an undeniable fact.
"Everyone, don't you think this situation looks familiar?"
Orochimaru tapped the table lightly, drawing everyone's eyes. "When the First Hokage had just passed away, it was the same."
The Third Hokage suddenly understood what Orochimaru was getting at.
"Right now, Konohagakure is at its weakest, falling from its peak."
Under everyone's doubtful gazes, Orochimaru spoke calmly, "Kumogakure wants to recreate the First Ninja War, when all the great villages joined forces to attack Konoha."
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