Late November, Year 32 of Konoha.
Winter arrived.
The major ninja villages began tightening their defenses, especially the Anti-Konoha Alliance—a temporary coalition formed by smaller villages to pressure Konoha into returning confiscated weapons—which quickly fell silent. Most of them started recalling their ninjas, because...
If the three great villages weren't fighting anymore, what was the point?
If they kept going, they might end up like the Sky Ninja Village or the Hōzuki Clan. So...
It was better to back down.
As for the civilians of the ninja world...
The ones who suffered the most from the war were the ordinary people, powerless to control their own fate. Hunger and cold remained the most terrifying demons they faced...
Early December of the same year, while the smaller villages withdrew their forces, the three great villages did not retreat from the Land of Rain.
Instead, led by Konoha, the three great villages simultaneously announced to the ninja world that, in order to maintain peace and assist the Land of Rain in quelling its internal strife, they would bring hope to its people. They formally declared war on Amegakure.
It was said that when Hanzo of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, heard the news, he was so furious he wanted to kill someone. In Amegakure, he raged against the three rogue ninja villages, declaring that they had no right to interfere in his country's affairs and that the Land of Rain did not need their help.
Rumor had it that Hanzo cursed so violently he nearly grabbed his sickle and axe to fight Hiruzen Sarutobi to the death.
Truly, disaster fell from the sky while he was minding his own business!
They had all agreed to unite against Konoha, but before even a year had passed, the three great villages turned on Amegakure, while the smaller villages just cheered from the sidelines.
Konoha's scheme was brilliant!
They shifted the conflict entirely onto Amegakure...
Hanzo had some choice words, but he knew reasoning wouldn't work now. The three great villages only wanted to talk with ninjutsu. So...
Around mid-December, Hanzo of the Salamander officially declared war on the three great villages. To protect his country and his village, he would never compromise and would resist these forces of evil to the end.
It was said that under Hanzo's rallying cry, Amegakure displayed unprecedented unity, with nearly all its civilians joining the war effort.
...
Land of Rain...
"Damn it!" Hanzo's face was pale as he reviewed the constant stream of reports. The situation in Amegakure wasn't as good as he had hoped. Although they had purchased a large number of Infinity Gauntlets from the Akatsuki...
The Sand Village had them too!
Amegakure couldn't gain any advantage and was barely holding on.
So...
"Allies," Hanzo muttered with a sigh. "We must find allies for the Land of Rain."
Otherwise, even if he called himself the Demigod of the Ninja World—Hanzo of the Salamander—he would end up as nothing more than pickled fish.
But where could they find allies now?
Uzushiogakure was out of the question. Just thinking about how badly Konoha had been tricked, forced to sell out its own noble clans for peace, made him uneasy. After all...
Amegakure was too poor to have any noble clans to sell!
"Lord Hanzo, the Akatsuki representative is here again," a Rain-nin reported respectfully. "Shall I let him in?"
"Akatsuki?" Hanzo's eyes lit up. "Let him in, quickly!"
If Akatsuki could help...
With one member possessing the legendary Rinnegan and another said to rival the God of Shinobi...
Perhaps Amegakure could truly rise from this war and become the sixth great village!
Thinking this, Hanzo felt a surge of excitement. "I wonder if Akatsuki would be willing to lend on credit?"
...
Uzushiogakure.
"As expected," Uzumaki Jun murmured with a faint smile as he read the morning paper. "In the end, it's the Land of Rain versus the three great villages."
When conflicts couldn't be resolved, the solution was to shift them elsewhere.
Since Konoha was undeniably the strongest village, with its leader hailed as the strongest Kage, the other villages didn't dare push too hard. This war had cost Konoha two of its most powerful noble clans, so the three great villages were satisfied.
But...
"I wonder when Zetsu will make his move," Jun sighed, putting down the newspaper. Winter had arrived, but fortunately, Uzushiogakure had heavily developed its textile industry in recent years. With the advent of chakra batteries...
Chakra steam engines had been created, revolutionizing the textile industry.
Uzushiogakure now had no shortage of fabric and even exported a significant amount.
So, while things were quiet, it was the perfect time to focus on national development, especially since the first graduating class of Uzushiogakure's affiliated academy would soon finish their studies.
There was a lot to do.
Knock knock.
As Jun pondered Uzushiogakure's next steps, the sound of knocking interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
Uzumaki Hibiki entered and bowed. "There's news from below. The white-haired old man you asked us to watch has gone to the academy for an interview."
"..."
What?
Jun's eyes widened in disbelief. "Say that again?"
Who went for an interview?
That old Madara Uchiha?
...
"What should I do?" Uchiha Mikoto wandered aimlessly through Uzushiogakure. She had been here for nearly half a month. Since she had already graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy, she didn't join the children at Uzushiogakure's affiliated elementary school.
She was a certified graduate, after all. But...
She could no longer wear the Konoha forehead protector.
So she wanted to find something to do, but she realized most of the jobs available to ninjas in Uzushiogakure weren't suitable for her.
Thanks to the new clan head bringing some assets when they left, the Uchiha clan lived comfortably here, unlike the Senju clan...
Who were working tirelessly to pay off their mortgages.
Mikoto had seen the Senju clan and knew their situation.
Rumor had it their clan head worked three jobs just to pay the bills and that Uzushiogakure's finance minister was terrifying—a ruthless debt collector who chased people with a cleaver...
As Mikoto's thoughts drifted...
"Young lady over there," an elderly man leaning on a cane called out to her. "Where is Uzushiogakure's affiliated academy?"
"Ah, sorry." Mikoto snapped out of her thoughts and pointed. "Go straight down this road, turn right at the small path, then left at the fork..."
"And you'll see it."
She studied the old man curiously. Was he going to pick up his grandchild?
How enviable.
Her own family had passed away when she was young, and she had only grown up thanks to the clan's support.
"That far?" The old man frowned. "Seems like a long walk."
"Do you need help?" Mikoto smiled. "I'm free right now. I can take you."
The old man glanced at her, then nodded expressionlessly. "Fine."
And so...
"Grandpa, are you going to pick up your grandchild?" Mikoto asked as she led the way.
The old man remained impassive.
"I'm going to be a teacher."