In a dense forest, a group of shinobi sprinted at full speed toward the border of the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Lightning.
At the forefront was none other than the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.
Behind her, on the left, followed Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai, while on the right were Sarutobi Asuma and Nara Shikaku. In addition to these well-known shinobi, two ANBU squads trailed closely, ready to act at a moment's notice.
No one spoke as the group advanced swiftly under Tsunade's lead.
Compared to their breakneck pace, Kamizuki Hikari and his companions, leisurely traveling by carriage, seemed almost absurdly relaxed.
For shinobi, this kind of forced march was nothing unusual—even braving storms and harsh conditions was just part of the job.
"Halt!"
Tsunade suddenly stopped mid-run, and those behind her immediately followed suit.
"Hokage-sama!" Shikaku stepped forward, as if to ask for her orders.
"Kakashi, from here, we'll split up. You take Asuma, Gai, and Shikaku to Iwagakure. I'll lead the ANBU squads to Kumogakure."
"That's unacceptable!" Shikaku directly opposed her, his tone firm. "Your safety is tied to the survival of Konoha. Dividing our forces now is unwise!"
Tsunade wasn't angered by his defiance—after all, only she knew the true purpose behind this move.
Fishing requires bait. Without it, how can the big fish take the hook?
"During my travels, I once saved the Fourth Raikage's life. That debt won't make him go easy on Konoha, but it's enough to ensure my personal safety. On the other hand, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, is ambitious. If we don't act quickly, the consequences could be disastrous."
Her explanation wasn't flawless, but it wasn't entirely baseless either.
It was well known that the Fourth Raikage was a man of honor, inheriting the Third Raikage's legacy—ruthless as a storm against enemies, yet treating his own people like brothers. His charisma was such that Kumo rarely saw defectors.
"But the risk to you is still too great. At least take Gai with you!" Shikaku proposed a compromise.
With Maito Gai's Eight Gates, if Tsunade were in danger, he could easily get her to safety. As long as the Hokage survived, even if both Kumo and Iwa attacked, Konoha would still have a fighting chance.
"No!"
Tsunade shot down the idea without hesitation, eyeing the eager Gai.
What a joke—if Gai came along, how could she lure out the big fish?
"Hokage-sama!" Shikaku's face was etched with concern. He hadn't expected her to be so stubborn at a time like this.
If their enemies had set a trap for her, they would surely have the means to back it up. If she died, no amount of strategy would matter anymore.
"Enough, Shikaku. My decision is final."
Tsunade smiled at him—she trusted him about 80%. "Kakashi, take your team and find out what Ōnoki is planning. If things turn dangerous, retreat immediately. His Dust Release is not something to take lightly."
"Understood, Hokage-sama!"
Kakashi didn't fully grasp Tsunade's reasoning either. Dividing their forces now was a terrible move. But as someone who had long followed the Hokage's orders, his instinct was to obey.
As long as he followed orders, no one could blame him.
That was the lesson his father, Hatake Sakumo, had taught him through his death.
"Alright, move out! ANBU, with me!"
With that, Tsunade dashed toward the right.
Shikaku watched her retreating figure and let out a deep sigh.
"Shikaku, let's go."
Kakashi spared one last glance at Tsunade's vanishing silhouette before leading his team forward.
For now, he could only hope she had some hidden plan.
But Tsunade had only brought a few elite jōnin and two ANBU squads. After traveling all this way, she hadn't shown any signs of preparation. What could she possibly have up her sleeve?
With these doubts lingering, Kakashi set off.
Among the four, only Asuma's gaze flickered as he watched Tsunade leave.
'There's a road to heaven, yet you refuse to walk it. There's no door to hell, but you walk right in. Tsunade, if you insist on seeking death, don't blame me for it. I originally planned to use you to spark a war and force your resignation, but now... it seems that won't be necessary.'
---
At the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, a simple Iwa outpost had been established.
Inside the command tent, Ōnoki studied a map, deep in thought.
"Tsuchikage-sama, the Land of Fire's conditions are truly enviable." remarked Kurotsuchi, Iwa's beauty icon, future Fourth Tsuchikage, and the village's pride.
Of course, she wasn't the Fourth yet—but her long, fair legs were already eye-catching enough to make anyone want to reach out and feel their smoothness.
"Indeed. The Land of Fire's environment is something to covet."
Ōnoki lifted his head and looked outside the tent. In the distance, lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see—a sight rarely found in the Land of Earth. Among the Five Great Nations, only the Land of Fire possessed such natural abundance. By comparison, Iwa's terrain was only slightly better than Suna's.
"Tsuchikage-sama, I feel like someone is deliberately provoking conflict between Iwa and Konoha. By coming here, aren't we playing right into their hands?" Kurotsuchi still didn't fully understand the situation.
Seeing his granddaughter's confusion, Ōnoki decided to enlighten her.
"This operation isn't about whether we fight or not. What matters is that we had to come."
"First, Iwagakure hasn't fought a war in over a decade. Right now, our forces are at their peak. For the new generation of shinobi to grow, they must experience real combat. Now that someone has handed us an excuse, we're taking the opportunity to gauge Kumo's intentions as well."
"If Kumo launches a full-scale attack on Konoha and draws their attention, I won't hesitate to turn this into a real war. But if Kumo holds back, we'll simply negotiate with Konoha and take the chance to test Tsunade's mettle."
Back during the wars between Iwa and Konoha, the commanders had always been Orochimaru or Jiraiya—Tsunade had rarely taken the lead.
As a leader, her decisions would shape Konoha's future direction.
Ōnoki needed to assess her personality to better strategize for Iwa. For the sake of his village, he was willing to go to great lengths.
"So that's how it is. I understand now, Tsuchikage-sama!"
Kurotsuchi finally grasped the deeper implications behind this maneuver.
This lesson from Ōnoki would later become the foundation for her rise to becoming the Fourth Tsuchikage.
"If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me anytime."
Looking at his granddaughter, Ōnoki smiled warmly.
Only he knew the true weight of his own helplessness.
Compared to the genius-filled Konoha and the ever-developing Kumogakure, Iwa had remained a powerhouse mostly due to sheer numbers.
In some ways, this was a great tragedy.
If he could, Ōnoki would have stepped down as Tsuchikage long ago.
Konoha and Kiri were already on their Fifth Kage, Suna's Fourth Kazekage had died, pushing them toward their Fifth, and Kumo was on its Fourth. Only he, an old man, stubbornly clung to his position as the Third Tsuchikage.
It wasn't that he wanted to—it was because Iwa had no worthy successor.
His son, Kitsuchi, could serve as an elite jōnin or even a division commander, but he lacked what it took to become Tsuchikage.
For Ōnoki, this was the greatest regret of all.
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