"Urgent matter." Hiruzen Sarutobi said swiftly. "Come in."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." came the reply as the door opened. A masked Anbu ninja knelt before him. "Hokage-sama, urgent intelligence has arrived from the battlefield with Kumogakure."
"Konoha and Kumogakure." Hiruzen said. "Give me the letter."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." The Anbu handed over the letter and promptly left the room.
"What's happened?" Hiruzen muttered, unsealing the letter. As he read, his face grew darker, the earlier joy of victory evaporating.
The news from that battlefield was grim.
Konoha's forces were being pushed back by Kumogakure's massive assault, retreating ever closer to the Land of Fire's border.
The letter detailed the war's brutality and, critically, requested reinforcements, Konoha's aid was desperately needed.
"Reinforcements." Hiruzen said, taking a deep breath. He weighed the state of the three battlefronts, calculating how to position Konoha optimally.
"The battlefield with Sunagakure is stable now. We can spare some forces, and there's no need for both Orochimaru and Jiraiya to remain there."
"After Iwagakure's crushing defeat, we only need to hold the line there."
"The Kumogakure front is the priority, it urgently needs strength." Hiruzen considered, then penned three letters.
Moments later, he called out, "Someone, come."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." An Anbu responded, entering swiftly.
"Deliver these three letters to the respective battlefields." Hiruzen ordered. "Move quickly and send them out immediately."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." The Anbu nodded.
"Also, summon Konoha's ninjas. We have a battlefield in need of reinforcements." Hiruzen continued.
"Yes." The Anbu said, departing swiftly.
"I hope we're not too late." Hiruzen murmured, gazing at the dark sky.
As Hiruzen made his arrangements, at the Root headquarters, Danzō held a letter, his body trembling slightly. "I never expected… never expected that kid to wield Wood Release. It's beyond belief."
Danzō's eyes flickered with disbelief. Tengen's defeat of nearly a thousand Iwa ninjas barely registered compared to this revelation.
"Kō." Danzō thought of Orochimaru's surviving test subject, a prized experiment capable of Wood Release. But compared to Tengen's terrifying Advent of a World of Trees, it was insignificant, utterly outclassed.
"The First Hokage's Wood Release." Danzō said, his gaze cold. "Tengen, always Tengen."
His heart grew heavy.
Tengen's power seemed to grow exponentially, making it harder to devise a counter.
"There must be a way." Danzō muttered, a grim smile forming. "And Hanzō is close to breaking."
In Konoha, at the Uchiha compound, the area was unusually quiet. Most Uchiha clansmen had joined the war, as three ninja villages besieged Konoha, leaving the village reeling like a ship in a storm.
In a grand building, a small child sat on the steps, staring at the stars, his eyes filled with a thoughtful depth uncommon for his age.
"Itachi, why are you out here alone again? It's chilly, come inside." A gentle woman said, approaching the child.
"Understood, Mother." The boy, Uchiha Itachi, replied with a nod. "Father and Shisui are off fighting in the war. Why must there be war?"
"Why war?" The woman paused. Could she explain its cruelty to Itachi, the fight for resources and land?
"Itachi, you'll understand when you're older." She said, ruffling his hair. "Besides, Tengen is incredible. With power like his, the war might end quickly…"
"Tengen." Itachi said, picturing the infuriatingly cheerful ninja with a smile.
"I understand, Mother. Tengen has the Mangekyō Sharingan. I'll awaken it too, I'm certain." Itachi declared.
"I believe you will, Itachi. Now, let's go inside." The woman said with a smile.
"Alright, Mother." Itachi said, standing from the steps. "With enough power, I can stop wars."
His eyes shone brightly in that moment.
"I don't want so many to die."
As Konoha's ninjas prepared, three letters were dispatched to their respective destinations.
Hours later, as dawn faintly brightened the sky, the Kikyo Mountain battlefield saw a rare gathering of most of Sunagakure's jōnin.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged a glance before Jiraiya stepped forward. "We've received word from Konoha. Kumogakure has also invaded the Land of Fire."
"What?" The gathered ninjas exclaimed. Two villages were already besieging Konoha, now a third?
Konoha was facing three ninja villages alone.
"Yes, and on the Kumogakure front, our forces are retreating steadily." Jiraiya said.
The Konoha ninjas' faces darkened.
"Therefore, the Hokage has made arrangements." Jiraiya continued. "Minato, take your team to reinforce the Land of Earth battlefield."
"Orochimaru, lead your forces to aid the Kumogakure front." Jiraiya said gravely.
"And here's some good news." He added. "Tengen achieved a great victory against Iwagakure, crushing over a thousand ninjas with a power you might not expect."
"It was Wood Release, the First Hokage's ability." Jiraiya said, his voice brimming with pride.
***
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