Hokage Office.
Kitazawa opened the scroll and began reading.
This scroll came from the Hidden Cloud Village, Iwagakure, the Hidden Mist Village, and the Hidden Sand Village.
The Fourth Raikage, Ōnoki, Mei Terumī, and Rasa had all signed it.
"This is rather like a declaration of war." After reading it, Kitazawa couldn't help but smile.
Konan was slightly puzzled.
She didn't understand what a "declaration of war" was. But she understood the meaning of this scroll.
While its content spoke of demanding the Tailed Beasts back, it was essentially equivalent to the four great Ninja Villages declaring war on Konoha Village.
If it were anyone else, they might already be fidgeting with anxiety. However, the moment she thought of Kitazawa's strength, she became as calm as he was.
"Notify everyone that a Jonin Meeting will be convened after the New Year holiday ends." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said.
A war involving the Five Great Ninja Villages couldn't possibly break out within a week.
Furthermore, judging by the content of this scroll, the four great villages still harbored a sliver of hope.
That hope was that Konoha Village would return the Tailed Beasts. If they were truly returned, it was highly likely they wouldn't launch the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Of course, the most important thing was that Konoha Village had White Zetsu, allowing them to monitor their movements at any time.
If the four great villages wanted to launch a surprise attack during the New Year holiday, success would be impossible.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Konan immediately responded.
After she left, Kitazawa interlaced his fingers and rested his chin upon them.
He was thinking about what attack routes the four great villages might take.
Kitazawa fell into deep thought.
Konoha Village was located at the center of the Ninja World.
The four great villages couldn't assemble a united shinobi alliance in one location as they did in the original story.
After all, no matter where they tried to gather, it would be difficult to avoid the Land of Fire.
Even if they could avoid it, gathering so many ninjas from four villages wouldn't be an easy task.
Konoha Village could easily disrupt their assembly.
Therefore, the most likely attack strategy for the four great villages was to surround Konoha Village from four sides.
This way, they wouldn't need to take detours; they could just head straight for Konoha Village.
Kitazawa casually took out a map of the Ninja World.
Iwagakure and the Hidden Sand Village were relatively close to Konoha and would likely arrive first.
The Hidden Cloud Village was at a medium distance, while the Hidden Mist Village was the farthest.
After brief consideration, Kitazawa decided that Konoha would also divide its forces into four routes.
Simply put, all ninjas would be divided into four units to deal with the four great villages. The leaders of each ninja unit would be especially crucial.
In addition, there was the assignment of the seven ninja squads led by Sasuke and Hyuga Neji.
Now, each of their squads had a Jinchuriki, making their overall strength formidable.
It was no exaggeration to say that each squad possessed the ability to influence the course of the battlefield.
[Current Mission: Defeat the Four Great Ninja Villages.]
[Mission Reward: 80% of a physique comparable to Senju Hashirama's.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa let out a soft sound of surprise as he looked at the suddenly appearing system mission.
He hadn't expected the mission reward to be 80% of a physique comparable to Senju Hashirama's.
Kitazawa previously had a system mission to help Naruto become a Perfect Jinchuriki. Its reward was 20% of a physique comparable to Senju Hashirama's.
In other words, by completing these two system missions, he would possess 100% of a physique identical to Senju Hashirama's.
Kitazawa thought for a moment and roughly guessed the reason.
In the Warring States era, before the concept of villages existed, it was Senju Hashirama's sudden emergence that ended the chaotic era.
And the act of ending the chaos was essentially equivalent to defeating the other ninja villages.
It made perfect sense for Kitazawa to trigger this system mission. Although he already didn't lack Chakra, having more was always better.
Time soon reached noon.
After a morning of contemplation, Kitazawa had a general idea about the arrangements for the four units.
Now he just needed to wait for next week's Jonin Meeting.
"I'll take you back." Kitazawa stood up and said.
It was the New Year holiday; if not for the sudden proclamation from the four great villages, he wouldn't have bothered coming to work.
Upon hearing this, Konan immediately ran to stand in front of him. She stood there, simply looking at him.
A faint hint of anticipation could be seen in her cool eyes.
Kitazawa couldn't resist patting her buttocks.
He bent down, slipped his arms under her black-stockinged thighs, and lifted her up in a princess carry.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Kitazawa appeared in Konan's Anbu dormitory.
"Will you have lunch here today?" Konan leaned against him and asked softly.
"Since you asked like that, of course I'll have lunch here." Kitazawa lowered his head and kissed her soft lips.
After a bout of passionate kissing, he set Konan down.
"I'll cook." Konan took a breath and said.
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded.
Konan turned and walked toward the kitchen.
Kitazawa sat on the sofa, looking toward the kitchen.
Because it was a single-person dormitory, the room wasn't large, especially the kitchen and bathroom, which seemed rather cramped.
But for one person living alone, it was fine.
Kitazawa's eyes suddenly widened.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Konan removed her women's suit jacket and pencil skirt. She kept her black stockings on and changed into an apron.
The apron had straps, revealing her fair shoulders. At the same time, its hem only reached down to her thighs.
Viewed from the side, it was extremely alluring. Yet Konan's expression remained unchanged, appearing quite aloof.
It gave Kitazawa the feeling that this outfit was completely normal. A powerful sense of contrast made him unable to resist standing up.
He walked into the kitchen.
What met his eyes was Konan's smooth back, full hips, and legs clad in black stockings.
Kitazawa suspected she was doing this on purpose. No, there was no need to suspect; she definitely was.
The longer Konan stayed with him, the more she understood him. Often, she could understand without needing many words.
Kitazawa walked forward and embraced Konan's soft body. He lowered his head and gently bit her slender shoulder.
Konan's body trembled slightly, but she continued cooking as if nothing had happened.
Kitazawa smiled.
For him, this kind of experience was a first. He glanced at Konan's expressionless face, his hands slowly moving upward.
Her breathing paused for an instant before returning to normal. However, in just a moment, her breathing became rapid.
Konan felt her heart being stirred. But she still hadn't forgotten her task—cooking.
Suddenly, the flame that had been burning went out.
Konan was momentarily stunned. Just as she was about to relight the stove, she felt a pair of hands grasp her slender waist.
Her snow-white toes left the ground. Konan instinctively gripped the edge of the table in front of her.
Her long hair cascaded down, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a faint smile.
Because she had won this small contest.
However, victory was only temporary. Before long, she was like a willow in the wind, constantly swaying.
After lunch, Kitazawa returned home.
---
A week passed quickly.
Although it was the New Year holiday, the proclamation from the four great villages had already spread throughout Konoha.
The ninjas were all aware of the matter.
Many felt apprehensive. But even more were excited and expectant.
Because they believed in Kitazawa's strength, thinking that even fighting one against four, they could win.
Especially, clan heads like Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
War meant merit.
In every war, some ninjas would rise to prominence, even becoming Hokage. For example, Minato Namikaze, who made a name for himself in the Third Shinobi World War.
This time, even more ninjas needed to make a name for themselves in this Ninja World War. Such as Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto, among others.
The ninjas supporting them understood that if they didn't make a name for themselves in this war, there might not be another Ninja World War.
After all, if Konoha Village won, they could unify the Ninja World.
8:30 AM.
Although the Jonin Meeting was still half an hour away, the conference room in the Hokage Building was already packed.
All of Konoha's Jonin had assembled.
However, there were also ninjas who weren't Jonin present: Sasuke, Naruto, and the others. They had been specially permitted to attend this Jonin Meeting.
After all, this Ninja World War would involve them.
"Are we going to the battlefield?" Ino looked around and asked.
She could tell the atmosphere in the conference room was very serious.
"Why do you say that?" Naruto scratched his head and asked.
"Teacher Kitazawa won't return the Tailed Beasts to the four great villages." Sasuke glanced at him and said.
The matter of the Hokage Guard hadn't been officially announced yet.
Others didn't know, but as the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and a member of the Hokage Guard, he naturally knew very well that the Tailed Beasts couldn't be returned.
Unless they cut open their stomachs to take the beasts out.
Kitazawa definitely wouldn't do such a thing.
"There's no need to return them!" Kiba snorted lightly and said, "Our Konoha Village can win even fighting one against four!"
Although he regretted not getting a Tailed Beast himself, the current Tailed Beasts belonged to Konoha Village.
"Teacher Kitazawa called all of us to this Jonin Meeting; he must be planning to send us to the battlefield."
Shikamaru said with his hands behind his head, sighing, "What a hassle."
"I've never been on a battlefield before," Yakumo said slowly.
"You don't need to worry too much." Kabuto comforted them. "The battlefield is pretty much the same as usual for us; it's just doing missions."
"Really? Is it the same?" Tenten was somewhat skeptical.
"Given your strength and status, it really is pretty much the same," Kabuto said with a smile.
The biggest difference between the battlefield and usual times was its greater unpredictability.
It was common for one mission to involve several others. But no matter what, strength spoke for itself.
Kabuto understood the strength of these juniors well. The battlefield wasn't particularly dangerous for them.
"I hope I can do missions with Sasuke-kun then!" Sakura said with anticipation.
"That's actually possible." Ino said with a laugh, "Joint missions are the norm on the battlefield; usually, several or even more ninja squads need to cooperate."
"This war is a good opportunity for all of you." Kabuto reminded them. "On the battlefield, you can hone your strength and also increase your fame."
"Fame!" Kiba immediately got excited and said, "I want a cool title like Naruto's!"
"What title could you possibly have?" Tayuya teased. "Konoha's Mad Dog?"
"Konoha's Mad Dog isn't bad either!" Kiba was taken aback for a moment and asked, "What do you think, Akamaru?"
"Woof woof woof!" Akamaru happily replied.
"Titles aren't something you give yourself." Neji shook his head and said, "They are given to you by your enemies."
"Then I really have to perform well in this war!" Kiba declared confidently.
Although Kimimaro and the others didn't say anything, they shared the same thought.
After all, having a title sounds really cool. And without a title, it's almost embarrassing to be called a top-tier ninja in the Ninja World.
9:00 AM.
The door opened.
Kitazawa walked in.
He glanced around the room. The retired Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade were not in attendance.
Orochimaru also didn't come; he is currently engrossed in his experiments.
Jiraiya was dispatched to the Hidden Rain Village, and coupled with his search for his so-called Child of Prophecy, he also did not participate in this Jonin Meeting.
"Hokage-sama." Everyone stood up in unison and called out together.
"Please, sit." Kitazawa nodded and said.
"Hokage-sama." Nara Shikaku said in a grave tone, "According to the latest intelligence, the vanguard forces from the four great Ninja Villages have set out, totaling over ten thousand ninjas."
Many people showed expressions of shock.
After all, a vanguard force of ten thousand ninjas was indeed astonishing.
Under normal circumstances, the number of ninjas in a vanguard force would only be one or two thousand.
Ten thousand ninjas already constituted a full-fledged main force.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Iwagakure once mobilized ten thousand ninjas to surround and kill the Third Raikage of Kumogakure.
"From the current situation, it appears they plan to launch an attack on us simultaneously from the east, south, west, and north."
Nara Shikaku produced a map marked with four straight lines, precisely connecting the Five Great Ninja Villages.
"That's not unexpected." Kitazawa chuckled lightly and said, "After all, they outnumber us, so adopting an encirclement strategy is the most prudent approach."
"Numbers alone won't be of much use!"
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly spoke up. "What truly decides the outcome of a battlefield is the top-tier powerhouses on both sides!"
"Exactly!" Hyuga Hiashi quickly added, "With Hokage-sama here, it's impossible for us to lose!"
Nara Shikaku and the others sensed something subtle. When did you two also learn to flatter?
Thinking back carefully, they had already shown signs before, just not as obvious as today.
"Shikaku, how many ninjas can our Konoha Village mobilize for the battlefield?" Kitazawa cleared his throat and asked.
Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi exchanged a glance and immediately fell silent.
"Approximately twenty thousand ninjas." Nara Shikaku replied. "Good. Then divide them into four ninja units, each with five thousand ninjas."
Kitazawa instructed.
In the original story's Fourth Great Ninja War, the Allied Shinobi Forces totaled eighty-seven thousand.
These eighty-seven thousand included the Five Great Villages and the samurai of the Land of Iron.
The samurai of the Land of Iron could be disregarded.
In other words, each of the Five Great Villages contributed roughly seventeen or eighteen thousand ninjas.
Now, Konoha Village being able to assemble twenty thousand ninjas was actually quite normal.
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku and the others felt a jolt in their hearts.
For the four ninja units, the most crucial aspect would undoubtedly be the person in charge, or the commander.
At the same time, which village they faced as opponents would also have an impact.
If the opponent were Kumogakure or Iwagakure, the battle would certainly be difficult. However, from another perspective, achieving victory would bring greater fame and merit.
"The First Ninja Unit will be commanded by Uchiha Fugaku, defending against Kumogakure." Kitazawa spoke unhurriedly, "Team 7 will accompany them."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Uchiha Fugaku immediately stood up, his tone filled with excitement.
Although he had experienced three Ninja World Wars, this was the first time a ninja from the Uchiha Clan would serve as a commander.
Moreover, with Team 7 accompanying them, there would be no shortage of high-end combat power.
In terms of strength, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata could already be considered Kage-level powerhouses.
Even against the relatively strong Kumogakure, they would hold a sufficient advantage.
Hyuga Hiashi subconsciously clenched his fist. Since Uchiha Fugaku had already been appointed commander, what about him?
Hinata was also Kitazawa's student; surely he wouldn't favor one over the other and neglect the Hyuga Clan.
"The Second Ninja Unit will be commanded by Hyuga Hiashi, defending against Iwagakure." Kitazawa continued, "Teams Five and Six will accompany them."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" After letting out a sigh of relief, Hyuga Hiashi quickly responded.
Indeed, when it came to the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan, Kitazawa treated them equally.
Team Five was Might Guy's squad, with members Rock Lee, Hotaru, and Haku.
Team Six was Yamato's squad, with members Neji, Tenten, and Shion.
Although these two teams couldn't compare to Team 7, their strength was still first-rate.
Especially Might Guy with his Eight Gates, Neji with his Tenseigan, and Yamato with his Wood Release.
"The Third Ninja Unit will be commanded by Nara Shikaku, defending against the Hidden Mist Village."
Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "Teams Three and Four will accompany them."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Nara Shikaku was momentarily stunned before standing up to respond.
As a member of the Nara Clan, due to their high intelligence, they often served as strategists.
To serve as a sole commander was indeed a rare occurrence.
But after the initial shock came excitement. This was undoubtedly a great opportunity for the Ino–Shika–Chō trio of clans to rise.
Moreover, Kitazawa had also dispatched Teams Three and Four to accompany them.
Team Three was Asuma Sarutobi's squad. Shikaku knew very well that Ino had become the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.
Team Four was Anko Mitarashi's squad.
Besides Kimimaro being the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Anko Mitarashi was also the head of the Cursed Seal Squad.
This meant the Cursed Seal Squad would also join the Third Ninja Unit.
"The Fourth Ninja Unit will be commanded by Kabuto Yakushi, defending against the Hidden Sand Village."
Kitazawa continued, "Teams One and Two will accompany them."
No one had any objections to the commanders of the first three Ninja Units.
After all, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi, and Nara Shikaku were all part of Konoha's high command, possessing great strength and backed by major ninja clans.
However, the appointment of Kabuto Yakushi as commander of the Fourth Ninja Unit immediately caused some commotion.
The reason lay in Kabuto Yakushi's lack of a notable reputation.
Although they all knew he was Kitazawa's student, he was overly low-key and had few remarkable deeds.
Their impression of him remained that of a capable Medical Ninja.
In reality, the current Kabuto Yakushi could be considered one of Konoha Village's top-tier powerhouses.
With Sage Mode plus being the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, he alone could carve a bloody path through the Hidden Sand Village seven times over.
Not to mention, he was also bringing Teams One and Two.
Team One was Kurenai's squad, with members Yakumo and the One-Tail Jinchuriki Karin.
And Team Two was Kakashi's squad, with Kakashi himself being the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
Besides this, Kabuto was also the head of the Summoning Beasts Unit.
"That's settled then." Kitazawa offered no further explanation and said directly, "You may depart once you are prepared."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, and Kabuto Yakushi responded in unison.
Although there was a disparity in ninja numbers, they remained very confident.
After all, they held the advantage in high-level combat power. Offsetting each other, they could be considered evenly matched.
How to secure victory would depend on their command.
"There is also a special ninja unit dedicated to intelligence." Kitazawa clapped his hands and said, "White Zetsu."
A White Zetsu wearing Anbu attire stood up.
"It will assign personnel to follow you and provide intelligence," Kitazawa explained.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Uchiha Fugaku and the others nodded.
Konoha Village had always relied on the Anbu for intelligence. Although they didn't know White Zetsu, they chose to trust it.
"Do you have any other questions?" Kitazawa paused and said, "If not, aside from the four commanders, the rest of you may go prepare."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Everyone stood up and filed out, leaving only Uchiha Fugaku and the others, along with White Zetsu.
"Each of our Ninja Units only has five thousand ninjas."
Kitazawa looked at Uchiha Fugaku and the others and said, "As a precaution, I have prepared an additional five thousand ninjas for each of you."
"...?" Uchiha Fugaku and the others subconsciously wore expressions of confusion. What did that mean?
Had he been hiding another twenty thousand ninjas? How was that possible?
They were very familiar with Konoha Village and knew that being able to field twenty thousand ninjas was already the limit.
Forty thousand ninjas were a number found only in dreams.
Could they be from Kumogakure, the Hidden Mist Village, Iwagakure, and the Hidden Sand Village?
That sounded impossible.
But aside from the Five Great Villages, no other ninja village could possibly muster twenty thousand ninjas.
"These five thousand ninjas are rather special. Their strength is average, roughly at the Genin or Chunin level."
Kitazawa smiled and said, "But they excel at the Transformation Technique and stealth techniques, useful for creating chaos."
He was, in fact, referring to White Zetsu.
In the original story, White Zetsu used the Spore Technique to generate one hundred thousand White Zetsu.
To be safe, Kitazawa had White Zetsu prepare twenty thousand White Zetsu for the four Ninja Units to use at critical moments.
"Being skilled in the Transformation Technique and stealth techniques is already sufficient." Uchiha Fugaku immediately said.
"Indeed." Hyuga Hiashi chimed in, "This will greatly reduce the pressure on us."
Nara Shikaku and Kabuto Yakushi also nodded in agreement.
"Good. White Zetsu will brief you on the specific details." Kitazawa stood up and said, "I wish you a swift and decisive victory."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Uchiha Fugaku and the others hurriedly responded.
"I will accompany the First Ninja Unit for a time." Kitazawa thought for a moment and added, "But I won't stay long."
With his Flying Thunder God Technique, he could come and go as he pleased.
The reason for going along was that Team 7 was also going. As the team leader of Team 7, it was only right for him to make an appearance.
Fugaku was momentarily stunned before feeling a surge of delight.
With Kitazawa present, the First Ninja Unit's victory over Kumogakure would be a certainty.