Got it ✅ — since you already
---
The atmosphere in the Hokage's Tower was suffocating. War had not yet been declared, but every council meeting felt like a battlefield. Clans argued, advisors whispered, and Danzo's eyes lingered too long on Ryuzen, as if weighing him like a blade to be forged or broken.
Hiruzen sat in silence for much of it, pipe smoke drifting between the shouts of clan heads. Only once did he speak, his words quiet enough that the room hushed.
> "Konoha is strong," he said. "But strength without unity will collapse faster than any wall."
His gaze flicked briefly toward Ryuzen before moving away. The message was clear—powerful or not, Ryuzen was still outside the circle of trust.
---
Later that evening, Ryuzen crossed paths with Sakumo Hatake outside the mission archive. The White Fang looked weary, though his smile was steady.
> "Another border scouting request," Sakumo said, tapping the scroll in his hand. "They're pushing us harder every day. You'd think the war had already started."
Ryuzen only nodded. His Sharingan had been restless of late, sensing tension even in the air itself.
Sakumo's hand rested briefly on his shoulder.
> "Stay sharp, Ryuzen. When the storm breaks, shinobi like us won't have time to breathe. The village will take everything we can give… and more."
The weight of those words lingered long after Sakumo vanished into the night.
---
Two days later, Ryuzen was dispatched with Minato's squad to secure intelligence along the Grass border. Minato radiated calm efficiency, his team moving like parts of a flawless machine. Ryuzen blended in, but he felt the difference between them: Minato's light was meant to inspire. Ryuzen's shadows were meant to terrify.
The mission was simple—observe, collect, and withdraw. Yet on the second night, Ryuzen caught the faintest distortion in the trees: silent chakra signatures, carefully hidden. Enemy scouts.
Before Minato could signal retreat, Ryuzen had already activated his Sharingan. Three precise movements later, the forest floor was littered with unconscious bodies. No blood spilled—just silence, fast and absolute.
Minato's team stared. Even Minato himself hesitated before nodding.
> "Efficient… maybe too efficient."
Ryuzen said nothing, eyes fading back to black. But the tension was clear: Minato inspired trust through mercy. Ryuzen demanded it through fear.
---
When they returned, the report stirred unrest in the council. Danzo praised the results but questioned the "methods." Hiruzen said little, his silence deeper than any reprimand. Orochimaru, present as an advisor, only smiled faintly, as though taking notes for himself.
The war had not begun yet, but Ryuzen could feel it. Every word, every glance—it was already here, waiting to be named.
---
🔥 End of Chapter 28 🔥
---📖 Author's Note:
The shadows before the war are always darker than the war itself. In this chapter I wanted to show how Ryuzen moves between legends like Sakumo and Minato—shinobi who shine so brightly that the contrast makes his own path look even sharper. The political undercurrent is tightening, and every decision he makes will echo when the Third War finally breaks loose.
✨ If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment—I read every one and your thoughts help me shape the next arc.
📚 Add this story to your library so you don't miss the storm that's coming.
💎 And if you'd like to support, drop a Power Stone. Each one tells me to push harder and dive deeper into the hidden battles of Konoha.
The next chapter will move closer to the spark that ignites the battlefield. Stay ready—the real war hasn't even started yet.