Konoha's council chamber buzzed with low voices, but Raizen pushed past the noise. The debate about whether certain clans deserved a seat at the decision-making table could wait. Bigger storms were coming.
He stepped forward, voice steady but heavy with intent.
"Konoha controls the northern, eastern, and central regions of the Fire Country. It's time to start the Western Expedition and the Southern Expedition."
The room froze. Elders glanced at one another like he'd just announced another war… which, technically, he had.
The Sarutobi patriarch rose first, frowning.
"Should we even be thinking about an expedition now? Konoha's still recovering. We've buried too many shinobi. We need time to breathe."
"Konoha needs rest," Raizen agreed, "but the world won't wait for us to nap."
He swept his gaze across the room.
"The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning have already founded their shinobi villages. Wind and Water will follow any moment. If we fall behind, we lose the future.
To unify the Fire Country before the others settle, the Western Expedition and Southern Expedition are unavoidable."
He took a breath.
"And the Uchiha and Senju are tearing into each other down south. That chaos buys us a window. We have to finish most of the Fire Country's unification while they're locked in war."
The patriarch of the Chiba Clan rose next.
"Then Your Lordship intends to march west first?"
"That's right." Raizen nodded. "The southern region is the toughest nut to crack. We'll secure the weaker western lands first… then finish with the south."
That settled the room. One by one, the elders nodded, tension giving way to grim resolve. Plans were drafted on the spot, maps spread, regions marked.
By the end of the meeting, the Western Expedition had a full operational outline.
Early September, Konoha made it official.
The announcement spread like wildfire, and the whole village shifted overnight into wartime mode.
September 10
At the village gates, five thousand shinobi stood ready. Their commander: Nara Luhui, one of the brightest tacticians of the Warring States era.
Raizen approached him.
"This war will shape Konoha's future. If we win, no clan in the Fire Country will dare to resist us."
"Then we'll win," Luhui replied calmly. "Just like the last two campaigns."
With final farewells, the Western Expedition marched out, the sound of synchronized footsteps echoing across the stone road.
Konoha Advances West
The western region was sparsely populated, and most clans weren't eager to face Konoha's army. Outside the stronghold of the Mizushin Clan, many simply waited in uncertainty… unsure whether to resist or surrender.
September 17
Luhui crossed the Northwest River, officially entering western territory.
Almost immediately, major clans like the Fangcheng submitted applications to join Konoha. With their surrender, both the northwest and southwest regions fell without a battle.
Konoha gained two-thirds of the western territory in days.
The remaining clans panicked.
The Mizushin Clan, proud and longstanding, rallied what remained of the western clans into a defensive alliance.
The Battles of Mizushin ValleySeptember 15 – First Engagement
The Mizushin Valley Alliance clashed with Konoha for the first time.
A messy skirmish. Both sides claimed victories, neither made real gains.
September 23 – Second Battle
Luhui and Yama Betto set an ambush, forcing the alliance east.
On their retreat, Konoha struck again, inflicting heavy casualties.
October 13 – Third Battle
The alliance regrouped and attacked. Luhui repelled them again with sharp, adaptable strategy.
Konoha held the advantage, but the cost was steep. By late October, two thousand reinforcements were dispatched.
November – The Valley Disaster
Bolstered by reinforcements, Konoha launched the fourth attack.
It backfired.
The Mizushin Alliance lured them into a gorge, destroyed a third of Luhui's supplies, and forced a temporary retreat.
Konoha finally realized the alliance wasn't just stubborn.
They were dangerous.
The war slowed into a grinding stalemate.
Winter to Spring – Raizen's Silence
Three months crawled by.
A new year arrived. The war dragged toward its final stretch.
Raizen never intervened directly. Konoha had to stand on its own.
Besides, the Uchiha–Senju conflict in the south was reaching a critical phase, and Raizen had no intention of missing that.
More importantly… he'd been training.
He spent months strengthening his immortal body and refining Wood Release, pushing his limits until his power rivaled the legends of this era.
But the world didn't pause for him.
April – The Final Push
Konoha launched a major offensive, reigniting the nearly year-long campaign.
The Mizushin Alliance fought with their backs against the wall.
They had no retreat. No alternatives.
Their resistance slowed everything to a crawl, stretching the conflict deep into May.
June – The Turning Point
Luhui struck Mizushin Valley again and seized Shinmon Bridge, cutting off all incoming support.
With the main artery severed, Mizushin Valley's fate was sealed.
July – The Fall
Early July, the Mizushin Alliance collapsed. Defeats piled up until their vanguard surrendered outright.
July 7
Luhui led the final assault on the alliance's headquarters, razing the central camp to ash.
By the end of July, the last remaining divisions surrendered.
The Western Expedition, after more than a year of bloody struggle,
finally came to its end.