"The system ran away?"
Kevis's mind went blank. What was happening? What kind of absurd international joke was this?
He checked the message repeatedly. The line of text remained glaringly there, unchanged.
It wasn't a hallucination, nor a dream. The system had—quite literally—thrown in the towel and run away!
Kevis's thoughts spun wildly, a mix of shock and disbelief. What was this supposed to mean? Even the most irresponsible worker didn't abandon their duties so thoroughly.
A surge of anger flared in his chest, but it quickly morphed into a profound helplessness. The system had run away—what else could he do?
He sighed inwardly, a blend of frustration and the absurdity of it all intertwining. His emotions shifted like tides—initial excitement, followed by despair, and finally complete bewilderment.
"Oh well…" he murmured. "Since it's here, I might as well make the best of it."
One year later.
The flames of the Third Shinobi World War ignited, sparked by Sunagakure of the Land of Wind.
Sunagakure claimed the Third Kazekage had been assassinated by a Hidden Leaf ninja, using this as a pretext to cross the border boldly.
Sometimes, the reasons for war were simple and unadorned.
Sunagakure's forces invaded the Land of Fire, burning, killing, and plundering, aiming for the richest territories in the Shinobi World. Flames of war swept across the lands.
Upon receiving news, Shimura Danzo reacted immediately. Personally, he led Root, Orochimaru, and two thousand Hidden Leaf ninjas to the border.
As Assistant Hokage, Danzo had experienced two wars and possessed an exceptional strategic mind.
In the early stages, Sunagakure launched a fierce assault with five thousand ninja. Danzo held them off, enduring until the main Hidden Leaf reinforcements arrived.
The struggle persisted for an entire year. Sunagakure's attacks came like relentless tides, while Danzo and his forces stubbornly held the defensive line, refusing to yield an inch. The heartland of the Land of Fire remained safe, though both sides suffered heavy losses.
The war situation, however, suddenly worsened. Konoha faced threats beyond Sunagakure.
The other major nations, seeing Konoha embroiled with Sunagakure, sought to exploit the chaos, almost simultaneously declaring war.
Recently, Sunagakure launched an unprecedented large-scale general offensive.
It was a crisis for Konoha—but also an opportunity. Based on intelligence from Root spies, Danzo judged Sunagakure's logistics were collapsing. He decided to strike decisively.
Rushing to the front lines, Danzo aimed to annihilate Sunagakure's main force in a single blow.
Unfortunately, his aggressive tactics backfired. Severely wounded, he was saved at the brink of death by Orochimaru and dozens of Root elites, dragged from the battlefield.
Though the offensive was thwarted and pressure on Konoha's front line decreased, Danzo failed to achieve his strategic goal of total victory over Sunagakure.
Too injured to continue commanding, he stabilized his condition and urgently consulted Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was on the Kusagakure front fighting Iwagakure. Through special channels, he transferred command to Orochimaru and returned to Konoha with trusted subordinates for recuperation.
But Danzo, the "workaholic," never ceased his duties.
Konoha was vast, especially during wartime, with internal defenses stretched thin. With the Third Hokage far away, who else could maintain order? Clearly, Danzo.
At this critical juncture, Konoha relied on him. The Third Shinobi World War also demanded his strategic mind to turn the tide.
During his first days back, Danzo's thoughts swirled. Konoha's situation was precarious, with limited combat forces.
The only remaining powerful force was the Uchiha Clan, long watched and branded "innately evil."
The war, however, provided a perfect opportunity to "trim their numbers."
At the start of the Third Shinobi World War, Fugaku, head of the Uchiha Clan, requested to lead his clansmen into battle. Danzo, citing Konoha's need for order, persuaded Hiruzen to limit the Uchiha's participation.
He neither trusted them nor wanted them awakening more Sharingan—or Mangekyo Sharingan—during the war. As a student of the Second Hokage, he understood the mechanisms of Uchiha eye awakenings all too well.
Now, circumstances dictated full participation.
Danzo's plan was precise: the Uchiha must fight, but only in the most dangerous, brutal battles. They were to follow absolute, unyielding orders.
If the Uchiha were to be used, they would be pushed to the limit—broken if necessary. Not treated as people, but as the innately evil Uchiha they were branded.
Preferably, they would all "sacrifice themselves for the village," enabling Root to legitimately acquire their Sharingan.
Only under Danzo's control could their potential fully serve Konoha, shining brightest in his hands.
His favoritism toward the Uchiha was clear:
I'm not targeting anyone specifically—but every Uchiha here… only dead Uchiha are good Uchiha! For Konoha, the waters of the Sharingan are too deep; you cannot control them. Listen to me… let me handle it!
Danzo's dedication was absolute, unwavering, and relentless—every step calculated to serve both his vision for Konoha and his control over its most dangerous elements.