The Hidden Sand's operation against the Star Village was a clandestine affair. To divert Konoha's attention, the Sand launched a massive maritime maneuver in the northern waters of the Land of Steam.
A battle group centered around fifteen warships aggressively surged toward the coast, creating a looming threat.
As a maritime fortress jointly protected by the Cloud and the Leaf, the Land of Steam had long been a focus of the Sand's "hospitality." Every year, numerous warships flying pirate colors would conduct periodic raids in these waters.
From a strategic perspective, the Land of Steam was the core naval gateway for the Leaf and Cloud in the north, while the Land of Bears served as the Leaf's maritime hinterland. Both held equal strategic weight.
While the Third Hokage was accustomed to the Sand stirring up trouble in the Land of Steam annually, he remained cautious.
During the careful allocation of personnel, the Uchiha clan proactively recommended Uchiha Kaede for the mission to the Land of Steam.
Since Kaede had left the Anbu, he had mostly been active within the village as a member of the Police Force. Currently, Konoha was indeed short-staffed.
The Hyuga clan was primarily stationed in the Land of Bears, and the jonin currently in the Land of Steam possessed limited strength, making it difficult for them to contain the Sand's incursions.
The news of the battle between Uchiha Kaede and Uchiha Itachi, where both manifested the Mangekyo Sharingan, could not be hidden from Konoha's high command.
Consequently, in their internal assessments, Kaede's strength was now considered close to that of Itachi and the late Shisui.
"Since we lack sufficient combat power at the moment, there is no harm in employing the Uchiha," the Third Hokage remarked.
Shimura Danzo could not refute the Hokage's words, but he offered a cold warning: "How much trust is left for the Uchiha? Not long ago, the Sand issued recruitment letters, and both the Uchiha and the Hyuga received them."
"Fugaku has his own considerations; perhaps it was merely a move for self-preservation," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied.
Danzo glanced toward an Anbu member waiting outside the door. "Then perhaps you should hear the opinion of another Uchiha."
The heavy doors slid open, revealing Uchiha Itachi wearing his Anbu mask. After removing the mask, he knelt to express his stance.
Although he had recovered from the battle in the mental world of Tsukuyomi, his face remained pale and frail—a stark contrast to his usual sharp demeanor. It was evident that this was the result of overusing the Mangekyo.
"The power of the Mangekyo is not easily controlled, Itachi. Do not over-rely on your bloodline," the Hokage advised.
"Yes. Thank you for your concern, Lord Third."
Seeing the two exchange pleasantries, Danzo interrupted impatiently, "Let us continue the discussion regarding the recruitment letters."
The so-called "recruitment letters" were essentially immigration commitment forms signed by Shiraishi.
They stated that the Sand was willing to accept any talent from bloodline-limit clans, serving as a display of the Sand's "sincerity." These letters had found their way onto the desks of the Hyuga, the Uchiha, and various smaller clans in the Leaf.
While the Hyuga and several other clans had surrendered these letters to the village, Fugaku had kept his and claimed he had personally destroyed it.
This act touched a nerve. Although past misunderstandings had supposedly been resolved, Fugaku's actions only served to deepen the Leaf's suspicions.
For Fugaku, the Uchiha's situation remained precarious. His ambiguous dalliance with the Sand was merely a way to gain leverage when dealing with Konoha's leadership; he didn't necessarily intend to defect.
Having just woken up after the battle, Itachi was naturally aware of this. After meeting Shiraishi in the Tsukuyomi world and seeing his father's ambiguous stance toward the Sand, his heart sank. His greatest fear was manifesting.
The one pushing Uchiha Kaede from the shadows is indeed Father...
Sending Uchiha Kaede to the Land of Steam would likely lead to the leak of classified intelligence. Realizing this, Itachi immediately sought the Third Hokage to block the appointment.
This led to the scene where Danzo brought Itachi into the meeting. The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and looked down at the kneeling Itachi, his tone softening. "And your reasoning, Itachi?"
The Hokage maintained a very favorable attitude toward Itachi. After all, he was one of the few young geniuses whose loyalty rested firmly with the village despite his Uchiha blood. If Itachi opposed the mission, the Hokage had to listen.
"Our investigation suggests that Lop Nur of the Roran Chamber of Commerce is the Kazekage himself. During his time in the Leaf, he established a collaborative relationship with my father."
Itachi ultimately decided to hide the specifics of what happened in the Tsukuyomi world. While loyal to the Leaf, he knew he had to keep the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror as secret trump cards for any future contingencies.
Instead, he informed the high command of the Roran connection. The Third Hokage was skeptical. "Lop Nur had no detectable chakra signature. How could it be him?"
Danzo rolled his eyes. "He is the strongest existence in the ninja world. It isn't surprising he has a secret method to hide his presence. Besides, the entire Lop Nur incident was suspicious from the start."
The land leased by the Roran Chamber of Commerce was currently being used for commercial development. Though the Hokage wanted to reclaim those plots, the complex web of interests involved made it impossible to act directly.
Even without hard evidence, Itachi's testimony as an Uchiha carried more weight than any other source.
The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment. "In that case, Itachi... I will trouble you to head to the Land of Steam."
"Understood."
Replacing the recommended Kaede with Itachi sent a clear signal to the entire Uchiha clan: currently, the Leaf high command only trusted Itachi.
Meanwhile, the Fifth Kazekage, Shiraishi, was in his residence. He sat cross-legged in his meeting room, the Divine Dao Sword—now in the form of a long katana—resting on his lap. Behind him, a massive screen displayed a large-scale maritime map.
An incense burner beneath the screen emitted a light fragrance. After a long silence, Shiraishi slowly opened his eyes. The long blade vanished into its sheath without a sound, yet the air remained thick with tension.
Restraining my killing intent and concentrating explosive power into a single point... I still need more practice.
"Star Village... Land of Bears."
Setting the blade aside, Shiraishi locked his gaze onto the maritime map. While the Leaf was still debating in meetings, the navy he had deployed was already moving according to his plan.
Beyond the Navy Department, several "Puppet Dragons" were on standby at the border of the Land of Rivers. This new generation of Puppet Dragons was equipped with even more powerful Tailed Beast Bomb energy cannons, capable of obliterating an entire mountain peak.
While many Puppet Dragons were stationed near the Star Village's outer barriers, the true key to dismantling their defense lay within.
"Any great defense crumbles from the inside. The Star Village harbors ambitions beyond its reach and is only loosely aligned with the Leaf. They cannot stop the Sand's advance."
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