The Nine-Tails' chakra flickered faintly to life on the Earth Grudge Communicator carried by every Konoha jōnin.
It was a unique encrypted link that also served as an authentication measure.
The sheer amount of information contained in the Nine-Tails' message sent the Konoha shinobi into an uproar.
First and foremost was the tremendous success on the Kirigakure front!
So while they were still holding the battle line here, Hokage-sama had already led his forces in breaking through Kirigakure after the enemy had committed its entire army?
He had even captured two Tailed Beasts and won them over!
"What does it mean that the Daimyō of the Land of Water appointed Hokage-sama as Shōgun of the Land of Water?" A rare look of confusion appeared on Aburame Shikuro's usually expressionless face.
Danzō's expression was complicated. The news had come as quite a shock to him as well, but in front of his subordinates, he did his best to maintain an air of composure.
"With Hiruzen's strength, as long as nothing unexpected happened, killing the Third Mizukage was perfectly normal…"
"Capturing two Tailed Beasts in a single battle…"
Danzō sighed inwardly.
"For him, I suppose that's normal too!"
"As for the Daimyō of the Land of Water…"
"Hiruzen isn't an ordinary shinobi. He doesn't just know how to fight and kill. He can also get people to willingly hand over their resources—even nobles who have always been wary of shinobi."
"In that respect, he's even better than First-sama."
Danzō was extremely reluctant to praise Hiruzen so openly, yet he couldn't help saying it anyway.
Originally, he had thought that leading his forces in sealing off the Kumogakure front so tightly that nothing could get through was already a respectable achievement…
But Hiruzen always seemed to be one step ahead of him.
'Hiruzen has been Hokage for too many years. There used to be some ignorant Konoha shinobi who called him the "Strongest Hokage"…'
Danzō suddenly recalled the past.
When Danzō first heard about it, even he couldn't help laughing.
Perhaps it had come from ignorance, but those words were practically setting Hiruzen up to fail through excessive praise.
Any shinobi who truly understood would only find such claims ridiculous…
Yet over the past few years, whether in terms of strength or his skill at governing the village, Danzō had been startled to realize that although Hiruzen appeared to have voluntarily taken a huge step backward, in reality, he had advanced far beyond where he had been before…
He had strictly forbidden Konoha shinobi from calling him the Strongest Hokage and instead promoted Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara as the foundational figures of Konoha's previous generations, all while continuously consolidating resources and making the pie bigger himself.
By now, even if someone genuinely called him the "Strongest Hokage," the majority of Konoha shinobi would probably sincerely believe that Sarutobi Hiruzen fully deserved the title…
'Can I still catch up to Hiruzen?'
'Can I really do it?'
'Even if I became Hokage, there's an enormous difference between one Hokage and another…'
'Tobirama-sensei and Hashirama-sama don't have remotely the same reputation or standing…'
Even Danzō had to admit that, in terms of their historical standing in the public consciousness, several Tobiramas put together probably still couldn't compare to a single Hashirama.
Hiruzen, in particular, was even more cunning. One moment he called himself the inheritor of Hashirama's will, yet he also had the identity of Tobirama's disciple, and there were even some humorous Uchiha who said he resembled the "Great Clan Head"…
He had practically stitched every legacy onto himself!
'Maybe Seisui was right…'
Danzō narrowed his eyes. He had once discussed with "Seisui" whether Tobirama would have chosen him as Hokage if he had volunteered to stay behind back then…
The conclusion the sensei and disciple had reached was no.
Because Tobirama's decision certainly hadn't been something he made on a whim simply because of that one act of volunteering to stay behind.
Clearly, it had been the result of long consideration.
The so-called rearguard assignment had merely been the final test.
'Maybe I really should switch tracks…'
Danzō unconsciously clenched his fist.
'On the path to becoming Hokage, I'll never be able to beat Hiruzen. I need to accept that reality.'
'But where do I have an advantage over Hiruzen?'
Listening to the thunderous cheers of the Konoha shinobi outside the command tent as they shouted "Hokage-sama," Danzō sank into thought.
'My advantage…'
'Actually, it's that I'm someone who can "die," even though I'm the Hokage's advisor.'
Danzō closed his eyes and contemplated.
'But Hiruzen absolutely cannot die. Given Konoha's current situation, if he were to die, then Konoha—and even the entire shinobi world—would be plunged into a horrific catastrophe…'
Danzō had keenly noticed all the changes that had taken place after the Nine-Tails became a "Konoha Council Member."
A Tailed Beast that no longer acted recklessly on impulse had instead started studying military strategy and even put on robes…
Danzō was certain that since the Nine-Tails had ambitions of becoming a "Konoha Council Member," that fox would never be content to obediently serve as a mascot.
It would undoubtedly make full use of that authority, along with the various unique properties of Tailed Beast chakra, to consolidate its position within Konoha. That was only natural.
'Uzumaki Shio, Minato's child, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, their jinchūriki, and their disciples and followers…'
Danzō could already see an enormous faction slowly rising across the plains of the Land of Fire, one with tremendous potential for further growth.
Abundant chakra and self-healing capabilities; Tailed Beasts contributing to the village, which represented the absolute correctness of the Will of Fire; the growing trend toward jinchūriki…
It was exceptionally strong in virtually every respect.
'As long as Hiruzen is around, this so-called "Tailed Beast Faction" doesn't really matter, just like when First-sama was around…'
'What faction? They're nothing more than shinobi working for the village who happen to gravitate toward one another because of their shared characteristics…'
'But if Hiruzen were gone, that would be a serious problem…'
Danzō recalled how, during the Uchiha Yashiro incident, it had been difficult for the village to even hold a meeting properly because no one was willing to defer to anyone else.
Naturally, he had been one of those unwilling to defer to others.
In a sense, this was also one of the "drawbacks" of being powerful.
Capable shinobi tended to have strong minds of their own. Without a leader whom everyone acknowledged, severe internal conflict was unavoidable.
'Death…'
Danzō contemplated the word.
To Danzō, "death" was not necessarily a bad thing.
What he believed in was that "a shinobi should be prepared to die."
But as Konoha's Hokage advisor, his "death" ought to be spectacular, witnessed by all, and remembered by everyone.
The standard he had to measure himself against was "Tobirama's death"!
'At the very least, I need to take the Kage of a village down with me…' Danzō narrowed his eyes. Once the thought arose, there was no stopping it.
'Sunagakure isn't worthy, Kirigakure's is already dead, but Ōnoki and the Third Raikage would qualify…'
'If I could take both of them with me at once, Konoha would undoubtedly remember my achievements. I'd surpass an ordinary Hokage!'
'Someone like Orochimaru, for example…'
A thought stirred in Danzō's mind.
Objectively speaking, "death" was an amplifier of merit.
If an achievement was accomplished through "death," its significance would be elevated by another level.
Even in a shinobi world governed by shinobi rules, if a shinobi failed a mission but fought to the death in the attempt, that failure would effectively be wiped clean.
Danzō was certain that if he could take Ōnoki and the Third Raikage down with him, then no matter how well Hiruzen governed Konoha, future generations of Konoha shinobi would still acknowledge him as the "Hokage advisor"!
They wouldn't think him unworthy of serving alongside Hiruzen. His name would forever be mentioned alongside Hiruzen's, the two of them remembered as the greatest pairing of "Hokage and advisor," one of the towering standards that future Hokage could never surpass.
Perhaps he could even surpass Tobirama-sensei?
At the thought, Danzō's heart trembled. His eyes reddened slightly from the sheer obsession taking hold of him, and he resolved fiercely: 'It's decided!'
Beside him, Shikuro gave him an odd look from behind his sunglasses.
Ever since Danzō had answered his question, he had suddenly fallen silent, his expression shifting unpredictably as he thought about who knew what…
It was rather frightening!
After thinking it over, Shikuro spoke softly.
"Danzō-sama…"
"What is it?" Danzō froze.
"There's no harm in addressing Hokage-sama by name in private, but while you're in the military camp, it would be better not to call him directly by his name," Shikuro said quietly.
Danzō's face darkened.
"I know!"
He had called him "Hiruzen" just now…
He hadn't expected that even Orochimaru had stopped taking issue with that, only for someone else to pick up the torch afterward.
But from another angle, this also reflected how, in the minds of Konoha's shinobi, the gap between him as advisor and the Hokage was growing wider and wider…
Quite by accident, Shikuro's remark once again reinforced Danzō's decision.
It was plain to see that Hiruzen would continue leading the village forward, accumulating more and more achievements.
Even if Danzō desperately tried to catch up, the gap between them would rapidly widen.
But "death" was different…
Once he "died," the difference between their achievements would be frozen at that moment, while the feat of "taking down two Kage by himself" would allow him to close a huge portion of that gap in one stroke…
Danzō didn't expect that achievement to truly let him catch up to Hiruzen…
But at the very least, it would make Konoha's shinobi sincerely accept that he had earned the right to call the man "Hiruzen"!
That was enough.
Danzō drew a deep breath and felt the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique hidden within his body burn hot, as though it could hardly wait to be triggered…
'What a shame…'
Danzō thought with considerable regret: 'If I'd realized this sooner, I should've spoken with Orochimaru and had him transplant the Tsuchigumo Clan's secret technique and cursed seal onto me.'
'The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique alone still isn't reliable enough…'
The Tsuchigumo Clan had inherited a terrifying Kinjutsu capable of gathering natural energy to unleash a violent explosion. Its name was Fury.
The technique was powerful enough to easily determine the course of an entire war, but its requirements were extremely demanding.
At present, most members of the Tsuchigumo Clan lacked the qualities needed to inherit the original Fury. Even with Orochimaru's modifications, they could only create simplified "natural-energy land mines."
Danzō, however, believed he could do it.
Having mastered the Wind Release Chakra Mode, if he unleashed all of his chakra with no regard for his own life, he could artificially create a structure resembling a "hurricane."
By continuously and forcefully cycling his breathing, he could rapidly gather the natural energy in the surrounding air, achieving an effect that might even surpass the original technique at full power.
'Am I hesitating again?'
'I can't miss my chance this time!'
Danzō let out a long breath.
'Enough. I'm not thinking about this anymore!'
As appealing as the vision was, it remained nothing more than an idea.
He had already hesitated twice—once after "Tobirama stayed behind," and once after "Torifu came clean." If he counted this time, that would make three!
Once could happen. Twice could happen. But not a third time…
With Hiruzen's way of doing things, Konoha would not have many opportunities to face a war like this.
'Besides, there's no need for it…'
'Ōnoki's defenses aren't worth mentioning. Even against the Third Raikage's formidable body, the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique would be enough as long as it hits…'
Danzō reassured himself: 'That Hurricane Fury idea would probably be enough even against an enemy like Uchiha Madara! But there are no enemies like that in the shinobi world. Even that mysterious powerhouse has mastered Space–Time Ninjutsu…'
This wasn't Danzō being arrogant.
The effect produced by frantically gathering natural energy and detonating it was indeed terrifyingly powerful, far beyond a Tailed Beast Ball.
What he didn't know, however, was that Madara wasn't dead, and that beings known as the "Ōtsutsuki" also existed in the shinobi world—and natural energy was one of the best weapons against them.
Moreover…
Hiruzen didn't want to see him die like that, and Madara wouldn't allow matters to slip beyond his control either.
Danzō wanted to be the player moving the pieces of his own fate, but right now, he was merely a piece on the board, not permitted to do anything that might affect the larger game…
...
Several days later.
Kumogakure concentrated its superior forces. After several unsuccessful attempts to tear open Konoha's battle line, the Third Raikage gave the order to force a breakthrough.
The objective wasn't to invade the Land of Fire or fight their way to Konoha, but to reach Konoha's forward command post on the Konoha-Kumogakure front and seize its logistical stockpiles and any valuable spoils of war.
Whether it was flying ninja tools or medical chakra scrolls, the Kumo shinobi coveted them greatly.
Kumogakure was actually quite strong when it came to research as well.
They had delved into both the Space–Time Ninjutsu known as the Heavenly Transfer Technique and chakra-based ninja tools…
But research was one thing, and stealing was another. There was no reason they couldn't do both.
"Everyone, set out…"
The Third Raikage folded his arms.
"Remember the objective of this operation. Fight your way to Konoha's command post and locate their supply depots. Don't push too deep. Konoha's strength has exceeded my expectations."
"There still hasn't been any movement from Kirigakure. They've probably run into serious trouble…"
"Under these circumstances, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to take the field. As long as Ōnoki and I remain where we are, Sarutobi Hiruzen most likely won't appear either. Neither side wants the intensity of this war to escalate any further."
In fact, both Hiruzen and the Third Raikage had entertained the idea of using this war to temper their forces.
Letting the shinobi broadly experience the atmosphere of a large-scale battlefield and then pass that experience down to the next generation would greatly benefit the villages' long-term development.
But if the Kage themselves took the field, no matter how much restraint they emphasized, the intensity of the fighting would inevitably rise higher and higher.
It could easily develop to a point where even the Kage themselves could no longer control it, just as it had during the First Shinobi World War.
During this war, the Third Raikage had been surprised to discover that Konoha's shinobi possessed an extraordinary amount of real combat experience—even more than Kumogakure's shinobi, who frequently went out on raids!
Even among the "cannon fodder" assigned merely to hold the line, quite a few had one or two special tricks up their sleeves, each of them fighting like a battle-hardened veteran.
This was the benefit Konoha had gained from establishing its "Patrol Force."
By forming squads around "veterans," they could gradually pass battlefield experience on to newer shinobi through actual combat. Combined with the development of Konoha's medical technology, large numbers of older shinobi had returned to active duty.
They aimed to ensure that every squad had at least one "veteran" who had experienced a Shinobi World War.
That was why Konoha's shinobi possessed unexpectedly extensive combat experience and resilience, and why they so rarely lost their composure in battle…
"Yes, Raikage-sama!"
"Just watch me, Father!"
The Kumo shinobi shouted in unison.
Although Kumogakure had an atrocious reputation throughout the shinobi world, its internal cohesion and unity were extremely strong.
That was because the Third Raikage wasn't merely a man whose rough exterior concealed a meticulous mind—whenever the village encountered a crisis, he was also always the first to charge in.
Whenever the Eight-Tails went on a rampage, for example, he would always be the first to rush forward and engage it in close combat, even using his own body to withstand Tailed Beast Balls head-on…
"Go!"
The Third Raikage nodded, thinking inwardly: 'Sarutobi Hiruzen, are you thinking the same thing?'
At that moment, the Third Raikage gazed into the distance.
He could almost see Hiruzen sitting in Konoha's central command tent, staring back at him across the vast distance.
Each of them sat in the seat of a "Kage," holding the other in check.
"Let's move!"
"According to the plan, we'll make a precision breakthrough at this section of the battle line!"
"If enemy elites try to stop us, pair off against them and finish them quickly…"
The Fourth A rolled his shoulders and loosened up. Even he was alarmed by the sheer number of high-level combatants Konoha possessed.
This time, Kumogakure could truly be said to have deployed every expert it had below the level of Kage.
There was the "A-B Combo" of himself and Killer B—the future Raikage and the Eight-Tails' perfect jinchūriki.
Dodai and "C," the Raikage's right- and left-hand men, possessing the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai and powerful sensory ninjutsu respectively.
And Yugito Nii, jinchūriki of the Two-Tails.
But the Konoha lineup facing them was equally formidable.
First were Namikaze Minato, who had already made a name for himself as the "Yellow Flash of Konoha," and Tobirama, known as the "Black Flash of Konoha." Their Flying Thunder God Techniques could work in tandem.
Then there was Uchiha Izuna, the Uchiha Young Clan Head residing within Tobirama.
And after them came Might Duy, the "Wild Beast of Konoha," who could maintain a state of Eight Gates continuously.
Then there was Danzō, the second-generation Darkness of the Shinobi, who had his heart set on killing the Raikage and Ōnoki, was proficient in cursed seals, and had attained an extremely high level of mastery over Wind Release.
As well as the Aburame and Yamanaka clans, who were particularly well suited to counter Kumogakure's taijutsu…
Kumogakure's only advantage lay in its greater number of troops.
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