Yusuke's decision to strike like that had only one purpose—
to cut off the Hidden Cloud's way out.
Kumogakure acted arrogant on the surface, but if Konoha truly committed to war, there was no guarantee Kumo would actually dare to accept it.
After all—
When the clam and the snipe fight, the fisherman profits.
If Konoha and Kumo went to war, the ones who truly benefited would be the other three great villages.
Because if Konoha and Kumo became locked in a prolonged conflict, the other villages could very well seize the chance to move.
Even if the Hidden Cloud won, it might end up being a hollow victory.
And Konoha had dominated the title of "Number One Hidden Village" for decades—its foundation was deep.
If the two villages truly fought to the end…
Even if Kumo threw every elite shinobi into the grinder, victory still wouldn't be guaranteed.
Winning might still cost too much.
Losing would be even worse.
That was why Yusuke acted the way he did.
Because at the root of this conflict, Kumo was the one in the wrong.
If they lost face and then backed down at the last second, the whole situation could become a "tiger's roar, mouse's tail" farce.
But now?
The situation had completely changed.
Yusuke had slaughtered the envoy delegation.
With the Fourth Raikage's violent temper, how could he swallow that humiliation?
When Hiruzen spoke, the surviving Kumo chunin felt as if he had been pardoned by the heavens.
He scrambled up from the ground, terrified and disheveled, and fled at full speed.
Hiruzen—despite being past fifty—still carried the presence of a leader.
"Everyone."
"Prepare for battle."
"This time… the Hidden Cloud will not let this go."
After announcing it, Hiruzen looked tired in a way he rarely showed.
Yusuke's recent actions were grinding him down.
Compared to Fugaku and Hiashi…
Uchiha Yusuke was far harder to deal with.
Hidden Cloud Village — Raikage's Office
The moment the report arrived, the Fourth Raikage A slammed his fist down—
and shattered his desk into pieces.
"Konoha has gone too far!"
"I'll make them pay!"
Beside him, Mabui pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.
As the Raikage's secretary, the job she did most often…
was replacing his office furniture.
A's eyes burned with rage—mixed with disbelief.
For years, Konoha had seemed weak.
So why was their attitude suddenly this strong?
Had Hiruzen gone mad?
Did he think he could use Kumo as a stepping stone to regain prestige?
He'd picked the wrong target.
But the facts didn't lie.
The chunin who had crawled back alive knelt on one knee, eyes wet with anger and humiliation.
"Konoha was completely arrogant—especially that Uchiha, Yusuke."
"He wiped out the delegation with one strike."
"Raikage-sama… you must avenge us!"
The Fourth Raikage smashed another wall—then another—before he finally forced himself to calm down.
"Send my order."
"Kumogakure officially declares war!"
"I will personally go to the battlefield."
"I'll make those fools feel the wrath of the Hidden Cloud!"
At first, he only wanted to exploit Konoha's weakness and press down the so-called "Number One Village."
Even if Konoha refused to hand over the culprit, he might not have truly intended to fight.
But now Konoha had slapped him in the face.
Avoiding war was no longer an option.
You want war?
Then war it is.
The Fourth Raikage was a man who feared nothing.
He would not back down.
Hokage Tower — Office
A masked shinobi landed silently inside the office.
It was Kakashi—wearing an ANBU mask.
"Third-sama."
"The mission failed."
Under the mask, his expression couldn't be seen, but his eyes carried faint disappointment.
Hiruzen nodded, his face calm.
"Mm. What did Jiraiya say?"
Kakashi's mission had been to bring back one of the Sannin: Jiraiya.
He had found him during his travels.
But Jiraiya refused to return.
With the Fourth Hokage dead, Jiraiya's heart had cooled toward Konoha.
The Great Toad Sage's prophecy had not been fulfilled.
He still had to travel—still had to search for the child of destiny.
Konoha was entering chaos again, and Hiruzen could feel his strength slipping with age.
The moment war with Kumo became unavoidable, his first thought was to bring Jiraiya back.
Hiruzen couldn't personally command the front lines.
If anyone could take that role, it was his student.
And yes—Hiruzen had selfish reasons too.
Konoha was in a transitional generation.
Danzo wasn't fit to command the army.
Neither was Kakashi.
And Hiruzen would never allow the Uchiha to hold battlefield command.
Jiraiya had the strength, the qualifications, and the reputation.
If he returned, he could also help suppress Uchiha Yusuke's growing influence.
But Hiruzen's plan failed.
Kakashi answered in a low voice.
"Jiraiya-sama said he has something more important to do…"
"If Konoha's situation becomes unfavorable… he'll consider returning to help."
The advisor Homura burst in from the doorway.
"Something more important?"
"What could possibly be more important than war?!"
Hiruzen waved his hand and sighed.
"Enough."
"When Jiraiya wants to come back… he'll come back."
He understood Jiraiya's temperament.
Their relationship was strained, but Jiraiya still cared about Konoha.
If Hiruzen found the right moment—appealed to emotion and reason—
there was still a chance to bring him back.
As for Tsunade and Orochimaru?
Hiruzen didn't even consider them.
Tsunade had already lost faith in the village.
Orochimaru… if he didn't come back to cause trouble, that alone was a blessing.
Jiraiya had his own intelligence network through Mount Myoboku.
The moment war began, he'd know.
His "I'll come if things get bad" was, in its own way, a safety net.
Kumo was strong…
but completely crushing Konoha wouldn't be easy.
The Uchiha alone could make Kumo bleed.
Add in the elites of the other clans, and Konoha's total strength wasn't far behind.
The real issue was—
who would command the front lines?
If Jiraiya wouldn't return, then in Hiruzen's mind…
the command would have to go to Hiashi.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
Tsunade gone.
Orochimaru defected.
Among his students, Jiraiya was the only one he could still hope for.
He was old.
Konoha lacked successors.
The shinobi world never stopped shaking.
How could he not worry?
The two advisors felt the same helplessness.
"Forget Jiraiya for now."
"Let's talk about how to guard against the Uchiha."
"Also… the Hyuga."
They had already received reports that Hiashi and Yusuke spoke after the meeting.
They didn't know the exact words.
But they did know this:
the two strongest clans of Konoha were showing signs of cooperation.
And that was unacceptable.
If the Uchiha and Hyuga truly joined hands… who would still be able to control them?
Danzo Arrives
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A cane struck the floor.
Danzo walked in—his aura sharp with killing intent.
"This matter…"
"Leave it to me."
If the Uchiha and Hyuga wanted to unite, he would break them apart.
He even proposed sending Root into the war.
The reason on the surface was "support"—
but his real motives were clear:
Collect Sharingan in the chaos of battle.
Monitor Uchiha and Hyuga movements.
Create "accidents" on the battlefield to poison their relationship.
War was the easiest place to manufacture misunderstandings.
And if Root joined the fight, Danzo would also gain a chance to build merit and reputation.
If he could "end the war"…
then no matter how much the Uchiha and Hyuga sacrificed—
their effort would ultimately become a wedding dress for him to wear.
A perfect ending.
For Danzo.
Want More? Get up to +60 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ https://www.patreon.com/aureliusstudios
➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
Thanks for the support!