Thinking of this, Shinichi shook his head and looked up at the sky. Under the vast sky, Konoha's tranquility seemed like a thin layer of glass, beautiful yet fragile.
"It's about to begin…"
Shinichi murmured softly, with little expression on his face.
He then walked to his desk, picked up a pen, and wrote on a blank sheet of paper: "On the inevitability and time window analysis of the Village Hidden in the Sand launching war against Konoha."
"For the Hokage's personal attention."
…
Inside the Hokage's office, the third Hokage's gaze fell on the report document just delivered to his desk, signed by Shinichi Higashino.
Two months ago, it was precisely one report from him that directly stated that the third Kazekage had already met with misfortune.
At that time, when no one in the Shinobi World had figured it out, Shinichi had already revealed the greatest undercurrent in the Shinobi World in a single sentence.
The third Hokage slowly opened the document and looked at the title.
"On the inevitability and time window analysis of the Village Hidden in the Sand launching war against Konoha."
"For the Hokage's personal attention."
[At present, the situation in the Village Hidden in the Sand has reached a critical point. Although the third Kazekage's misfortune has been concealed, its reality has already been confirmed by intelligence agencies across various countries.]
[The military adventure of the Village Hidden in the Cloud has further exposed the Village Hidden in the Sand's internal and external difficulties to the world…]
[At this moment, whether the Village Hidden in the Sand will launch a war against Konoha is no longer a question of possibility, but an inevitability of when it will occur.]
[There are four reasons: First, the need to consolidate power. Although the fourth Kazekage rose to power during the crisis, his foundation is not yet stable. Although the two elders, Chiyo and Ebizo, support him, their support is based on a temporary consensus that someone must take charge during the crisis, rather than on absolute confidence in him personally. ]
[Therefore, Rasa urgently needs an external victory to unite the people, establish authority, and complete the transition from a temporarily appointed acting leader to a legitimate fourth Kazekage. This is the political instinct of any new regime and has nothing to do with personal character; it is purely an inevitable requirement of the power structure…]
[Second, the need to account for the predecessor. The third Kazekage's mysterious disappearance, with his life and death unknown, is something the higher-ups of the Village Hidden in the Sand cannot explain to the villagers or the ninjas. If the responsibility for this matter can be cleverly shifted outward, onto the conspiracy of some hostile external force, then the problem will be easily resolved.]
[However, I must clearly point out that this so-called external enemy will not be the Village Hidden in the Cloud that just invaded the Land of Wind, but will inevitably be Konoha…]
[Third, economic pressure. Over the past year, the Village Hidden in the Sand has invested a massive amount of resources in preparation for war. Military expenditures have surged, and material reserves have been heavily consumed…]
[Now, the Village Hidden in the Sand is like an arrow on the bowstring; it must be fired. If they stop, it means economic collapse and a total outbreak of internal contradictions…]
[Fourth, the inevitability of geographical choice. If the Village Hidden in the Sand wants to wage war against the Village Hidden in the Cloud, it would need to cross almost the entire continent, with long supply lines and enormous logistical pressure. Moreover, the Land of Lightning is mountainous and treacherous, easy to defend and hard to attack…]
[On the other hand, to wage war against Konoha, they only need to cross the Land of Rivers. The Land of Rivers is small and sparsely populated, unable to block the passage of a large army…]
[The Land of Fire is fertile, rich in resources, and far more prosperous than the barren Land of Wind…]
[In summary, there is no longer any suspense that the Village Hidden in the Sand will launch a war against Konoha!]
[The only question is when they will act.]
[My judgment is: Within one month.]
[The reasons are as follows: First, internal integration and final war mobilization…]
[Second, the window period is suitable for climate and geography…]
[Third, the strategic opportunity window for a preemptive strike…]
[The above is the inevitability and time window analysis of the Village Hidden in the Sand launching war against Konoha.]
…
Seeing this point, the third Hokage took a deep breath, and only after a long time did he slowly exhale before continuing to read.
[However, I must further point out that once the Village Hidden in the Sand makes a move, this will by no means be an isolated war between two countries, but will inevitably escalate into a great war affecting the entire Shinobi World!]
[That is, the Third Shinobi World War!]
[This war will inevitably be the most dangerous battle for our Land of Fire and our Konoha, because in this war we will inevitably face…]
The third Hokage's pupils suddenly shrank. In the previous two Shinobi World Wars, although Konoha was also engaged in multi-front battles, there were clear main opponents.
For example, in the first Shinobi World War, the Kumogakure ninjas were the core opposing force, while in other regions, there were only sporadic conflicts.
In the second, the main opponents were the Village Hidden in the Sand, the Village Hidden in the Rain, and the Village Hidden in the Stones, and even among these three, they were fighting each other in chaotic battles.
For instance, when the Village Hidden in the Sand fought Konoha, it was also fighting the Village Hidden in the Rain and the Village Hidden in the Stones, so the pressure Konoha faced was still within a controllable range.
But this report directly stated that, from the very beginning, Konoha would face coordinated attacks from both the Village Hidden in the Sand and the Village Hidden in the Cloud, immediately plunging it into a two-front war.
It might even eventually expand into simultaneous battles on four fronts, with a level of danger far exceeding any previous war.
The third Hokage took a deep breath, calmed the surging waves in his heart, and continued reading.
[The Village Hidden in the Cloud!]
[The third Raikage, this man has a fierce and aggressive personality and advocates striking first…]
[The Village Hidden in the Stones!]
[The third Tsuchikage, Onoki, this man is cunning and calculating, best at judging the situation and adapting to circumstances…]
[The Village Hidden in the Mist!]
[The Village Hidden in the Mist is surrounded by the sea on all sides and faces the Land of Fire across the ocean…]
[Therefore, my conclusion is: The Village Hidden in the Sand's full-scale war against Konoha is a foregone conclusion that will occur within one month. And once the war breaks out, the Village Hidden in the Cloud will inevitably follow up with an assault from the northeast of the Land of Fire. ]
[At that time, our Land of Fire and our Konoha will directly fall into a two-front war…]
[… and may even ultimately evolve into the dangerous situation of a four-front war.]
[The above analysis is respectfully submitted for the Hokage's decision-making reference.]
— Shinichi Higashino
December 2, Konoha Year 46.
If you like the story, please don't forget to vote and leave a review.