Ma Jia couldn't bear it anymore. Originally, he had gone undercover… His infiltration of Sunagakure had been with the aim of mastering Reincarnation techniques. Ironically, his body only fully comprehended the technique after he traveled to the future. Even after witnessing the Reincarnation Technique firsthand, his continued stay in Sunagakure no longer had any real significance.
Worse still, his presence in the village indirectly triggered catastrophic consequences—the disappearance of the Third Kazekage and the subsequent attack on Sunagakure. Though he and Rasa had managed to break through and repel the assault from Kumogakure, the title of Kazekage was now within his reach.
But the problem was—Ma Jia had no interest in becoming Kazekage.
Undercover? More like stuck playing ninja politics. He hadn't planned for any of this. Just wanted to explore and experiment, and now fate was pushing him toward the Kazekage position? What a joke.
More importantly, becoming Kage wasn't the same as becoming Kage-level. Not everyone aspired to lead. Especially not in Sunagakure—easily the most underfunded and least supported of the five great villages. The Kazekage had to support the village rather than the other way around. The job was practically a trap.
Kazekage? Absolutely not. Hokage never even appealed to him. The idea of becoming Kazekage? Laughable.
People didn't see the toll leadership took. Look at the Third Hokage compared to Danzo—how much older Sarutobi looked. Then there was Onoki. His chronic back pain was practically a metaphor for the burden of leadership. Sure, it was caused by overuse of his Jinton, but the real culprit was the sheer workload he carried.
The life of a Kage? Not for him.
Ma Jia could have easily revealed his mastery of Magnet Release and used it to drive back the Third Raikage. Even if it aroused suspicion, it wouldn't be a problem. He had the power to challenge Rasa for the Kazekage seat and likely win.
After all, Rasa had been defeated by Ma Jia multiple times, and everyone in the village knew it. A Kage defeated repeatedly? No prestige there.
And let's face it—Sunagakure's upper ranks wouldn't allow the position to remain within the same lineage for too long. They would eventually push for change.
…
So, defection was the best route.
Truthfully, Ma Jia never considered surrendering the Kazekage title to Rasa and remaining in the village. That wasn't in his nature.
Three days later—Konoha.
"Three days ago, Kumogakure, under the leadership of the Third Raikage, launched a surprise attack on Sunagakure. Though the invasion was repelled, Sunagakure suffered heavy losses. Now, they've mobilized their army and are threatening full-scale war with Kumogakure."
"Sensei, Konoha…"
Jiraiya frowned deeply. The raid from Kumogakure had been abrupt—many had predicted they'd make the first move, but not this soon.
Moreover, choosing Sunagakure as their target, despite the vast geographical distance between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Wind, was a perplexing move.
The Third Hokage looked troubled. The entire situation felt forced, and what worried him more was the intelligence gathered afterward.
Rasa—fine. He was the student of the previous Kazekage and inherited Magnet Release. His combat ability in a desert environment made sense. But Ma Jia?
Yes, Konoha's intel listed Ma Jia as an elite jōnin—skilled in mobility and stealth. But no one could explain how he shattered the Third Raikage's legendary defense with a single strike.
Worse, his technique matched one used by Tsuchi, who had fought the Eight-Tails three years prior. That overlap was alarming.
The Hokage lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and exhaled slowly. Smoke curled through the room, mirroring the unease swirling in his mind.
Two days later, Konoha formally declared war on Kumogakure. The Konoha army began deployment to the borders of the Land of Fire.
"Senior Hui, are you going with us?"
At the assembly area, Obito looked toward Hui, forcing a grin.
"Of course. Minato and I have confronted Kumogakure before. It makes sense for us to return to that battlefield," Hui replied gently. He then added with a smile, "Minato may take up a leadership role, but I'll be free to watch over you. He asked me to keep you safe."
"Huh?!"
Obito's voice cracked in surprise.
Rin tugged at his sleeve, whispering for him to behave. "It's good that Mr. Hui will be with us, Obito. We'll be safer that way."
Hui nodded approvingly—Rin was always the sensible one.
"Alright, your teacher's here. You should get moving."
…
Meanwhile, across the continent, the ninja world was descending into chaos.
Kumogakure's raid on Sunagakure had escalated tensions. Both Sunagakure and Konohagakure had mobilized their forces. War was no longer a possibility—it was a certainty.
Unlike the Second Ninja War, where leadership remained centralized, this time, the influence of the older generation had waned. With the deaths of the First and Second Kage generations, the current shadows were less dominant. As such, even within villages, power struggles brewed, diverting resources from external warfare to internal purges.
This would be a total war—no holds barred.
People in the Five Great Nations began fleeing to major cities. Smaller nations—particularly those sandwiched between the giants—saw a mass exodus. Refugees poured across borders. The numbers of displaced civilians and the wounded surged.
Land of Earth.
Watching the wave of refugees, Tsuchi sighed.
"In war, it's always the people who suffer the most."
But what could he do?
"All we can do is strive toward peace. That is our goal," he whispered.
With the medicinal herbs gifted by Hui, Tsuchi had refined countless pills. After distributing them to his clones and main body, he set out for the Land of Earth.
Now, he assumed the identity of a low-ranking shinobi in Iwagakure—an alias he had prepared long ago.
"Tsuchi, don't space out. There's nothing we can do for these people," a teammate said, noticing Tsuchi's distant gaze. "War is inevitable. Let's not dwell on it."
Tsuchi smiled faintly, almost bitterly. "You're right. In war, human lives are as fragile as paper. If only there were no war…"
His words struck a chord with his companions.
"Yeah… I'd give anything to raise my kid in peace, just to see him grow up."
…
After a heavy pause, one teammate tried to lighten the mood. "By the way, do you know where we're headed? I heard the Land of Lightning sent troops toward our border, but we're going to the Land of Wind. Are we seriously fighting both Sand and Lightning? That's insane."
Tsuchi had no difficulty answering. While he played the part of a Genin, he knew much more.
Heading toward the Land of Wind didn't necessarily mean fighting Sunagakure. After all, Kumogakure had recently withdrawn their forces from the area.
This could be a flanking maneuver—cut off Kumogakure's rear lines while pretending to challenge Sunagakure. The Third Raikage thought tactically, but he likely underestimated Sunagakure's response.
After being directly attacked, Sunagakure would never sit idle. They would've already scouted Kumogakure's retreat and traced their path. Maybe they lacked exact coordinates, but the general direction would be clear.
If they couldn't heal, they'd strike back.
Though Ma Jia had defected, and Tsuchi could no longer receive firsthand updates, he could still infer Sunagakure's strategy. A temporary alliance with Iwagakure against Kumogakure was almost guaranteed.
Still, he couldn't say any of this aloud.
"Don't overthink it," Tsuchi said. "We're not decision-makers. Orders are orders. It's better to fight Sunagakure anyway. Earth Release is at a disadvantage against Lightning. Facing Kumogakure head-on would be suicide."
"True," his companion replied. "We're better off. At least we're not up against Thunder-style freaks who can paralyze us mid-jutsu."
Tsuchi withheld a smirk. If only you knew we were headed straight toward the strongest Lightning user alive…
He fell silent again, following his comrades on the march.
Konoha—Root Division.
Danzo remained hidden in Root HQ for days, barely showing his face. Even during Konoha's war council, he only made a brief appearance.
Sunagakure's sudden transformation had caught him off guard. Rasa had become a shadow-level ninja in secret, mastering powerful wide-range techniques. And Ma Jia? Another hidden monster, capable of piercing even the Raikage's armor.
Had he struck prematurely, Danzo could have been exposed and humiliated. His aspirations for Hokage might've been destroyed.
Of course, he would never admit fault.
"My lord," a Root operative reported, "Spies from Iwagakure confirm that a unit has been deployed secretly toward the Land of Wind."
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
"So, Iwagakure is planning to strike Sunagakure… But they should be cautious. Over the years, their growth has been substantial. Though they lack Konoha's resources, their numbers are growing…"