Though Konoha's changes seemed calm on the surface, it remained undisputed as the greatest of all ninja villages. Even a single leaf falling from this mighty village could feel like a mountain crashing down upon the Three Great Hidden Villages.
Sunagakure had already reached an employment agreement with the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate and could gain resource support by sacrificing limited sovereignty. But for Iwagakure and Kumogakure—who were still holding on to their independence—full submission to the Shogunate was simply out of the question.
After all, given the Land of Wind's severe poverty, even a modest share of resources provided by the Shogunate would give them much-needed relief.
Such trivial favors, however, held absolutely no appeal for both Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
Therefore, driven by political pragmatism—and encouraged by secret messages from the Third Raikage suggesting an alliance—Onoki made his decision. He gritted his teeth and resolved to stake everything in one bold move.
As for whether things would ultimately succeed—that would be discussed later!
At the very least, he would start by sending his eldest son as an envoy to Kumogakure—an undeniable sign of his sincerity in pursuing peace.
As for whether this would succeed, that would depend entirely on the Sage of Six Paths' will!
No matter the outcome, Onoki had no intention of hesitating further.
After all, the hearts of Iwagakure's people had completely changed!
Although Iwagakure's internal rebellion didn't last long before being ruthlessly crushed by Onoki's iron fist, the information was intercepted by White Zetsu lurking beneath Iwagakure Village. It was quickly transmitted back to Black Zetsu, hidden deep underground within Konoha.
"An opportunity has arrived!"
Black Zetsu believed this was a perfect moment to approach Hyuga Soushu.
The problem, however, was that Soushu did not seem like someone easily fooled. His strong will wouldn't allow him to believe wild tales from suspicious monsters. Therefore, how to establish contact with him became a crucial matter.
Meanwhile, as Black Zetsu remained hidden underground, carefully planning his next step, the ninja clans stationed in the Herb Country had already informed Hyuga Soushu of Iwagakure's strange movements.
As for how they discovered this—it couldn't have been simpler. The Jonin from Iwagakure, who had been secretly dealing with the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation and sharing deep ties, went completely silent overnight. Communication channels maintained in secrecy were completely severed. Even the local intermediaries handling these interests within the Land of Earth could no longer locate their Iwa superiors.
This level of abnormality was almost unheard of. What was even more alarming was not just the disappearance of one or two Jonin—it was that nearly everyone involved in those secret dealings had vanished without a trace.
This series of disappearances clearly signaled that something unprecedented and profoundly dangerous was brewing within Iwagakure—an internal upheaval so secretive, its implications were bone-chilling.
Thus, alarmed by this development, the ninja clans stationed in the Herb Country immediately interpreted this as Iwagakure purging its own ranks in preparation for war and urgently requested aid from the Shogunate.
"Iwagakure is facing internal chaos at this very moment."
When this intelligence reached Hyuga Soushu's hands, he found it rather troubling as well.
After all, the main forces of the Shogunate's direct ninja army had already been deployed to the camp at the far western frontier. The Standing Ninja Army remaining in Hakone Prefecture city numbered only slightly more than two thousand. Though sufficient for deterrence, these forces were not strong enough to conquer a major Hidden Village.
"Please issue a mobilization order, Master Hyuga Soushu!"
The Inuzuka Clan Leader, who came as an envoy seeking reinforcements, pleaded desperately: "If we underestimate the threat, the ninja clans stationed at the front lines could be wiped out in the chaos of war!"
"Won't a full-scale mobilization put too much strain on the Organization?"
Hyuga Soushu still hesitated.
The resources required for an expedition to Mount Myoboku would be immense. At present, most production capacity within territory controlled by ninja clans was already maxed out. Mobilization would inevitably reduce production efficiency, thus affecting the formation of the expeditionary force.
Yet if they ignored Iwagakure's internal changes, who could say whether they'd already made contact with Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave?
The frontline ninja clans only need to mobilize their forces for support, but Hyuga Soushu had far too many considerations.
Therefore, this was a dilemma.
"Lord Soushu, if we do not unify the Ninja World before our expedition, there may be endless troubles afterward,"
The Inuzuka Clan Leader, long anticipating Soushu's hesitation, immediately began crying out in prepared argumentation: "If rebellious clans suddenly attack our rear when our expedition sets forth, it would bring total disaster!"
"But if we launch a war against Iwagakure without just cause, won't it seem unjustified?"
Hyuga Soushu still frowned deeply: "After all, both Iwagakure and Kumo lent significant support during the war against the Bloodline faction in the Land of Water. Ignoring this shared history would seem extremely heartless."
"This is a different time from before! Iwagakure's ambition has already become clear—we must remain vigilant, or risk endangering our entire Organization!"
The Inuzuka Clan Leader continued pleading desperately.
"In that case..."
Soushu gritted his teeth, determination filling his face: "Then let's proceed with mobilization! If we're wrong, we'll anger Iwagakure—but I'll take full responsibility for it!"
"Wise decision, Lord Soushu!"
The Inuzuka Clan Leader became instantly overjoyed.
However, after leaving Hyuga Soushu's office, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
It was almost like each point he'd prepared had somehow fit exactly what Soushu wanted to hear, making this tremendous mobilization surprisingly easy to accomplish without much effort.
"Was it settled then?"
After the Inuzuka Clan Leader departed, Mahiru Uchiha walked out from behind the curtain, carrying a child.
"Just preparing,"
Soushu's face immediately lit with smiles. Gently lifting their legitimate heir, Ryujū, from Mahiru's arms, he cradled the child affectionately as he said: "The ninja world we've prepared for him is about to take its first shape!"
"Indeed, before dealing with external threats, internal stability must come first."
Mahiru Uchiha licked her lips, her voice carrying a slightly husky tone: "Still, wouldn't Ryūjū have a hard time if we don't distribute fiefs?"
"Then how about we keep making more kids?"
Soushu immediately understood Mahiru-chan's meaning.
Although it was still broad daylight, that didn't stop the two from showing their affection.
With the sudden activation of the long-dormant giant—the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation—Iwagakure and Kumo, previously engaged in secret plotting, immediately grew tense.
After all, even if only a handful of people were involved, secrets never stay buried in the Ninja World—it's like trying to keep something quiet in a sieve.
Therefore, both Onoki and the Third Raikage began urgently mobilizing internal forces, fearing a decapitation strike from the Shogunate Ninja Force.
Among them, Onoki felt the most anxiety.
Unlike Kumo, whose leader was paralyzed but still harbored ambitions, Iwagakure currently appeared to be thriving in a golden age of prosperity.
Most Iwa ninjas were immersed in this rare period of peace, especially since trade deals with the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation had caused many of them to relax their vigilance toward enemy confrontation. As a result, they resisted Onoki's preparations for war.
The most obvious opposition faction within Iwagakure was naturally the Organization-aligned Jonin faction that had recently been secretly eliminated.
However, what troubled Onoki was that despite his Anbu's best efforts to investigate, no traces of spies from either the Shogunate or the Organization had been found operating within Iwagakure.
Based on past experiences and deep-rooted biases, Onoki quickly reached a conclusion: the enemy spies had burrowed too deeply! Inward purging must come first before repelling external threats!
What he hadn't realized, however, was that the internal changes within Iwagakure weren't due to intelligence leaks from spies, but rather subtle clues discovered through the economically cooperative interactions that were deliberately kept up on the surface. Since Onoki truly despised commercial dealings, considering them nothing more than vulgar games played by greedy merchants, he never suspected that the leak might have stemmed merely from an unexpected pause in private interest exchanges between the two sides.
Meanwhile, to calm public sentiment in Iwagakure, Onoki not only ordered the mobilization and readiness preparations for Iwa ninjas, but also dispatched an envoy to the Shogunate to ask about the meaning behind these unusual recent developments.
Hyuga Soushu's response was direct and firm: "We're simply accelerating our expedition plans. Friendly nations needn't panic, nor should they misinterpret or misunderstand, otherwise bilateral relations will inevitably suffer!"
"But isn't the scale of conscription and assembly of the Shogunate's ninja forces excessively large?"
Mahibi, serving as the envoy, had met Hyuga Soushu several times before, yet still felt uneasy during their current interaction.
Especially upon arriving at Hakone Prefecture City, he had seen squads of travel-worn Uchiha ninjas entering the city—clearly having traveled a long way from their western fiefs.
Moreover, if assembling the ninja force was solely for attacking Mount Myōboku beyond the Savage Lands, why gather them all at the Shogunate's Central Command Post?
This just didn't add up!
"Master Soushu," Mahibi said hesitantly, "expeditions against Mount Myōboku are major matters affecting the entire Ninja World. If necessary, Iwagakure would be willing to contribute its military strength."
After a long hesitation, Mahibi finally revealed the ultimate offer entrusted to him by Onoki before departure.
Of course, Iwagakure would most likely not participate in the war, but this condition could still serve as a test.
"Great! Sure thing!"
Hyuga Soushu readily agreed. "How many troops does Iwagakure plan to send? When can they assemble and join the joint training?"
"Joint training?"
Mahibi seemed slightly surprised.
"The enemy on this distant expedition is none other than the denizens of Mount Myoboku itself, and the journey spans thousands of miles. It will undoubtedly be full of hardships. If we rashly send our Ninja Force to the battlefield without prior adaptive training, it's no different from sending them to die!"
Hyuga Soushu patiently explained: "Therefore, if you want to participate in the war, all ninja must undergo pre-war training and pass an evaluation before entering actual combat."
"Oh, and don't worry—the training won't cause any issues. The Shogunate has already reached an agreement with Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Holy Places. The Great Katsuyu Sage himself will lend assistance, so there definitely won't be any casualties caused by training. You can rest assured about that."
"If you're unfamiliar with the Slug Sage, perhaps you should return and discuss this with Lord Onoki first. Anyway, we're not in any hurry right now."
After saying this, Hyuga Soushu pressed a small button on his desk. Moments later, a Servant Ninja slid the door open and escorted Mahibi out.
Helplessly, Mahibi—who had just been flooded with useless information—could only bow respectfully before being led away by the Servant Ninja.
Just as Mahibi left Hakone Prefecture's city and released a Ninja hawk to report back on his mission, the Organization's Mobilized Ninja Force gathered at Hakone Prefecture secretly began advancing toward the occupied territories of the Land of Lightning.
Following a day's march and pre-battle deployment, Hyuga Soushu personally led one thousand Shogunate ninja directly into the Daimyo's court of the Land of Lightning, easily wiping out the stationed Kumo ninja!
Meanwhile, the Mobilized Ninja Force moved northward, effectively blocking Kumo's southern rescue route!
This sudden strike utterly shocked Kumo, which was still clinging to the illusion of peace—it was an undeclared attack!
Even during The Great Ninja World War, the major Hidden Villages always sent sacrificial envoys ahead of launching large-scale offensives, formally declaring war upon initiation of hostilities!
Therefore, before the Third Raikage could even react, all the Daimyo and Courtiers within the Lightning Daimyo's court had already been personally ordered by Hyuga Soushu to be decapitated and displayed atop poles—a grim practice known among ancient warriors.
Naturally, the next step was for the Shogunate Ninja Force to advance northward, quickly forcing Kumo into trench-style warfare as they hurried southward.
The Third Raikage himself, leading the southern campaign, was likewise fuming with rage.
However, Hyuga Soushu had nothing to say to him. Once his ninja force completed formation adjustments, he decisively launched a direct attack.
With ninjutsu that darkened the skies and ninja tools flying like hail, Soushu sprang forward first, initiating the frontal assault!
"If that's how it is, then let's settle this today once and for all!"
Given the Raikage's temperament, there was naturally no point trying to reason with him in such a moment. He immediately commanded his Ninja Force to counterattack, then charged straight at Hyuga Soushu.
"Clang!"
Their hands slammed together with a deafening crash, like steel hitting stone.
Immediately afterward, Soushu casually unfurled a Sealing Scroll and grasped the Torch Pole weapon in his hand. With one heavy hammer strike, he slammed directly onto the Third Raikage's head!
"Damn it!"
The Third Raikage had originally assumed that Hyuga Soushu wanted to fight using Taijutsu, so he didn't expect him to suddenly pull out a weapon. With the two standing extremely close together, it was difficult to dodge, so he simply took the hit head-on.
However, Soushu's strength exceeded his expectations by far.
Even so, the Third Raikage immediately launched into action, activating Taijutsu.
"Four-Finger Drill!"
His hand, filled with concentrated Lightning Release chakra, lunged straight toward Soushu's chest.
[Jumping Slash!]
Soushu activated the skill directly and Body-Flickered behind the Third Raikage in a flash, then swung his hammer downward, instantly killing an unfortunate Kumo ninja who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
[Ignite!]
Before the Third Raikage could react, Soushu unleashed a summoner skill.
Flames erupted outward from his chest, forcing even the Third Raikage—whose physical endurance rivaled that of Tailed Beasts—to cry out in agonizing pain!
[Power Strike!]
Right after came a heavy hammer strike that drove the Raikage straight into the ground!
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