Becoming Hokage required three steps: the villagers' vote, the Jonin's vote, and the Daimyo's approval.
Danzo felt that the sight of so many Jonin agreeing to Tsunade as the frontline commander was practically a rehearsal for the Jonin vote.
As for the villagers' vote, there was no question— the Senju Clan enjoyed extremely high prestige in Konoha Village. Her identity as the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju alone was enough.
The Daimyo's approval also posed no difficulty. Tsunade was very familiar with the Daimyo's family, and as a Medical Ninja, she had even treated their illnesses.
The more Danzo thought about it, the deeper his despair grew.
Compared to Tsunade, he had no advantage in competing for the position of Hokage. He couldn't win in any aspect; it was a complete defeat.
Should he give up now? No! Impossible!
Becoming Hokage was his lifelong obsession. He would not give up as long as he lived.
"The frontline commander will be Tsunade, and the strategist will be Nara Shikaku," Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a deep voice.
The position of strategist had always been held by the Nara Clan, known for their intelligence and sharp judgment.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Shikaku immediately stood up and responded.
Tsunade was more casual, simply nodding her head. She hadn't originally wanted to be the frontline commander, but due to various accumulated reasons, she agreed.
Firstly, this war was caused by Kitazawa. As his teacher, she did bear responsibility, and she had also overseen the negotiations with the Hidden Mist Village.
Secondly, she refused to let Danzo get his way. By taking the position of frontline commander, she could ensure he wouldn't be able to restore his standing.
Thirdly, there was Sarutobi Hiruzen. He was her teacher, and now that he was old, he was wholeheartedly helping her rise to power.
Tsunade feared nothing, except when Hiruzen played the emotional card. That, she ultimately could not harden her heart against.
"Shikaku, please introduce the current situation," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
"Although Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, has declared war, there hasn't been much movement from the Hidden Mist Village yet—though we cannot rule out the dispatch of reconnaissance teams."
Shikaku paused before continuing. "Our Anbu have already departed to notify the Ninja stationed at the southeastern border of the Land of Fire."
The Land of Water lay southeast of the Land of Fire, separated by sea.
For Hidden Mist Village to invade, they would have to land on the southeastern border. That was the fastest route.
Konoha Village had outpost stations set up along its borders, even during peacetime, to guard against sudden attacks.
However, the number of Ninjas at these outposts was limited, meant only to serve as an early warning system.
"Tsunade, what do you think?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked after a moment of thought.
"Today, we'll send an advance force. Once the Hidden Mist's main forces depart, we'll supplement our numbers based on theirs," Tsunade replied casually. Her approach was to adapt to circumstances.
The cause of this war was peculiar. Although Konoha was stronger than the Hidden Mist, it was unwilling to plunge into a large-scale conflict.
After all, when two clams fight, the fisherman profits. Once Konoha showed weakness, other villages—like Kumogakure—might seize the chance to strike.
The first three Great Ninja Wars had all expanded from small sparks in this way, growing into utter chaos.
"Our Konoha Village should take the initiative, strike the Hidden Mist hard, and make them too afraid to invade!" Danzo stood up aggressively.
"The situation in the Hidden Mist is unclear. Acting rashly will only give other villages an opportunity," Tsunade replied, her tone calm.
"Tsunade is right. We'll proceed as she says," Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately agreed.
"Hiruzen, you—" Danzo clenched his fists subconsciously.
"Tsunade, who do you think should lead the advance force?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, ignoring him.
"The Hyuga Clan," Tsunade said after some thought.
The Byakugan made them best suited for handling unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, they weren't just reconnaissance ninjas; their combat ability was formidable.
Of course, the advance force could not be composed of only Hyuga. In truth, Hiruzen's question was about who should serve as commander.
Hiashi was taken aback. While both the Hyuga and the Uchiha contributed to battles, they rarely held command positions. This was due to Hiruzen's careful balancing—he didn't want either clan to earn too much battlefield merit.
Although Tsunade was not yet Hokage, Hiashi could already feel the difference in how she approached things compared to Hiruzen.
"Very well," Sarutobi Hiruzen finally said, after a brief hesitation. To contradict Tsunade now would undermine his own appointment of her.
"Hiashi," Hiruzen instructed, "after the meeting, you will immediately lead a thousand Ninja to the southeastern border of the Land of Fire."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Hiashi replied solemnly.
For the Hyuga Clan, this was a rare chance to gain merit. Advance forces were often the first to clash with the enemy.
"Who should be responsible for intelligence?" Danzo suddenly asked.
"Anbu," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied.
"The Anbu are directly under the Hokage. Hiruzen, you need to remain in Konoha. Why not let me take charge of intelligence? I led Root for many years and have experience."
"Tsunade is the frontline commander. The Anbu can report directly to her," Sarutobi Hiruzen countered immediately.
Danzo's face stiffened. Rejected again, he finally understood Hiruzen's attitude.
Very well. Since you are heartless, don't blame me for being unjust.
Danzo fell silent and did not speak again until the meeting ended.
"Let's leave it at that for now," Sarutobi Hiruzen said as he rose. "We'll discuss further once the Hidden Mist reacts. Now go and prepare. Meeting adjourned."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," everyone replied in unison.
After Sarutobi Hiruzen left, Tsunade was immediately surrounded. As the frontline commander, it was now her responsibility to coordinate.
"Lady Tsunade, I'll return to the Ninja Academy first," Kitazawa spoke up.
"Handle the matters at the Academy, but you'll be coming with me this time," Tsunade reminded him.
If Kitazawa had been an ordinary Chunin teacher, he naturally wouldn't have needed to go.
But his strength was already among the top Jonin, and he could play a greater role on the battlefield. Besides, this war had started because of him—avoiding it would surely damage his reputation.
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. He definitely had to go.
Because he was the only one who knew that Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, was being controlled, and to end the war, that control had to be broken.
[The war that began because of you should end because of you.]
[Current Mission: Help Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, break free from control.]
[Mission Reward: 30% Senju Bloodline and 20% Byakugan Purity.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa's eyes widened. The mission reward was unprecedentedly generous.
He already possessed 70% Senju Bloodline and 30% Byakugan Purity. If he completed this mission, his Senju Bloodline would reach 100%, and his Byakugan Purity would rise to 50%.
Undoubtedly, achieving 100% Senju Bloodline would grant him special abilities. As for 50% Byakugan Purity, it was harder to say—but there was a high possibility of unique powers as well.
Kitazawa was even more curious about what might happen after reaching 100% Byakugan Purity.
Could it evolve into the Tenseigan? He felt it was unlikely. The Tenseigan was on par with the Rinnegan, and the system would not let him obtain something so powerful so easily.
Most likely, it would become similar to the Byakugan of the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon. But it was too early to think that far ahead.
Generous rewards came with equally difficult missions. At first glance, the task seemed simple, but in reality, it was extremely troublesome.
Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, would not appear on the frontlines immediately. Kitazawa would either have to find a way to infiltrate the Hidden Mist Village or force Yagura onto the battlefield.
Both options were risky. Hidden Mist Village was the enemy's main base—if he were exposed, he'd be finished.
Drawing Yagura to the front was somewhat more feasible. If the Hidden Mist suffered continuous defeats, Yagura would eventually be forced to act.
After accepting the mission, Kitazawa left the meeting room with Kakashi at his side.
"Kakashi, are you participating in this war?" Kitazawa asked curiously.
"I will follow Hokage-sama's arrangements," Kakashi said after a pause. "But if possible, I'd still prefer to teach."
He had already participated in too many wars and lost too much—endless, meaningless killing. After two months teaching the Genius Class, he preferred the peace of his current life.
"That's good." Kitazawa chuckled lightly. "If we all go, Kosuke-senpai will be far too busy."
Kakashi paused slightly. Did that mean Kitazawa was going to war? On second thought, it was only natural. The war was directly tied to him—avoiding it was impossible.
"I'll go back to the Ninja Academy for a meeting and arrange everything," Kitazawa thought to himself. The timing was coincidental.
His original plan had been to let the Genius Class students serve as teaching assistants for the last month. Now, that training would enter a semi-stagnant state. He could resume once he returned from war—though who knew how long it would last.
The two returned to the Ninja Academy. Because the Jonin meeting had lasted over an hour, the final challenge of the practical exam was already over.
At this time, the Genius Class students had all gone home, and the Training Ground was empty.
"I'll go call Kosuke-senpai," Kakashi volunteered.
"Okay." Kitazawa nodded. "I'll go call Iruka. You all come to my office afterward."
Kakashi disappeared immediately. Since it was a holiday afternoon, Kosuke had probably gone home, so Kakashi would have to make the trip.
Iruka, however, was still there, organizing student rankings. Kitazawa called to him, and the two went to the office together.
"Kitazawa-senpai," Iruka suddenly remembered, "this time's challenge was the same as last time. The Genius Class achieved a complete victory."
"An unsurprising result," Kitazawa smiled. "Sit and wait a bit. We'll begin once Kakashi and Kosuke-senpai arrive."
"Okay." Iruka thought they would be discussing the teaching assistant system, so he asked nothing further.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door. Kakashi and Kosuke walked in.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Kitazawa said.
The two sat on the sofa with Iruka.
"Kakashi and I just attended a Jonin meeting," Kitazawa began directly. "The Hidden Mist Village has declared war on us. A conflict is unavoidable."
"What?" Iruka was stunned.
"Every war claims many lives," Kosuke sighed heavily.
"You are teachers at the Ninja Academy, so you won't need to participate in the war," Kitazawa continued. "But I will be going. I'll trouble you to handle the teaching during this time."
"Kitazawa-senpai, you—" Iruka's face filled with worry. Blades had no eyes. Even the strongest Ninja could fall on the battlefield.
"I'll be going with Lady Tsunade. There won't be any danger," Kitazawa reassured him before adding, "Alright, let's talk about the upcoming arrangements."
Hearing this, Iruka stayed silent.
Kitazawa's arrangements were divided into two parts.
The first part was the teaching assistant system for the Genius Class. Starting next week, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Neji, Shino Aburame, and a few other outstanding students will take the lead in trying it out.
Once a fixed model and process were established, the other Genius Class students would also become teaching assistants.
The second part was the special training for the Genius Class students. Some would continue their existing programs, such as Yakumo Kurama, Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, and Yamanaka Pino.
Others would begin new training, like Akimichi Choji learning the Human Bullet Tank and Uzumaki Naruto practicing Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
As for Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura, Kitazawa made no specific arrangements, since Kakashi and Kosuke would handle their instruction.
"That's about it," Kitazawa concluded.
"Okay, Kitazawa-senpai," Iruka promised. "I will definitely carry out the teaching as you've instructed."
"Us too," Kosuke echoed.
"This war… I don't know when it will end. If I don't make it back in time, you will be responsible for the final exam," Kitazawa reminded them.
Fortunately, the upcoming Monthly Exam—the final assessment—hadn't triggered any system-related tasks. Even if he missed it, he wouldn't suffer any losses.
"Do you have any other questions?" Kitazawa asked after finishing his instructions.
"No," Iruka and the other two shook their heads.
"Then everyone can go home." Kitazawa rose to his feet.
"Kitazawa-senpai, please be careful," Iruka said in a low voice.
"On the battlefield, don't be reckless. Obey Lady Tsunade's orders," Kosuke also warned. He still carried the regret of once losing his teammates due to his own impulsiveness.
Kakashi said nothing, only giving Kitazawa a quiet nod.
After the three left, Kitazawa made his way to a secluded area of the Ninja Academy.
Although Sasuke and the others had already gone home, his personal squad was still training. This time, as he joined the war, Kitazawa would definitely bring Kabuto, Aburame Torune, and Uchiha Izumi.
One reason was to have them complete missions. The other was to trigger new system tasks.
"Kitazawa Sensei." Upon seeing him, Kabuto and the other two immediately stopped training and approached.
"The three of you, go home and get ready. Later, you'll be coming with me to the southeastern border of the Land of Fire." Kitazawa informed them of Hidden Mist Village's declaration of war.
"Another war?" Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
He was himself a war orphan, adopted by Nono during the Third Great Ninja War. To him, war was not unfamiliar.
Torune and Izumi, however, were less accustomed to the thought—especially Izumi. She was still young, had never seen a battlefield, but already knew of its cruelty.
"Don't worry. Believe in your own strength," Kitazawa said, patting Uchiha Izumi's shoulder.
"Yes, Sensei Kitazawa," Izumi replied, feeling a little more at ease.
Her teammates and teacher were all remarkably strong. Compared to many of her peers, she was already much luckier.
[Current Mission: Make your squad famous in this war.]
[Mission Reward: Bloodline Limit and corresponding Ninjutsu.]
[Accept?]
[Note: The specific reward will be determined by the fame achieved.]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow as the four lines of text appeared before him. This was another rare mission with a variable reward.
He immediately accepted it. No matter which Bloodline Limit it was, it wouldn't be weak.
As long as it wasn't something useless like Gekkō Hayate's Hiding in Camouflage Technique, he'd be fine. He had no desire to become sickly.
And most reassuringly, this mission reward also included Ninjutsu corresponding to the chosen Bloodline Limit.
---
Meanwhile, Suikazan Fuguki and the others had returned to Hidden Mist Village. Mei Terumī, however, was summoned by Elder Gensui.
As soon as she entered the hall, she sensed something was wrong. Besides Gensui, many other Hidden Mist Jonin were present.
"Mei Terumī," Gensui asked slowly, "tell us about the negotiation process with Konoha Village."
"Okay." Mei Terumī suppressed the doubts in her heart and began recounting what happened. In truth, it hadn't been much—just endless bickering.
"So it really was Mizukage-sama's order," Elder Gensui nodded after hearing that Suikazan Fuguki had abruptly ended the negotiations.
"What happened?" Mei Terumī asked.
"Mizukage-sama has declared war on Konoha Village," Gensui said with a sigh.
"How is that possible?" Mei Terumī frowned. "Why would Mizukage-sama declare war on Konoha Village?"
"We also want to know the answer," Ao replied, seated next to Gensui. "With the Hidden Mist Village's current strength, it will be difficult to win against Konoha."
Ao, a veteran Jonin, was known as the Byakugan Killer, having obtained a Byakugan during the Third Great Ninja War. To this day, it remained the only Byakugan known to have fallen into enemy hands.
"Didn't you try to persuade him?" Mei pressed.
"It was useless." Elder Gensui shook his head. "He wouldn't even listen to me and stubbornly started this war."
In Hidden Mist Village, the elders' authority was second only to the Mizukage. In terms of influence and standing, they were almost equal.
"I compromised and had Ao appointed as the commander of this war," Elder Gensui continued in a deep voice.
"You will hold back Konoha on the front lines. Meanwhile, we will do everything we can to uncover the true reason why Mizukage-sama initiated this war."