Kumogakure.
The Raikage Building.
Uchiha Yuzuru and the Third Raikage sat in the office, quietly waiting as time passed.
At ten o'clock today, the pre-war mobilization assembly would begin.
Seeing the stacks of documents piled on the Third Raikage's desk, Yuzuru spoke up, "Third-sama, your work efficiency really isn't great. Tōdai and Mabuma haven't even been resting that long, and the paperwork has already piled up like this."
Hearing that, the Third Raikage scratched his head in frustration and complained, "Isn't this all because of you? If you wanted to declare war on Konoha, then just declare war. You just had to announce the start of the Fourth Ninja World War…"
"Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure have all sent people over, asking what exactly we're planning to do."
"According to frontline intelligence, they've already begun massing troops along their borders."
"Yuzuru, do we need to prepare for fighting on multiple fronts?"
After listening to the Third Raikage, Yuzuru waved his hand and said calmly, "Tell them this time it's the legitimate Konoha line cleansing traitors within the village. As long as they don't try to stir up trouble, we won't launch attacks against them."
"As for multi-front warfare…" Yuzuru said confidently, "you can rest easy. They don't have the guts to attack first."
Over the past few years, he had dropped the Great Spiralling Ring on Konoha twice in a row. The devastation of Konoha Village was plain for all to see.
Yuzuru didn't believe the other ninja villages would dare oppose him head-on without absolute confidence.
On top of that, after years of expansion, the territory of the Land of Lightning had already stretched across more than half of the ninja world. Even if the other villages truly dared to attack, they would still have ample time to respond.
After hearing Yuzuru's explanation, the Third Raikage said somewhat regretfully, "Yuzuru, are we really not taking this chance to attack the other villages?"
Seeing his expression, Yuzuru couldn't help but sigh.
The Third Raikage was good in every way—except that he was a bit too reckless. Otherwise, he wouldn't have died surrounded by Iwagakure ninja in the original timeline.
Thinking of this, Yuzuru explained, "Third-sama, our role isn't that of plunderers, but rulers."
"Even with our current national strength, digesting the Land of Fire will still take time. Blindly expanding territory will only bring disaster to the ninja world."
The Third Raikage looked at Yuzuru with admiration and raised his thumb. "Yuzuru, my thinking was shallow. You really do see further ahead."
"You're right. If our unification only brings pain and war to the ninja world, then it would completely betray our original intention."
The Third Raikage felt a lingering sense of fear.
If not for Yuzuru's reminder, he might not only have failed to become a ninja on par with Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, but might even have gone down in history with the stigma of a 'tyrant.'
As they spoke, Tōdai's voice sounded from outside the door. "Raikage-sama, Yuzuru-sama, it's about time."
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Uchiha Yuzuru and the Third Raikage stood side by side on the rooftop of the Raikage Building. Instantly, thunderous cheers erupted from the plaza below.
After more than a decade of accumulation, the two of them had already become heroes in the hearts of every Kumogakure ninja.
Everyone firmly believed that under Yuzuru and the Third Raikage's leadership, Kumogakure would surely move toward an even more glorious future!
An elderly man with a head full of silver hair trembled as he spoke, "This child really did it… He's brought so much honor to our Uchiha clan."
Uchiha Fugaku smiled and nodded. "Yes. Father's eye for people really was sharp. He saw it in Yuzuru at a glance, even when he was still young."
Uchiha Tarou gave a bitter smile. "What insight did I ever have? Everything we have now was fought for by Yuzuru himself."
As he finished speaking, Tarou looked at Yuzuru standing atop the Raikage Building, spirited and basking in the crowd's cheers, and couldn't help but sigh.
"If Konoha had treated our Uchiha clan like this back then, why would we have needed to leave our homeland and settle in Kumogakure?"
"Fugaku, don't you think our Uchiha clan deserves this kind of honor?"
Though life in Kumogakure was good, Tarou still had a knot of resentment in his heart.
Those ungrateful Konoha scoundrels were simply too hateful.
With everything the Uchiha clan had contributed to Konoha, why did they have to suffer such unfair treatment?
Uchiha Fugaku reined in the smile on his face and said solemnly, "Father, just watch in peace. We'll soon reclaim everything that belongs to the Uchiha."
After more than ten minutes, the cheers gradually subsided.
Aside from those who had fainted from excessive excitement, everyone stared at Yuzuru and the Third Raikage with burning eyes.
The Third Raikage nodded toward Yuzuru, who then stepped forward.
"Everyone should already know—we are launching a war against Konoha. But this is not a war of invasion. It is a righteous war to reclaim what was originally ours."
"As everyone knows, Konoha Village was founded jointly by the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan."
"Now, the sole inheritor of the Senju clan is in our Kumogakure, and the Uchiha clan is also in our Kumogakure."
"The Hyūga clan is in our Kumogakure, the Hatake clan is in our Kumogakure, the Hokage's disciple Orochimaru is in our Kumogakure, and the civilian ninja Might Duy is also in our Kumogakure!"
"Tell me—who does Konoha belong to? Who is the true legitimate Konoha?!"
As soon as Yuzuru finished speaking, the crowd below immediately erupted in excited shouts.
"Konoha belongs to Kumogakure! We are the legitimate Konoha!"
Yuzuru nodded in satisfaction and raised his arm high. "So we must reclaim everything that belongs to us, and make Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, and the other traitorous ninjas pay the price they deserve."
"That fertile land should be lived on by us!"
The Kumogakure ninja immediately shouted in unison.
"Reclaim everything that belongs to us! Defend the legitimate Konoha!"
"March back to Konoha! Eradicate the traitors!"
"Long live Lord Yuzuru! Long live Kumogakure!"
"..."
Hearing the cheers, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Hatake Sakumo, Might Duy, and the others felt dazed, as if they were dreaming.
They had originally thought that after fleeing Konoha, they would carry the label of 'Konoha traitor' for the rest of their lives.
But who could have imagined that in Yuzuru's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen—the Third Hokage—had become the 'traitor,' while they themselves had become the 'legitimate Konoha.'
Most importantly, when they thought about it carefully, it actually seemed to make a lot of sense…
Truly worthy of Yuzuru.
With this, when they attacked Konoha, they would have even less psychological burden.
It was just unclear what kind of expressions Konoha's ninja would show once they heard this news.
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After years of meticulous planning by Uchiha Yuzuru, the Land of Lightning had long since become completely different from before.
Thus, once the war mobilization ended, the Land of Lightning began operating in an orderly manner like a finely tuned machine.
Large quantities of strategic supplies were continuously transported toward the border lines, and Kumogakure's ninja began gathering in large numbers at border outposts.
Under the looming shadow of an approaching war, the ninja world instead entered a strangely quiet period.