Chapter 24: All Quiet on the Western Front
As time passed, another month slipped by quietly.
It couldn't be said that the Five Great Nations were in open conflict, but beneath the surface, they were already waging a silent war.
Assassinations, poisonings, theft, espionage, diplomacy, and political manipulation—every method short of a full-scale ninja war was being used to weaken enemies and strengthen one's own side. Both moral and immoral tactics surfaced one after another.
At times, to deal with Sand Village shinobi who launched suicidal attacks on Konoha's water supplies, all of Konoha's water-style users were summoned to fill specially dug reservoirs, preventing further sabotage.
Meanwhile, along the borders with the Cloud and Earth Villages, the nights were alive with the crackle of explosions—like endless firecrackers echoing through the mountains.
Ninjas from every faction clashed in the darkness, determined to annihilate one another completely.
However, since the rise in popularity of the Blut Vene, small-scale skirmishes had grown far more dangerous. Once a ninja wearing that light-blue armor activated its short period of invincibility and closed the distance, even veteran shinobi found themselves in serious peril.
Only elite jonin could occasionally break through those defenses and strike a fatal blow.
The glowing veins of the Blut Vene had become a nightmare for enemy forces stationed in the border buffer zones.
Yet ironically, the more Konoha's technology proved effective, the more united its enemies became. The Rock and Cloud Ninjas, once distant rivals, had grown steadily closer—forming informal offensive and defensive pacts. Reports even suggested open cooperation between them.
This news left the Third Hokage deeply troubled.
At first, they had believed the introduction of the Blut Vene would shift the balance of power in Konoha's favor. But its overwhelming power had only frightened the other nations, driving them to unite against a common threat.
Now, with Iwagakure and Kumogakure working together, Konoha's border defenses were once again under crushing pressure. It felt as though all the progress made had simply reset to zero.
The Sand and Rock forces clashed against Konoha in the west, while Cloud and Rock operatives infiltrated from the north, conducting sabotage and ambushes that left Konoha's patrol units exhausted and bloodied.
Even worse was the situation within Konoha itself. The Third Hokage's internal investigation—intended to uncover the mysterious haori-wearing ninjas—had yielded nothing.
No evidence. No witnesses. No trace. It was as if those figures had appeared from thin air.
Such a large-scale internal search had even begun to expose cracks in the village's stability.
Aizen's suggestion to pursue the matter more carefully was understandable—he served as Konoha's acting advisor, after all. But under Sarutobi's pressure, he could only bow his head and comply, offering compromises that gave the Hokage some face.
Danzo and the other two advisors, however, were not as lenient.
As the investigation deepened, ideological clashes broke out among the higher-ups. Departments began to turn on each other. Paranoia spread.
The once-unified village was quietly descending into disorder.
Still, both the Hokage and Danzo clung to one belief:
To withstand attacks from outside, the inside must first be purified.
In their eyes, Konoha was invincible—but internal betrayal could destroy it.
Sarutobi Hiruzen would rather recall elite jonin like Namikaze Minato to handle internal investigations than risk allowing corruption to grow unchecked.
Even if the process exposed flaws in Konoha's system, it was already too late to turn back.
After all, when the arrow is nocked, it must be loosed.
He had already tangled Konoha in this web of suspicion—how could he simply stop now and say, "Perhaps I went too far"?
Compared to the newfound unity of Rock and Cloud, Konoha's factional divisions were no secret. Other nations mocked it behind closed doors.
Yet the Third Hokage remained unshaken.
Konoha is still the greatest village in the world.
Even fractured, even full of internal disputes, it would never stoop to rely on outsiders.
If I want your resources, he thought grimly, I'll take them by force.
And at that chaotic, uncertain moment… a single spark appeared—a turning point.
---
It was October. The air had grown cold. Villagers were gathering supplies for winter when shocking news arrived:
A civil war had broken out in the Sand Village.
"Civil war in the Sand Village? Excellent!"
The Sandaime slammed his hand against the table and rose abruptly—only to realize that the entire council room was staring at him with raised eyebrows.
He coughed awkwardly and sat back down.
Behind him sat the two senior advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
Once pillars of authority, they now looked uncomfortable, their relevance fading by the day.
In the corner, Shimura Danzo leaned against the wall, his bandaged face unreadable.
Beside the Hokage's left hand sat Aizen Sosuke—not in a position of grandeur, but close enough to command attention. His eyes moved sharply across the intelligence report, every word sinking into his mind.
At his side stood Namikaze Minato, silent and alert, scanning the room for any potential threat.
For Sarutobi Hiruzen, calling a meeting had become second nature—a habit engraved into his very soul.
Especially now, with the investigation into the mysterious haori-clad figures spiraling into chaos, he had taken to holding councils more frequently. It was his way of reaffirming control—of reminding every faction in Konoha who still sat in the Hokage's chair.
Only when the ninja took action did they truly realize the Hokage's authority.
The Third Hokage's political mindset remained purely authoritarian. Although his demeanor seemed gentle and his speeches carried the tone of restraint—believing that internal stability must come before foreign confrontation—his control over power and prestige was absolute.
Today, as usual, he had gathered the jonin and advisors of Konoha to hold another "demonstration of leadership."
But just as the meeting began, a ninja from the Intelligence Division entered the council room, bowing deeply before presenting a report—one that had already been verified multiple times, though its content was hardly surprising anymore.
The Sand Village had descended into madness after the sudden disappearance of the Kazekage.
Konoha, of course, was the prime suspect. Yet even after Konoha publicly admitted its role in the White Fang incident and issued an official apology, the Sand ninjas remained unconvinced.
What more did they want?
Did they expect Konoha to bow and grovel?
If anyone dared fire the first shot, Konoha was ready to respond with thunderous force.
Even if the other nations intended to unite and crush Konoha, who could guarantee their safety once the flames of war ignited? What if Konoha once again produced another Senju Hashirama—another "God of Shinobi"—who would laugh in their faces and annihilate them all?
To the rest of the world, that "legend" was not a tale of heroism—it was a memory of catastrophe.
The Sand Village's frustration soon reached its breaking point. Factions formed: the rational and the impulsive, the moderates and the zealots. What began as shouting matches turned into bloodshed.
Civil war had erupted within the Sand.
Though reports didn't yet describe open slaughter, dispatches from Konoha's outposts in the Land of Water—yes, somehow the "front line" had extended there—confirmed that several Sand fortresses had already been abandoned. Entire units were retreating, leaving vast stretches of strategic ground undefended.
The Iwagakure, ever more informed than Konoha, moved swiftly.
Compared to Konoha's disciplined but burdened forces, the demoralized Sand shinobi were easy prey.
By the time the news reached the Leaf, the Rock forces had likely already seized control of the entire buffer zone between them.
The Third Great Ninja War was now poised to ignite.
If Iwagakure launched a full-scale invasion of the Sand Village, Konoha could not stand by and do nothing.
A superpower that united the lands and resources of two great nations—rising to rival even the Fire Country—was something Konoha would never permit.
But of course, that was assuming such a merger could even happen.
Would Kumogakure and Kirigakure stand idly by while another dominant power emerged?
Hardly. Even if they acted in secret, none of the major villages wanted to see a new empire rise.
On that point, at least, all nations shared the same interest.
"I never thought the Sand would be the first to collapse."
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a thin wisp of smoke, smiling faintly as he read through the report. Setting it on the table, he motioned for the jonin around him to pass it along.
Though age had begun to weigh upon him, his mind remained sharp—his political instincts keen as ever.
He already had a plan forming.
If the Rock intended to strike the Sand, Konoha could use that chaos to its advantage.
"Temporarily abandon the Rain Country defense line," he declared calmly. "Recall the Sannin and station them within Konoha. Spread word that our internal divisions have reached their peak. That way, the Rock will attack the Sand without hesitation."
"Whether the Cloud or Mist act afterward doesn't matter. The war will begin between the Rock and the Sand first. That gives Konoha the time it desperately needs to recover."
"During this window, we'll complete our next technological upgrade and begin full deployment of the Blut Vene. That will preserve our tactical and battlefield superiority."
The jonin exchanged glances—some impressed, others uncertain—but all nodded in silent agreement.
Hiruzen's pipe smoke curled through the air as he watched their reactions, satisfaction flickering behind his calm eyes.
Even with his formidable reputation, he understood that allowing Danzo to move unchecked for too long was politically dangerous. He needed to reassert his dominance—to remind everyone that the Hokage still stood at the top.
This plan, simple yet brilliant, was a form of open conspiracy—a trap so transparent that no rival power could resist falling into it.
Konoha would gain what it needed most: time.
Time to nurture its next generation.
Time to refine its technology and techniques.
Time to quietly purge the "insects" that had burrowed within its walls.
And to oversee it all—the witnesses, the enforcers, and the stabilizers of his authority—were his three most trusted disciples: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. Together, they were the pillars that would preserve Konoha's future.
"I truly am a political genius," the Hokage muttered under his breath, a faint grin curling at his lips.
"…"
From his seat near the end of the table, Aizen Sosuke quietly adjusted his glasses and looked at the Hokage's self-satisfied expression. Around the room, the jonin smiled faintly as they passed the document along, their faces masks of obedience.
Aizen said nothing. He merely noted every word, every gesture, every fleeting smile—recording it all meticulously in his personal file.
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