The moment Hiruzen spoke, the shinobi below the stage all wore expressions of shock.
Everyone knew that although Sunagakure and Konoha had never gotten along, they'd always been the weaker party.
But now—even the Kazekage himself was marching to the frontlines?
This wasn't just a skirmish—this was an all-out war to the death.
And Sunagakure didn't have that many people to begin with.
Mobilizing 7,000 elite shinobi essentially meant they had emptied their entire village.
The elderly, the sick, the wounded, and untrained genin could be excluded.
Even counting every combat-capable ninja, Sunagakure might barely field 10,000 in total.
Not to mention reinforcements they might send later—
this was already shaping up to be a war of national survival for them.
If they lost this battle… it could mean the end of their nation.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
What Hiruzen said next made it clear just how bloody and brutal this war was going to be:
"Kumogakure has dispatched 10,000 troops.
Their known commander: Third Raikage A.
They've already crossed through the Land of Rice Fields and are now near the Land of Fire's border."
"Iwagakure has mobilized 8,000 shinobi.
Their forces have entered the Land of Rain.
Commander: Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of Both Scales."
"Amegakure is throwing its entire military strength behind the war—
5,000 elite shinobi, mobilized for the coming conflict."
"From overseas, Kirigakure has launched 50 naval vessels. Their destination is still unknown, but conservative estimates put their forces at over 7,000."
...
If Sunagakure was coming straight at Konoha with clear intentions—
then the movements of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure were far more ambiguous and difficult to decipher.
No one could say for sure how this would ultimately unfold.
Only the top brass… and Arata, the time traveler, knew the truth.
In the end, Amegakure would become a casualty—
caught in the crossfire and transformed into a battlefield for Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure alike.
Originally, Kumogakure hadn't even participated in this war.
But because of Arata's Thunder God Mode, the Third Raikage had been dragged into the conflict.
A rough estimate showed that over 35,000 shinobi were already involved—
and that's not even counting Konoha's forces.
As the most powerful village in the shinobi world, Konoha's strength and heritage were beyond question.
They could easily field another 10,000 elite shinobi in this war.
Adding in lower-tier forces and those tasked with defense, that would be another 10,000.
Altogether, this war would involve over 50,000 shinobi!
Thank heavens that Earth, Wind, and Lightning hadn't formed a full alliance…
Otherwise, this would've been near-impossible for Konoha to win.
—
Hiruzen then began rapidly issuing deployment orders:
First was the Wind Country front.
To bolster defenses, 3,000 reinforcements were to be sent.
Even so, Konoha's forces were outnumbered on that battlefield.
In terms of high-level combatants, only one more was assigned: Uchiha Tsuki.
An old-guard Kage-level shinobi, paired with Hatake Sakumo,
it was believed the two of them could handle Sunagakure's assault.
Next came the main theater—the Land of Rain.
Hiruzen poured nearly all remaining strength into this front:
7,000 elite shinobi, plus his three personal students, each a high-level jōnin.
Also deployed were veteran Kage-level Shimura Danzō
and elite jōnin Hyūga Higurashi to hold the line.
Aside from himself and Uzumaki Mito—the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—
nearly every top-tier asset was committed to this battlefield.
The primary objective?
To secure control around the Land of Rain, and prevent Iwagakure or Amegakure from breaching into Land of Fire.
Finally, Hiruzen turned to Arata and gave him his assignment:
Lead a 3,000-man unit through the side routes of the Land of Rice Fields.
Intercept and hinder Kumogakure's advancing army.
Delay or disrupt their momentum.
The moment the order was given, many in the room visibly reacted.
This… this was practically sending Arata to his death.
A force of 3,000 couldn't remain stealthy,
nor could it pose a real threat to 10,000 elite Kumogakure shinobi.
Three thousand versus ten thousand?
It was mission impossible.
Hiruzen wore a helpless expression.
"Konoha is stretched thin. We can't afford to leave the village defenseless. And Kirigakure is still lurking at sea."
But Arata, thanks to his mind net, had long anticipated this decision.
He remained silent.
He had already eavesdropped on all of Hiruzen and Danzō's secret meetings—
held outside the village to avoid Mito's surveillance.
Unfortunately for them, even that distance wasn't enough to escape Arata's incredible sensory net.
He had heard every single plan crystal clear.
—
After the meeting ended, the whole village mobilized.
Tsunade looked visibly worried.
Even though she could see Arata had changed dramatically over the past few months—
she had never seen him fight.
So her worry was only natural.
"You're leading your own unit? Isn't that too dangerous? Maybe I should talk to the Third and have you reassigned with us…"
Arata flicked her on the forehead and smiled.
"Stop worrying about me. Just take care of yourself.
You're most likely going to face Hanzō of the Salamander. Make sure you bring plenty of antidotes."
Tsunade nodded reluctantly but still looked uneasy.
She opened her mouth to say more, but Arata cut her off:
"Go prep already. I'm really strong, you know?"
Tsunade could only nod and turn away.
Just then, a voice called from behind Arata:
"Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to Tsunade."
Turning around, Arata saw a solemn-looking Jiraiya.
Arata thought to himself: You'd better not make promises you can't keep…
Once they ran into Hanzō, none of the three of them were going to have it easy.
Still, Arata offered his thanks:
"Appreciate it."
At that moment, Orochimaru happened to walk by—
completely ignoring their conversation, as if he wanted no part of it.
Jiraiya frowned.
"What's with this gloomy snake lately? Why does he always look like someone stepped on his tail?"
Jiraiya had just returned to Konoha and didn't know what was going on.
But Arata had been keeping an eye on Orochimaru.
The guy had spent two whole months studying a piece of Arata's flesh.
And gotten absolutely nowhere.
Now war was breaking out—interrupting his research.
No wonder Orochimaru's temper was rotten.
Arata grinned wickedly and muttered,
"Maybe he's just… on his period."
Orochimaru, who had only walked a few steps away, froze.
He turned around and gave Arata a cold glare—
but ultimately said nothing.
Arata had upheld his end of their deal.
If Orochimaru had no results to show, he had no right to lash out.
Jiraiya laughed seeing Orochimaru take the hit.
But his expression quickly turned serious again.
"This mission… you really need to be careful. Something tells me… you won't have an easy time with whoever's waiting for you."
Arata raised a brow in surprise.
So even Jiraiya could sense something?
It seemed Hiruzen's arrangements this time… were not subtle at all.
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