Danzō and Hiruzen had practically grown up together, "wearing the same pair of pants," as the saying goes. From their early team days to their later rise to power, the two had always worked in close coordination.
Danzō had long calculated that if the war situation truly became critical, Hiruzen would never continue to sit on the sidelines—he would definitely come to the front lines.
All Danzō needed to do was keep a low profile and play dead. Once Hiruzen arrived, the two of them could coordinate a sudden strike and catch the enemy off guard, immediately reversing Konoha's decline.
That was why, even though Danzō was clearly waiting for Hiruzen, he hadn't told any of his comrades. He knew a surprise attack had to be swift and absolutely secret—any leak would ruin its effect.
Hiruzen, for his part, matched this tacit understanding perfectly. He arrived at the front without a sound. Sunagakure and Iwagakure were likely still completely unaware.
If the two struck at the right moment, they could deal the enemy a heavy blow and return Konoha to the offensive.
The garrison leader, being one of Hiruzen's people, naturally understood this and kept silent.
When Hiruzen heard that Danzō had been waiting for him, a faint smile appeared on his face. As expected, that old fox understood him best—their cooperation was seamless.
He immediately said,
"My arrival must remain secret. No one is to know except you. Go inform Danzō to meet me on the west side of the garrison."
Hiruzen understood that speed was critical. Since he had already arrived, the ambush against Iwagakure and Sunagakure had to be executed immediately. The longer they delayed, the greater the chance of exposure.
And since Danzō had mostly recovered, he could rejoin the fight.
The garrison leader grasped the meaning at once and hurried to Danzō's tent.
Upon entering, he saw Danzō already armored up, eyes closed in meditation, clearly prepared for battle at any moment.
Hearing someone approach, Danzō spoke without opening his eyes:
"He's here, isn't he?"
The man was startled. Danzō seemed to know through sheer intuition. His sensing ability wasn't particularly strong, and Hiruzen almost certainly hadn't sent word in advance—otherwise he wouldn't have appeared so quickly at the front.
If a message had been sent, Hiruzen himself would likely have arrived before it did. After all, the Third Hokage's speed far exceeded that of any messenger ninja beast.
Realizing this, the man replied respectfully,
"He's arrived. He's on the west side of the garrison. Please head there at once."
Upon confirmation, Danzō snorted coldly and said with a hint of sarcasm,
"That cowardly old fool. If he'd come earlier, I wouldn't have lost an arm."
Though his words were harsh, his actions were honest—he vanished from the tent in a flash.
The messenger trembled at Danzō's blunt criticism. Hiruzen was a man who inspired fear without anger, decisive and ruthless. Who would dare speak of him like that?
If Hiruzen heard such words, losing a limb would be the least of the consequences—he might simply erase someone from the shinobi world.
Only Shimura Danzō, his longtime comrade and most trusted partner, would dare speak of him this way.
...
One kilometer west of the camp, Hiruzen stood quietly with several trusted subordinates, waiting for Danzō.
This ambush required stealth, not numbers. He had brought only elites:
One elite jōnin
Nine experienced ANBU jōnin
Plus two veteran Kage-level fighters—himself and Danzō such a force could remain hidden and cause devastating damage if they struck the enemy's rear.
Though Hiruzen didn't often fight on the front lines, his grasp of battlefield strategy was precise. He knew that once they acted, Iwagakure and Sunagakure's retreat routes and supply lines would be cut.
Under those conditions, the two nations couldn't sustain a prolonged war. As long as the Land of Fire held on, they could end the Second Great Shinobi War—with minimal casualties—after half a year of fighting.
At that point, his title as "The Professor" and "Hero of the Shinobi World" would once again resound across the nations. After all, ending a world war through one's own actions was no small feat.
No matter how one looked at it, it would rival Arata's achievements in repelling the Land of Lightning and aiding the Uzumaki clan.
His domestic prestige would soar again, possibly even overshadowing the rapidly rising Arata.
So he was determined to win this battle. After reaching the meeting point, Hiruzen closed his eyes to rest and restore his chakra to peak condition.
The coming fight would be difficult. After half a day of travel, he had expended stamina. Though still in his prime, he wasn't a monster like Arata—he needed recovery.
And even if he didn't, his men had been pushing themselves to keep up. A short rest would ensure everyone could fight at full strength.
But just as everyone rested, Hiruzen's eyes suddenly snapped open.
He sensed killing intent.
A chilling feeling crept over him, as if some monstrous predator had locked onto him.
This wasn't sensory ninjutsu—just pure battle instinct. Many Kage-level fighters possessed this kind of intuition.
Sensing danger was one thing.
Avoiding it was another.
The moment he felt the killing intent, Hiruzen roared:
"Everyone, on guard!"
At the same time, driven by his strong survival instinct, he hurriedly pulled out a Reverse Summoning scroll.
He was prepared to escape before the fight even began.
Ending the war and saving Konoha would be glorious…
But none of that mattered more than his life.
If he could survive, he would abandon those merits without hesitation.
Upon hearing his shout, everyone immediately formed a protective circle around him.
The outermost jōnin bit their fingers and began performing Summoning Jutsu.
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