Less than two months after Sarutobi Shinnosuke took over command of the Lightning Country front, news spread that the Water Country front had also changed hands.
Years of hard-won stability were reassigned in a single stroke.
Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Three Great Shinobi, was recalled to the village.
When the news reached the front lines, many shinobi frowned in silence. Whatever the politics behind it, Orochimaru was still widely regarded as a war hero. Replacing him so abruptly felt excessive.
Land of Lightning — Kumogakure
In the Raikage's tower, the Fourth Raikage, A, stared at the intelligence report in his hands. His broad face tightened.
"Orochimaru recalled?" he growled. "And the front handed to Sarutobi Shinnosuke, plus the Uchiha and Hyūga?"
He slammed the report onto the desk.
"Konoha's getting arrogant."
The border had only just cooled. To swap commanders now was practically an announcement that Konoha did not fear retaliation.
Across from him, Darui's senior, Dodai, sighed quietly.
"Raikage-sama," Dodai said evenly, "Konoha suffered losses during the Nine-Tails incident, but their core strength is still intact. Compared to this… there's another report we should prioritize."
He placed a separate file on the desk.
A opened it impatiently, then paused. His brows lifted slightly when he reached the timestamp.
"Dodai," he said slowly, "this intelligence about Shinnosuke's transfer… you're saying it was sent two months ago?"
"Yes," Dodai replied. "Before the reassignment became public knowledge."
That was the problem.
Two months ago, no one outside Konoha should have known.
"And the source?" A asked.
Dodai's expression hardened. "The information came through one of our old spy channels. A channel we believed compromised. The agent tied to it was already captured by Konoha."
Silence filled the room.
A leaned back, eyes sharp. "Increase monitoring on this line. Highest priority. And assume risk."
Dodai nodded. "There are only three possibilities. Either the agent wasn't fully exposed, which is unlikely. Or someone inside Konoha is selling information for profit. Or this is a deliberate trap."
"What does the source want?" A asked.
"Gold. And rare medicinal supplies."
A laughed, low and rough. "Then give it to them. Someone who can access this level of information isn't low-ranking. If the intelligence checks out, the price is acceptable."
Dodai bowed slightly. "Understood."
In the shinobi world, information was currency. As long as it could be verified, even a suspicious source was worth exploiting.
"Order the front to resume probing attacks," A added. "I want to see what game Konoha is playing."
Land of Water — Kirigakure
In a dimly lit chamber, Kisame Hoshigaki bared his jagged teeth in a grin as he read the same report.
"So Konoha bleeds from the inside too," he chuckled.
Betrayal didn't bother him. It amused him.
The price was steep, but acceptable.
"Fine," Kisame muttered. "I'll pay. Just don't try to cheat me."
Kirigakure had already authorized limited conflict along Konoha's borders. Losses were expected. What mattered was leverage.
Land of Earth — Iwagakure
High above the village, Ōnoki hovered near his desk, studying the intelligence with narrowed eyes.
"Another internal leak?" he murmured. "Or a staged deception?"
He traced the list of demands, then snorted softly.
"Expensive. But not unreasonable."
Ōnoki stamped the file with an S-rank seal.
"Have the intelligence division verify everything. If the information proves accurate, meet their price. Just don't overpay."
He wasn't naïve. This could just as easily be Konoha's internal power struggle spilling outward, or one faction using foreign villages as pawns.
Either way, it was an opportunity.
And opportunities in the shinobi world never lasted long.