Minato Namikaze wanted nothing more than to rush back to the Leaf army right then and there. He needed to check on his students.
To see how badly Kakashi was hurt.
To find Obito Uchiha's body.
To comfort Rin Nohara.
As their sensei, he was supposed to be there for them when they needed him most.
But Minato also knew the harsh reality.
If he left now, the Mist army would instantly collapse. And if the Mist fell, Konoha would be forced to fight a two-front war against both the Sand and the Stone.
---
Meanwhile, the latest intel from both battlefields landed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.
The Third Hokage's brow furrowed tightly.
"Get Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane in here," he ordered. "And Danzo, too."
The Anbu operative below him nodded quickly. "Right away, Lord Hokage."
Soon, four of Konoha's most senior figures were gathered in the Hokage's office. Hiruzen pushed the battlefield reports across the desk.
As the other three read, their expressions darkened.
"Things have gotten this bad?"
"Did the Sand and Stone secretly form an alliance?"
Homura scoffed coldly. "At the end of the day, the Mist is just completely useless. Our Leaf forces aren't actually losing to the Stone—pushing them back is only a matter of time. The real problem is the Mist."
"To let someone sneak right up to that massive lake and blow the dam? Pathetic."
"They knew exactly how critical that terrain was for them, yet they couldn't hold it. The floodwaters from the broken dam even wiped out a bunch of their own ninja."
Koharu frowned, looking straight at Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, you can tell us now. Why exactly did we ally with the Hidden Mist? I don't see a single benefit this alliance brings to Konoha."
Homura backed her up. "She's right. Why did you do it? Are you trying to use this alliance to get the Byakugan back from them?"
Author's Note Context: Rasa had been spreading rumors that Leaf brass sold out the Hyuga to ally with the Mist, trading the Byakugan. But Homura and the others knew the timeline didn't match—the alliance happened way after the Mist got the eye. The only thing Homura could guess was that Hiruzen was using the alliance as leverage to get it back.
"But that's a terrible trade-off. The Byakugan is incredibly valuable, sure, but what the Leaf has sacrificed to help the Mist has already cost us way more than one eye."
Hiruzen shook his head.
"It's not about the Byakugan. It's about a specific piece of intelligence."
"What kind of intelligence?"
"Data on Jinchuriki," Hiruzen replied smoothly. "If a Jinchuriki trains according to this data, their control over the Tailed Beast will reach a near-perfect state. Once that happens, the Jinchuriki is no longer a ticking time bomb or a threat to the village."
"Instead, they become our ultimate weapon. Our true strength."
"You all know exactly how terrifying the Nine-Tails' power is. If Kushina can perfectly master that power, we won't have to fear the Stone, the Sand, or even both of them at the same time."
"And right now, Kushina has that data."
Koharu's eyes lit up. "Hiruzen, has Kushina started the training? When will she master it?"
An awkward look crossed Hiruzen's face.
"She hasn't started yet."
"She hasn't? Why not?"
Hiruzen stayed silent for a moment before answering. "Because Kushina is pregnant. She has to wait until after the baby is born to begin the training. This information must be kept strictly confidential. You don't mess around when it comes to a Jinchuriki."
His expression turned dead serious.
"You are the elders of the Leaf. That is the only reason I'm trusting you with this. No one else can know. Not even the people you trust the most. Am I clear?"
Homura and the others immediately sobered up. They exchanged glances.
"Don't worry, Hiruzen. Our lips are sealed."
Only then did Hiruzen relax slightly. His gaze lingered on Danzo for an extra second.
Danzo bristled under the look.
"Hiruzen, I know you've got a problem with me lately, but I am a shinobi of the Leaf. I put this village above everything else. I care about Konoha even more than you do. I would never do anything to harm it. You can bet your life on that."
Hiruzen wasn't embarrassed that Danzo called him out. After a beat, Hiruzen spoke.
"Danzo, I know you act for the sake of the village. However, your last operation against the Sand didn't bring us any benefits—it only dragged their hatred straight to our front door."
"I need you to make up for that mistake."
"Minato can't leave the Mist frontline. Rasa is incredibly difficult to pin down, and no one else can hold him off. So, I need you to head to the Stone battlefield."
Danzo froze. He pointed to his shoulder, where his arm used to be.
"Me? Hiruzen, are you serious?"
"I would never refuse to fight for the Leaf. But Hiruzen, I literally don't have the physical capability right now. Why not send Orochimaru? He hasn't exactly done much in this war. He's had plenty of time to rest."
Normally, Danzo would jump at the chance to earn some glory. But given his current state, he felt like Hiruzen was actively trying to screw him over.
"Orochimaru..." Homura and Koharu chimed in.
"He's right, Hiruzen. We still have Orochimaru. If we send him to the front, he can definitely stall the Stone's offensive. He's in his prime. This is exactly what he's here for. Leave us old bones out of it."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
"Alright. We'll send Orochimaru. Homura, go inform him."
"Not a problem, Hiruzen. Leave it to me."
Hiruzen watched the three of them leave the office. After a long silence, he finally looked away.
Truth be told, Hiruzen really didn't want to deploy Orochimaru.
With Orochimaru's seniority, if he racked up massive achievements in this war and his reputation skyrocketed, he would become an incredibly strong candidate for the Hokage seat.
But Hiruzen didn't want Orochimaru to be Hokage.
For a long time now, Hiruzen had sensed something... wrong with him. Orochimaru wasn't the familiar, brilliant student he used to know. He felt like a stranger.
Hiruzen didn't believe Orochimaru was fit to lead. If he took the hat, he might drag Konoha down a very dark path and destroy the village entirely.
"If only Jiraiya were here..."
Shortly after, Homura tracked down Orochimaru and relayed the Hokage's orders.
Orochimaru couldn't hide his surprise.
---