71-75

Chapter 71: For Example, That Person Is You! 

Shindai couldn't summon his ninja hawk, and he just sat there on the ground, completely lost, not knowing what to do. 

He had no way to contact anyone in the Hidden Sand Village through a ninja hawk. So, what was he now, a subordinate without a superior? 

A Hidden Sand ninja? 

No, strictly speaking, not right now. After all, when he first came as a spy, the Third Kazekage told Shindai to consider himself a Leaf ninja. 

Then, was he a Leaf ninja? 

Not really. He was still in his trial period, not officially joined Konoha yet. 

So... he's become a rogue ninja without a village? 

What in the world?! How did things suddenly turn out like this?! 

What really got Shindai panicking was the thought of the Hidden Sand Village forgetting about him if he couldn't contact them for too long. 

After all, if the people who knew about his undercover mission forgot him, then the only person who would remember Shindai was Pakura. 

If he could have summoned his ninja hawk, he could have had the hawk contact Pakura, asking her to help him find the Hidden Sand higher-ups and get a new superior. 

But now, without even a ninja hawk, Shindai had no other way to contact Pakura or any other Hidden Sand ninja. 

Shindai pressed his right hand to his forehead, thinking deeply. 

There must be a way, there must be a way. As long as he calmed down, finding a solution should be simple. 

"A way, my butt!" 

Shindai, so mad he was practically fuming, angrily threw the stone he was holding in his left hand. 

"Ow! Who's throwing rocks around?!" 

A familiar voice rang out. Obito, clutching his head, stormed over, looking furious. 

Seeing it was Shindai, Obito exclaimed, "Huh? Shindai, it's you! Shouldn't you be holed up in your tent messing with your gadgets right now?" 

Shindai stuffed the letter into his pocket and grumbled, "I felt like it! Got a problem with that?!" 

Obito pouted, "Why are you talking so aggressively? You're the one who threw a rock and hit my head! I should be the angry one!" 

Shindai looked at Obito, his eyes suddenly shifting. His expression changed in an instant, and he forced a smile, greeting Obito, "Come here for a second, Obito, I have a question I want to ask you." 

Obito walked over and sat down next to Shindai, asking, "You have a question for me? What is it?" 

Shindai thought about his words for a moment, then began, "Obito, let's say there's someone trapped in another ninja village, unable to contact anyone from their own village. What do you think they should do?" 

Obito's eyes, hidden behind his goggles, immediately took on a strange look. 

Because Shindai's question made it easy for Obito to imagine Shindai himself in that situation. 

After all, everyone close to Shindai knew about his undercover mission. 

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Obito's head. 

If you substituted Shindai himself into that sentence, it became: 'I'm trapped here, unable to contact anyone from Hidden Sand Village.' 

Doesn't Shindai have a ninja hawk? How could he not be able to contact anyone in Hidden Sand Village? 

Could it be... Shindai's ninja hawk ran into a problem! 

Obito felt like his brain was working exceptionally well today, as if he'd finally seen the light. 

Obito felt it was absolutely necessary to figure out Shindai's situation. 

But he had to be careful while doing so, making sure Shindai didn't find out. 

Obito paused, then thought of a flawless question to ask Shindai: "Shindai, doesn't that person have any kind of ninja animal for communication?" 

If Kakashi or Minato Namikaze had been there, they might have stumbled over Obito's question. 

The way he asked it was way too direct, wasn't it? 

A ninja animal for communication? Why not just point at Shindai's nose and say 'ninja hawk'? 

But Shindai didn't suspect a thing. Shindai wouldn't suspect Obito, no matter who else he might doubt. 

Because the current Obito wasn't the one who would hide his tears with Kamui; he was just a simple-minded big dummy. 

Shindai heard Obito's words and grumbled, "I said they can't contact anyone in their village! Of course, they don't have a ninja hawk... I mean, a ninja animal for communication!" 

Obito's eyes lit up. 

No ninja hawk for communication? So Shindai's ninja hawk really did have a problem? 

That's just great! 

Obito liked Shindai as a friend, but because of Shindai's undercover identity, Obito was always worried that Shindai would one day leave them and go back to Hidden Sand Village, maybe even becoming an enemy. 

Now that he didn't have his ninja hawk, Shindai couldn't contact anyone in Hidden Sand Village, which meant Shindai couldn't go back and would have to stay in Konoha! 

"That's great!" 

Obito was so happy that he blurted out what he was thinking. 

Shindai's expression grew more and more annoyed: "Obito, listen, I'm in a really bad mood right now. If you're deliberately provoking me and looking for a fight, your wish is about to come true!" 

Obito quickly waved his hands: "You, you listen to my excuses... uh, I mean, listen to my explanation! I didn't mean to provoke you. I just remembered that Rin just helped reduce the swelling on my cheek, and I was so happy, I just couldn't help but say 'that's great'!" 

Shindai's mouth twitched: "Look at you, getting excited over that. Hurry up and answer! I'm asking you seriously!" 

Obito thought for a moment, then asked, "So, what's the situation of that person who's trapped in another ninja village? Are they in a dire situation?" 

Shindai shook his head: "No, the people in that village are actually pretty good to them." 

Obito continued, "Then are the people in their own village good to them?" 

Shindai recalled his life in Hidden Sand Village and replied, "Average, I guess. Not good, not bad. Mostly, that person doesn't like going out, so they don't really know anyone. Life is a bit tough, but it's manageable." 

Obito looked seriously into Shindai's eyes and said, "Let's say, for example, that person is you! So, if you had to choose a village to live in, would you choose the village you're trapped in, or your own village?" 

Shindai pinched his chin and mused, "Hmm... if I had to choose, I'd definitely pick the village I'm trapped in. After all, that village has an incredibly good living environment, lots of delicious food, and the people are really nice. And most importantly, there are things I want to learn in that village." 

Obito clapped his hands: "Then isn't that great? Since you're living so well in the village you're trapped in, why bother going back? If you can't contact them, then you can't contact them!" 

Shindai corrected him, "I said 'if there was a person,' not me!" 

Obito shrugged, "I was just making an example that the person was you, Shindai. Don't you think I make sense?" 

Shindai thought for a moment, then nodded: "You do have a little bit of a point. But that person has lived in their own village since childhood. What if one day that person's village and the village they're trapped in go to war? What would that person do then?" 

Obito was suddenly stumped. In the future, if Konoha and Hidden Sand Village went to war, asking Shindai, who was born in Hidden Sand, to help Konoha fight Hidden Sand? That really wouldn't be good. 

Just as Obito was thinking about how to answer Shindai, Shindai stood up from the ground, muttering with a pout, "Honestly, my brain must be completely fried to be talking about this with a big dummy like you. I'm tired. Going back to sleep." 

Shindai dusted off his rear and left the small grove, heading back to his tent. 

Chapter 72: Ohnoki's Red Nose 

"Ugh, life really is fragile," Shindai mumbled, sprawled on his cot in the tent, looking utterly dejected. He was pretty sure his ninja hawk was a goner. "If I'd known... I would've plucked and roasted it already." 

Shindai had officially given up. What else was there to do? He'd racked his brain, but couldn't come up with a single solution. Sometimes, giving up is a kind of courage, you know? He figured he'd just roll with it for now and worry about the future later. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," right? Panicking wouldn't help. Maybe the people who knew he was a spy were already trying to contact him. 

Thinking that way actually made Shindai feel a lot better. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He'd used up too many brain cells; he was tired. Whatever, life goes on. 

Meanwhile, Obito sought out Minato Namikaze. 

"Sensei Minato! I have something super important to report!" Obito exclaimed. 

Minato looked confused. "Obito, what do you want to report?" 

Obito didn't answer immediately. He cautiously poked his head out of the tent, looking around. Minato watched his shifty, thieving-like behavior. "Obito, what are you looking at?" 

Once he was sure, Obito replied, "I was worried Shindai was following me! He's popped up from the weirdest places so many times, so I suspected he was tailing me. But he should be clear now. Sensei Minato, what I want to tell you is about Shindai. There's something wrong with his ninja hawk. He can't contact anyone from the Sand Village anymore!" 

Minato looked surprised. "How do you know that?" 

Obito recounted his entire conversation with Shindai. After hearing it, Minato's expression was... well, it was hard to describe. Obito and Shindai had practically spilled all the beans in their chat! Minato didn't know whether to call them naive or just plain clueless. Obito was probably naive, but Shindai was definitely clueless, considering all the wild stuff he usually pulled. 

But Obito's intelligence was actually pretty useful. Shindai had completely lost contact with the Sand Village, which meant they couldn't feed false information to the Sand Village through him anymore. Plus, with Shindai totally cut off, the longer he stayed, the deeper his ties here would become. That meant a higher chance of convincing him to join the Leaf Village. 

"Sensei Minato," Obito continued, "when I was talking to Shindai, I suggested he join the ninja village he mentioned being trapped in, which is us, the Leaf Village. But Shindai has one concern." 

Minato asked curiously, "A concern? What is it?" 

Obito replied, "Shindai is worried about what he should do if the Sand Village and the Leaf Village end up fighting." 

Minato was actually relieved by Shindai's concern. If Shindai had simply abandoned the Sand Village and joined the Leaf without a second thought, they wouldn't refuse him due to his value, but they would definitely be a bit wary. Minato smiled slightly after hearing Obito. "You don't need to worry about that. If Shindai truly joins the Leaf in the future, we'll naturally make sure he avoids fighting against the Sand Village as much as possible." 

Obito breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good." 

Minato ruffled Obito's hair. "Obito, even though Shindai always puts you down and beats you up, you two have the best relationship. And you consider Shindai a comrade. So, let that bond deepen even more. If Shindai decides to join the Leaf, you, Obito, will definitely be one of the reasons." 

Obito looked at Minato with a strange expression. Why did that sound so... odd? Minato could tell that while Shindai seemed to get along well with Kakashi and Rin, his relationship with Obito was unmatched. Kakashi and Rin were mostly rational and calm, and since Shindai was a spy, even though Minato had told them to treat him as a true comrade, there was still a slight difference. 

But Obito was different. He was a hot-headed idiot. Once he decided Shindai was a comrade, he wouldn't let his identity bias him. This was probably why Shindai was so close to Obito and chose to confide in him. Shindai trusted Obito and also believed... that with Obito's intelligence, he wouldn't notice anything strange. But Shindai probably had no idea that Obito already knew everything. 

Minato instructed, "Alright, Obito, just relax. Continue to interact with Shindai as you normally would. Don't worry about anything else. I can promise you, Obito, Shindai will definitely join the Leaf in the future, and that future isn't far off." 

Obito nodded vigorously. "I understand, Sensei Minato!" 

Ohnoki's Fury in the Stone Village 

In the Tsuchikage's office in the Stone Village, Ohnoki's already reddish nose was now even redder. 

"Argh! How dare those scumbags from the Sand Village!" Ohnoki roared, tearing the Sand Village's declaration of war to shreds. The other Stone Village higher-ups in the meeting room didn't dare utter a word, seeing how furious Ohnoki was. 

But it was only natural to be angry! If they had actually assassinated the Third Kazekage, that would be one thing, but they hadn't done it at all. The Stone Village was being inexplicably blamed, and anyone would be furious about that. 

After a long moment, Ohnoki finally managed to suppress his rage. "Has the Sand Village replied?" he asked. 

"Lord Tsuchikage, they have replied. They said the evidence is irrefutable and that we, the Stone Village, are responsible. They also said that if we don't hand over the Third Kazekage, they will declare war in three days." 

Ohnoki's barely suppressed anger erupted again. He slammed the table in front of him with a resounding BANG! 

"I'll hand over a swimsuit Chiyo! Those brainless fools in the Sand Village! If we really were going to assassinate their Kazekage, we'd hide our identities! Who in their right mind would wear a forehead protector while doing it?! A bunch of idiots!" 

Everyone in that meeting room was older, a seasoned shinobi. Back during the Second Great Ninja War, a young Chiyo was quite the beauty on the battlefield. Even though she was old now, a swimsuit Chiyo... well, it didn't sound too bad. 

One of the high-ranking officials asked, "Lord Tsuchikage, what should we do next?" 

Ohnoki fumed, "What else can we do?! Can you hand over that brat, Kouto?! The Sand Village wants to fight us? Then let's fight! Do they think the Stone Village is made of mud?! Immediately gather the troops and head out to meet them!" 

Though enraged, Ohnoki hadn't lost his senses. He continued to command, "At the same time, keep a close eye on the movements of the Cloud Village and the Leaf Village to prevent them from making any sneaky moves! Dismissed! Move out immediately!" 

After everyone left, Ohnoki clutched his lower back and let out a pained groan. He'd thrown his back out when he slammed the table and had been holding in the pain until now. 

Chapter 73: The Third Great Ninja War Begins! 

Three days later, in the Land of Birds, a Sand Village ninja squad and a Stone Village ninja squad faced each other across a river. 

The Sand ninja commander, his face cold, demanded, "Are you Stone ninjas going to hand over our Kazekage-sama or not?!" 

But the Stone ninja commander just unleashed a torrent of insults, making the Sand ninjas' faces turn green. The Sand ninjas, united in their outrage, started cursing back, spewing out every nasty word they could think of. The shouting match lasted a full fifteen minutes. 

Finally, the Sand ninja commander roared, "You shameless Stone Village thugs! Assassinating our Kazekage and still acting so arrogant! Everyone! Charge with me!" 

The Stone ninja commander smirked as he watched the Sand Village charge. "Living in the desert, getting sand blown into your faces all day, it seems your brains are full of sand too! Everyone, use Earth Style jutsu to change the terrain!" 

The Stone ninjas were masters of Earth Style, which allowed them to manipulate the battlefield to their advantage. As they unleashed their jutsu, large sections of the terrain in front of them were instantly altered. The Sand ninjas' advance was halted, forced to navigate obstacles to get closer to the Stone ninjas. The Stone ninjas seized the opportunity, taking up advantageous positions and continuously launching various Earth Style attacks. 

The Sand ninjas were immediately at a disadvantage. However, they were exceptionally united, and their commander was no slouch. Under his command, the Sand ninjas stabilized the situation and continuously counterattacked with their signature Wind Style jutsu. 

This battle between the Sand and Stone Villages in the Land of Birds effectively declared the Third Great Ninja War officially open. 

Orochimaru's Research Opportunity 

At the very edge of the main battlefield, where the Sand and Stone ninjas clashed, seven figures hid in the shadows, observing the fight. This was Orochimaru's team, sent to the Land of Birds to gather intelligence. 

"Orochimaru-sama, the battle between the Sand and Stone Villages has begun. Should we return to the Leaf Village to report to the Third Hokage, or send the intelligence back using our ninja animals?" 

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, gazing at the intense battle unfolding before him. He didn't answer immediately. At first, he'd been annoyed about being sent to the Land of Birds. He'd only just released the Eight-Tails from the Cloud Village and thought he'd finally get some peaceful research done back in the Leaf. But after only a few days of quiet work, he was sent away again, forcing him to halt an experiment midway. 

But now... seeing the brutal battle between the Sand and Stone ninjas, with bodies lying everywhere, Orochimaru didn't see corpses; he saw precious experimental materials! Orochimaru was always short on experimental subjects. Once this battle ended, he'd surely be able to collect a lot of excellent samples. 

Orochimaru immediately made his decision: "Send the intelligence back to the Leaf using our ninja animals. We will remain here and continue to observe the movements of the Sand and Stone Village ninja forces." 

The War Spreads 

A few days later, upon receiving the intelligence from the Land of Birds, Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe several times. "Sigh, war is upon us again. But perhaps it's for the best; we no longer have to worry about the war starting with the Leaf Village." 

Hiruzen summoned a ninja and instructed them to find Danzō, the Leaf Village's Hokage Advisor, and the two elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Since it was a Great Ninja War, it was only a matter of time before the Leaf joined the fight. Therefore, the Leaf Village also needed to prepare for war, assemble its ninja forces, and be ready for battle at any moment. 

In the Cloud Village, the Third Raikage, Ay, was ecstatic upon learning that the Sand and Stone Villages were at war. The mood in the Cloud Village had been low due to the severe losses from the Eight-Tails' rampage, and a battle was exactly what they needed to boost morale. The Cloud Village and Stone Village had always had a bad relationship, and the Third Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage, Ohnoki, naturally didn't see eye to eye. Now that the Stone Village was embroiled in war, there was no way he would be polite. The Third Raikage immediately assembled a squad of Cloud ninjas, intending to strike at the Stone Village's "rear" in the Land of Earth. 

The Mist Village also began to stir upon learning that the Sand and Stone, two great ninja villages, were already fighting. Although it was still the era of the Third Mizukage, he had already implemented the Blood Mist Policy. However, the current Blood Mist Policy wasn't as brutal and bloody as the one Tobi would later manipulate Yagura to enforce. The current Blood Mist Policy emphasized survival of the fittest: the strong gain everything, the weak get nothing. Since he had pushed this policy to strengthen his ninjas, it needed to prove its worth. And its worth would naturally be shown in war. 

The Third Mizukage also realized that the Third Great Ninja War was coming sooner or later, so the Blood Mist Policy was essentially prepared for it. He was also holding a grudge, as many had opposed his policy, but he had stubbornly pushed it through under immense pressure. So, if the Mist Village could gain significant benefits from this war, it would prove his Blood Mist Policy was correct. He wanted to see who would dare call it a failure then. Thus, the Third Mizukage also immediately began war preparations, assembling ninja forces, ready to join the war at any time. 

Many other smaller countries and minor ninja villages also hoped to gain some benefits from this war. The great ninja villages would eat the meat, but surely they could at least get some soup? However, small nations like the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Birds, which were used as battlegrounds by the great ninja villages, were simply out of luck. It would be good enough if they could protect themselves; aspiring for benefits was out of the question. 

As soon as the Sand Village and Stone Village went to war, the entire ninja world immediately became a lively place. 

Ohnoki's Predicament 

In the Land of Birds, the conflict between the Sand and Stone Villages had continued for some time. The battles were fierce and frequent, with over a dozen major and minor clashes within a month. The Sand ninjas fought like maniacs, throwing themselves at the Stone ninjas without fear of death. With such high morale, even if the Stone ninjas were inherently stronger, they were temporarily at a disadvantage. 

Ohnoki was now in a desperate bind. His biggest fear had come true: a Cloud ninja force had entered the Land of Earth. That scoundrel, the Third Raikage, had sent people to attack his rear! Because of the disadvantage against the Sand ninjas, Ohnoki had to send more ninjas to the Land of Birds. Now, with the Cloud ninjas coming after them, Ohnoki had to dispatch another force to intercept them. If the Leaf Village got involved too, things would become even more troublesome. 

At the Sand Village, Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo stood atop the Kazekage building, feeling the desert wind. 

"Fourth Kazekage," Chiyo said, "the time is almost right. I believe Ohnoki must be in a terrible hurry, being attacked from both sides. It's time to spread rumors and draw the war toward the Leaf Village." 

Chapter 74: Homura Mitokado's Wisdom 

Standing atop the Kazekage building, Rasa felt a surge of ambition. 

This Great Ninja War, he, Rasa, had personally initiated it. 

And now, he was about to personally push this war into its next phase. 

Just these two points alone would ensure that he, Rasa, would leave an indelible mark in the history of the Hidden Sand Village! 

When Ebizo said it was time to bring the flames of war to Konoha, Rasa began to speak, "Ah... spit~" 

As Rasa opened his mouth, a gust of wind blew by, filling his mouth with sand. 

"That doesn't count, let's restart." 

Rasa cleared his throat and declared with a serious expression, "Then... let's begin the next phase. Let the flames of war engulf the entire ninja world!" 

After making his declaration, Rasa coolly mused, "A harsh environment where sand dances, it transforms into the perfect nourishment for training shinobi. This time, our Hidden Sand Village is destined to rise!" 

Ebizo immediately got to work. 

Thanks to Ebizo's extensive network of hidden agents across the great nations, the spread of rumors went incredibly smoothly. 

The rumor claimed that Konoha had stolen the Magnet Release bloodline limit user that should have gone to the Hidden Stone Village. This Magnet Release ninja was allegedly turned by Konoha, who then used the ninja's identity as a clansman of the Third Kazekage to lure the Third Kazekage out of the village. Konoha shinobi then ambushed and killed the Third Kazekage, making it look like the Hidden Stone Village was responsible. 

There was also plenty of "evidence" to show that Konoha had framed the Hidden Stone Village. 

In just over a week, this rumor had already spread to many people within the Five Great Nations. 

In the Hokage's Office 

Inside the Hokage's office, besides Hiruzen Sarutobi, were Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grim. "You all must have heard the news by now, right?" 

Koharu Utatane's face was as ugly as if she'd eaten dirt. "Of course, we know. It's already spreading outside Konoha, saying that our Konoha shinobi assassinated the Third Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village and framed the Hidden Stone Village." 

Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses and suggested, "Could it be that the Hidden Stone Village is under a lot of pressure right now and is deliberately framing us? Maybe we should quickly communicate with the Hidden Sand Village's new Fourth Kazekage..." 

Homura hadn't even finished speaking when Danzo cut him off. 

Danzo's voice was chillingly low. "Hidden Stone Village framing us? I don't think so. When this rumor started spreading, I sent people to investigate. This rumor first appeared in the Land of Earth. Doesn't that tell you something?" 

Homura asked, confused, "What's wrong with the rumor starting in the Land of Earth? After all, Hidden Stone Village would want Hidden Sand Village to turn their focus on us, Konoha, right?" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi mused, "I think I know what Danzo means. If the Hidden Stone Village wanted to redirect the focus and have Hidden Sand Village attack us, then this rumor should have spread in the Land of Wind first, not the Land of Earth. So... Danzo, you mean it's not the Hidden Stone Village trying to frame us, but someone else trying to point the Hidden Sand Village's aggression towards Konoha? Am I right?" 

Danzo nodded. "Hiruzen, you guessed correctly. That's exactly what I mean." 

Koharu frowned. "If it's not the Hidden Stone Village, then is it the Hidden Cloud Village? It can't possibly be the Hidden Mist Village, can it?" 

Homura's hand, resting on his glasses, suddenly trembled slightly. A glint of shrewdness reflected off the lenses. "Is it possible... that this rumor was spread by the Hidden Sand Village?" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo both looked at Homura simultaneously. 

Although Danzo had investigated and concluded that the Hidden Stone Village hadn't spread the rumor, he hadn't figured out who did, nor had he suspected the Hidden Sand Village. 

Koharu retorted, "How could the Hidden Sand Village spread the rumor? What's the point of the Hidden Sand Village spreading something like this? To start a war with us, Konoha? What benefit would that bring them?" 

Homura's lips curved into a confident smile as he explained to Hiruzen and the others, "Before the Hidden Sand Village declared war on the Hidden Stone Village, wasn't there a period of great chaos, and weren't the Sand shinobi incredibly agitated? 

The Third Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village might have gone missing a long time ago. And the reason for their chaos and agitation was precisely because the Third Kazekage couldn't be found. 

In other words, if the Hidden Sand Village didn't quickly resolve this problem at that time, it's very likely that the Hidden Sand Village would face a huge internal crisis. 

You should all know Ebizo of the Hidden Sand Village quite well; he's been our old adversary. I must say, Ebizo is a sharp-minded and cunning individual. 

The new Fourth Kazekage's ascension was very rushed, which was likely the result of Ebizo and the Hidden Sand Village's high-ranking officials pushing for it. And the purpose of such a rushed promotion for Rasa as Kazekage was definitely to resolve Hidden Sand Village's hidden dangers. 

And the internal dangers within the Hidden Sand Village were far more severe than we outsiders perceived. Therefore, the solution the Hidden Sand Village's higher-ups came up with was, more often than not, to divert attention and transform internal conflicts into external conflicts. 

How do you turn it into an external conflict? War is an excellent method." 

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo all fell silent, pondering Homura's words. 

Undeniably, Homura's analysis made a lot of sense. 

However, Koharu raised a question: "If the Hidden Sand Village intends to transform internal conflicts into external conflicts and start a war, haven't they already succeeded? Why would they still spread such rumors and make an enemy of us, Konoha?" 

Homura held back a bit, then looked at Hiruzen. "Hiruzen, you know Onoki, that guy, pretty well." 

Hiruzen Sarutobi had pretty much guessed the truth by now. He said gravely, "Indeed, Onoki is a self-serving individual. If Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Stone Village go to war, Hidden Sand Village will definitely not be a match for Hidden Stone Village. But Onoki won't fight Hidden Sand Village to the death either, because there's no real profit to be gained from Hidden Sand Village. 

If we follow Homura's line of thought, Hidden Sand Village declared war on Hidden Stone Village, banking on Hidden Stone Village not fighting them to the bitter end. And the Great Ninja War has now truly begun, so their internal conflicts have been successfully shifted. 

However, the overall strength of Hidden Stone Village is greater than Hidden Sand Village's. If the war drags on, Hidden Sand Village won't be able to stand against Hidden Stone Village. Even knowing that Hidden Stone Village won't fight them to the death, for the resource-scarce Hidden Sand Village, it's an unbearable drain. 

And that's where Hidden Sand Village's second ploy comes in. They also know that Onoki is a self-serving individual, and Hidden Cloud Village has already sent a ninja squad into the Land of Earth, putting Hidden Stone Village in a pincer movement. 

So... when the attack on the Third Kazekage by Hidden Stone Village turns out to be a misunderstanding, and it was actually us, Konoha, who did it, both Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Stone Village become victims. Hidden Sand Village would then seize the opportunity to propose cooperation with Onoki to declare war on Konoha. From what I know of Onoki, he'd almost certainly agree!" 

After listening to Homura and Hiruzen's analysis, Danzo and Koharu's expressions became very grave. 

Chapter 75: Preparing for War 

After analyzing the situation, Homura Mitokado and Hiruzen Sarutobi had pretty much figured out the Sand Village's cunning plan. 

"Those Sand Village guys are really calculating, aren't they?" Koharu Utatane gritted her teeth. "This way, they solve their internal issues and get to team up with the Stone Village to attack the Leaf, grabbing benefits in the process!" 

Danzō's brow furrowed. "But if the Sand Village had just approached the Stone Village to attack the Leaf from the start, Ohnoki probably wouldn't have refused. Why go through all the trouble of fighting the Stone Village first?" 

Hiruzen speculated, "The Sand Village is short on resources, and the Land of Wind's Daimyo seems to have been cutting their funding, so their ninja numbers have been shrinking. They've almost halved their ninja force compared to the Second Great Ninja War. War is war; even with the Stone Village's cooperation, there will definitely be casualties. For the Sand Village, with far fewer ninjas than the other four great villages, I don't think they genuinely want to cooperate with the Stone Village to fight us. I believe the Sand Village intends to instigate a war between the Stone Village and us, then retreat behind the scenes to watch, waiting for an opportunity to plunder resources from either the Leaf or the Stone." 

Homura sighed with admiration. "That new Kazekage, Rasa, might have taken office in a hurry, but he's no simple character. Hiruzen, we in the Leaf Village need to prepare for battle." 

Hiruzen fell silent, deep in thought. A moment later, he made his decision: "The Leaf Village will assemble its ninja forces and deploy them to the Land of Grass, which borders the Land of Earth. We'll secure advantageous terrain there and engage the Stone Village. Then, the Leaf will abandon its positions in the Land of Hot Water and relocate all Leaf ninjas there to the Land of Grass. From now on, our primary enemy will be the Stone Village. At the same time, we'll send more ninjas to the Land of Rivers, bordering the Land of Wind. While we believe the Sand Village will eventually retreat, they'll surely put on a show with the Stone Village in the initial stages." 

Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and sighed gloomily. "I have to admit, the Sand Village's plan is pretty clever. They've calculated that Ohnoki has no choice but to cooperate with them, and we have no choice but to accept the fight." 

Homura also sighed. "Clever, indeed. After all, they're using their missing Third Kazekage as a pretext for war. With a village's Kage missing, they can fabricate any evidence they want, and we really have no way to counter it." 

Koharu narrowed her eyes at Homura. "Homura, when you were analyzing just now, I felt like you turned into a child, a big-headed child." 

Homura looked confused. "A child? My analysis was so good, my image should be a bit more imposing, shouldn't it? How could I be a big-headed child?" 

Hiruzen said gravely, "Alright, enough with the idle chatter. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let's all get to our respective duties and relay these orders quickly!" 

Ohnoki's Dilemma 

Inside the Tsuchikage's office in the Stone Village, Ohnoki had naturally heard the rumors. Looking at the Sand Village's alliance proposal in his hand, veins bulged on Ohnoki's forehead, and he gritted his teeth. "So they calculated that I'd agree? I really underestimated that brat Rasa!" 

An advisor frowned and asked, "Lord Tsuchikage, are we really going to agree to the Sand Village's alliance? Those Sand Village people are all scoundrels; they're completely untrustworthy!" 

Ohnoki's nose always turned bright red when he got angry, and it was a flaming red now. However, he wasn't as furiously aggressive as last time. Suppressing his rage, he said, "Of course, I know that desolate place is full of scoundrels, but we have no choice now. Those Cloud Village thugs aren't bothering the Leaf ninjas in the Land of Hot Water anymore; they're specifically harassing us. And with these rumors out, those Leaf Village guys aren't fools; they'll definitely see through it and might already be assembling ninjas to fight us. 

"If we don't agree to this alliance, then our Stone Village will be stuck with this whole mess alone. If the Sand Village retreats into their own village, who among you would go to that godforsaken place to fight them? Would the Leaf go? Would the Cloud go? Would we go?" 

Ohnoki's rapid-fire questions silenced the Stone Village higher-ups in the room. The Sand Village truly was fearless, banking on their harsh environment and poverty. The most frustrating part was that they really seemed to have no way to deal with the Sand Village. To attack the Sand Village, they'd first have to cross the Land of Wind's desert, and just crossing the desert would be a grueling task in itself. And the desert was the Sand ninjas' home turf; even if they managed to reach the Sand Village's doorstep, the Sand Village would have the home advantage, making any battle unfavorable for them. Even winning wouldn't be meaningful; the Sand Village had no money and no resources. They couldn't exactly carry sand back, that would be truly foolish. 

Ohnoki took a deep breath, then analyzed rationally, "Right now, we can only cooperate with the Sand Village. Unless something unexpected happens, the Leaf Village must already be preparing, or even already in motion. If we don't agree, we'll face pressure from both the Sand Village and the Leaf Village, and the Cloud Village will undoubtedly join in. Then we'll be in serious trouble. 

"By cooperating with the Sand Village, we'll have the breathing room to deal with those harassing Cloud ninjas. Then, we can attack the Leaf Village together. The Leaf Village isn't like the poor Sand Village; it's overflowing with wealth, and any scrape will yield benefits. So, there's no reason for us to refuse the Sand Village's cooperation. 

"However, those Sand Village people are definitely trying to use us, wanting us to charge into battle while they pick up the scraps behind us. Hah, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Once the alliance with the Sand Village is formed, you will relay the orders to all the ninja squad leaders, even the small teams: when fighting with the Sand Village, make them charge first. If they don't charge, we don't charge. If they want to drag it out, let them. The Stone Village can afford to wait; whether the Sand Village can afford it is their problem." 

The Stone Village higher-ups in the meeting room replied in unison, "Yes, sir!" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders quickly reached the Leaf Village's outpost in the Land of Hot Water. When Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze heard the news, they were stunned. The situation had changed so quickly! In the blink of an eye, the Leaf Village was about to become everyone's target. 

And the rumor that Shindai, using his identity as a relative of the Third Kazekage, lured the Third Kazekage out of the village, and then Leaf ninjas attacked him? If they didn't know Shindai was right there in their Land of Hot Water outpost and hadn't gone anywhere near the Sand Village, they might have actually believed it... not! This rumor was truly ridiculous!