War Preparations
Inside the conference hall!
None of the ninjas who came here expected it to be a war mobilization meeting, nor did any of them realize that it marked the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War, drawing all Five Great Nations into the war.
After nearly ten years of peace, the five great ninja nations have recovered the national strength lost in the Second Shinobi World War. In this seemingly peaceful world, the major ninja nations have long been suppressing, wooing, and infiltrating neighboring smaller countries for their own interests, while also seizing core territories and resources from other major ninja nations. The Third Shinobi World War was in fact just a continuation of the Second Shinobi World War.
On the high platform, the Third said, "Last night, after discussing with advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu overnight, we devised a plan of interception. You are the first vanguard. Because things happened so suddenly, the Anbu didn't find out how many ninja troops from Kirigakure had entered Land of Whirlpools. We don't know for the time being either. There are some things I feel I can't hide from you. You will have no reinforcements until the war mobilization is complete."
As soon as the words were spoken, the expressions of all the ninjas present changed, and Yemo's expression also turned very ugly. It seemed that the higher-ups were treating them as suicide soldiers.
After a pause, the Third continued, "Among you are Jonin, Chunin, and some young men who have just been promoted to Chunin, but I believe you can definitely stop the Kirigakure forces in the Land of Whirlpools and prevent the flames of war from spreading to the Land of Land of Fire. Remember, Konoha is behind you."
At a mobilization meeting, some ninjas were happy while others were worried, but they all had one thing in common: to return home as quickly as possible to prepare what to bring for the upcoming war, and to say goodbye to their families.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office!
Looking at the latest document from the Anbu, the Third frowned deeply; the situation was far from optimistic. After reading Third, he picked up the document and handed it to Mitokado Homura, saying, "Homura, take a look at this latest intelligence."
When the Third handed over the documents, Homura glanced at them briefly, his brows furrowing. He said, "The situation is more serious than we anticipated. Kirigakure has dispatched a ninja force of at least five hundred men, while we currently have over three hundred. The fact that Kirigakure could gather such a large initial force in such a short time suggests they were well-prepared."
"That's right," the Third pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing more and more. The situation in Konoha was not optimistic. As the strongest ninja village, Konoha was naturally not afraid of Kirigakure. Kirigakure was no match for Konoha.
However, Kirigakure is well-prepared, while Pakura Konoha may suffer significant losses in the early stages of the battle.
After thinking for a moment, the Third raised his head and asked, "Homura, how long will it take for the two thousand ninja troops to assemble?"
Homura was primarily in charge of the troop movements and knew everything about them. He immediately said, "Three days, at least three days."
Three days is neither a long nor a short time, but war is unpredictable and full of uncertainties. The Third was confident that three hundred soldiers could fight against at least five hundred ninjas, but he was really worried that the main force from Kirigakure might already be on its way.
However, as Homura said, it would take at least three days to gather a ninja army of two thousand Ninjutsu. And that's Konoha; other villages might not be able to do it.
That's right, Konoha is very strong, possessing tens of thousands of ninjas. Some might say that gathering tens of thousands of ninjas into a force of two thousand isn't a simple matter. However, it's not that simple. Aside from ninjas who are on duty or resting in the village, most ninjas are out on missions. Firstly, gathering these mission-bound ninjas takes considerable time.
Moreover, the weapons and equipment for two thousand people, as well as the various resources needed, also require a certain amount of time to mobilize. Konoha was completely unprepared for war, and the war came without warning. In just three days, Konoha had already moved very quickly. As the saying goes, "When the cannons roar, gold pours in."
With his hands crossed and chin resting on his hand, the Third made his decision and gave the order, "In that case, inform Orochimaru that we must hold out for three days. I don't care what methods he uses, but within three days, the Kirigakure Ninja forces must be kept within the Land of Land of Whirlpools."
Orochimaru will lead the war against Kirigakure this time. This decision was made after careful consideration by the Third. Compared to Jiraiya, Orochimaru is more insidious and ruthless, which makes him Jiraiya Orochimaru.
Homura suddenly looked up and said, "Hiruzen, don't you think this war is strange?"
"Hmm, it's strange." After thinking about it carefully last night, the Third felt that there was something hidden behind this war. "Might Duy wiped out the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Kirigakure probably didn't expect such a thing to happen, just like us. But on the day Might Duy died, Kirigakure sent an advance force into the Land of Whirlpools, as if they had been preparing for it all along."
Lowering his head and pondering for a moment, Homura looked up and said, "You mean to say that Kirigakure actually started preparing for war before that, Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist of the Mist were just an excuse they deliberately threw out to start the war?"
The Third gently shook his head and said, "You're only half right. It's true that Kirigakure started preparing for war beforehand, but sacrificing the Seven Genin cannon fodder, but seven Elite Jonin. Kirigakure doesn't have that kind of resources."
Elite Jonin are the strongest among Jonin. Even the strongest Konoha, Elite Jonin. Ninjas of this rank usually carry out A-rank or S-Rank Mission. Every Elite Jonin is a valuable asset to the village. To lose seven at once is something even Kirigakure, let alone Konoha, wouldn't do.
According to the Third, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were preparing to infiltrate Konoha before the war, but they didn't expect to encounter Might Duy, who almost wiped them out, leaving four dead and three seriously injured. Kirigakure had this idea all along and took advantage of this opportunity to launch the war.
However, there is one thing that the Third and other high-ranking officials discussed all night but still couldn't figure out: Kirigakure is the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, so where does it get the confidence to declare war on Konoha? The spies planted in the various villages also reported that, apart from Kirigakure, the other three villages showed no signs of preparing for war.
Despite this, the Third did not lower his guard in the slightest, ordering the border to be raised to the highest level of alert, especially in the Land of Lightning, where the war between the two countries had only just ended a year ago.
With the start of the war, the entire village was inevitably plunged into a tense atmosphere. A large number of ninjas who were on missions outside were recalled, all ninjas' rest was canceled, and various resources began to be allocated, including Kunai, Explosive Tag, and Military Rations Pill. The joy of the past dissipated considerably.
The more than three hundred ninjas who were summoned bid farewell to their families, packed their bags, and embarked on a massacre. They were to hold off the Kirigakure Army for three days with their three hundred men. The Third's words were very clear, and everyone knew their fate. However, no one retreated. They stepped onto the battlefield without hesitation. Their sacrifice was to bring peace to their loved ones in the village and to protect the village. This was the responsibility and duty of every ninja.