At the beginning of Year 38 of Konohagakure, the Second Shinobi World War grew increasingly intense. Having gained the advantage through its earlier surprise attack, Iwagakure had entrenched itself within the Land of Fire, like a nail driven painfully into Konohagakure's flesh.
After Hanzo of the Salamander crushed Sunagakure's advance force, Sunagakure finally reorganized its troops and gathered around the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers.
Concerned that Tsunade was too young, Konohagakure's higher-ups dispatched Utatane Koharu to the front as commander. To hold back Sunagakure, Konohagakure was forced to open a second battlefield.
Facing the threats of both Sunagakure and Iwagakure, Konohagakure could only go all out. Its War Machine ran at full speed, and only then did people realize that Konohagakure's title as the strongest ninja village was no exaggeration.
The various ninja clans temporarily put aside their disputes and joined forces against the enemy. The mature Ninja Academy system also supplied a large number of lower-ranking ninja, making Konohagakure seem as though it still had strength to spare even while facing two Great Ninja Villages alone.
While everyone was speculating over when Kumogakure and Kirigakure would enter the war, Konohagakure's secretly planned full-scale counterattack began.
"Danzo, I'm leaving the village in your hands."
Shimura Danzō nodded. Hiruzen Sarutobi was not wearing his Hokage robes at the moment, but a set of fitted combat clothes.
"May your campaign be victorious, Lord Hokage!" the subordinates around him called in unison.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with a resolute expression. Forming a seal with one hand, he used Reverse Summoning and vanished from the Hokage Office.
When he opened his eyes again, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already in the main camp at the front lines.
"Lord Hokage!" a member of the Nara clan greeted him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand, signaling