Was there... any depiction of Itachi in the war?
In the original work?
On the way back to camp, Chiba could not help but stop. He turned to look at the two figures, one large and one small, who had already headed back the way they came, his brow creasing slightly.
His parting with Uchiha Fugaku had been amicable enough. Of course, there had been no needless talk. Once they had reached an agreement, they had said their goodbyes.
After all, they still had much preparation to do this time.
As Hokage Assistant, Chiba naturally knew about the war on the front lines. However, first, he was responsible for the expansion plan, and second, he did not think this war would have any adverse effects on Konoha. On the contrary, it would be highly beneficial to Konoha, and he trusted Minato Namikaze's strategic judgment.
So he had not paid it much attention.
The source of this war was the elite Konoha force sent to support Sunagakure. In the end, they had clashed with the forces of other shinobi villages, and the conflict showed signs of escalating. Uchiha's involvement was likely Minato Namikaze's attempt to swiftly halt the worsening situation, lest the already-set pattern of the Third Shinobi World War develop some new variable.
Chiba naturally supported that idea.
Konoha already held victory firmly in hand. If they simply allowed the situation to escalate until it became impossible to contain, the other four shinobi villages certainly would not come out well, and their losses would only exceed Konoha's. But Konoha's own losses would also become unbearable. At that point, no one would benefit.
The current situation was actually best for Konoha: achieving the greatest results at the lowest cost.
And judging from the matter of Higan Grass, the national treasure of