On the way home, Katsuki kept mulling over the news Dan Katō had mentioned.
The Land of Wind had declared war on the Land of Fire.
Sunagakure had declared war on Konoha.
With the southern border of the Land of Rain and the northern border of the Land of Rivers as the battlefield, nearly five to six thousand ninja from both sides faced off there. After several major battles, both sides temporarily reined in their claws and began waiting for reinforcements from their rear while engaging in small-scale clashes.
Konoha's experts were active on the front lines. It was not just Konoha's White Fang, but also the three rising stars known as the "Three Ninja."
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade had joined forces against Hanzō, the ruler of Amegakure, who was known as the "Demigod." Not only had they survived, they had earned Hanzō's praise and gained the title of the Three Ninja. Through that battle, Hanzō had done Konoha a favor, and the fighting between the two sides had finally ceased with a truce agreement.
On one hand, Konoha had no choice but to acknowledge Hanzō's favor. On the other, the Sand Ninja had begun openly seizing Konoha's spoils in the Land of Rain and making moves against the Land of Rivers. This was something Konoha could not tolerate no matter what. Even if the Land of Rain was dirt poor, a mosquito was still meat, however small. Not to mention that spoils of war carried the halo of glory.
The clashes continued to escalate. The Sand Ninja showed no restraint at all—or rather, they were deliberately provoking conflict. Until now, they had finally been unable to hold back and formally declared war on Konoha.
"War..."
Katsuki stopped at the street corner and looked around. It was noon, and the