Time flies like water, and before we knew it, it was already the sixty-second year of Konoha.
The arrival of this time also proves that the Shippuden storyline in the Original Work is about to begin.
Also in that year, the Five Great Nations received a message almost simultaneously: a new great nation had risen in the Ninja World — the Land of Gold.
This is a large country composed of the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Grass, the Land of Snow, the Land of Iron, and others.
The five small ninja villages merged to form Northern Land Village, officially facing the Five Great Nations.
Previously, the Land of Gold had been in a state of isolation, and the other countries in the Ninja World had only a vague understanding of the situation of small countries like the Land of Hot Water.
At most, they only knew that the ninja village where the Land of Rice Fields was located had a considerable force, but the Raikage had already tested it with blood, and the other ninja villages only dared to make their move slowly.
Before they could make any further moves, the Northern Lands gave them a big surprise.
The Land of Gold officially opened its trade and diplomacy to the outside world, and from this day forward, the mysterious veil of the Northern Lands is finally lifted.
Merchants who used to operate clandestinely no longer need to conceal their identities, and ninjas entering the Land of Gold no longer need to undergo rigorous checks...
This move is no less significant than China's accession to the WTO in its previous life, and its implications are far-reaching.
"Hmph! Such arrogance! Do you really think that by uniting a disorganized bunch, you can stand on equal footing with us?"
In the Hokage's office in Konoha, Danzo slammed a newspaper onto his desk in anger, his remaining single eye gleaming with a chilling light.
Also present were Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, as well as the Third Hokage smoking a cigarette.
"I knew those items that came from the north earlier were extraordinary; the technology they used was something that small countries simply couldn't develop!"
Mitokado Homura spoke in a low voice, referring naturally to the cars and electric scooters of the Northern Lands.
While these might not be considered strategic resources for the current Ninja World, cars are still very useful in a place like the Land of Fire, which has vast plains.
Moreover, with ninjas who could clear paths through mountains and build bridges over rivers, there was no situation where passage was impossible.
Imagine this: other countries have such tools, but their so-called strongest ninja village in the Ninja World doesn't. If a war breaks out, wouldn't they be at the mercy of others?
This is the frustration of being strangled by other countries. These products from the Northern Lands are no less than a premature completion of the Second Industrial Revolution!
"Their rise is unstoppable, at least not by Konoha alone, unless..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi head of the group, stared at the newspaper in front of him with a furrowed brow, tapping his pipe lightly on the table.
The others were drawn to his movements, their eyes fixed on him, waiting for his unspoken words.
"Unless we launch a Ninja World War! We can unite the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth to attack them from three sides. They have just risen to power, and their foundation is no match for us, these old and powerful nations!"
Danzo's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this. How come he hadn't thought of that? This was his forte!
"Then what are we waiting for? Are we just going to stand by and watch another threat emerge around us?"
That's absolutely right. The facts are indeed as the two of them said. The Land of Gold is not yet firmly established. Even if the other side has strong ninjas who can rival the Kage, their Elite Jonin Chunin are definitely no match for them.
If they can persuade Kumogakure and Iwagakure, the three parties working together could very well defeat the other side.
"Sigh... The Third Shinobi World War has only been over ten years, and the major ninja villages have not yet recovered their strength. Our Konoha is no exception. Isn't it a bit hasty to start a war now?"
Utatane Koharu spoke up at the right moment, pouring cold water on Danzo, who was already carried away.
"Even if we agree to go to war, we can probably only persuade the Kumogakure, since their Kage have suffered losses at the hands of the enemy before..."
Utatane Koharu didn't finish her sentence, but everyone knew that it would be difficult to persuade the Land of Earth to join forces. After all, Ōnoki had killed the Third Raikage, so it was unlikely that the two sides would unite.
Even if all three parties agree to wage war against the Land of Gold, what grounds will they use? And who will lead the charge? They can't just start a war with any random excuse, can they?
After all, the Land of Gold has only recently fully opened up, and it has not infringed upon their interests.
"This won't work, that won't work, are we really going to just stand by and watch this tiny country ride roughshod over us?"
Danzo on the table again in anger. If it weren't for the Third Hokage sitting opposite him, he would have flipped the table over.
The group didn't Danzo's words; instead, they lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.
"The new generation hasn't fully matured yet. We experienced the baptism of war when we were young, Kakashi's generation is no exception. In my decades in office, we've witnessed two Ninja World Wars. If it weren't for unavoidable circumstances, I wouldn't want another war to break out..."
The Third Hokage exhaled a heavy puff of smoke and glanced around.
When the others met his somewhat weary gaze, they felt a pang of sympathy as well, knowing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed had a tough time.
Even though he's reached the age where he can enjoy his retirement, he's still diligently worrying about the village, concerned about the future of three or four generations. Besides, he's old now and has lost the ambition he once had...
"That's just womanly sentimentality! As the village's leader, this isn't something you should be worrying about. What's a little sacrifice compared to a better future for the village?"
At this point, the only one still ambitious was probably Danzo, that old bachelor.
He felt that with his spirit and his high spirits, he could fight for Konoha for another twenty years.
"If you feel you can't handle this job, you can let me do it. I'll definitely do it better than you!"
Danzo was not one to admit he was getting old. Everyone present knew what he was thinking, so they simply stopped pretending. However, no one stood up to refute him.
"Danzo! We're talking about other countries right now, don't interrupt me!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't mince words, slamming his pipe heavily onto the conference table and speaking without any politeness.
"Snort!"
After being harshly criticized, Danzo snorted and sat down again.
Although he always wanted to seize the opportunity to oust Hiruzen Sarutobi, the current situation was indeed not appropriate.
"What Konoha needs right now is stability! Besides, the Land of Gold hasn't posed a threat to us yet, so we can test their strength first!"
After a moment of silence, the Third Hokage broke the silence, and the others nodded slightly upon hearing it, except for Danzo, who still had a sour face.
"Now that they've opened up, Danzo can send more spies over there..."
"I don't need you to teach me how to do things!"
Mitokado Homura Danzo he could finish speaking, saying that he would take the initiative to do these tasks without needing to say anything.
"Trade with the Land of Gold cannot be stopped. Since some of their technologies are worthwhile, we should find a way to acquire and use them..."
The group talked in the conference room all day and finally decided to play it safe for now and gradually find out the details of Northern Land Village.
"By the way, I'm planning to co-host next year's Chunin Ninja Exams with Sunagakure. Should we invite Northern Land Village as well?"