The War Is Coming

In the capital of the Land of Water, the second squad of Kirigakure's ANBU First Division was carrying out the mission Seiji had assigned them under the leadership of their captain, Murasaki.

After receiving Seiji's orders, the second squad spared no Chakra, traveling day and night to the capital of the Land of Water. They arrived at eleven o'clock on the second night.

Upon reaching the capital, Murasaki followed the contact method recorded by Seiji in the mission scroll and quickly got in touch with the member of the Underground Exchange specifically responsible for gathering Ninja World intelligence for Seiji.

After verifying their identities using the method Seiji had taught them, Murasaki obtained their mission target.

It turned out that on the very day Seiji took over as commander of the First Division, while on his way to the Anbu Main Base, he received an emergency contact signal from Dark Crow, the intelligence agent who was supposed to collect and deliver Ninja World intelligence to him on a monthly basis.

Dark Crow was an intelligence agent Seiji had specially selected from the intelligence division of the Underground Exchange under his control to gather information exclusively for him.

The Ninja World's methods of communication were still extremely primitive. Most messages could only be delivered by hand, unless it was a major ninja village like Konoha or Kirigakure, which could marshal the resources of the entire village to train specialized Ninja Hawks for communication.

Alternatively, messages could be conveyed through Summoning Beasts, but only a very small number of Summoning Beasts possessed both the intelligence and strength necessary to transmit messages through summoning and reverse summoning.

When Seiji assigned Dark Crow to gather intelligence specifically for him, he had expressly told him that emergency contact could only be used for intelligence of utmost importance concerning Kirigakure. Therefore, he took the emergency signal extremely seriously.

It also happened to coincide with his taking office. So after swiftly defeating and subduing Suikazan Fuguki and Murasaki, he sent Murasaki to the capital to retrieve the specific intelligence.

Murasaki quickly scanned the information using the code Seiji had provided, and his expression changed drastically at once.

The members of the second squad immediately headed to the ANBU's base in the capital, placed the intelligence inside a small box tied beside the hawk's talons, then swiftly released the Ninja Hawk to send the message back to the village.

"Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech!"

Five crisp eagle cries rang out in succession above Kirigakure.

"It's here!" Seiji, who had been reviewing relevant recent intelligence at the ANBU base, stirred inwardly and rushed out of his office. Yaiba, the commander of the Second Division who was also at the base, and Ken, the commander-in-chief, came outside as well. Seiji swiftly formed the appropriate hand seals and summoned the Ninja Hawk down.

The Ninja Hawk swooped down and obediently landed on Seiji's outstretched arm. Taking off the intelligence, Seiji swiftly deciphered its contents using the corresponding code, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

"My lords! Third Kazekage Iron Sand of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind personally led a ninja force into the Land of Rivers. Hanzō of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, appeared at the critical moment and stopped Third Kazekage Iron Sand. The two fought to a draw, but according to the intelligence, Third Kazekage Iron Sand was at a disadvantage and was being suppressed by Hanzō the entire time." Seiji opened with a bombshell that left Yaiba and Ken reeling.

"Amegakure has developed rapidly these past few years, and now they have such an overwhelmingly powerful leader. Their ambitions are considerable indeed," Yaiba remarked.

"After driving back the Third Kazekage, Hanzō of the Salamander publicly declared that he would lead Amegakure to become the sixth great ninja village. He also called out Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, challenging him to a battle at the Rain-Fire Border on Mist Year 33, July 7," Seiji continued.

"The Land of Rain's tiny territory and scarce resources are nowhere near enough to support Amegakure becoming the sixth great ninja village. It seems war is about to break out," Ken commented coolly. Then he turned to Seiji and instructed, "There isn't much time left before Hanzō and the Hokage's appointed battle. Take some men and observe the fight in person. Gather intelligence while you're at it. We also need that intelligence to determine what stance Kirigakure should take in the next great war."

"Yes! I'll assemble the men and depart as soon as possible," Seiji accepted the assignment.

At the same time, in the Land of Fire, Konoha, inside the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's office in the Hokage Building.

"What the hell is Hanzō trying to do?! This is a provocation against Konoha! Who does he think he is?!" A deep voice filled with rage and vehement words rang out from within.

The speaker had brown hair cut into neat flat bangs. His head and right eye were wrapped in bandages, leaving only one narrow eye exposed. Most striking of all was the cross-shaped scar on his chin. He was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi's close friend, Konoha's famed militant, the future five-and-a-halfth Hokage, the First Pot-Kage known as the Darkness of the Shinobi—Shimura Danzō.

"Danzō, calm down!" Utatane Koharu urged from the side. "Perhaps Hanzō merely wants to display his military strength and make his presence known!"

"That's right, old friend. The Land of Rain is such a tiny place that we could wipe them out with a wave of our hand. We only leave them there as a buffer between us, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind. Unless Hanzō is a fool, how could he possibly set his sights on our mighty Konoha?" Mitokado Homura said confidently.

"You underestimate Hanzō's ambitions too much. We should immediately send troops into the Land of Rain and wipe out that puny Amegakure!" Danzō's voice rose involuntarily.

"Danzō! You're too radical. My decision is made. Reply to Hanzō—I will meet him on time!!!" Hiruzen Sarutobi, barely past forty and at the peak of his strength, was not the least bit afraid of Hanzō, who had easily forced back the Kazekage. After all, he too was Konoha's "strongest Hokage," bearing the title of Ninjutsu Professor.

"Hiruzen!" Danzō roared, deeply dissatisfied that his companion would not heed his advice. "You'll regret this!"

"Danzō, I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi had not yet declined into the aged and weak man he would become after the Third Shinobi War. At this moment, he was incomparably forceful.