Under the enormous threat posed by Akatsuki and the Ten-Tails, the Five Great Shinobi Villages had completely cast aside all past grudges and united like never before.
As the Five Great Shinobi Villages fully mobilized their war machines, the entire Ninja World boiled over.
Tens of thousands of shinobi forces were assembling. Even in a Ninja World that had experienced the Third Shinobi World War, such a sight was exceedingly rare. Thus, gathered shinobi could be seen on nearly every major road, ferry crossing, and mountain pass throughout the Ninja World.
Akatsuki's past tyranny had made it impossible for smaller shinobi villages and factions outside the Five Great Shinobi Villages—such as Kusagakure, Takigakure, Otogakure, the Land of Iron, and the Land of Demons—to stay out of this war. So after receiving invitations from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, these smaller villages and factions joined one after another.
Thus, after the Five Great Shinobi Villages began their full mobilization, shinobi from many smaller villages, as well as samurai from the Land of Iron and the Land of Demons, began urgently mobilizing as well.
In less than a week, nearly the entire Ninja World had fallen beneath the dark clouds of war.
Konoha's underground conference room.
Standing before an enormous map of the Ninja World, Shikaku Nara, the head of Konoha's Jonin Corps, pointed to the narrow region bordering the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind and explained, "According to intelligence sent back by the reconnaissance teams at the front, Akatsuki's main force is currently in this area, numbering roughly twenty to thirty thousand."
"Dammit!"
The Fourth Kazekage's expression darkened at once.
Akatsuki's army choosing to occupy the Land of Wind was undoubtedly an insult to Sunagakure.
Shikaku Nara then pointed to the Land of Hot Water and the Land