"So, if it were you, what would you choose?" Orochimaru asked in a low, hoarse voice.
"Me? I won't let my comrades sacrifice themselves, nor will I let the mission fail. I have absolute ability and confidence," Shiyu said firmly.
"I see." Orochimaru nodded.
"Orochimaru?" Tsunade exclaimed.
"Oh, it's Tsunade. I'm quite surprised you've returned," Orochimaru said.
"Because of this child." Tsunade placed her hand on Shiyu's head.
"This is no ordinary child," Orochimaru said, shaking his head.
"Of course, I know better than you." Tsunade then called out, "Orochimaru, let's go see the Third Hokage together. We have important matters to report to him. You should come too."
"Alright." Orochimaru then accompanied the two of them to the Hokage's office.
It was still the same Hokage's desk, still the Third Hokage with his heavy smoking habit, but even the Third Hokage couldn't be happy today. The weather outside wasn't great either, with a light drizzle falling.
"Shiyu, Orochimaru, Tsunade, huh? It's quite unexpected that you three brothers would come here together. Is there something you need?" the Third Hokage asked.
"Old man!" Tsunade directly repeated Shiyu's prophetic words about the war.
"So, old man? Does Shiyu's analysis make sense?" Tsunade asked.
"I never imagined that Shiyu would possess such strategic acumen, even analyzing war so thoroughly," the Third Hokage said, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Shiyu is right, but it's not yet at the point of Shinobi World War. Recently, Iwagakure and Kumogakure have been somewhat restless, and I have already dispatched several Konoha Jonin guard the border, keeping a close eye on the actions of both countries," the Third Hokage said calmly.
"What about Sunagakure and Kirigakure? Why didn't you deploy them?" Tsunade couldn't help but ask.
"Don't worry, if Sunagakure makes any unusual moves, I will immediately dispatch ninja there. As for Kirigakure, there is currently no intelligence indicating that they will attack Konoha," the Third Hokage said.
"Indeed, the current Kirigakure lacks the ability to invade other countries, and the Sunagakure Village is clearly not up to par either. It's just that the Third Kazekage, who is said to be the strongest in history, is a bit difficult to deal with." Orochimaru had clearly fought the Third Kazekage and suffered a loss, which shows how strong he was.
"Before the real battle begins, there will always be some minor skirmishes. We should secretly accumulate strength and prepare in advance for the future great battle!" Shiyu also suggested.
"Well said." Suddenly, three more people entered from outside the door. Naturally, they were Konoha's two advisors and Danzo, the Hokage's Danzo.
"Oh? Danzo? You actually agree with Shiyu? That's quite unexpected!" The Third Hokage was also somewhat surprised.
"Hiruzen, the Shinobi World War is an opportunity for Konoha. If we prepare early, we can use the war to make Konoha far stronger than the other four countries." Danzo's thinking remained hawkish.
"Danzo, what do you plan to do?" Koharu asked.
"What do you want to gain through war?" Mitokado Homura asked.
Danzo then said, "I hope that this time we can use force to compel the other four countries to cede territory and pay reparations. This will not only replenish our war losses but also thoroughly weaken the strength of other countries."
Shiyu shook his head and said, "You're underestimating the strength of the other four nations. Do you think Konoha can attack four major powers at the same time?"
"If it's just Konoha, we can't do it alone. So we can first unite with other major powers, attack one country, and after annexing it, turn against the other and deal with it. That way, we can annex the other one as quickly as possible," Danzo suggested.
However, Shiyu considered all of this to be utter nonsense.
The Five Great Nations and the surrounding smaller countries have long maintained a so-called balance of power. They are not idiots; anyone who breaks this balance will be wiped out by the combined forces of the other nations.
"Danzo couldn't possibly be unaware of this, so what was his motive?" Shiyu didn't believe Danzo would truly agree with him. Was he trying to use Shiyu's prophecy about the war, take advantage of the Third Hokage's setbacks in the war, and then seize the opportunity to gain real power?
The Third Hokage wasn't a fool; he immediately rejected Danzo.
"Our Konoha cannot betray its allies. Moreover, we have never heard of a country being destroyed in previous wars. What a price we would have to pay! It would have plunged Konoha into injustice, and more importantly, it would have shaken the very foundation of Konoha." The Third Hokage was a cunning old fox, and he couldn't possibly be unaware of Danzo's conspiracy.
"In that case, Hiruzen, you mustn't let Konoha lose this battle! I'll at least help Konoha diplomatically." Danzo, seeing that no one had fallen for his trap, then left alone.
"Tsunade Hime and Orochimaru are here too." The two advisors didn't leave; they stayed in the Hokage's room to continue their discussion.
"With just Jiraiya, Hiruzen's entire roster of disciples will be complete." Koharu and Homura have already acknowledged Shiyu's strength and talent, so they didn't criticize him because of Shiyu Uchiha bloodline, which is a significant change.
"Teacher, what diplomatic means did Danzo mention?" Tsunade asked proactively.
"Well, when you Sannin were fighting Hanzo in the Land of Rain, Danzo had already negotiated with Hanzo. Although we don't know what Danzo did, Hanzo didn't kill you later. This was partly due to your hard work and partly due to Danzo's diplomatic efforts." The Third Hokage's words made Shiyu understand that, at least for now, Danzo wasn't as useless as he seemed.
After Shiyu handed over the mission, he temporarily stopped doing missions. Orochimaru was immediately transferred to the border to guard against possible battles. Tsunade said she was going to find Jiraiya.
"Shiyu, your older sister has a gift for you," Tsunade said.
"Huh?" Shiyu thought to herself, "Could it be that they're giving me that necklace?"
However, Tsunade simply bit her finger and used Summoning Technique.
"Is this... Slug Sage?" Shiyu saw something that looked like a slug wriggling on the ground. It was huge and quite shocking.
"Lady Tsunade? What are your orders?" the Katsuyu asked directly.
"Katsuyu! This man is named Uchiha Shigure, and he is my younger brother. I hope you can teach him for me!" Tsunade said directly.
"Teach me?" Shiyu was also a little confused.
"I see. So you want him to enter the Shikkotsu Forest to receive the Slug Sage's inheritance?" the Katsuyu confirmed.
"I believe he can do it!" Tsunade said with great confidence.
"Well... I've already accepted the legacy of Ryūchi Cave, so I can't accept Katsuyu, right?" Shiyu explained.
"It won't affect anything at all. You'll see when you get there." Tsunade smiled, but for some Shiyu, Tsunade found her smile extremely terrifying.