A butterfly on the other side of the ocean might set off a hurricane with a gentle flap of its wings.
Souya had been in this world for over a decade, and the impact he had made was clearly far greater than that of a butterfly.
The fact that the Third Kazekage and Sasori were still living safely in Sunagakure was the best proof of that.
Still, the peaceful Ninja World was ultimately only a temporary illusion. As time passed, friction and conflict between the great nations began to emerge, even without the Third Kazekage's disappearance.
Assassinations of important figures and raids for supplies became commonplace. As minor disputes piled up, they eventually stirred up a massive storm.
The Land of Lightning, whose people had the most aggressive temperament, was the first to usher in the war, brazenly launching attacks against the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire.
The Land of Earth, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Water all responded in turn, with a steady stream of defensive maneuvers, attacks, raids, and other actions.
Yet, unexpectedly, the Land of Wind not only avoided sparking any conflict but instead kept to its own territory, doing everything it could to avoid contact with other nations.
With the Land of Fire now beset on three fronts and the pressure on its battle lines growing, the Third Hokage made a decision. To avoid the worst-case scenario of being attacked on all four sides, he sent envoys to negotiate with the Land of Wind, hoping to establish a non-aggression pact between the two nations.
After all, the Land of Wind had coveted the fertile territory of the Land of Fire for years. The Third Hokage was sure it wouldn't stand by forever, so the potential threat had to be addressed.
The Land of Wind, for its part, made no attempt to hide its intentions. It used the opportunity to demand the annexation of the Land of Rivers.
The Land of Rivers had only one very small village, the Valley Hidden Village, whose strength was quite feeble. But its land and resources were far better than the vast stretches of sand in the Land of Wind.
The Land of Wind had long wanted to annex the country. However, it was under Konoha's protection, and an unprovoked invasion would be tantamount to declaring war on Konoha. In the past, Konoha had been far stronger than the Land of Wind, making the idea impossible to carry out.
As for the Land of Rivers serving as a buffer zone between the two nations, that was insignificant compared with the vast benefits of making it their own territory.
Negotiations were a drawn-out process. The Land of Wind wasn't truly afraid of an invasion; even if others occupied its desert regions, they would be of little use.
The Land of Fire, however, worried that the Land of Wind, lying in wait, might suddenly bare its fangs and launch a surprise attack on its rear.
But the Third Hokage didn't dare make the decision to give up the Land of Rivers. If the Land of Wind annexed it, the two nations would share a direct border.
If the Land of Wind later went back on its word, it would pose an even greater threat to the Land of Fire. And having a great nation as a neighbor would be like a thorn in its side, forcing it to strengthen its border defenses.
During the negotiations, the other nations also got wind of what was happening. The Land of Lightning was the most direct in its response. Its delegation made it clear that if the Land of Wind attacked the Land of Fire, it could provide financial support, and the two countries could also form an alliance and jointly devise a battle plan.
According to reports from the front lines, shinobi from Iwagakure and Kirigakure had also begun making incursions along the Land of Wind's borders.
After more than five years of consolidation and the sweeping reforms instituted by the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure had undergone a considerable transformation. Its strength had risen several levels compared with the past.
One shocking piece of news after another reached Sunagakure.
A group of jōnin had gathered in the Kazekage's Office to discuss the situation. Most were men, though a few lovely women were among them.
"That's the situation as it stands. How do you think we should respond?" The Kazekage sat to the left of his desk, facing the group at an angle. He was looking at the map of the Ninja World behind him, where several red circles and crosses had been marked.
"Lord Kazekage, those Kirigakure curs actually dare to provoke us! We should strike back hard and wipe out every last invader!" said a middle-aged jōnin with a hideous scar across his face. He clearly had a short temper.
The Kazekage didn't respond. His gaze still wandered between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers.
"Lord Kazekage, we've spent years lying low. We shouldn't reveal our strength too soon. Kirigakure is obviously here to test our village's capabilities. They might not even realize that another country is using them as a pawn..." Baki, whose face was half-covered by a white cloth, spoke up.
"The Third Raikage is dead, and Iwagakure has lost a great deal of its fighting strength!"
"Konoha's been running around in every direction, and its national strength is steadily declining. Are we still not going to attack?" the scar-faced jōnin retorted.
"Though the Third Raikage is dead, the AB Brothers are every bit as formidable as he was!"
"They have a perfect Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
"If the Eight-Tails rampages through our village, do we have a shinobi like the Yellow Flash who can stand against it?" Baki replied without hesitation.
The great nations' reserves of strength were indeed not to be underestimated. Though people continued to fall in the war, even more rising stars came into their own.
The most prominent among them were the AB Brothers of the Land of Lightning and the Yellow Flash of the Land of Fire!
The Third Kazekage couldn't help but wonder: was Konoha truly blessed by the heavens? In every war, it produced shinobi who could determine the course of the fighting. In the last great war, there had been the Sannin and the White Fang.
This time, an even more uncanny shinobi had appeared. He had mastered Space-Time Ninjutsu, the most difficult kind of ninjutsu in the Ninja World, and could travel rapidly between battlefronts to provide support.
That was why the Land of Fire could still stand firm despite being attacked on three fronts.
"Are we really going to keep hiding in the village like turtles, living in comfort?" The scar-faced man's face flushed red, then pale, as he was rebuffed. He was clearly a warmonger, but for now, all he could do was make a few rousing speeches.
Quite a few of the shinobi present seemed moved. They clenched their fists in silence.
The Kazekage lifted his gaze from the map, turned around, and looked over the group, taking in their reactions.
At last, the Kazekage's gaze settled on a young man who had only recently come of age.
He was tall and slender, with tousled black hair falling in loose strands across his forehead. His handsome face still held a trace of youthful innocence.
His deep-set eyes seemed to draw all the light around him into their depths, while his thick, straight brows added a touch of heroic spirit.
He wore a black-and-red outfit suited for combat. Unlike the other shinobi, he didn't carry a blade on his back. Instead, he had a club slung diagonally across it, about as thick as a walnut. Dense black runes were engraved all over it, and where they didn't cover the surface, a gleaming golden body showed through. It looked quite unusual.
The other shinobi present followed the Kazekage's gaze and turned toward the young man in unison.
After all, of the two great prodigies to have risen within Sunagakure in recent years, this young man was by far the more renowned.
The others had heard that he was the first to propose many of the reforms the village had implemented.
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