The Third Shinobi World War

As the entire ninja world focused on the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, news struck like lightning from a clear sky, shocking everyone.

The Stone Ninja have officially declared war on Konoha!

No one expected the Stone Ninja, who had been silent, to be the first to declare war on Konoha. While the Land of Lightning was still negotiating with the Land of Fire over the "missing caravan" issue, the Stone Ninja acted without further ado.

This action was both like and unlike the Stone Ninja.

The sudden attack was very much in line with their usual style. What was unlike them was that Ōnoki, that old schemer, was the first to make a move.

This old man usually waited until others were in a desperate fight before swooping in to pick up the spoils. His uncharacteristic behavior this time caught Konoha completely off guard.

Although it was called a declaration of war, it was only announced three days after the surprise attack on the Land of Fire's border. It was a case of getting on the bus before buying a ticket.

Konoha's defenses were as fragile as paper mainly because the enemy did not take the battlefield of the previous Ninja War, the Land of Rain, but attacked from the Land of Grass.

Konoha never expected that the Land of Grass, which had always been friendly with them, would become a bridgehead for an attack. Therefore, the defenses here were the weakest and were breached by the Stone Ninja in an instant.

"Heh, powerless to resist. Does he think I'm a three-year-old child?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the intelligence report in his hand onto the table. The violent sound made many ninjas present tremble.

Many young ninjas had never seen the "Professor of Ninjutsu," Lord Third, angry since they could remember. He had always been a kind and benevolent elder. But precisely because of the Third Hokage's consistently good image, his anger this time was particularly terrifying.

"I've said it before, placing hope in the Grass Ninja Village is futile. Those people are like untamable dogs. They took so many benefits from Konoha, only to collude with Ōnoki."

Danzo's expression was normal, but he gently shook his head and said with a sigh.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face immediately turned ashen. Many who wanted to agree remained silent.

"Now is not the time to discuss this. Let's get through the current crisis first."

Hiashi Hyuga crossed his arms, his expression unchanged.

This ninja, only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, had been the head of the Hyuga clan for many years. He had earned the respect of Konoha's major clans with his own strength and skill. His intervention at this moment eased the minds of many worried individuals.

Facing this disruptor, Danzo did not look at him. Of course, it might also be that the rotation of his single eye was too large, making it inconvenient.

"Shikaku, tell us about the border situation."

"Yes."

Shikaku Nara walked to the map and pointed to the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire. "Due to insufficient preparation, our defense line has been forced to retreat a hundred miles, commanded by Jonin Mimura Hamaki. The known enemy experts include Dong Siren, Mo Zhi, Huo Guang, Da Shi, and Sumashi. I have fought them on missions before. Except for Sumashi, they are all very powerful ninjas. I am not confident of victory in a one-on-one fight."

"Do you think Hamaki can hold the line?"

Shikaku Nara shook his head without hesitation. "I don't know if the enemy has any backup. With the current lineup, we are not their match. Even..."

"We might be annihilated."

Everyone fell into deep thought upon hearing Shikaku's assessment.

Although this young man, only twenty years old, still looked a bit immature, with the surname Nara preceding him, his words could not be ignored.

"There is no time for hesitation. We must send troops to support Lord Hamaki as soon as possible."

Minato Namikaze stood up and volunteered, "Let me go!"

However, his words were not met with affirmation. Koharu frowned, "Minato, now is not the time for you to act."

Homura Mitokado nodded in agreement. "The threat from the Stone Ninja is, after all, less than that from the Cloud Ninja. If we truly go to war with the Cloud Ninja, the Land of Fire will face two battlefields, east and west. The distance is extremely far, and even with your Flying Thunder God, it would be difficult to manage both simultaneously. The situation is still under control. You should remain in the village as a precaution."

Homura Mitokado's words were endorsed by many.

In the eyes of those present, the threat from the Cloud Ninja was far greater than that from the Stone Ninja.

The latter had a losing record against Konoha and was inferior in all aspects. But the Cloud Ninja were different. Although it was a surprise attack, the fact that Lord Tobirama died at the hands of the Cloud Ninja was undeniable. The two villages had clashed countless times, and Konoha's record was not as impressive as it was against the Stone Ninja. The enemy was not significantly weaker than them at the Elite Jonin level.

The most crucial point was that if they attacked by sea or land, the Cloud Ninja could quickly penetrate the heart of the Land of Fire and directly threaten Konoha Village!

Even for Konoha, defending the long coastline would stretch their forces thin. Now, to deal with the Stone Ninja, they could not dispatch heavy troops to guard it. They could only rely on powerful individuals to deter the enemy and simultaneously guard Konoha.

After all, once war broke out, external factors had to be guarded against, as well as internal ones.

Uchiha: Internally, it won't be me, right?

The border and the village, which was more important was self-evident. Minato Namikaze's mission was extremely heavy.

"The Jonin will primarily consist of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans. Select some Chunin from the village to support the border. Shikaku, you will be responsible for this matter."

The Third Hokage looked at everyone and, without further comment, arranged the work for the support troops.

"Huh? Yes."

Shikaku seemed to be lost in thought. He only snapped back to attention when the Hokage's words reached him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at this capable subordinate of his, and also the one he was leaving for Minato, and asked.

"I'm just a bit curious. Ōnoki is known for his prudence and careful consideration. Why would he be so rash as to suddenly attack the Land of Fire?"

He stroked his chin, frowning, feeling that something was not right.

No one present was foolish. Shikaku's words also made them uneasy.

This man, who had lived as long as the ninja village, would not act so impulsively. What backup did he have?

Just then, the door to the conference room was pushed open.

The person arrived, panting heavily, holding two envelopes, their expression filled with fear and unease.

"Lord Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took the envelopes, his eyes suddenly narrowing. He looked at the other one, and his face immediately changed drastically.

He stood up, his expression stern, and said to everyone in a deep voice, "Our scouts saw Ōnoki's guards at the Raikage's building in Kumogakure. It's highly likely they've already joined forces."

"Is the intelligence accurate?"

Koharu couldn't sit still. She knew the possibility of error was very small, but she still held onto a sliver of hope.

After all, these two countries were sworn enemies, comparable to Konoha and the Cloud Ninja.

You have to understand, during the last Ninja World War, if it weren't for the Cloud Ninja crossing the ocean to give the Stone Ninja some fiery 'care,' forcing the Stone Ninja to retreat from the Land of Rain battlefield and defend their homes, the Stone Ninja wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses and been defeated so miserably.

This could be considered the second greatest humiliation in Ōnoki's life. The probability of these two countries forming an alliance was as likely as Palestine and Israel holding hands and singing "A Family of Love."

But everything was so magical, and the two sides had actually allied!

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, "I wish it were a joke, but just now, the Cloud Ninja attacked our eastern defense line."

After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across everyone present, and said solemnly, "Everyone, put away your wishful thinking. The Third Shinobi World War has begun!"

Thanks to @书友20210710160041820 for the two monthly tickets!

I forgot today that I only updated one chapter and am rushing to make up for it. I can't make it for the one at midnight. I'll update again during the day. Gomen nasai!