Ask the Uchiha Clan Head to Come for a Meeting

As the great battle raged, spies from the various shinobi villages continued gathering information--

Konohagakure's forces: No fewer than three thousand shinobi. Led by one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, whose summoning beast was Manda of Ryūchi Cave; and Jiraiya, whose summoning beast was Gamabunta of Mount Myōboku.

Sunagakure's forces: No fewer than three thousand shinobi. Led by bloodline limit users—Magnet Release: Rasa and Scorch Release: Pakura.

Battle report: Konohagakure reinforcements arrived and launched a midnight raid on Sunagakure's encampment. Konohagakure's shinobi withdrew, while Sunagakure's forces remained at their post.

This battle report reached the desks of the leaders of the major shinobi villages at astonishing speed, just as the sun rose.

Land of Earth, Iwagakure.

The entire village nestled deep among rugged mountains, its sturdy stone buildings layered atop one another like a massive natural fortress.

In the Tsuchikage Building's office, at the fortress's highest point, Ōnoki of Both Scales hovered in midair.

He held the intelligence report that could determine the course of the war. A shrewd gleam flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen... As expected, he chose the softest-looking target to strike first."

"Concentrating his forces to tear a hole in Sunagakure's defenses while surrounded on all sides. That is certainly in keeping with his cautious style."

"Too bad he doesn't have the strength for it. He'll only bring trouble upon himself."

Ōnoki muttered under his breath.

Given Konohagakure's war potential, weakening it was a shared goal among the other major shinobi villages.

But whenever the opportunity arose, those villages had no qualms about stabbing their "allies" in the back.

Alliances and conflict, betrayal and compromise—these had always been the eternal themes among the Five Great Nations.

How to secure the greatest possible advantage for Iwagakure was what he, as Tsuchikage, truly needed to consider.

Konohagakure had now stationed its reserve forces in the Land of Rivers, to the southwest.

Without a doubt, an opportunity had come for Iwagakure—but he couldn't act rashly.

Ōnoki looked at the Anbu before him, gathered his thoughts, and issued his highest-priority order.

"Send word to Higashi Shinin, who's stationed in the Land of Grass. The plan remains unchanged. Advance steadily toward the border of the Land of Fire."

Ōnoki deliberately emphasized his next words. "Remember: steadily. Without my order, do not engage Konohagakure's main force head-on!"

"What we need to do is use our numerical advantage and slowly bear down on them like real mountains, forcing the troops on Konohagakure's northwestern border to keep pulling back their defensive lines."

"At the same time, send elite shinobi squads into the Land of Fire in small, dispersed groups... Their mission isn't to storm fortified positions. They are to harass supply lines and, whenever possible, 'collect' wealth—especially bloodline limit users."

The Third Tsuchikage spoke in a low, grave voice, with the characteristic tenacity of Iwagakure and the coldness of a shinobi.

"Strike while they're down and finish them off—but that killing blow must come like the weathering of rock: wait for the right moment and advance one step at a time."

As the Anbu departed, Ōnoki's white beard fluttered. He gazed toward the Land of Fire, his eyes distant as he murmured, "Sarutobi Hiruzen, how are you going to handle the Uchiha?"

As a young man, Ōnoki had witnessed Uchiha Madara's godlike power. Now he settled back in his chair to rest. He was old, and many things had become too much for him.

"Iwagakure has no one to carry on its legacy right now. If only the Uchiha were in Iwagakure..."

As he pondered, a mocking smile tugged at Ōnoki's lips. It was hard to tell whether he was scoffing at Sarutobi Hiruzen for failing to recognize talent, or envying Konohagakure for its abundance of geniuses and deep pockets.

Meanwhile, at the Kumogakure frontline camp on the border of the Land of Hot Water,

rows of camps stretched across the mountainside, and black flags marked with white clouds snapped in the biting mountain wind.

Thousands of Kumogakure shinobi had gathered there. Shouts from training and the clash of metal rang out day and night, filling the valley with an air of bloodshed.

Inside the command tent, the Third Raikage A stood before a massive military map. He was renowned throughout the Shinobi World for his formidable physique and Lightning Release Nintaijutsu.

His towering, powerful frame was like an iron pagoda. Simply standing there, he radiated an oppressive presence that made it hard to breathe.

His original plan had been to march southwest, cross the rugged mountains, and strike straight at Sunagakure, which had fallen into chaos after the disappearance of the Third Kazekage.

But now, a top-secret report that had just arrived was clenched in A's rough hand.

His eyes raced over the writing on the scroll. The Third Raikage's mouth twitched, then a booming laugh burst from him, making the entire tent vibrate.

"Who would've thought those sand-eaters from Sunagakure actually had some skill?"

A clenched his fingers. Powerful Lightning Release Chakra instantly reduced the report in his hand to dust.

"Most of Konohagakure's top fighters are now tied down in that swamp called the Land of Rivers. Their homeland's defenses must be wide open!"

"Heaven-sent opportunity! How could we let it pass us by?"

"Take my orders—"

The Raikage's voice cracked like thunder, drowning out all the noise outside the tent in an instant. "Strike camp! Our target is the Land of Fire. We march south and capture the monkey!"

"This time, I'll tear open Konohagakure's so-called impregnable shell with my own hands!"

"While we're at it, I'll test the 'strongest Hokage' they've been praising to the skies. How does Sarutobi Hiruzen compare to Senju Tobirama, who slaughtered his way through the First Shinobi World War?"

A's gaze seemed to pierce through the tent, reaching the fertile land to the south.

"And send men to seize and plunder everything! Bring every beautiful thing in the Land of Fire back to our village!"

That order was like a drawn blade of lightning, igniting the entire Kumogakure camp.

On the eastern edge of the continent, salty sea winds carried moisture toward the towering Mizukage Building.

The Third Mizukage stood motionless by the window, his lean figure and face obscured by shadow.

Only his dark eyes reflected the view outside--

In the hazy bay, more than a dozen black warships sat in silent formation, like colossal beasts. Their masts rose like a forest, their sails tightly furled.

Suddenly, a thick, ink-black liquid silently seeped out of the floor by his feet. It crawled upward against all reason, taking shape until it resembled an eerily blooming black man-eating flower. Slowly, it "opened"--

At its center appeared a humanoid being with a bizarre outline, half black and half white.

"We can begin."

Black Zetsu's hoarse, chilling whisper rang through the silent room.

Not long afterward, the Kirigakure Shinobi Army appeared at the docks, then scattered into streaks of shadow as they raced toward their respective ships.

The mooring ropes were cut, and the sails billowed open with a roar under the force of Chakra.

The immense fleet sailed out of the harbor like a moving shadow of death, heading west toward the Land of Fire.

The cloud of war, stirred up by the inconclusive battle in the Land of Rivers, began gathering rapidly over the Land of Fire.

Inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, took a deep drag on his pipe.

"Quickly, ask the Uchiha Clan Head to come for a meeting!"