At the front line on the eastern coast of the Land of Fire, inside a heavily guarded temporary command post, Shimura Danzō was staring at a military map in deep thought. Outside the tent, the sound of waves mingled with the footsteps of patrolling ninja, reminding everyone that this was still a war zone.
A Root member appeared inside the tent without a sound, dropped to one knee, and presented an encrypted scroll. "Lord Danzō, a secret message has arrived from Kirigakure."
Danzō took the scroll, a sharp gleam flashing through his lone eye. He quickly undid the seal and read its contents. As he read on, even that usually unruffled face of his changed slightly.
"Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura..." he murmured the name, tapping a finger on the Kirigakure direction on the map. "Taking the initiative to propose peace talks... and wanting those blades back..."
After pondering for a moment, he immediately ordered his subordinate, "Send this news back to Konoha at the highest encryption level at once and report it to the Third. At the same time, all frontline units are to maintain maximum alert. Without my orders, no provocative actions are permitted, but be on strict guard against Kirigakure's tricks."
"Yes!" the Root member accepted the order and left.
Danzō stood alone before the map, sinking into thought. He knew the true state of the front line better than anyone. Kirigakure's sudden request for peace was unexpected, but on closer thought, it made sense. Their internal strife had only just settled, and they urgently needed stability. As for Konoha...
He looked at the other directions marked in red on the map. The war in the northwest against the Hidden Stone was deadlocked, and the confrontation in the north against the Hidden Cloud was even more brutal. If