Konoha's Foundations! Turmoil Sweeps the Ninja World!

When Lin Hai opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a simple hospital room.

The medical ninja caring for him told him that he had been unconscious for a full seven days.

In those seven days, the situation in the ninja world had undergone earth-shaking changes.

After signing a truce agreement with Kirigakure, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had immediately led two thousand Konoha elites across the ocean by ship, pressing straight toward the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning.

This move of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" directly threatened the Land of Lightning's homeland security, forcing the Second Raikage, who had surrounded Iwagakure in the Land of Waterfalls, to divide his forces and return to aid his homeland.

At that moment, Lin Hai was leaning against his hospital bed, reading through the top-secret information Tobirama had left him regarding "Kekkei Tōta."

"Creak—"

The hospital room door was pushed open, and Hiruzen Sarutobi strode inside.

He dropped onto the chair beside Lin Hai's bed and complained with a resentful expression.

"Lin Hai, you bastard! You were actually a genius born with three chakra natures! You kept something this huge secret even from me? That's seriously not cool!"

Lin Hai helplessly closed the documents and spread his hands. "Can you blame me? The Second Hokage gave me a strict order not to reveal it to anyone. I was helpless too!"

Hiruzen rolled his eyes and simply sprawled across the other empty bed, speaking sourly.

"You really have all the luck, kid!"

"Back then, if the Sarutobi clan hadn't merged into Konoha as a whole, and if the First and Second Hokage hadn't seen my extraordinary talent and remarkable physique, the Second Hokage wouldn't have reluctantly accepted me as his disciple."

"But you? A little brat from the Uchiha clan, personally accepted by the First Hokage as his final disciple and taught hand in hand! And now even the Second Hokage and Big Sis Mito are teaching you everything they know. Did you save the ninja world in your past life or something?"

Lin Hai snorted and mercilessly shot him down. "Extraordinary talent? Remarkable physique? You?"

Hiruzen jumped up as if someone had stepped on his tail. "Even if there's a tiny bit of exaggeration in there, I'm still a super genius, right? You dare deny it?"

Seeing Hiruzen's expression that said, "Deny it and I'll bite you," Lin Hai held back his laughter and nodded. "Fine, fine. You're a genius. Your whole family is made of geniuses."

Lin Hai turned to the window, putting away his joking mood as he asked seriously.

"Monkey Bro, I've always had a question. How many active-duty ninja does Konoha actually have?"

Hiruzen froze. "Why are you asking that? Don't you know Konoha's ninja establishment?"

Lin Hai shook his head and analyzed the situation.

"Look, the Iwagakure-Takigakure allied army had nearly ten thousand Iwagakure ninja alone."

"When Sunagakure invaded the Land of Rain back then, they deployed over eight thousand people. Kirigakure was fighting on two fronts, and their total force also exceeded seven thousand."

"But we fought so fiercely in the Land of Whirlpools, and Konoha's total troop investment before and after the battle didn't even reach five thousand!"

"Big Brother Danzo used to brag that Konoha was the biggest village in the ninja world and had nearly twenty thousand registered ninja. So where are they? Hiding underground?"

After hearing this, Hiruzen could not help laughing.

"Think carefully. In the two large-scale battles you took part in, did you see any chūnin or genin besides yourself?"

Lin Hai was stunned. After thinking it over carefully, he suddenly slapped his thigh.

"That's right! Other than me, a chūnin allowed to join because of special circumstances, everyone there was either jōnin or elite ANBU! Where did all the chūnin and genin go?"

Hiruzen sat upright again, his expression turning serious as he began explaining Konoha's foundations to Lin Hai.

"The nearly twenty thousand registered ninja you mentioned refers to every ninja recorded in Konoha's registry, including four thousand jōnin, eight thousand chūnin, and countless genin."

"But Konoha has an iron rule, one set down by the First Hokage himself—those below jōnin rank are forbidden from participating in large-scale wars involving more than a hundred people!"

Lin Hai was shocked. "Why? Isn't that cutting off one's own arm?"

Hiruzen sighed. "The First Hokage founded Konoha to protect children and the weak."

"The survival rate of chūnin and genin in large-scale wars that function like meat grinders is far too low."

"To protect the village's future from being strangled in the cradle, only experienced and powerful jōnin are permitted to take part in battles of that scale."

"So, the force of fewer than five thousand people you saw on the battlefield is Konoha's entire current force of 'war ninja.' They are all battle-hardened veterans who fought alongside the First and Second Hokage since the Warring States era!"

Lin Hai suddenly understood.

No wonder Konoha was always outnumbered on the battlefield, yet its combat power was terrifyingly strong, often beating other ninja villages into the ground!

So everyone sent onto the battlefield was a heavyweight. They were not fighting conventional wars at all, but elite extermination wars!

Hiruzen crossed his legs and continued. "Besides protecting the weak, there's another extremely important factor: resources and economic lifelines!"

"Our Konoha has vast lands and abundant resources. In terms of population and resources, we are unquestionably number one in the ninja world."

"Most importantly, we not only monopolize all mission shares in the Land of Fire, but also possess 30% of the Land of Earth's, 10% of the Land of Wind's, and 15% of the mission market we just extorted from the Land of Water!"

"Can you imagine how enormous that wealth is?"

Light gleamed in Hiruzen's eyes. "To maintain this enormous mission network, even during wartime, Konoha absolutely cannot stop accepting non-combat commissions from other countries."

"That requires a huge number of chūnin and genin to keep things running."

"Three thousand personnel alone are stationed at mission sites throughout the Land of Fire."

"The regular forces defending the borders exceed five thousand, while over a thousand ANBU keep watch over everything in the shadows."

"That is where Konoha's 'registered ninja' truly are."

Lin Hai listened with his mouth agape and could not help complaining, "Then what about the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Those monsters were on the sea! Even a hundred jōnin would have been useless against them!"

Hiruzen scratched his head awkwardly. "That was a special case. After all, the sea was their home ground. We were naturally at a disadvantage."

At the mention of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Lin Hai's eyes suddenly lit up. Rubbing his hands together, he asked.

"Right, those seven ninja swords were good stuff! The Second Hokage captured them, didn't he? Can you get one for me to play around with?"

Hiruzen rolled his eyes and said gloomily, "Don't even think about it."

"When Sensei signed the truce treaty with the Third Mizukage, he waved his pen and declared that those seven were true warriors who deserved to be treated as heroes."

"Then he returned all seven swords to Kirigakure Village completely intact!"

"Damn it! What a waste!"

Lin Hai slapped his thigh in heartache.

"The Second Hokage is way too wasteful! Fine, once the war is over, I'm going to the Land of Crafts and finding the best blacksmith to forge me an unparalleled divine weapon!"

"At the very least, it needs to be able to chop your lousy stick in half with one swing!"

Hiruzen gave a disdainful snort. "Keep dreaming!"

"My Ruyi Jingu Bang is transformed from the Monkey King Enma. It is indestructible!"

"Even Sensei's Thunder God Sword couldn't leave a scratch on it in a short time. You? Maybe in your next life!"

Land of Lightning, Kumogakure Village, Raikage's Office.

"Has Tobirama Senju lost his mind?! He just finished fighting Kirigakure in the Land of Whirlpools. Why isn't he home sleeping instead of wandering around the border of my Land of Lightning?!"

The Second Raikage was burning with fury. He slammed a palm onto the solid desk, shattering the hardwood table into pieces.

Gold sat nearby with one leg crossed over the other, his face full of mockery.

"I told you already. Ignore those turtle-headed Iwagakure cowards and lead the troops in a direct surprise attack on Konoha! But you wouldn't listen!"

"You just had to go scavenging in the Land of Waterfalls. Well, look at that—now they've come knocking at our door!"

The Second Raikage trembled with rage and pointed at Gold's nose as he cursed.

"You muscle-brained idiot, you still have the nerve to talk about me?!"

"I told you to lead people in a frontal assault on the Castle Rock defensive line, but you disappeared with your men for three whole days! Where the hell did you go, eat shit?!"

Silver defended his brother from the side. "This isn't Big Brother's fault."

"That brat Ōnoki's Dust Release is too disgusting. Touch it and you die, get grazed and you're finished. Close combat was impossible."

"We were planning to circle around and carry out a decapitation strike to take out Ōnoki directly."

Seeing that the three were about to start arguing again, a burly white-haired man quickly spoke up to interrupt them.

"Lord Raikage, now is not the time to assign blame. Tobirama Senju's army has already deployed at the border. How should we respond?"

A bloodthirsty glint flashed through Gold's eyes as he abruptly rose to his feet.

"Do we even need to think about it? The entire army returns to reinforce the homeland. I'll personally tear Tobirama Senju apart!"

"As long as the Second Hokage dies, Konoha will be leaderless, and Kumogakure will become the strongest village in the ninja world!"

Silver eagerly agreed. "That's right! Kill Tobirama Senju and dominate the ninja world!"

"Shut the hell up, both of you!"

The Second Raikage roared, "You two pigs! If we withdraw all our forces back to the homeland now, Iwagakure will never let this chance to counterattack slip by! Then we'll be attacked from both sides and won't even know how we died!"

Gold stubbornly craned his neck. "I don't care! I want to kill Tobirama Senju. I have no interest in playing with mud with Ōnoki!"

The Second Raikage looked at Gold in frustration. "Do you even have a brain?!"

"Since Iwagakure asked Konoha for aid, it means they have already formed an alliance!"

"If we retreat in disgrace now, not only will all our previous gains be wiped out, but we'll become the laughingstock of the entire ninja world!"

Seeing that the Raikage was truly enraged, Silver quickly grabbed Gold and quietly urged him.

"Big Brother, listen to Lord Raikage. He has thought this through more thoroughly than we have."

The Second Raikage took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and issued his final orders.

"It's decided! I will immediately lead three thousand elites back to the Land of Lightning by ship and intercept Tobirama Senju."

"Gold, Silver, the two of you will lead the remaining troops and keep Iwagakure firmly pinned down. You must annihilate them in the Land of Waterfalls! Do not let a single one escape!"

Border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning, Konoha Main Camp.

"Lord Hokage." An ANBU knelt on one knee before Tobirama's desk.

"Latest intelligence: three days ago, the Second Raikage led roughly three thousand Kumogakure elites by ship out of the Land of Waterfalls and returned to the Land of Lightning. They are expected to reach the coastal defense line tonight."

Tobirama set down the document in his hand, rubbed his brow, and asked calmly, "How are things at the Daimyō's residence?"

The ANBU reported, "Lord Shimura Danzo has handled matters with extraordinary skill and has already redistributed the interests of the major nobles."

"All the clans are extremely satisfied, and no unrest has occurred. The Daimyō has nothing but praise for Lord Danzo's abilities and relies heavily on him."

Tobirama's brows furrowed slightly, and a nearly imperceptible concern flashed through his eyes.

"'All extremely satisfied'? It seems Danzo truly possesses political talent beyond what ordinary people can reach."

"Pass down my order. Transfer Danzo away from the Daimyō's residence immediately and have him report to the front line. Let the Daimyō clean up the mess in the Land of Fire himself. With Hatake Sakutsuki there, nothing major will happen."

The ANBU hesitated. "My lord, Lord Danzo currently has the Daimyō's complete trust. If we transfer him away so abruptly, will it not provoke the Daimyō's dissatisfaction? And..."

"I know what you are thinking."

Tobirama interrupted him, his gaze deep. "As the ANBU commander, you should understand even more clearly that water overflows when it is too full."

"If we cut through the mess swiftly now, we can still control the situation. If we wait until he has fully taken root in the capital and grown his wings, it will be too late to move him."

"Besides, his political ideals are not suitable for a Hokage's successor."

The ANBU boldly asked in return, "My lord, forgive my bluntness. If you were to suffer an accident in battle... Konoha would face a leaderless situation!"

"Your continued refusal to establish a successor has already drawn criticism from the upper ranks."

"According to reliable intelligence, Uchiha Hui, the current clan head of the Uchiha Clan, has secretly arrived in the Land of Frost and is heading toward the main camp. He is likely here because of this matter as well."

Tobirama chuckled. "Rest assured. The Uchiha and Hyūga clan are Konoha's foremost great clans. They are smart enough not to take sides or make declarations at a critical time like this."

"Uchiha Hui must be coming to see me for something else."

Then Tobirama's expression became incomparably serious.

"I have never denied Danzo's abilities. He is an exceptionally outstanding ninja with iron-blooded methods. If he succeeded as Hokage, Konoha's military power would indeed reach an unprecedented peak."

"But that power would be built upon exploitation and high-pressure rule!"

"He idolizes the old system of the Warring States era too much—the law of the jungle, pursuing one's goals by any means necessary."

"If I had not valued his methods, I never would have placed him at the Daimyō's side."

"But I did not expect him to navigate power so effortlessly that even among the upper ranks of you ANBU, there are people secretly supporting him! That is far too dangerous!"

Tobirama stood and walked to the window. Looking at the busy Konoha ninja throughout the camp, he spoke in a solemn tone.

"Konoha's strength should come from every person's love for the village, from the inheritance of the Will of Fire! It must not be ruled through terror and political schemes! You must remember this well!"

"Enough of that." Tobirama waved his hand.

"After you deliver the transfer order to Danzo, return to Konoha immediately and find my sister-in-law, Mito Uzumaki. Tell her that 'that plan' can begin preparations."

"Lin Hai's capacity should barely be enough to control those sealing techniques now."

The ANBU was greatly alarmed. "Lord Hokage, are you sure you want Lord Lin Hai to come into contact with that plan?!"

"He cannot even properly use the most basic Summoning Technique! Letting him seal the Nine-Tails, this... isn't that a joke?"

Tobirama recalled Lin Hai's punchable face and immediately felt a tightness in his chest. Through gritted teeth, he said.

"My big brother is an idiot, and the disciple he taught is also an idiot!"

"He's a genius in training and battle, but the moment he touches sealing techniques, he turns into a moron! Like master, like disciple!"

The ANBU silently complained in his heart.

Lord Hokage, haven't you taught Lord Lin Hai for much longer than the First Hokage has...?