Konoha Makes Its Move

In the Kazekage's Office in Sunagakure and dust outside the window filled the air. Gaara stood by the window, his back to Temari and Kankuro, his bloodshot eyes reflecting the dusky sky. He knew that Cloud Village, Iwagakure, and Mist Village were secretly plotting something, like an undercurrent beneath the sand—calm on the surface, but turbulent beneath. Did Sand Village want neutrality? In the game of the Shinobi World, neutrality was often the first piece of the chessboard to be torn apart. Konoha's sending Naruto was both an olive branch and an ultimatum—board the ship, or become the target of everyone's wrath.

"Kazekage, are you really sure?" Kankuro asked in a deep voice, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the joints of the Crow puppet.

Gaara didn't turn around, his voice as calm as the deathly silence of the deepest desert. "We've never had a choice. At least Konoha was willing to offer a rope, but the other three..." He paused, "They probably already believed we were in the same boat as Konoha. We couldn't remain neutral; we could only continue to board Konoha's ship."

Temari tightened her grip on the Three-Star Fan. She thought of Shikamaru Nara, the always lazy yet sharp-eyed boy from Konoha; she remembered the special time she spent in Konoha after the Chunin Ninja Exams —the chess game under the eaves, the bickering on the way back from missions, and the fleeting, non-calculating glint in his dead fish eyes when he occasionally looked at her. "I'm going to Konoha," she suddenly said, her tone resolute, "As a representative to deepen the alliance, and also as... my personal wish."

Gaara finally turned around, a faint, tender look between siblings flashing in his eyes. "Be careful on the road. Shikamaru is a trustworthy partner."

Almost at the same time that Naruto and his group left Sunagakure with Temari and her guards, three messenger hawks from different directions, carrying the unique auras of the Rain, Rock, and Lightning kingdoms, pierced through the ripples of Konoha's barrier and landed precisely on the Hokage Building.

Inside the Hokage Office, the atmosphere was so heavy it could drip water. Three secret letters lay open on the table, their contents largely the same, yet each with its own distinct wording: the Cloud Village's directness and forcefulness, the Iwagakure's Mist Village's cold indifference. But their core demands were strikingly consistent—urging Konoha, as the party "possessing the power of the Tailed Beast and having deep ties with the Akatsuki," to assume the "primary responsibility" of eradicating the Akatsuki.

"The vanguard?" Shikaku Nara tapped the table lightly with his fingers, his voice filled with deep weariness and sarcasm. "They've got a good plan. They want us and Akatsuki to fight to the death, then they'll clean up the mess, and incidentally... eliminate the biggest threat, which is us."

Jiraiya stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the window, his brows furrowed in a frown. "They were so adamant before that they suspected us of colluding with Akatsuki, and now they're sending us to lead the charge? These guys have skin thicker than the cliffs of Mount Myoboku."

"It's an open conspiracy, Lord Jiraiya." Kakashi's exposed eye narrowed into a crescent shape, but there was no smile in it. "The three families must have reached some kind of agreement in private, and may even have already completed their war mobilization. The reason they sent this letter is twofold: first, they are wary of the Nine-Tails within Naruto, and the other Tailed Beast powers we might 'possess'; second, they want to put us on the moral high ground. If we refuse, they will have the perfect excuse for a joint attack; if we agree, it will play right into their hands, draining Konoha's strength."

Outside the window, Konoha appeared peaceful and serene, but the three people in the office knew that beneath this tranquility lay a massive vortex capable of engulfing the entire Shinobi World. The Akatsuki was like a sword hanging overhead, while the alliance of the Three Great Shinobi Villages formed an iron wall encircling them from all sides. The only consolation was that Sunagakure still stood by their side—although much of this "alliance" was driven by Sand Village's own helplessness and calculations, a fact they all tacitly acknowledged.

'If the Kazekage knew Kakashi's 'gratification' at this moment, he would probably sneer out loud,' Shikaku thought to himself, almost able to picture the helplessness and self-mockery churning beneath Gaara's expressionless face, a face that seemed to have been forced onto a pirate ship.

"Speaking of which," Shikaku broke the brief silence, steering the conversation toward a subtle breakthrough, "Naruto brought back Kisame Hoshigaki's Samehada. He hopes to return it to Kirigakure. This might be an opportunity."

"A Ninja Blade?" Jiraiya shook his head. "Although the Bloody Mist Era of Kirigakure is over, their wariness and ruthlessness haven't diminished much. To think that this can shake the alliance of the three villages is nothing short of wishful thinking."

"Unsettling the alliance is impossible," Shikaku's eyes gleamed with the sharp glint of the Nara Clan, "But it can be a key, a nominal and legitimate opportunity for communication. What we need to do is not to immediately win over Mist Village, but to drive the most inconspicuous yet potentially unstable wedge between them and Cloud Village and Iwagakure."

He leaned forward slightly, his finger tracing the map on the table before finally stopping at the location of Kirigakure: "My idea is for Naruto to personally go to Kirigakure to return Samehada, and for you, the Acting Hokage, Lord Jiraiya, to personally accompany him. The entourage can be large, and the stay can be longer."

Kakashi instantly understood Shikaku's intention. "A diversionary tactic to create a window of opportunity for contact?"

"Not only that," Shikaku's voice lowered further, the plan unfolding like a series of interlocking chains, " With Lord Jiraiya and Naruto gone, Konoha's defenses seem 'empty,' but in reality, Kakashi and I are secretly maneuvering, and our core strength hasn't been dispersed. More importantly, Elder Danzo and his 'Root' forces have always been dissatisfied with our current policies. If the 'Acting Hokage' leaves the village, will he take action?"

Jiraiya's eyes sharpened.

Shikaku continued, "According to the information provided by 'Sake,' Konan is planning to deal with Tobi, and 'Sake' himself is confident he can persuade Sasuke. Assuming both of these things go smoothly, the Akatsuki core will be reduced to just Zetsu, greatly diminishing its threat. Then, during our absence, the biggest variable within Konoha will be Danzo. If he takes advantage of the chaos, and at that very moment Sasuke returns, Sasuke deep hatred for Konoha, especially for Danzo..."

"Using Sasuke, we eliminated the biggest internal destabilizing factor and resolved the lingering hatred of the Uchiha Clan," Kakashi continued, his tone complex. "A ruthless plan, but... it worked."

"This is only one of the most ideal scenarios," Shikaku admitted. "Even if Konan fails, 'Sake' will still be lurking within Akatsuki, and we will retain the information advantage. If Konan succeeds and Tobi is eliminated, we can even join forces with Sand Village to try to directly destroy the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and fundamentally dismantle the Akatsuki. In any case, the initiative and some control over the development of events will still be in our hands."

Jiraiya exhaled a long puff of smoke and rubbed his temples. "A very meticulous plan, Shikaku. But even if we resolve Akatsuki's internal problems, the military threat from Cloud Village, Iwagakure, and possibly even Mist Village, still hangs like the Sword of Damocles."

"Therefore, we need the steadfastness of Sand Village and the hesitation of Mist Village," Kakashi analyzed. "Sand Village and we are already interdependent. As for Mist Village, through this high-level visit and goodwill gesture, even if we can't bring them to our side, as long as we can make them hesitate, observe, or even remain neutral in the joint operation of the Three Great Shinobi Villages, we can win us crucial strategic space and breathing room. At that time, Naruto, with the Nine-Tails, will be our most powerful deterrent trump card."

The office fell silent again, with only the faint shouts from the training ground drifting in from outside the window. The strategy was set, but every step was fraught with danger, with an abyss looming behind them.

After a long silence, Jiraiya straightened up, his face regaining its usual nonchalance and decisiveness. "In that case, let's not delay. Naruto and I will prepare and head to Kirigakure today. Kakashi," he tossed Kakashi a specially made Kunai, "Flying Thunder God Kunai left behind by 'Sake' to you for safekeeping. I'm at ease with you all here in Konoha."

Kakashi caught the Kunai steadily; it was cold to the touch, yet felt as if it bore a thousand pounds of weight. "Understood, Lord Jiraiya. Take care on your journey."

Jiraiya waved his hand and disappeared through the door. Inside the office, Shikaku and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both seeing the unwavering seriousness and determination in each other's eyes. The chessboard was already set, and there was no going back on their moves. They had to fight their way out for Konoha in this turbulent Shinobi World.

The wind seemed to be blowing from the distant Sunagakure, carrying the roughness of sand and the dampness from the direction of Mist Village, silently sweeping across the Hokage Rock, foreshadowing a massive storm that was about to engulf the entire world.