The Four Great Ninja Villages Stir Before the War

Spies from the major Ninja Villages and other factions hidden in Konoha were stunned that the Uchiha Clan had broken away. They hurried to send word home.

The Uchiha Clan had founded Konoha alongside the Senju Clan. Now they had left to establish a new village in the Land of Whirlpools. The news spread across the Ninja World, and the major villages could no longer sit still.

The Third Shinobi World War had only recently ended. Every village was still recovering, working to rebuild the strength it had lost.

But Konoha had already lost the Senju Clan. Now it had lost the Uchiha Clan too.

The Konoha Sannin had left, Konoha's White Fang had taken his own life, and several promising young fighters had been lost. Worst of all, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had died on Nine-Tails Night. Konoha had no formidable fighters left to field.

The village once hailed as the greatest in the Ninja World no longer deserved the title.

Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.

The Fourth Raikage A was beside himself with delight. "Excellent! Those Konoha scum have even lost the Uchiha! The title of greatest Ninja Village in the world should belong to Kumogakure!"

Darui, one of the Raikage's closest aides, said gravely, "Lord Raikage, we shouldn't trust our spies too readily. This could be a trap set by Konoha. I don't believe one clan can stand against an entire village."

"You have a point. Even if Uchiha Madara came back to life, he couldn't take on a whole village alone, could he? Lord Raikage, I suggest we move against the Uchiha first and watch Konoha's response. Then we'll know whether this is a trap or Konoha really is too weak to keep them."

Mabui spoke calmly.

Raikage A's face darkened, anger flaring inside him. "I