Hokage's Declaration

Tobirama Senju's shout came far too suddenly.

Even Shikaku Nara, standing beside him, had not reacted in time. They were really going to seize the Sunagakure envoy?

However—

Kakashi Hatake and Konoha's ANBU had long been waiting outside the door.

The instant Tobirama Senju spoke—

They burst through the doors in an instant. They did not care why they were arresting Sunagakure's envoys, who had clearly come to negotiate peace. They only knew that this was the Hokage's order.

In the split second when Ebizo and the five Sand ninja tried to fight back with all their might—

Dozens of ANBU ninja had already appeared before them.

Tobirama Senju had made preparations long before the negotiations. Though he was strong enough, he had no desire to handle everything himself. Thus, ANBU led by Kakashi had been stationed around the area in advance.

As the Sunagakure group was forced back by the ANBU, Ebizo's face darkened completely. He roared:

"Tobirama Senju, you declared war without warning! Konoha, just wait to be condemned by the entire shinobi world!"

With that, he made a hand signal, and the five Sand ninja rapidly retreated at the same time, preparing for battle.

"Boom! Boom!"

Six successive explosions rang out from the Hokage Building.

The tremendous noise startled Konoha's residents, and they instinctively raised their heads toward the Hokage Building.

They were immediately shocked to see—

Six figures shattered the Hokage Building's windows and flew out. After flying more than ten meters, they slammed into the ground and blasted open huge craters. The six lay on the ground, groaning in pain. One old man in particular looked as if he had more breath leaving him than entering him.

It was not over yet. Soon, dozens of ANBU flew out of the Hokage Building, rushing forward to subdue the six. Gleaming blades were already pressed against their throats.

Ebizo spat out a mouthful of blood and coughed violently several times. Already advanced in years, he felt as though Kakashi Hatake's kick had nearly shattered every bone in his body.

When he opened his eyes and saw the long blade only a hair's breadth from him, Ebizo's heart trembled. He could even see the eyes hidden beneath the Konoha ANBU's masks, glinting with a cold light that seemed ready to tear him apart.

His consciousness already somewhat blurred, he looked at the younger Sunagakure ninja who had come with him. Seeing that all five had been subdued, his expression twisted. As if he had made some important decision, he gathered the chakra within him and screamed with all his strength:

"Tobirama Senju! You have started the Fourth Shinobi World War! You are a sinner of the entire shinobi world!"

His words fell.

Ebizo was already surrounded and captured by the ANBU.

The five accompanying Sand ninja were also taken down by the ANBU.

But the sentence Ebizo had shouted with all his might had carried for at least several kilometers, throwing the people of Konoha into an uproar.

Whether Konoha ninja or ordinary civilians, their expressions froze after hearing those words.

That Sand ninja had just said Tobirama Senju was going to launch the Fourth Shinobi World War?!

Although the Sand ninja's expression did not seem false, few among them actually believed it. Still, the clever ones had already found the answer in their hearts. The Hokage seemed to be planning war against Sunagakure?

Could it be because of the Chunin Ninja Exams?

This thought flashed through the minds of Konoha's ninja.

Considering the Second Hokage's string of actions since his resurrection, it seemed quite reasonable that he would be enraged enough by the Konoha Crush Plan to wage war against Sunagakure.

It was not only the ninja who thought so. Even the civilians vaguely sensed that this was the truth of the matter.

There was probably no other explanation, right?

It could not possibly be that Lord Hokage simply disliked Sunagakure and refused peace talks...

Having imagined a reason for Tobirama Senju to start the war, Konoha's people had reddened eyes one after another. The civilians trembled, wishing they could fall to their knees and worship him.

They were moved.

Ever since Hiruzen Sarutobi had taken power, Konoha had always yielded whenever it faced other ninja villages. If peace negotiations were possible, it would never go to war. It only thought about how to negotiate while paying as little compensation as possible.

But now, Tobirama Senju's actions allowed everyone to see the powerful, domineering Konoha of old.

The older generation of ninja and civilians had even begun to shed tears.

Because they remembered Konoha during the eras of the First and Second Hokage. Back then, even the four great villages of the shinobi world had to bow their heads before Konoha. Even fighting one against four, Konoha could still claim a glorious victory.

And now, mere Sunagakure—an enemy Konoha had once defeated—actually dared to collude with Konoha's rogue ninja and wreak havoc within Konoha itself!

The Second Hokage was so enraged by Konoha's destruction that he wanted to wage war against Sunagakure.

How could that not move them?

At that moment, beneath the admiring gazes of everyone, Tobirama Senju stepped out one pace at a time.

He walked before Ebizo and the other five, who had already fainted, then nodded toward Shikaku behind him.

"Take them to the interrogation room. Have the Intelligence Division dig every secret out of their heads."

"Yes." Shikaku Nara nodded.

Though he still had some reservations, since things had already been done, they had to be carried through to the end. War between the two villages was now inevitable. He would no longer advise the Hokage to change his mind.

Swish—

Tobirama Senju vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already atop the Hokage Building.

He overlooked all of Konoha, gathering the natural energy within his body in his throat.

The next moment, his voice rang in everyone's ears:

"Gather every ninja in Konoha. In three days, we go to war with Sunagakure!"