A Turbulent Situation

The first report detailed Root's failed assassination attempt.

More than thirty Root members had been killed. Three of its strongest fighters were missing, their fates unknown, and Danzo himself had suffered an internal injury during the operation. He had not emerged since.

The second report said Flower Village had captured Wihara Town and built a Teleportation Array there.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow knotted. A force that could instantly travel between two locations had immeasurable potential for growth.

Worse still, Anbu agents stationed in the Land of Grass reported that Flower Village had developed a special weapon imbued with Natural Energy and had begun equipping its forces with it in bulk. Those weapons could give ordinary people the strength to fight Ninja.

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples and muttered, "Just what kind of monster has Konoha provoked?"

The third report left him frustrated.

"Akatsuki..." Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured. He tapped his pipe lightly against the desk. "Orochimaru did make contact with Akatsuki after all."

According to the scroll, Orochimaru had not disappeared after leaving Konoha, as he seemed to have done. Instead, he had secretly contacted Akatsuki's core members. Reliable intelligence indicated that Orochimaru had sent its leader a message: Lu Zeming of Flower Village was worth recruiting.

Taken together, the three reports made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that Konoha could no longer interfere in Flower Village's affairs.

"Send out the order." Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his pipe, his voice steady but weary. "Konoha is to shift to a full defensive posture. Every Ninja squad on assignment must return within one month. All border outposts are to move underground and go silent."

The Anbu officer beside him hesitated. "Lord Hokage, if we pull back on this scale, the other villages will think we're..."

"Showing weakness?" Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a bitter smile. "Let them. Konoha