Clouds of War

Night fell over Konoha. Lights came on one by one, and a cool breeze drifted through the streets.

Kagami Uchiha strode down the village's main road, his steps heavy and brisk.

The urgent report from the border had shattered the evening's peace.

As he walked, his expression remained cold while he ran through the situation in his mind.

According to the Shinobi World's original course of events, the Five Great Nations should have enjoyed nearly twenty years of peace and recovery after the First Shinobi World War.

It was still far too early for the second war to break out.

Yet Ōnoki had chosen this quiet moment to send a squad across the Land of Grass toward the Land of Fire's border.

Provocation? A test?

The questions followed Kagami all the way, deepening the chill in his eyes.

Soon, he climbed the steps of the towering Hokage Building and entered the Hokage Office on the top floor.

The sight inside gave him pause.

The office was brightly lit. Two figures stood waiting for him.

They were Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō.

It was easy to see why.

Shimura Danzō controlled Konoha's intelligence network. Whether something stirred inside the village or beyond its borders, he was always among the first to know. He had received word of the border movement and arrived ahead of Kagami.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood beside him, his face grave.

When Kagami entered, Hiruzen spoke first, his voice low and serious:

"Kagami, why did you summon us so urgently in the middle of the night?"

Kagami shut the door, cutting off the sounds outside. He looked at them, his voice cold.

"There's trouble at the border."

"An Iwagakure Ninja squad has crossed the Land of Grass and is approaching Konoha's border."

The office fell silent.

Hiruzen's brow furrowed, his face grim. A fierce glint flashed in Danzō's eyes, and his whole body tensed.

Shimura Danzō clenched his fists. Barely containing his anger, he demanded:

"What is Ōnoki playing at?"

"The First Shinobi World War ended only a few years ago. Does he want to start another?"

"He must have a death wish!"

He stepped forward, his killing intent rising, and volunteered at once:

"Kagami, let me go. The Second Legion is already stationed in the northwest of the Land of Fire."

"I'll bring you his head!"

Hiruzen quickly put a hand on the agitated Danzō's shoulder and urged him to stop.

"Danzō, calm down. We can't act rashly."

"We still don't know why Iwagakure crossed the border. Attacking them now would ignite a war."

"Our first priority is to alert the Second Legion in northwestern Land of Fire. Order everyone onto high alert and prevent the squad from advancing farther. At the same time, we should send a diplomatic letter to Iwagakure in the Land of Earth and demand that Ōnoki explain why he allowed his ninja to cross the border."

"Peace was hard-won. If we rush into war, both nations will lose everything they've rebuilt over the years. We mustn't act in haste."

Kagami listened to their opposing positions and weighed them in silence.

Danzō's aggression was no surprise. He was a Hawk Faction man through and through, one who believed in deterring enemies with force. He could not tolerate the slightest provocation.

Hiruzen's caution, however, was no sign of cowardice.

He was not yet the aged, indecisive Third Hokage he would become.

Still in his prime, he had already taken on the burden of protecting Konoha without bearing the Hokage's title. His careful judgment was worthy of the name Shinobi Hero.

As Kagami considered what to do, Danzō lost patience. He rounded on Hiruzen and snapped:

"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"Are you still thinking of swallowing this insult?"

"Iwagakure's ninja are almost at our border! What good will a letter of protest do? Ōnoki wouldn't have done this if he cared about our diplomatic objections! By the time they've tested our strength and marched an army to our gates, it'll be too late to prepare!"

"You're useless! Thank goodness our teacher didn't make you Hokage!"

"Danzō, that's going too far!"

They faced each other, both tense and ready to argue. Kagami frowned and cut in, his voice carrying unquestionable authority:

"Enough. Both of you, stop. Danzō, Hiruzen is thinking of Konoha's safety. There's no need to attack him for it."

The heat in the office eased. Kagami's gaze darkened as he looked at them and posed a series of questions.

"There's something I want to ask you."

"Why is it that, whenever conflict breaks out, other nations are always the ones to provoke the Land of Fire?"

"Why do the other shinobi villages keep their eyes fixed on Konoha?"

"When Lord Hashirama, the First Hokage, was in charge, the Shinobi World was peaceful and our borders saw no war for years. Why?"

He spoke each word with force. "Answer me."

Hiruzen went pale. The questions struck at what had troubled him all along. He lowered his head, his fingers tightening as guilt and gravity filled his face.

"Our generation failed to preserve the peace the First Hokage left us. The Land of Fire has fertile soil and abundant resources, so the other nations naturally covet it. And once Lord Hashirama's deterrent faded, their ambitions began to grow."

Beside him, Shimura Danzō looked grim. Much of his earlier defiance had drained away, but he gritted his teeth and answered:

"In the end, our military strength isn't enough to deter them. The First Hokage held every nation in check by himself. Now we aren't forceful enough, and that's why Iwagakure scum dare to cross our border and provoke us."

"But Kagami, if we keep yielding, they'll only demand more."

"Well said!"

Kagami rapped his fingers hard against the desk.

"Exactly. The root of it is the Land of Fire's fertile soil and abundant resources."

"Just look at the godforsaken places the other nations live in!" He spread a huge Shinobi World Map across the desk.

His finger moved from nation to nation as he laid out the harsh reality of the Shinobi World.

"Most of the Land of Wind is endless desert. The sun scorches the ground by day, temperatures plunge at night, and fierce winds whip sand into storms year-round."

"Sunagakure clings to a few scattered oases. Its soil is too poor to farm, and its people have struggled to survive in the sand for generations. With so few resources, they're driven to seize living space elsewhere."

"And think about what even their Kazekage specialize in."

"Iron Sand and Gold Dust! That should tell you how poor they are."

"A Kazekage, reduced to mining or panning for gold."

"If I could, I'd give the Kazekage an award for best miner."

"How could a nation like that not covet the bountiful Land of Fire?"

"Then there's the Land of Earth, full of jagged cliffs and barren rock. Mountains cut off its routes to the outside, while biting northern winds hurl showers of stone across the land all year long."

"Iwagakure is wedged among mountain strongholds, shut in and oppressive. Nothing grows in its soil. Its people have had to organize their lives around the military, and that has bred a fierce, combative streak."

"Ōnoki's only been in power a few years, hasn't he? That old bastard already hates Konoha. I wouldn't be surprised if he brought his whole village to our border!"

"The Land of Water is made up of scattered islands, shrouded in thick sea fog year-round. It's bitterly cold and damp, the currents are treacherous, and travel between islands is difficult."

"Kirigakure hides deep in that fog. Brutal fighting within the village has made its people cold and extreme, while isolation has only fed their desire to expand."

"Finally, the Land of Lightning sits among peaks that pierce the clouds. Thunderstorms rage there year-round, icy winds scour the summits, and the terrain is steep and difficult."

"Kumogakure took root in that harsh land beneath the thunderclouds. The brutal environment fostered a tradition of martial strength, and its militant faction is firmly entrenched. They're always eyeing the Land of Fire's fertile wealth."

"Weren't they the ones who fought us hardest in the last Shinobi World War?"

"Now compare them to the Land of Fire. Our climate is mild, our forests lush, our farmland vast, and our resources plentiful. It's a peaceful place to live."

"The First Hokage kept every nation's ambitions in check with overwhelming strength. Now that deterrent is gone. The other nations are struggling to survive in harsh lands, so of course they've fixed their greedy eyes on the richest land in the Shinobi World."

Hiruzen and Danzō stared at the map, silently turning Kagami's words over in their minds.

Seen that way, it was no wonder Konoha came under attack.

If they lived in one of those other nations, they might spend every day plotting to take this fertile land too.

"Ahem..."

A soft cough broke their thoughts. Both men looked up at Kagami in the Hokage's seat, their expressions grave as they waited for his final decision.