Proclamation Against Iwagakure to the Nations of the Shinobi World!

Inside the Hokage Building, clerks finished copying the urgent proclamation and sent it by Ninja Bird to every corner of the Five Great Nations.

Ninja Birds beat their wings across the sky, carrying copies headed "Proclamation Against Iwagakure" throughout the Shinobi World.

Proclamation Against Iwagakure:

A shinobi village stands upon trust and honor, and holds the defense of its land as a duty. Extraordinary circumstances give rise to extraordinary deeds; only extraordinary provocations warrant an extraordinary army.

In the chaos of the Warring States era, the mighty fought and the people suffered. Lord Hashirama, moved by their plight, founded Konoha and established the Five Village Alliance Pact, ending years of bloodshed. Lord Tobirama succeeded him, strengthened the laws, and secured the land. The shinobi villages respected Konoha's power and virtue, and none dared violate its borders. All the Shinobi World knew this history.

Now Ōnoki of Iwagakure, though leader of a village, has forgotten the weight of that pact and long harbored designs against us. Seeing that the First Shinobi World War had barely ended and Konoha had yet to recover from its wounds, he boasted of his strength, massed troops on the border of the Land of Grass, and flaunted his might at our frontier.

He sought not territory, but prestige. Seeing Konoha under a new leader, he hoped to make a name for himself by provoking us. He believed that with Lord Tobirama gone, he could insult Konoha at will; that weakened by war, we could be bullied as he pleased.

The way of shinobi villages forbids the strong from bullying the weak and the many from brutalizing the few. Ōnoki, confident in his secret techniques and his Jinchūriki, has broken the old pact and concealed malicious intent. He has sent soldiers to our border, using probes as weapons and provocation as strategy. He treats the pact between nations as worthless and the people of the Land of Fire as expendable.

Of all the greedy and brutal men recorded in the Shinobi World's history, none has surpassed him.

While Hashirama lived, Iwagakure bowed its head. While Tobirama governed, Iwagakure sheathed its blades. Now Kagami has assumed the Hokage Position and carries on Hashirama's and Tobirama's will, defending Konoha and protecting the people of the Land of Fire. How could he permit an upstart to toy with us and insult Konoha at will?

Konoha does not seek war, but neither does it fear war. If others leave us in peace, we leave them in peace. If they attack us, we strike back.

Today, we raise a righteous army against this reckless aggression. Let every Konoha Ninja take up arms and go to the frontier with righteous anger. Let every nation of the Shinobi World distinguish right from wrong.

If Iwagakure comes to its senses, withdraws its troops, and honors the old pact, lives may yet be spared. If it persists in its aggression, our army will advance and bring it to justice.

Let all who receive this proclamation know its contents.

Respectfully proclaimed by Kagami Uchiha, Third Hokage of Konoha!

Inside the Tsuchikage Building, Ōnoki took the scroll and slowly unfurled it.

As he read line after line, his calm expression turned ashen. Then rage overtook him.

Every word cut like a knife, laying bare before the world how he had massed troops in the Land of Grass to provoke Konoha.

"You insolent brat! How dare you!"

"Kagami Uchiha, I swear I'll kill you!"

He slammed the scroll onto his desk. His knuckles whitened as Chakra surged around him, making even the hall's pillars tremble.

"How dare he lecture me!"

"Konoha! First Madara Uchiha, and now Kagami Uchiha!"

"Aaaah!"

Fury burned in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to march at once and crush Konoha's border defenses.

In the Mizukage Building of Kirigakure, the air was heavy with tension.

The Third Mizukage held the proclamation. After reading it, he tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his expression grave.

He frowned and said nothing.

Konoha had openly declared war on Iwagakure. The balance of the Shinobi World was about to shift. With unrest in Kirigakure still unresolved, he calculated that he must not get drawn into the conflict. For now, he could only watch.

Damn that Hozuki Gengetsu!

Because of you, when will Kirigakure ever achieve its ambitions?

In Kumogakure's Raikage Building, the powerfully built Third Raikage finished reading the proclamation, his eyes flashing coldly.

He knew of the conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure, but Kumogakure had only just emerged from a devastating war.

Damn... I really want to get involved...

Hell! This is too exciting to miss. I want a piece of it too!

He drove a fist into his desk with a heavy thud.

"Kagami Uchiha has guts, I'll give him that!"

He was wary of Konoha's sudden show of strength, yet privately admired Kagami Uchiha's style. But for now, Kumogakure could only watch the situation closely. It could not act rashly.

Didn't the Uchiha Clan originally live in the Land of Lightning?

Why did they go to the Land of Fire?

First Raikage, what were you thinking?

A clan like that... a talent like him! How did you let them go?

Kagami Uchiha, you're something else!

I can't wait for the day we fight!

In Sunagakure, the poorest village in the Shinobi World, Second Kazekage Shamon finished reading the proclamation. A deep ambition flickered in his eyes.

After years of experiments with Jinchūriki, the village had made great progress. The monk Bunpuku was now fully capable of fighting.

Its Puppet Technique had advanced considerably, and Sajie had grown into someone who could be entrusted with the village's future.

Sunagakure had long coveted the fertile lands of the southwestern Land of Fire. Now that Konoha had turned all its attention to Iwagakure in the northwest, Shamon lowered his gaze and weighed the risks and rewards.

He betrayed nothing on his face, but had already begun considering whether he could seize an opportunity.

Across the Shinobi World, that single proclamation set events in motion.

The shadow of war fell fully over the Land of Grass.

In a command tent on the Land of Fire's southwestern defensive line, Hiruzen Sarutobi received the proclamation from a Ninja Bird and read it. His spirits soared, and he immediately announced its contents to everyone in the tent.

The defending shinobi were fired up, their teeth clenched in anger at Iwagakure's repeated provocations. Many were itching to march north at once and teach Iwagakure a lesson.

Hiruzen raised his eyes toward Sunagakure, his heart tightening.

With all Konoha's attention fixed on the northwestern battlefield, the burden of holding the southwestern line now rested on his shoulders.

His face solemn, he warned every soldier under his command to guard the border and remain alert for any attempt by Sunagakure to exploit the chaos. They could not relax for an instant.

Kagami, I won't let Sunagakure take a single step across the border!

To the northwest, in the Second Legion's main command tent.

Danzo finished reading the Proclamation Against Ōnoki of Iwagakure aloud.

The Jonin in the tent were invigorated. Many gripped the Ninja Blades at their waists or clenched their fists, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Well said, Lord Hokage!" Even the usually steady Torifu Akimichi could not help praising him.

"Exactly! That old bastard Ōnoki deserves it. He wanted to make a name for himself, didn't he? Now the whole Shinobi World knows Iwagakure's name! Hahaha!" an Uchiha Jonin mocked.

Danzo stood in the tent, half his face set in a stern expression, his gaze fixed toward the Land of Grass.

"What a proclamation against Iwagakure."

"The troops are fired up. Their fighting spirit is ours to use!"

"Kagami, I won't let you down."

He marveled privately at Kagami Uchiha's move. It gave Konoha the moral high ground while openly raising the banner of war.

The entire army's morale had been ignited. At a single command, they would be ready to march.

Danzo calculated that he would win great distinction in this war. Once victory was secured, he wanted Kagami to write a proclamation celebrating his achievements too.

When that happens... hahaha...

The mere thought sent a thrill through him.

He forced down the smile threatening to spread across his face. His expression turned solemn again, and he looked at the others in the tent.

"Pass this proclamation against Iwagakure to everyone. In one hour, assemble every shinobi of the Second Legion."

"I'll issue our battle orders!"

"Yes!"