In the dim, damp corridor, the torches on the stone walls crackled softly.
Uchiha Fugaku strode ahead.
He turned to look at Chikage.
"Chikage, the Masked Man has taken control of the Fourth Mizukage. This is no small matter."
"If war breaks out at the border, the entire Land of Fire will be dragged into it."
"We should go to the Hokage Building immediately and inform Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Fugaku spoke rapidly.
"The sooner we prepare, the sooner we can secure our border defenses."
Chikage stopped and tucked his briefcase under his arm.
"Clan leader, you're being far too optimistic."
"Inform the Hokage Building?"
"The moment you step into his office, Hiruzen will take your hand and start sighing."
Chikage spread his hands.
"He'll give you a long lecture about the Will of Fire."
"Then he'll naturally ask the Konoha Military Police Force to hand over the South Street Special Economic Zone's tax revenue to support the front."
"He might even have you take every elite Uchiha fighter to the coastal border to withstand the first wave."
Fugaku froze for a moment.
"But defending against foreign enemies is the entire village's responsibility."
Chikage rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed softly.
"We only locked Danzo in the Death Prison last night."
"The Hokage Building owes us five hundred million ryo in silver. Hiruzen's practically grinding his back teeth to pieces."
"If you run over now and tell him war is coming..."
"Hiruzen will see it as a gift from heaven."
"He can invoke a wartime emergency and take direct control of the South Street Commercial Zone."
"Then you'll have to hand back every bit of autonomy you worked so hard to secure."
Fugaku stood still, his hand slowly curling into a fist.
"Are we supposed to just watch Kirigakure attack