The Land of Rain had declared war on the Land of Iron.
Hanzō's vanguard swept through all resistance, flattening two border outposts of the Land of Iron within three days.
His reputation as the Demigod of the Ninja World instantly spread through the intelligence networks of every major ninja village.
He supposedly claimed he would conquer the Land of Iron in seven days and crush the Land of Fire in a month.
No one knew whether Hanzō had deliberately circulated those arrogant claims or whether messengers from the various villages had embellished them with each retelling.
But the effect was plain to see.
The entire Shinobi World had its eyes fixed firmly on the battlefield in the Land of Rain.
The Konoha Sannin were urgently summoned and dispatched to the front.
Maki wanted to go to the front, too.
He made a special trip to the Hokage's Office, his application already filled out.
With his pipe between his lips, the Third watched him silently for a long while before gently pushing the application back.
"Not this time."
"Why?"
"Lady Mito's body won't hold out much longer."
"You're the person Kushina trusts most. At this sensitive juncture, when we're changing jinchūriki, that bond is worth far more than an ordinary Jonin's combat strength."
Maki silently put away his application.
Lady Mito's failing health was no longer a secret in Konoha. Everyone in the upper ranks knew she was nearing the end.
The succession of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, however, was one of Konoha's highest-level secrets, known to only a handful of people.
When he left the Hokage Building, Konoha's streets were noticeably quieter.
With the Sannin deployed and fighting underway at the front, most of the village's core ninja forces had left for the battlefield.
Classes continued as usual at the Ninja