Konoha.
As war broke out between the ninja of Konoha and Kumogakure.
Most of Konoha's ninja were sent to the front, leaving the entire village suddenly short-handed.
At that very moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura were hardly sitting idle.
Taking advantage of Fifth Hokage Uchiha Gengetsu's absence, they used the prestige and connections they had accumulated as former village leaders to launch a flurry of underhanded moves.
For several days straight, they frantically and secretly placed trusted ninja from the Sarutobi Clan, Utatane Clan, and Mitokado Clan in important positions throughout the village.
They planted large numbers of their people in the Anbu, the Barrier Team, the Intelligence Division, and even the Medical Division.
At the Sarutobi Clan compound.
In a meeting room, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on a sofa and took a deep draw on his pipe before asking,
"How are your preparations coming along?"
Sitting opposite him, Utatane Koharu answered with a smile.
"Sarutobi, everything has gone very smoothly! We now have our people in all the village's major departments!"
Beside her, Mitokado Homura chimed in.
"As soon as news of Uchiha Gengetsu's defeat and death reaches Konoha, we can use the people we've planted to act immediately and take control of the entire village in an instant!"
To the three of them, Uchiha Gengetsu's actions this time were utterly foolish. His death was absolutely certain!
One man against a full five thousand elite Kumogakure ninja!
And among those five thousand were the Fourth Raikage and two perfect jinchuriki, the Eight-Tails' and the Two-Tails'!
An army like that was simply beyond any one person's ability to fight.
Never mind Uchiha Gengetsu-even if the three of them joined forces with the late Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, they would never be able to withstand it!
Thus, in their