Just two months.
No one had expected the previously stable situation of the Shinobi World War to take such a drastic turn.
On the battlefield in the Land of Water, the Konoha forces led by the Hyūga clan suffered a devastating defeat, their entire defensive line collapsing.
Out of nearly 4,000 shinobi, less than one-third survived.
Even the Hyūga clan head was severely wounded in the battle, and a Branch Elder lost his life.
And the consequences of this defeat…
The northern defensive line of the Land of Fire completely crumbled. The shinobi of Kirigakure began raiding coastal villages, looting, burning, and slaughtering their way further inland.
Even Kumogakure and Iwagakure, who had been locked in combat, ceased their conflict to observe the situation.
Sunagakure, which had been engaged in peace talks, also halted negotiations once more.
...
At the Root headquarters,
Danzō sighed as he looked at the shinobi who had rushed back from the Land of Water to report.
"I truly appreciate your warning. The Hyūga clan will never forget your kindness."
The white eyes of the man before him made his identity clear, while his exhausted expression and bloodstained bandages spoke of the brutal battle he had endured.
However, it seemed that Danzō's warning had done little to change the outcome.
The Hyūga had still suffered a crushing defeat, and the news had already reached Konoha through summoning beasts.
This failure had placed the Hyūga clan under immense scrutiny.
With the collapse of the northern defensive line and the loss of so many shinobi, the Hyūga, as battlefield commanders, could not escape blame.
As for why they had sought him out immediately after their defeat, Danzō was not naïve enough to believe it was merely to express gratitude. There was undoubtedly a political plea hidden within their actions.
The so-called "two noble clans of Konoha" were far from as simple as they appeared in the manga.
Danzō did not outright refuse the political alliance but made it clear that he would not take advantage of their plight.
...
A few days later, when Danzō once again entered the meeting room of the Hokage Tower, the Hyūga clan head's seat was already occupied by a new figure—Hyūga Hiashi.
The previous clan head, having returned gravely injured from the battlefield, had completed the transition of leadership before committing seppuku the following day.
First, because his failure had brought disgrace to the Hyūga clan.
Second, though he had survived under the desperate protection of the Branch Elder, he had lost one of his eyes in the process.
His death not only served as an explanation to the clan but also effectively quelled any further targeting by the village's higher-ups.
Hiashi sat with a calm expression, his eyes closed in silence. Yet, Danzō could sense the sorrow lingering around him.
The clan's transition ceremony had involved more than just Hiashi assuming leadership—it also required branding his younger brother, Hyūga Hizashi, with the Caged Bird Seal, followed by their father's suicide.
In stark contrast, sitting across from him, Uchiha Fugaku also appeared composed, though his eyes flickered with barely restrained excitement.
Danzō couldn't help but sigh—people's joys and sorrows were truly disconnected from one another.
Once everyone had arrived, Uchiha Fugaku immediately stood up, his voice filled with determination.
"Hokage-sama, the Uchiha clan has prepared 700 elite shinobi, ready for deployment."
Excluding those unable to become shinobi, it was clear that Fugaku was putting everything on the line.
"Very well. Arrange matters within the Police Force, then depart at dawn. Additionally, I will assign you 5,000 more shinobi—you will be responsible for the defense of the Water Country front."
The Third Hokage agreed without hesitation, offering no resistance.
It was not just due to past promises but because Konoha had few options left.
The chain reaction caused by their military failure was pushing the village to its limits.
According to intelligence from Iwagakure's spies, the village had quietly returned the corpse of the Third Raikage.
Moreover, the Iwa commander who had slain the Third Raikage had also fallen in battle just days prior.
Though the two villages remained in a standoff, they had already begun withdrawing troops in secret.
These developments left the Third Hokage on high alert, prompting him to recall Jiraiya from the Kumogakure frontlines…
After issuing orders to Fugaku, the Hokage turned his attention to Danzō.
"Root has always overseen intelligence operations in the Land of Water. This time, you will lead Root in assisting Fugaku."
"Understood. Leave it to me," Danzō replied, his expression unchanged despite his mild surprise.
Fugaku shot Danzō a glance. His initial enthusiasm dampened somewhat, but he chose to remain silent.
After handling the Water Country deployment, the Hokage proceeded with assigning reinforcements from other clans.
Even the Hyūga, despite their recent losses, were ordered to send another 200 shinobi.
Hiashi accepted the order without complaint, his demeanor composed.
At this stage of the war, it was no longer just civilians and minor clans making sacrifices—even the great clans had to bleed.
...
Returning to the Root headquarters, Danzō finalized arrangements for the 200 shinobi accompanying him.
Soon after, he received intelligence from the Hyūga clan detailing the abilities, jutsu, and weaknesses of the Yuki and Kaguya clan heads, as well as personalized strategies for countering them.
These two were the very ones responsible for gravely wounding the former Hyūga clan head and taking his eye.
With this information in hand, Danzō was confident in maintaining the upper hand in a one-on-one fight and ensuring his safe retreat even in a two-on-one situation.
"The Hyūga truly excel at intelligence gathering… They've even mapped out the precise chakra movement patterns of their enemies. Still, it seems they harbor some resentment toward Sarutobi's leadership."
The intelligence they had submitted to the Hokage's office was far more basic in comparison.
In truth, the Hyūga could not be entirely blamed for this defeat.
With the advantage of the Byakugan, they had spotted and resisted Kirigakure's ambush effectively.
But no one had anticipated Kirigakure's sheer recklessness—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, two clan heads with Kekkei Genkai at Kage-level strength, and over a hundred jōnin.
What was assumed to be mere opportunistic raiding turned out to be an overwhelming onslaught.
Any clan in their place would have been caught off guard.
Yet, in order to maintain the authority of Konoha's leadership, the blame had to fall on the Hyūga.
And in the process, their influence would be weakened—killing two birds with one stone.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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