The four of them returned to the Konoha camp.
"Danzo, what is the meaning of this?"
Tsunade's voice carried a trace of anger, but Danzo was well-prepared for this confrontation.
"Tsunade, can't you see? This so-called peace negotiation is meaningless—unless we're willing to abandon the Land of Rivers and let the other great nations witness Konoha's weakness."
"You want me to give the order to go to war with Sunagakure?" Tsunade's gaze grew cold.
"No. This war has already claimed too many lives. It shouldn't continue any further."
Noting the distrust and wariness in Tsunade's eyes, Danzo turned his attention to Nara Moriki, who stood quietly, focused solely on listening.
"As a member of the Nara clan—one of Konoha's most brilliant strategists—tell me, if we keep dragging this out and the Daimyō of the Land of Fire eventually agrees to Sunagakure's demands, do you think the Third will compromise?"
Feeling the weight of both Danzo's and Tsunade's gazes on him, Nara Moriki regretted ever stepping into this tent.
Seeing Moriki hesitate, Danzo pressed further, throwing out another piece of information.
"The Third has already submitted his resignation to the Daimyō. Once the war ends, he will step down as Hokage. Only the three of us know this for now—it won't affect the Nara clan in any way."
"…I want to hear your thoughts as well." Tsunade's voice broke through Moriki's internal struggle.
"If the Daimyō orders it, the Third will most likely comply," Moriki finally said, then fell silent.
Hearing this confirmation, Tsunade's thoughts became more conflicted.
"This isn't something we can control." She knew full well that the Third's decision was the wrong one, but this was a complicated mess she had no interest in dealing with.
"You are the commander of the Land of Rivers. You understand how crucial this land is. Without it as a buffer, if another war breaks out, what price will we have to pay to keep Sunagakure from invading the Land of Fire?"
Danzo stepped closer, his voice pressing. "You are the granddaughter of the man who founded Konoha. If you won't take responsibility, who will?"
Tsunade scowled, irritation flashing in her golden eyes.
"Oh? Funny how you and the old man never saw me as 'Konoha's princess' when you decided to suppress the Senju clan." Her voice dripped with resentment.
"That… was a mistake, both mine and Hiruzen's."
Danzo admitted his wrongdoing without hesitation—not that it mattered to him, since the decision had been Hiruzen's more than his.
The other two in the tent exchanged surprised glances.
Men like Danzo, who had risen to such heights, rarely admitted fault, even when they were undeniably wrong.
Tsunade pondered for a moment before sighing. "You could stay out of this, you know."
She was well aware that this situation was nothing but trouble. If she handled it well, no one would thank her. If she failed, she'd be the one held responsible. A thankless, exhausting burden.
Hearing this, Danzo felt reassured.
"I am the leader of Root and an elder of Konoha. I would rather make mistakes than do nothing at all."
—
On the third morning, under Tsunade's orders, Konoha's forces split into three units and began advancing from the Land of Rivers toward the Land of Wind.
At the vanguard were Danzo, Tsunade, and a battalion of Root operatives.
"You know the strength of our forces in the Land of Rivers—we can't afford a prolonged battle."
Even though Danzo repeatedly assured her that this would be a small-scale engagement, that they might not even have to fight at all, Tsunade couldn't shake her unease.
At present, Konoha's army stationed in the Land of Rivers, even with the addition of the 300 Root members Danzo had brought, could only match Sunagakure's forces at best.
More importantly, this attack had been launched without any official orders or approval from Konoha.
In other words, they had no access to reinforcements, supplies, or backup.
"Don't worry. Sunagakure is in an even worse state than we are… Once we return to Konoha, I will handle explaining things to Hiruzen."
Danzo's expression remained resolute as he pressed forward at high speed.
But in truth, he knew from Root's intelligence—and from his own insights—that Sunagakure's internal situation was far more dire.
Their village was unstable, and even the Kazekage's position was on shaky ground.
—
Konoha's large-scale mobilization did not go unnoticed.
The moment the attack began, Sunagakure's forces were already prepared.
Inside the command tent, Chiyo's expression was grim. She had initially thought Danzo was merely trying to intimidate them—but now, it was clear that Konoha was serious about waging war.
This was far from the outcome she had hoped for.
Across from her, the Kazekage, Rasa, remained eerily calm. But deep in his golden eyes flickered both anticipation and fear.
"As long as the war continues, there is still a chance."
—
Danzo and Tsunade led the vanguard, swiftly breaking through the Land of Wind's border defenses before coming face-to-face with their opponents.
Standing in their path, golden sand swirling around him, was the Kazekage, Rasa.
Beside him, flames danced in the air, encircling a striking woman.
Danzo immediately recognized her—Sunagakure's hero, Pakura.
Her status in Sunagakure was comparable to Konoha's White Fang.
A wielder of the rare Scorch Release, she had once singlehandedly eliminated twelve jōnin who attempted to ambush her.
For most of her career, she had been stationed in the eastern coastal regions of the Land of Wind, repelling incursions from Kirigakure.
On Kirigakure's assassination list, she ranked within the top ten.
"…It seems you intend to keep me here," Danzo muttered, chakra surging as he assessed his opponents.
"If taking you down would end this war, wouldn't that be a fair trade?"
Rasa's expression was composed, but his tone was firm.
Danzo studied him carefully.
Compared to a year ago, the Kazekage appeared more mature—steadier, more experienced.
"If you truly wanted to end this war, you wouldn't have allied with Kirigakure," Danzo countered. "I wonder what Sunagakure had to sacrifice to gain their support…"
"Enough talk!"
Rasa abruptly cut him off, launching his attack.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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