"Rogue ninja disguised as Iwagakure shinobi replaced the scroll containing Hizashi's body with explosive tags?"
"ROOT ninjas suddenly attacked, and Akimichi Todo and the others ended up fighting Kumogakure's Toroi
"Wait… their battle's aftershock just happened to release a sealed humanoid monster at the exchange location?"
"What do you mean that humanoid monster used some unknown, bizarre ability to kill Toroi and nearly a hundred Kumogakure reinforcements?"
Homura hurried forward and snatched the scroll from Hiruzen's hand. As he read the contents, his face gradually turned pale.
By the end, he stood there completely stunned, motionless, wondering if he was dreaming.
He recognized every single character individually, but when put together, they felt unbelievably strange.
'Was this still the language of the ninja world?'
Thud.
Hiruzen staggered back to his desk, trembling as he supported himself on the corner before slowly lowering himself into the chair.
"A 'Magnet Release' ninja like Toroi, famous throughout the ninja world… and nearly a hundred Kumogakure shinobi stationed at the border," he said, his voice hoarse to the extreme.
"Konoha cannot bear this blood debt."
Hearing this, Homura, who had been dazed, suddenly shuddered and looked at Hiruzen in panic.
"But those people clearly were, "
"No one will believe it."
Before he could finish, Hiruzen interrupted him. Closing his eyes painfully, he continued:
"Except for the few survivors like Akimichi Todo and us, no one will believe that those people died at the hands of some inexplicable monster."
That was Toroi, the famed Magnet Release ninja.
That was nearly one hundred Kumogakure shinobi guarding the border.
That was nearly one hundred people with families and loved ones.
All dead.
Now, who would believe Konoha's explanation alone?
Even if there had been other witnesses at the scene, who would believe they were real witnesses?
Kumogakure?
Although Toroi and nearly a hundred of their border shinobi had died, this incident conveniently gave Kumogakure a legitimate reason to declare war on Konoha. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning would be unable to suppress the hatred of the victims' families.
Or perhaps Iwagakure?
From the very beginning, the shadow of the Hidden Stone Village had been present in this matter. Iwagakure would love nothing more than to see Konoha and Kumogakure weaken each other, so they could reap the benefits like a fisherman watching a clam and snipe fight.
So…
"Gather the jōnin. Convene a Jōnin Council. Prepare yourselves."
Hiruzen seemed to age more than a decade in an instant. Sitting hunched in his chair with eyes closed, his hoarse voice carried a strange calm.
"This time… war is truly coming."
"Yes, sir."
The ANBU kneeling on one knee in front of him spoke with a trembling voice. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he had seen the miserable state of Akimichi Todo and the others.
Of the team of more than ten that had originally departed, only four or five remained. Clearly, the exchange with Kumogakure had not gone smoothly.
Something terrible must have occurred.
This was no longer something that could be resolved with negotiations.
This time, it was truly the spark that would ignite war.
Except for warmongers, ambitious schemers, and those blinded by hatred, no one wanted to face the brutal bloodshed of war again.
Click.
The ANBU ninja left.
Homura came back to his senses, gripping the scroll tightly in his hand, his face dark with worry.
Just as he looked toward Hiruzen, about to say something,
Tap… tap… tap…
The faint sound of a cane striking the floor echoed from outside.
Shimura Danzo pushed open the office door and walked in.
Noticing the suffocating silence in the room, a faint hint of a smile appeared on his stern face.
"Hiruzen," Danzo said calmly. "I told you long ago, if they are determined to start a war, we cannot avoid it."
"…"
Homura's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Instinctively, he turned to look at Hiruzen's reaction.
Hiruzen said nothing. He simply lowered his head and remained silent with his eyes closed.
After a long time, he slowly raised his head. His cloudy eyes looked at his old friend.
"Danzo… Danzo…"
Hiruzen exhaled deeply, seemingly trying to steady his emotions. Veins bulged on his forehead.
Still restraining himself, he asked in a low, hoarse voice:
"Who allowed you to send ROOT to follow the escort team?"
"How dare you do something like that?!"
"Hiruzen." Standing in the shadow where sunlight could not reach, Danzo frowned slightly.
"This truly has nothing to do with me. I only placed my men in the escort team as a precaution. As for those three who attacked the Kumogakure ninja-"
Bang!!
Before he could continue, Hiruzen hurled his pipe. It struck Danzo in the face.
"You did nothing?!" Hiruzen roared. "Do you even believe that yourself?!"
"Tell me! Did you collude with Iwagakure?! Did the spies you sent out collude with them? Tell me!"
The pipe, now stained with a trace of blood, fell to the ground. A sharp pain spread from the cut on Danzo's forehead. His cold expression changed instantly.
"I did not!" he replied quickly, no longer mocking Hiruzen's mistake. "You know me. Everything I do is for-"
This truly wasn't his doing.
He had clearly instructed Aburame Ryūma that if Kumogakure returned peacefully, they should treat it as if nothing had happened.
And the spies he had sent to other villages were genuinely meant for gathering intelligence.
"Get out!"
But Hiruzen's furious shout cut him off again.
Danzo opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Mitokado Homura grabbed his arm and shook his head.
Hiruzen was truly furious this time. He had even accused Danzo of colluding with foreign enemies.
No matter how Danzo explained it now, Hiruzen would not believe a single word.
"Hiruzen, I'll go inform the clan heads of the ninja families and send letters to Jiraiya and Tsunade asking them to return," Homura said solemnly.
With that, he dragged the dark-faced Danzo toward the door.
Before leaving, he glanced once more at Hiruzen and said softly:
"Don't worry too much, Hiruzen. It's just another war."
Even when they had once faced four enemy villages at once, Konoha had still emerged victorious.
The only issue would be the aftermath.
After such heavy casualties, Hiruzen, as Hokage, would inevitably bear the main responsibility. At that time, he would likely resign just as he once stepped down to let Minato take the position.
Click.
Danzo and Homura both left.
Hiruzen remained seated for a long time without moving.
At that moment, he was like a machine that looked bright and polished on the outside, but whose internal gears had already decayed, creaking under unbearable strain with the stale scent of age.
He had already sacrificed Hyūga Hizashi.
He had already found a way to resolve the crisis.
He had already made every necessary decision.
He had already thrown away his dignity.
So why…
How…
Had things ended up like this?
After sitting motionless like a stone statue for a long time, Hiruzen gradually calmed down.
Anger and regret were useless now.
He had to understand what exactly had happened. Perhaps there was still a way to salvage the situation.
Many details remained unknown.
He needed to question the survivors, Akimichi Todo, Hyuga Arata, and the others.
Thinking this, Hiruzen took a deep breath, stood up, and bent down to pick up the bloodstained pipe from the floor.
His figure vanished from the office.
A blur flashed across the rooftops as he headed toward Konoha Hospital.