ANBU had its own missions. Hikaru had not lied to Nara Shikaku about that.
What he had not told him was that the person carrying out this mission was one of Shikaku's old acquaintances.
Nara Shikashiro sat calmly inside the Tsuchikage's office, but inwardly, he felt utterly dead.
He clearly remembered Hikaru promising that there would not be many missions where he had to disguise himself as a newspaper staff member. But now, that promise might as well have been farted into the wind.
He had practically been pinned down in the Land of Grass. Although he could return to Konoha for rest from time to time, most of his days were spent in the Land of Grass.
And this time was even worse.
He had actually been ordered to personally enter the Land of Earth, visit Iwagakure, and meet Ōnoki alone!
The danger of this mission was simply ridiculous. One mistake, and he might die in this cursed place, never to return to Konoha again.
Why am I doing ANBU fieldwork? Wait, I'm from ANBU's administrative office. How did I turn into a frontline ninja?
Rokujō felt lost.
His minister was far too black-hearted. Once he found someone useful, he would work them to death without mercy, right?
Of course, Rokujō could only complain in his heart.
He knew Konoha and Kumo had officially gone to war. His mission was important.
"Rokujō-dono."
At that moment, an Iwa ninja appeared beside him.
"Lord Tsuchikage has time to meet you now."
"Understood."
Rokujō immediately stood and followed the Iwa ninja into the office.
He had been to the Hokage's office before, but this was his first time entering another village's Kage office. In a way, it broadened his horizons.
Still, he remained extremely calm.
Or rather, the Hokage's office was decorated far better than this one. Looking at the Tsuchikage's office, he truly did not feel much.
Ōnoki noticed this reaction as well, and he found the young man more interesting than expected.
"Rokujō-dono, welcome."
Ōnoki revealed a smile.
"I have been looking forward to your arrival for quite some time."
"Greetings, Lord Tsuchikage."
Rokujō smiled just as readily.
"It is my honor to come here."
The two exchanged polite flattery for a while. After the other Iwa ninja left, the smile on Ōnoki's face slowly faded.
The reason he had summoned this man was truly important.
Konoha and Kumo had gone to war.
To be honest, Ōnoki had been rather shocked when he received the news, especially since it had come from the newspaper.
Its speed had been even faster than his own ANBU.
Although the article never directly used the word "war," it was filled with phrases such as "Konoha cannot accept Kumo's baseless accusations" and "Konoha will not persecute its own people for the sake of false peace."
Did that not mean Konoha was going to move?
They were going to clash with Kumogakure, currently the strongest military force among the villages!
At first, Ōnoki had not been optimistic about Konoha at all.
After all, compared with Kumo, Konoha's current military strength was indeed lacking.
The Third Shinobi World War had been a meat grinder for Konoha. Even though they had won against four villages at once, it had been a tragic victory.
Konoha's current situation was far from optimistic.
But now that Konoha dared to fight, Ōnoki had no choice but to take this seriously.
Because he had not forgotten one person.
That young man who had "dragged Konoha back forty or fifty years."
Had that young Senju already grown strong enough?
Ōnoki had always looked down on Kumo. In his eyes, Kumo was a village full of reckless brutes.
Unfortunately, those reckless brutes did have real strength.
They had grown arrogant. Even though they were still wary of Konoha's foundation and had sent both the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, they had still moved recklessly before fully testing the strength of that young Senju.
That was not wise.
Back when Ōnoki dared to move against Konoha, the main reason had been that Konoha's major forces were scattered, and one of the Sannin, Tsunade, had already left the village.
That meant they basically did not need to worry about running into one of the Sannin when they attacked.
But they calculated everything and still failed to predict how useless Sunagakure would be.
Not long after Iwa moved out and gained a little advantage, Suna surrendered on the spot.
No wonder Kirigakure hated Sunagakure so much. Even after the ceasefire, they kept sending people to harass them. Suna deserved it.
But Iwa had also been badly harmed by Suna's collapse.
Ōnoki had been so careful, yet he had still suffered.
Would Kumo really have an easy time this time?
"Speaking of which, your newspaper is becoming better and better."
Ōnoki looked seriously at Rokujō.
"The information you can obtain is becoming more and more impressive."
"Of course. But that is thanks to everyone's support."
Rokujō instantly understood what Ōnoki meant and smiled in response.
"Without everyone providing us information, we could not report so quickly. But at the same time, this is mutually beneficial, is it not?"
Ōnoki nodded inwardly.
Mutually beneficial. That was not wrong.
After Ōnoki chose to support Rokujō's group in establishing newspaper stations within the Land of Earth, the newspaper had indeed provided Iwa with plenty of publicity and assistance.
Their support among the people had grown stronger. Some policies that civilians had previously failed to understand had become clear after being explained through the paper.
Even the Daimyō of the Land of Earth had accepted the newspaper's existence and would occasionally reveal information to them.
That made Ōnoki slightly wary. He did not want the Daimyō stirring up trouble, but he also trusted the newspaper to make the right choice.
Aside from the Daimyō's attention and questions, there were two other matters that gave Ōnoki a headache.
First, while the newspaper supported Iwa, it also gave Konoha plenty of space.
Not only that, before the war between Konoha and Kumo had even begun, the newspaper had already published articles that seemed to stir up tension between Iwa and Kumo.
At first, Ōnoki had not taken those articles seriously.
But now that war had broken out, those articles felt completely different.
They were clearly encouraging Iwa to move as well and cooperate with Konoha against Kumo.
"However, Rokujō-dono, your newspaper's bias seems a little problematic."
Ōnoki's gaze became much more serious, even stern.
"You give Konoha quite a lot of space. And there are some rather provocative articles mixed in. I have been paying attention."
"The issue of space?"
Rokujō blinked.
Of course the paper had to favor Konoha. This was ANBU's property!
As for provoking Iwa, was that not perfectly natural?
If they did not provoke Iwa into moving, Konoha would have a hard time facing Kumo alone.
Of course, he would never say that out loud.
He had already thought of how to deal with Ōnoki.
"To be honest, I do not think the space is a problem. After all, we are paid to do business. The newspaper is not ruled by me alone."
Rokujō sounded helpless, though his expression carried little real helplessness.
"How much did Konoha pay you?"
Ōnoki calmed down instead and asked with a smile.
"How could I possibly tell you that Konoha paid more than double your price?"
Rokujō blinked at Ōnoki again, his tone becoming very serious.
"That is a trade secret. We cannot casually disclose it."
"Indeed, indeed. That is certainly a trade secret."
Ōnoki laughed this time.
"Then what about those provocative reports?"
"That is not exactly a secret, but my old man said this was what the ANBU Minister hoped you would do."
Rokujō blinked once more.
This was already improvisation.
What he needed to do was achieve Hikaru's goal.
"The old man said that the ANBU Minister hopes you will send troops and fight Kumo together. But my old man believes you absolutely will not do that."
"Oh?"
Ōnoki raised an eyebrow.
"What else did Uesugi-dono say?"
"The old man said you will not send troops because the benefits are not enough. Minister Hikaru's plan will most likely fail."
Rokujō smiled, but he deliberately lowered his voice as if afraid someone might hear.
"He said that at most, you would station troops at the border and create the appearance of a large-scale attack. This way, Kumo would have no choice but to guard against you.
"But as long as you do not move, Kumo will not dare to move lightly either. Once the war between Konoha and Kumo becomes clearer, you will decide whether to advance further or step back and maintain the status quo.
"Also, let me tell Lord Tsuchikage one final secret. The person leading Konoha's army this time is that ANBU Minister, Senju Hikaru.
"Although I do not know why it is him, that is the fact.
"All right. I have said everything I should say. I only hope Lord Tsuchikage can understand. After all, the newspaper is not mine to control."
After saying that, Nara Shikashiro decisively shut his mouth.
To be honest, he was also confused about why the commander this time was Senju Hikaru, his black-hearted superior.
Even if his superior was the Fourth Hokage's representative in Konoha, this was no joke.
What mattered most was that his own clan head had made this decision.
And his clan head had also gone with the army.
Alongside him were the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and those clans that had once "surrounded" the Third Hokage during the Danzo incident.
All of them had brought people and followed his superior to the front.
This was a major signal.
Rokujō guessed that after the war ended, the Third Hokage probably would not be able to continue acting as proxy.
Could Lord Fourth's injuries already be mostly healed?
Rokujō thought silently.
But soon, an extremely unreliable idea appeared in his mind.
Could it be… my black-hearted superior wants to become Hokage?
The moment this thought appeared, Rokujō froze.
He had not seriously considered it before because he had to deal with Ōnoki and could not afford the slightest carelessness.
Now that Ōnoki's side was basically handled, he finally had time to think.
And once he thought about it, he suddenly realized that if his direct superior truly wanted to become Hokage, it was not impossible!
He was young, yes, but he had enough management experience, enough supporters, and enough achievements.
There should be no lack of people supporting him. After all, he belonged to the Fourth Hokage's faction, and now many clans had leaned toward the Fourth Hokage because of the Danzo incident.
In terms of management, he had expanded ANBU and still managed it in perfect order. As an ANBU member, Rokujō felt this deeply, and he approved of Hikaru's style.
As for achievements, was this war not the best place to accumulate them?
Hiss!
Thinking up to this point, Nara Shikashiro nearly sucked in a cold breath.
Could his clan head have thought the same thing, which was why he had gone along with everyone else?
While Rokujō was thinking about the possibility of Hikaru becoming Hokage, Ōnoki was also deeply shaken by what he had said.
Ōnoki had never had the chance to meet the father of this Uesugi Shikashiro, but he now understood that the man who had created such a thing as the newspaper was definitely not simply lucky.
That Senju Hikaru was also remarkable.
He had actually thought of using the newspaper to subtly ignite Iwa's fighting spirit, making them inwardly consider taking a share in the war between Konoha and Kumo.
After all, Iwa and Kumo truly had deep grudges.
The reason Kumo and Konoha had stopped fighting was because the Third Raikage had died at Iwa's hands.
And the reason Iwa had surrendered to Konoha was because Kumo had stopped attacking Konoha and turned around to posture as if they would attack Iwa.
Their hatred ran deep.
Senju Hikaru had used that hatred, as well as the interests of several smaller nations, to gradually tempt Iwa's ninja.
Ōnoki could imagine that once everyone received news that Kumo and Konoha had begun fighting, there would surely be people urging him to send troops against Kumo.
They could take revenge and gain benefits. Why not?
But this Rokujō's father, that old Uesugi he had never met, had analyzed Ōnoki's situation even further.
He had almost perfectly guessed the best option Ōnoki could choose.
And Ōnoki was indeed tempted.
Station troops without moving, then observe Konoha's situation before deciding.
This was the best way to maximize Iwa's benefits!
What an impressive person.
Ōnoki thought silently, then looked toward Rokujō.
"Meeting Rokujō-dono today has truly been pleasant. However, as Tsuchikage, I still have many matters to handle. I am afraid I cannot continue entertaining you."
"No problem."
Rokujō quickly came back to his senses and stood with a smile.
"I feel rather guilty for taking up so much of Lord Tsuchikage's time. In that case, I shall take my leave."
"One more thing. I will invest the same amount Konoha invested in you."
Just as Rokujō was about to leave, Ōnoki suddenly spoke.
"This…"
Rokujō was suddenly awkward. He did not know how to respond.
"No need to worry. Keep the current ratio of space allocation."
Ōnoki looked at Rokujō with a meaningful smile.
"Consider it my thanks to your father, as well as a meeting gift for when we meet in the future."
"In that case, many thanks, Lord Tsuchikage."
Rokujō immediately understood what Ōnoki meant, and his heart stirred with excitement.
Because he knew his mission had succeeded!
Travelling from Konoha to the border of the Land of Hot Water required almost a week, even for ninja moving at full speed.
The Land of Fire was truly vast.
To be honest, just over thirty thousand ninja was really not enough.
Especially since the number of combat ninja was even lower. That was even more fatal.
Unfortunately, training ninja was no simple matter.
Konoha had over a hundred thousand people, but only thirty thousand or so ninja. Although that was partly because of the losses after the war, it still showed that becoming a ninja required considerable talent.
Without talent, one could not become a ninja.
Even if someone remained a genin for life, they were still like superhumans compared with ordinary people.
Hikaru led the army forward quickly. After all, only two thousand troops were defending the front line, and Kumo had moved faster than they had.
If they did not hurry, things would become troublesome.
Every day, they slept only six hours at most. Sometimes even four hours was normal. The rest of the time was spent marching.
All Konoha ninja knew the importance of this mission, so none of them complained.
Of course, Hikaru was not stupid.
Although he had never seen real war, he had watched plenty of war films in his previous life.
Even if ninja had strong bodies, he knew that rushing to the front line in extreme exhaustion was suicide.
That was why he had chosen the destination early.
It was a stronghold near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water. In the past, it had also served as the front line against Kumo.
Most importantly, it was also a frontline supply depot.
In Hikaru's previous life, there was a saying: before troops move, food and fodder go first.
They had departed in such haste that their logistics line had not yet been properly established.
So Hikaru had to seize that stronghold immediately. Only then could he ensure that this four-thousand-strong army would not have its supplies cut off.
And Hikaru guessed that if he could think of this, Kumo could too.
Moreover, for Kumo, that place was also a natural bridgehead for invading the Land of Fire.
Therefore, that place would definitely become a point Kumo had to fight for.
Once it fell into Kumo's hands, they would obtain a large amount of supplies and could use it as a base to attack the surrounding areas. That would be extremely troublesome.
Occupying that stronghold and resting there was Hikaru's main objective.
"Minister Hikaru, I believe this location would be a good area to gather Kumo's forces."
While they were marching, Nara Shikaku suddenly came to Hikaru's side with a map in hand.
He was deeply confused about what Hikaru intended to do.
Gather Kumo's main force together and launch a frontal assault?
Was that not basically seeking death?
The enemy had the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
Who did Konoha have?
In terms of top-tier combatants, perhaps Hikaru counted as one.
But who else?
Shikaku had never denied that Hikaru's growth had reached a terrifying level.
But he absolutely had not yet reached that kind of level.
Perhaps he intends for us to restrain the Fourth Raikage while he deals with the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki alone.
Shikaku had considered every possibility and finally reached this answer.
It was not exactly a good answer.
But considering that this operation had gathered the clan heads of the Hyūga, Aburame, Inuzuka, Ino-Shika-Chō, and even strong reinforcements from the Uchiha, perhaps they could work together to deal with the Fourth Raikage.
Then Hikaru might be able to rely on Wood Release to deal with the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
As long as he restrained the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki and used Wood Release to divide the battlefield, they would not be without a chance.
It was precisely because he had thought this far that Shikaku chose to cooperate fully with Hikaru's work.
He was also prepared to risk his life.
"Thank you, Minister Shikaku."
Hikaru nodded gently and looked at the map.
Shikaku had chosen a plain.
Such terrain was very suitable for large-scale ninja charges, and in that environment, it was also extremely suitable for Hikaru to make his move.
Imagine if the surroundings were all dense forest. That would not affect his combat ability, but it would greatly reduce what he wanted to display.
Forests and mountains would also give Kumo too much cover, allowing them to rely on terrain to escape.
They might even slip through to the rear of Konoha's main army and launch devastating attacks.
That was something Hikaru did not want to see.
If I could use the Nine-Tails' power, this would be simple.
To be honest, with the power of the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, Hikaru could turn any battlefield into the terrain he wanted.
Then the enemy would have no chance to penetrate through.
But the techniques he could use now were Sage Arts, Wood Release, and the Flying Thunder God Technique.
If he counted the Jōgan and Jōgan Chakra Mode, he still did not have that many options.
And among those techniques, none could directly flatten an entire landscape.
Wood Release did not count. If he created a forest inside an already dense forest, everything would be blocked.
In order to secure the achievements and prestige he needed, Hikaru had truly put in a great deal of effort.
"This place, then. I understand."
Hikaru nodded.
"Have you thought of how to lure them there?"
"To lure them there, the main force must constantly shift and restrain them."
Shikaku thought for a moment. He sounded confident, but also somewhat troubled.
"This kind of constant movement requires extremely strong execution. The people we brought can do it, but there will be casualties."
"As long as it can be done."
Hikaru nodded.
"If I tell you that once they are drawn there, I have a way to wipe them all out…"
"Is what Minister Hikaru said true?"
Before Hikaru could finish speaking, Shikaku interrupted him.
"If Minister Hikaru can truly do that, then I will definitely make the army complete the preliminary arrangements!"
"Good."
Hikaru smiled and nodded.
"Then I will leave this matter to Minister Shikaku."
Shikaku nodded.
Although Hikaru did not give a more specific answer, in their current positions, some words absolutely could not be spoken casually.
Hikaru did not wish to reveal too much, and Shikaku would not continue asking.
But now, he was filled with confidence.
"Wipe out" might be an exaggeration, but making Konoha defeat Kumo was likely still possible.
At worst, Shikaku had already thought of another method.
They could all work together to suppress Kumo. That would also be an opportunity.
"By the way, Minister Shikaku, thank you for training a talented man."
Suddenly, Hikaru spoke again with a smile.
"Rokujō. I believe you know him?"
"Rokujō?"
Shikaku nodded.
"Of course I know him. Strictly speaking, we are cousins. I was the one who arranged for him to enter ANBU. How is he now…"
"He has already persuaded Ōnoki to send troops."
The smile on Hikaru's face grew brighter.
"Although they are only stationed at the border, I believe that is enough."
Hikaru's words stunned Shikaku for a moment. Then he could not suppress a smile.
Ōnoki stationing troops at the border would create enormous pressure on Kumo, even if Iwa did not actually move.
At that point, Kumo would likely have to pull some forces back.
That would reduce Konoha's pressure.
How could Shikaku not be pleased?
But before he could say anything, a Hyūga ninja suddenly appeared before them.
"What? How did these Kumo ninja get in? And they've already begun attacking the stronghold?"
Hikaru and Shikaku frowned as they listened to the Hyūga ninja's report.
They did not know how these Kumo ninja had entered.
After all, there was a two-thousand-strong defensive force at the front line.
Were their defenses so thin that people could still infiltrate?
Thinking of this, Hikaru shook his head.
One of the reasons he wanted to fight Kumo directly on a plain was precisely to guard against this.
He had not expected this scene to play out anyway, right before his eyes.
Fortunately, the number of infiltrators was not large.
If a main force had charged in, Hikaru and Shikaku would not merely be frowning.
These strongholds were usually easy to defend and difficult to attack.
If Kumo truly occupied it, Hikaru could deal with the situation, but the result would probably only be taking the stronghold back.
Good thing it is only a small assault unit. Otherwise, this would be troublesome.
Hikaru thought silently, then continued asking.
"That stronghold is the supply point for the two thousand frontline troops. There should be guards there, correct?"
"Yes, Minister Hikaru."
The Hyūga ninja immediately nodded.
"But their number is not large. It can only be considered standard guard duty. They likely did not expect Kumo ninja to break through to this location."
"I understand."
Hikaru nodded.
It was troublesome, but it could still be handled.
Shikaku also spoke at this moment.
"They probably do not have many people. Their goal is to occupy that stronghold, cut off the supplies of the two thousand troops, then surround and destroy them or force them back. That way, Kumo can occupy a favorable strategic position."
"Yes, Minister Shikaku."
The Hyūga ninja nodded again.
"According to what we observed with the Byakugan, there are roughly a little over a hundred people. Not too many."
Kumo's assault unit indeed was not large.
At most, there were around a hundred people.
They had four thousand ninja here. No matter how one looked at it, they could easily wipe them out.
Those Kumo ninja could only be said to have terrible luck.
Even though the four thousand troops were exhausted from the forced march, four thousand against one hundred did not require much thought.
But after considering it briefly, Hikaru suddenly said, "You all rest. I will deal with them."
"Minister Hikaru?"
Shikaku was stunned.
"You alone…"
"Do not worry. It is actually better if I go alone. It would be less convenient for the main force to move."
Hikaru chuckled, then rushed out alone.
He was not trying to show off.
He simply did not want Kumo to know that Konoha's main army had already reached the border.
Although such information could not be sealed for long, Kumo's spies in the Land of Fire would sooner or later discover their marching route.
But every extra day the information remained hidden would cause greater damage to Kumo.
It would also make it easier for Shikaku to carry out what he needed to do.
Although in Hikaru's opinion, drawing those people toward the planned location only required pretending to fail.
But if Shikaku had a better method, Hikaru had no need to interfere.
Specialized work should be left to specialists.
Hikaru had always remembered that truth from his ancestors, even after transmigrating.
"Minister Shikaku, is this really appropriate?"
Watching Hikaru disappear rapidly, Hyūga Hiashi walked up and asked softly.
He had been behind Hikaru and Shikaku the entire time, so he naturally heard the report from his clansman.
Although that clansman gave him no face at all, not even looking at him, Hiashi did not care too much.
The conflict between the Hyūga main family and branch family was something everyone in Konoha knew. Since it could not be hidden, Hiashi had no interest in pretending otherwise.
After all, he had already decided that no matter what, his generation would resolve the problem his predecessors had never solved.
Perhaps I can ask Minister Hikaru for help.
Hiashi had long since had this idea.
When the Hyūga Clan had been at its most critical moment, it had been Senju Hikaru who found a way to protect them.
Even though they had now been forced into war, he was willing.
Aside from that, he had also seen the Uchiha's situation.
Even the Uchiha, isolated to that extent, had been pulled back.
Then perhaps there was still a chance for his own clan's problems, troublesome as they were.
Because of that, he truly did not want anything to happen to Hikaru.
In his eyes, one person going to trouble over a hundred Kumo ninja was far too reckless.
Even though he had witnessed Hikaru's power, a ninja still had to be careful.
"Sigh. Since it is Minister Hikaru's order, we will follow it."
Shikaku shook his head. But soon, he quietly added,
"Find the Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka. Also bring the Uchiha if possible. We will go take a look together, just in case."
"Understood."
Hiashi did not refuse and immediately had people call them over.
The people who came were basically clan-head level figures.
Only Uchiha Kuu seemed somewhat awkward among them.
But no one paid much attention to that.
They quickly headed toward the stronghold.
However, when they arrived, every single one of them froze.
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