The Sand Ninja boldly invaded the Land of Fire, and the Konoha vanguard marched to meet them.
The news of the war's outbreak spread through the Ninja World's intelligence networks at a frantic, terrifying pace.
Deep within the perpetually raining borders of Amegakure, inside an empty, sprawling cavern in Maple Leaf Canyon, numerous intricate Sealing Jutsu formulas were drawn across the walls.
Ooka Shin had recently imparted everything he knew about Konoha and Sunagakure's advanced sealing theories to Nagato. By combining that highly classified knowledge with the divine power of the Rinnegan, Nagato had single-handedly engineered several entirely new, impenetrable sealing matrices.
Currently, Nagato had used his eyes to establish a barrier around the cave that absolutely blocked all chakra sensing and physical prying.
This was the Akatsuki Organization's new secure headquarters, used strictly for discussing highly confidential matters.
"The Third Shinobi World War has officially broken out. We must prepare our response," Yahiko announced.
He stood at the head of a round stone table, his voice heavy with the weight of the freshly received intelligence.
Standing around the table were the core members of the Akatsuki: Ooka Shin, Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, Kyusuke, Daibutsu, Ryōtarō, and Hideyuki.
"War... another hateful, senseless war," Nagato murmured.
As a war orphan whose parents had been slaughtered by Konoha shinobi, the tragic memories burned in his mind, filling him with an absolute loathing for the conflict.
Beside him, Konan—who had suffered the exact same horrors—could deeply empathize. She reached out, gently placing a hand on Nagato's shoulder to silently comfort him.
Nagato looked at the loyal companions surrounding him. A faint, determined smile cut through his melancholy. "I'm fine. We established the Akatsuki for this exact reason. One day, we will definitely possess the power to eliminate war permanently."
Daibutsu, a large, stoic man, looked to their leader. "Yahiko, what are your orders?"
Yahiko thought for a long moment. A deep sense of powerlessness washed over him, making his tone somewhat sorrowful.
"With our current numbers and strength, it is impossible for us to directly interfere in the wars of the Great Shinobi Villages. For now, we can only continue to develop in the shadows. Our primary mission is to protect the civilian populace of the Rain Village from the collateral damage of this war, while simultaneously recruiting more like-minded shinobi."
Kyusuke, the group's speed specialist, spoke up. "Recently, official Amegakure ninja loyal to Hanzo have been spotted patrolling our vicinity multiple times. They have clearly noticed our growing numbers. How should we handle our relationship with the official Rain forces?"
Recalling the tragic anime timeline—where Yahiko and the others were violently betrayed and slaughtered by a joint operation between Hanzo and Danzo—Ooka Shin immediately intervened.
"In these troubled times, we absolutely must engage in active, transparent diplomatic mediation with Hanzo's faction to express our goodwill," Shin advised seriously. "We cannot afford a civil war."
After laying that foundation, Ooka Shin's tone shifted, growing much darker.
"However, the human heart is treacherous and unpredictable. We must expand our intelligence network immediately to avoid being ambushed or politically exploited by either Hanzo or Konoha."
Your words are like saying nothing at all—just grand, vague principles without actual tactical steps, Yahiko thought, though he appreciated the sentiment.
Yahiko nodded to Kyusuke. "We have taken in several Rain Rogue Ninjas recently, which might be interpreted as building a rebel army. That will definitely dissatisfy Hanzo. Kyusuke, go and carefully test their political attitude toward us. Be diplomatic."
"Understood," Kyusuke nodded.
At this point, Ooka Shin spoke up again, deciding to drop a massive warning.
"Everyone, do not just focus your attention on the visible armies of this World War. In this period of utter chaos, shadowy, ancient figures like Uchiha Madara will surely make their move to manipulate the board. We must be incredibly cautious of threats moving in the dark."
Yahiko nodded, agreeing with Ooka Shin's assessment, though he assumed Shin was speaking metaphorically about rogue, legendary threats.
"Shin is right. Now that a World War has begun, it's impossible for us to remain entirely unaffected. Rogue Ninjas, the Great Shinobi Villages, and hidden masterminds pulling the strings are all our potential enemies. Stay vigilant."
Nagato's gaze hardened. He looked at his hands, vowing to everyone in the room, "I will definitely master the true power of the Rinnegan as soon as possible. I will become the shield that protects us all!"
The meeting concluded, and everyone dispersed to handle their new assignments.
Diplomatic coordination, sweeping the borders for violent Rogue Ninjas, escorting civilian refugees, training new recruits, researching Ninjutsu, and reinforcing the base's defense lines—there was endless work to be done. Even Ooka Shin was forced to lead a patrol team to expand their early-warning perimeter.
"Let's go, Masao," Shin said to the young Uzumaki boy following closely behind him. "This will be your first actual combat patrol. Stay sharp."
"Yes, Shin-sama! I won't let you down!" Masao declared, gripping a custom-forged longsword that was nearly as tall as he was.
Meanwhile, far to the northeast, inside the heavily fortified Cloud Ninja command camp in the Land of the Moon.
The Third Raikage, a mountain of a man with terrifying battle scars, put down a heavily sealed scroll.
"The Kazekage has formally requested an alliance," the Raikage rumbled. "He wants us to launch a simultaneous invasion of the Land of Fire from the north. What do you think, Ay?"
Ay snatched the letter off the desk, scanning it quickly before scoffing loudly. "The Kazekage is just a coward! He's terrified he can't beat Konoha alone, so he wants us to act as an anvil to share their military pressure! 'Splitting the Land of Fire equally'—what a joke! The land we Cloud Ninja desire, we will seize with our own two hands!"
The Raikage stroked his beard, his tactical mind whirring. He made a swift decision. "Send an envoy to negotiate a temporary ceasefire with the Kirigakure commanders. Offer a mutual, simultaneous withdrawal of our border forces."
Ay, still young and incredibly impetuous, immediately objected. "Father, doing that will make the Hidden Cloud look weak to the rest of the world! Even if we intend to withdraw and focus on Konoha, we should crush the Kirigakure forces here first to prove our dominance!"
The Raikage shook his head, his voice brooking no argument.
"Even if we achieve a total victory against the Mist here, it will cost us too many men, and the Land of the Moon offers very little strategic benefit. Compared to the isolated, foggy Land of Water, the fertile Land of Fire is the true prize."
The Raikage walked over to a massive map table, pointing a thick finger at a rocky region to the northwest.
"Furthermore, the Third Tsuchikage is an old, treacherous snake. While we are locked in a bloody stalemate with the Mist, and the Sand is throwing everything they have at Konoha... the Stone Ninja have made absolutely zero moves. I am certain Onoki is waiting for us to expose our flank so he can launch a devastating sneak attack."
Hearing this unassailable logic, Ay ground his teeth but no longer objected.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki—who possessed the legendary, atom-dismantling Particle Style—was indeed a terrifying opponent. The Stone Ninja's military might was vast, and they truly had to be guarded against.
That very night, in the distant, fog-shrouded capital of the Hidden Mist, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, received the Raikage's ceasefire proposal.
"Oh?" Yagura mused, sitting in his oversized office chair. "That muscle-brained meathead actually took the initiative to suggest a mutual withdrawal? How incredibly rare."
"Hmph! If they want us to withdraw and avoid a two-front war, they must return the legendary sword Nuibari to us first!"
Suikazan Fuguki, the massive wielder of the Samehada, roared in the Mizukage's office. He was entirely unwilling to accept an unconditional withdrawal and demanded the Cloud make severe concessions.
Fuguki was actually deeply disgusted by Kuriarare Kushimaru, believing the man had completely disgraced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen by dying to a Cloud brat. However, as the unofficial leader of the Swordsmen, Fuguki had a sworn duty to reclaim their stolen relics.
"Fuguki is right! The Sewing Needle must be brought back to the Mist! Otherwise, let the war escalate!"
A white-haired youth took a large gulp of water from a canteen on his hip, loudly supporting Fuguki's demand. It was the prodigy, Hozuki Mangetsu.
Beside Yagura stood a stern, middle-aged man with blue hair and an eyepatch covering his right eye. He was the Mizukage's most capable and trusted aide—Ao.
Seeing Fuguki and Mangetsu acting so incredibly presumptuous and loud in front of the village leader, Ao immediately stepped forward, his voice cracking like a whip.
"Suikazan Fuguki! Hozuki Mangetsu! Do not be so insolent in the presence of the Mizukage! No matter what Lord Yagura decides, our only duty as subordinates is to carry out his absolute orders!"
Yagura, appearing like a young boy, laughed cheerfully and jumped up onto his heavy mahogany desk.
"Haha! Not bad, not bad at all! Ao is entirely correct!" Yagura cheered. "You all must listen to this Great One! You brutes should really learn some manners from Ao."
Seeing Yagura's childish behavior, Ao directly facepalmed, groaning internally.
"Mizukage-sama, please get off the desk and let's discuss business," Ao sighed. "How should we officially reply to the Raikage's proposal?"
Yagura crossed his arms, looking down at his elite guard. With a bright, innocent smile on his face, he spoke the most terrifyingly arrogant words possible.
"Write him a letter. Tell the Raikage to return Nuibari immediately, or I will cross the ocean and personally rip his head off!"
Meanwhile, high in the craggy peaks of Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was floating in his office, facing a massive tactical dilemma.
In front of him lay two highly classified scrolls.
One was an envoy's letter from the Sand Ninja, offering a lucrative alliance to invade Konoha together and split the Land of Fire. The other was from Kirigakure, requesting that the Stone Ninja launch a surprise attack on the Cloud's exposed western flank.
Both letters promised a tremendous amount of post-war benefits and territory. But having survived decades of brutal Ninja World turmoil, Onoki was a paranoid old fox who naturally wouldn't believe a single promise written by another Kage.
"Attack Konoha... attack the Cloud... attack the Sand... or continue to sit back and wait for the perfect opportunity?" Onoki muttered, rubbing his aching lower back. "How should we play this board?"
Indeed, in Onoki's ruthless eyes, with the exception of the Hidden Mist far across the sea, every single shinobi village on the mainland was a target. As long as the opportunity was optimal, he would drop a meteor on them without a second of hesitation.
His son, the massive Jonin Kitsuchi, stood respectfully by the desk. "Father, the war between the Sand and Konoha has quite literally just begun, and the full-scale slaughter between the Cloud and the Mist hasn't officially popped off yet. We might as well hold our forces back and observe the attrition rates first."
The geopolitical situation was wildly unpredictable. Waiting might cause them to miss a golden opportunity to strike first, but it would entirely negate the horrific risk of making the wrong choice and getting double-teamed.
Onoki floated down into his chair and nodded slowly. "Very well. We will play the turtle and wait for them to bleed each other dry."
Having made his strategic decision, Onoki's eyes narrowed as he thought of another, highly pressing matter.
"Kitsuchi! Dispatch our fastest tracking squads immediately. Tell them to find Roshi and order him to return to the village at once. Even if you have to beat him unconscious and drag him back in chains, bring the Four-Tails Jinchuriki home! We need our ultimate weapon ready for deployment!"