"What?!"
At those words, the meeting room filled with sharp intakes of breath.
Kumogakure was not the same as Sunagakure.
Sunagakure was located in a land filled with wind and sand, with harsh conditions and limited resources. Although they claimed to use an elite system, the ninja they produced were generally half a tier weaker than Konoha ninja of the same rank, so most people in Konoha did not take them too seriously.
Take this war, for example.
Although the southwestern battlefield had been raging fiercely for the past six months, Konoha had used less than a third of its standing military force. After winning the two previous major battles, Konoha had even sent several batches of chūnin over for battlefield training, using the Suna troops as experience fodder.
In the previous two Ninja World Wars, Sunagakure had also been the fastest to lose. They were the kind who panicked the moment someone grabbed them by the throat, then started shouting the moment the grip loosened—weak, yet always eager to play.
But…
Kumogakure was different.
Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure was the only one that could contend with Konoha in terms of high-end combat power. Not only did they have a stable inheritance of Lightning Release Chakra Mode and multiple kekkei genkai, they were also the earliest to weaponize tailed beasts. They had long harbored thoughts of replacing Konoha.
Incidentally, although there was no clear evidence, many signs indicated that Uzushiogakure's destruction had a great deal to do with Kumogakure and Kirigakure—especially Kumogakure, who had gained the most from it. That was why they had been able to quickly cultivate stable and controllable perfect jinchūriki.
In terms of tailed beast weapons, Kumogakure's progress even surpassed Konoha's.
If the two sides went to all-out war, under normal circumstances, Konoha's odds of victory would be roughly sixty percent. The previous two Ninja World Wars had proven this.
And if Sunagakure were added into the mix, making it two against one…
The pressure was obvious.
"Wait, what is Iwagakure doing? What if we get Iwagakure to help pin down Sunagakure?"
Someone noticed a blind spot.
Hearing this,
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two advisors looked at one another.
"We have already sent an official letter to Iwagakure. However, judging by the current situation, they most likely intend to help neither side. A good portion of Sunagakure's recently mobilized forces were drawn from the border between the Lands of Wind and Earth."
Compared with the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, the border between the Lands of Wind and Earth was much longer, so those two countries also had more troops stationed along that line.
Now, since Sunagakure could draw manpower from there…
It could only mean they had likely reached some sort of agreement with Iwagakure. They were preparing to gather all their chips and go all in. Win, and they'd live like kings; lose, and they'd end up selling themselves.
Gambling with national destiny—weak countries loved doing that the most. In any case, the Land of Wind was poor in resources, and everyone was already eating dirt. Getting a little poorer did not matter much.
"As expected. I knew that old bastard Ōnoki couldn't be trusted. One thing to your face, another behind your back. Just a few days ago, they had people attend Konoha's Chūnin Exam and said they wanted friendly relations with Konoha. Now they pull this… If we show weakness, I bet Iwagakure will seize the chance to cause trouble!"
"Ah, why is Iwagakure so awful?"
"If we're talking about awful, Kumogakure is worse. Back then, Lord Second was harmed by them. That grudge hasn't been avenged yet…"
"Why don't we think of a way to set fire to Kumogakure's backyard too? Like inciting Kirigakure to stab Kumogakure from behind?"
"I think we should pull Takigakure in. After all, they received favors from Lord First. At a time like this, they should contribute something, right?"
The Konoha ninja spoke one after another, filling the room with discussion.
A ninja with a writing brush sat nearby, taking notes.
Considering the overall cultural level of the ninja world was average, even among jōnin they were only generals among dwarfs. Most people were simply venting their emotions. Only a small number of opinions, such as those from the Nara and Yamanaka clan ninja, sounded worth referring to.
Of course, it was still possible to tell who leaned toward war and who leaned toward peace. In a sense, this was also a way of taking the village's internal temperature.
A moment later,
Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed on the stage and interrupted the discussion.
"I have a general understanding of everyone's thoughts."
"Judging by the current situation, Sunagakure and Kumogakure joining forces is already a foregone conclusion. A large-scale offensive is expected to break out within the next one or two weeks. An all-out escalation of the war is close at hand. Konoha may need to fight on multiple fronts, resisting enemies from both sides at once.
"So, here, as the Third Hokage, I sincerely ask all of you to work together and protect our shared home, Konoha. If no one has any objections, I will issue another mobilization order and assign you all to deploy in response."
"…"
An indescribable pressure settled over the meeting room.
Facing the clouds of war, even the battle-hardened jōnin looked grim.
After all, Konoha was strong, but not so strong that one village could easily fight several others at once. Multi-front warfare meant its forces would be severely divided, and it would inevitably bring even bloodier sacrifices.
However…
Considering that this war was defensive in nature,
and considering that every war was also an opportunity for the deck to be reshuffled, and that the blood and sweat spilled on the battlefield could be converted into corresponding resources in the future, most of the ninja present had no objection. They all looked toward Hiruzen and the others on the platform.
"Lord Hokage, please give the order! Konoha's future will not be touched by foreign enemies!"
"We will follow Lord Hokage and drive out all those enemies!"
"…Good."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and began issuing orders.
"Minato!"
"Present!"
Namikaze Minato stood.
"Depart as soon as possible. Lead Shiguro and Agō to the eastern border and investigate Kumogakure's battle plan! If necessary, you may take the initiative and strike first to blunt Kumogakure's momentum. I will have the ANBU and Intelligence Division fully cooperate with you to ensure smooth communication!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Minato nodded and accepted the order.
After that, Hiruzen's gaze turned to another side.
"Shikayama, Torifu, Shibi. Lead a force to the northeastern border immediately, strengthen the defenses there, and prepare to face a possible invasion!
"Hiashi, take a group of Hyūga clan members to the western front and assist Jiraiya. I will mobilize more ninja to support you afterward…"
The people whose names were called were basically the heads or future heads of Konoha's major ninja clans. They all answered and noted down their missions.
Only Uchiha Fugaku pondered for a moment, wanting to volunteer, but feeling it was inappropriate.
Ever since Senju Tobirama took office and established the Police Force, most Uchiha clan members had rarely gone to the battlefield. Back during the Second Ninja World War, while the Five Great Nations were beating each other's brains out, the Uchiha obediently stayed in the village as security officers.
The ordinary Uchiha with one or two tomoe—or even without awakened eyes—did not care much about this.
But the Uchiha who loved the thrill of battle had long been starved for it.
Uchiha Fugaku himself also belonged to the type who enjoyed fighting. Setting aside Shisui, who was still growing, and Itachi, who had only recently learned to walk, Fugaku's strength in this era was among the very best in the Uchiha clan. If he could temper himself on the battlefield, it was not impossible that he might awaken the legendary Mangekyō.
However, given the current setting, Uchiha Fugaku ultimately did not stand up and speak.
Mikami Yuu also remained silent.
After all, he was only attending as an observer. He had neither the qualification nor reason to speak in this kind of situation. No one mentioned him anyway. If he could stay in the village and slack off, he had no desire to go out on missions.
"…All remaining divisions are to immediately enter the highest state of combat readiness according to the prearranged defensive plans! The Medical Corps, Logistics Department, Barrier Team, and the Police Force under Fugaku's command are all to mobilize! The village will enter Level One martial law and prepare for any possible impact!"
After a round of troop assignments,
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, looked around, and said solemnly, "Konoha's survival and the peace of the Land of Fire now rest on your shoulders!"
"…Please rest assured, Lord Hokage. We will give everything we have!"
The answering voices echoed through the meeting room.
Almost every jōnin present could feel the bloodstorm that was about to arrive.
…
After the meeting ended, the jōnin stood one after another and hurried away with their respective missions.
Namikaze Minato left a little later. He came over to Mikami Yuu, who also had not rushed to leave.
"Yuu, you heard the deployment just now. Kumogakure and Sunagakure are moving faster than expected. My workload may become very heavy from now on, so… I'll have to leave Obito and Rin to you."
"Huh? Me?"
Yuu pointed at himself, looking startled.
Shouldn't this be Kakashi's job?
"Kakashi is still a chūnin, and his rank is lower than yours. Also… his personality is too solitary. Sometimes he insists too much on his own views, so I'm a little worried."
Minato looked at Yuu and said seriously, "Among the four of you, I have the highest expectations for you. While I'm away, you will temporarily take on the responsibilities of Team Minato's captain. Before you're redeployed to the battlefield, keep an eye on Obito and the others…"
"…Alright."
Yuu hesitated briefly, then nodded.
There was no helping it.
His performance lately had indeed made him stand out too much. Wanting to hide his edge like before was no longer very realistic. So although it was troublesome, he could only shoulder more responsibility.
Of course…
he also needed more resources.
Minato thought for a moment, took a scroll from his chest, and handed it over.
"This is the Water Severing Wave you asked the Third Hokage for last time. I originally wanted to study it with you, but now I'm afraid I don't have time. Take it back and read it for a couple of days, then return it to me.
"Also, regarding the Flying Thunder God I promised you before, I will compile some basic materials and training心得 for you over the next two days. Study them yourself for a while and understand the principles behind constructing the technique formula. The next time we meet, I'll personally teach you the specific usage."
"Alright, I understand. Thank you, Minato-sensei!"
This time, Yuu agreed very readily.
Water Severing Wave and Flying Thunder God were currently the only two S-rank ninjutsu he had come into contact with, and the latter was an ultra-secret forbidden technique. Being entrusted with scrolls for this kind of technique meant great trust and expectation. Even Kakashi at this stage probably had not received such treatment.
Although Yuu's Summoning Technique affection was still not high enough for him to directly learn Flying Thunder God through gifting a skin, studying it first could not hurt.
"Go. I need to go back and prepare."
Minato patted his shoulder, then turned and merged into the flow of departing jōnin.
…
That night,
Yuu's room was brightly lit.
He was copying the Water Severing Wave scroll.
This process itself was also a form of study.
But honestly, Water Severing Wave really was rather complicated.
As a famous master of forbidden techniques in the ninja world, most of Senju Tobirama's techniques had the characteristic of being quick to release. For example, the Water Dragon Bullet, which required forty-four seals in other people's hands, only needed four seals in his. However, behind that simplification was a complete reconstruction of the casting method.
To use a somewhat inappropriate example, if an ordinary person's way of using Water Release was addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and solving equations, then Senju Tobirama's method was calculus. It was indeed fast, but… how many people could understand calculus before the age of fourteen?
Yuu had previously learned Tobirama's version of the Water Dragon Bullet and had personally cast it many times, so he had some understanding of the other party's problem-solving style.
But now, looking at the densely packed tadpole-like characters and complicated meridian circulation diagrams on the Water Severing Wave scroll, he still felt somewhat lost. While copying it, he even summoned Wild Water Wave and sincerely asked for advice.
[Water Dragon Bullet, Tobirama Version (Wild Water Wave Technique): …Isn't this obvious? From the previous page, it is very easy to derive the contents of this page.]
"…Easy where, may I ask?"
The corner of Yuu's mouth twitched. It gave him the same feeling as seeing "clearly proven" and "similarly obtained" in textbooks from his previous life. If all the processes Senju Tobirama had omitted when developing the technique were added back in, this scroll would probably have to be twice as thick as it was now.
At once,
the sound of his brush scratching across the scroll rang out from time to time.
It was not until deep into the night
that Yuu finally finished copying.
He let out a long breath and looked at the copy in his hand, which had over a thousand more words than the original scroll. After reviewing it from beginning to end, he took a deep breath and sank his mind into the galgame system.
[Gift: Legendary Limited Skin · Water Severing Wave → Wild Water Wave]
Driven by his thought,
the scroll that embodied Yuu's effort and sweat vanished under the power of the galgame system and merged into the virtual image representing Wild Water Wave.
[Wild Water Wave affection +8! Current affection: 100/100 (Heart-to-Heart)]
[Stage rewards obtained 4 times: Constitution +4. Trait · Shapeshifting Flow: Your mastery over water's form has reached perfection. The chakra consumption of all Water Release ninjutsu is reduced by 30–50% on top of the current baseline. The more perfect and artistic the ninjutsu's form, the greater the reduction!]
In an instant, a cool and gentle realization flooded into Yuu's mind, making him feel as if he had gained a deeper understanding of water flow.
Only then
did Yuu carefully read through this newly unlocked trait.
"Huh?"
After reaching max level, Wild Water Wave's chakra reduction trait had finally expanded to all Water Release?
This was excellent news.
After all, the greatest flaw of Water Release ninjutsu was that it depended heavily on the environment and consumed a lot of chakra. Now that all Water Release chakra costs were reduced by thirty to fifty percent, it meant Yuu's Water Release power would increase by roughly onefold, and his stamina would also be improved significantly.
Although he still couldn't compare to freaks like Senju Tobirama or Hoshigaki Kisame, reaching the level of an ordinary Water Release jōnin should be no problem.
Considering Water Severing Wave's characteristics, if used well, it might even produce some unexpected results.
"Speaking of which…"
"Wild Water Wave didn't trigger a special event?"
Yuu was a little concerned about this.
After all, this was the first technique to reach 100 affection without going through an event.
From this, it seemed that
"special events" were not standard for all ninjutsu. They might only trigger for techniques with especially strong "personalities" or special potential.
And techniques that had triggered "special events" often received a leap-like improvement in their traits after reaching max affection.
By contrast, Wild Water Wave's Shapeshifting Flow was only an optimization and expansion of its original ability. At its core, it still only reduced chakra consumption. Compared with Great Fireball's extreme temperature increase and Phoenix Flower Fire's Solar Flare Fist, it was somewhat lacking.
However…
"This is enough."
Yuu did not dwell on it too much.
After all, he couldn't expect every technique to become a trump card.
Besides, judging by previous experience, he could use things outside the galgame system to strengthen existing ninjutsu. For example, even after maxing Phoenix Flower Fire's affection, he could still gift it Scorch Release research materials. Later, he could try going through Tsunade to get some of Senju Tobirama's Water Release materials…
Since it was already very late, Yuu did not immediately test his maxed-out Water Release. Instead, he carefully stored the original Water Severing Wave scroll, stretched, and felt fatigue surge over him like a tide.
Yuu lifted the blanket and went to sleep fully clothed.
Nothing happened overnight.
In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.
In the morning, Yuu went to Minato's place and returned the Water Severing Wave scroll intact.
"Huh, Yuu, you finished reading this scroll so quickly?"
Minato was packing his gear. Seeing Yuu, he was a little surprised.
"I stayed up all night reading it by lamplight yesterday. I feel like I've memorized everything, so I don't need the scroll anymore."
Yuu said with a smile.
"Alright then."
Hearing him say that, Minato did not say anything else. He simply accepted the scroll.
"I'm still organizing the Flying Thunder God materials. I'll bring them to you later. Train properly over these next two days. Once you leave the village, you won't have such good opportunities."
As they were talking,
a woman's voice came from inside the house.
"Minato, who's here? Huh, so it's little Yuu. How has your sealing technique study been recently? Should I find time to hold another lesson for you? I'll call Rin along too. I haven't seen her in quite a while."
As this voice sounded, Uzumaki Kushina's bright red hair appeared in Yuu's vision. She smiled at him.
"Sister Kushina."
Yuu raised his hand in greeting and smiled.
It had indeed been a while since Rin and the others had seen Kushina.
After all, as Konoha's Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Kushina's movements were restricted. Yuu had seen her once in the Hokage's office because of Uzumaki Kana's matter, but Rin and Obito had no such opportunity, so they had not seen her all this time.
And now…
Since she had taken the initiative to mention it, Yuu naturally agreed.
He did want to absorb more knowledge about sealing techniques. If he could discover some gifts that could be given to Binding Formula Seal, that would be even better. As for bringing Rin along, that was simple. He could just mention it to her later.
However, right now, Kushina was helping Minato prepare his gear for leaving the village, so she clearly had no time to hold a class.
Yuu also did not want to stay here as a third wheel, so he found an excuse and slipped away.
Before he left, Minato reminded him to hurry and urge Obito and Rin to train.
After leaving Minato's house,
Yuu went to his family's workshop.
Mm… the place where Konoha Raw Cola was produced.
During this period, Mikami Tajima had hired several more workers to help at the workshop. A few of them were genin like Might Duy.
Under normal circumstances, ninja of their level would not be sent to the front lines and could only do the simplest D-rank missions around the village. Now, working at the cola workshop was actually easier than taking regular commissions, and they also had unlimited Raw Cola to drink.
For some ninja from relatively well-off families, the latter condition was even more attractive than the wages. They were so eager for it that they wished they could jump straight into the barrels and drink their fill.
Yuu did not stay long. He greeted his father, asked for two more crates of Raw Cola, then carried them directly to the Uchiha clan district.
"Uncle Fugaku, we meet again!"
"…Ah, it's Mikami Yuu."
Inside the clan head's residence,
Uchiha Fugaku looked at Yuu in surprise.
"You child, why are you bringing things again? Really, you're too polite… Huh, is that Raw Cola? Two full crates? Ah, look at you, this is too
much."
During this period, Raw Cola had already become popular throughout Konoha and had become a common drink among the ninja clans.
Although the Uchiha clan was relatively isolated, their taste buds were no different from everyone else's, so they were equally enthusiastic about it.
However, Raw Cola production was limited, and demand far exceeded supply. Most shops restricted how many each person could buy, so many people could only drink sparingly, even splitting one bottle over several days, afraid they would run out too soon and have none left later.
Now,
the two crates Yuu brought were truly a heavy gift, far more valuable than milk or the like.
"Little Yuu, you are… looking for my help with something?"
Uchiha Fugaku was in a good mood and asked.
"It's nothing special."
Yuu smiled faintly and stated his purpose.
"I have always admired the subtlety of Uchiha-style swordsmanship and would like to ask Uncle Fugaku, or other clan elites skilled in this art, for some guidance. Would that be possible?"
"That little thing? Easy!"
Uchiha Fugaku waved his hand and answered straightforwardly.
"I'll take you to find Shisui and Inabi. They're both skilled sword users, and their ages are close to yours. If we can't find them, I can personally practice with you too!"
~~~
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