Land of Earth, Hidden Stone Village.
"Is the information reliable?"
The Second Tsuchikage held the secret report in his hand, his voice low as he asked.
"Is Senju Hashirama truly nearing the end of his life?"
The memory of Hashirama's overwhelming strength, which once dominated the world, still lingered in his mind, causing him to fall into deep thought.
Senju Hashirama, hailed as the God of Shinobi, possessed power unrivaled in the Ninja World, making him the unshakable ruler of the Land of Fire. It was precisely because of his presence that the other four nations could only maintain their territories in peace, with no one daring to challenge the authority of the Land of Fire.
But not long ago, shocking news spread throughout the Ninja World—Senju Hashirama and Madara Uchiha had engaged in an unprecedented battle to the death, after which Hashirama was severely wounded.
Since then, Konoha had completely sealed off all information regarding Hashirama's recovery. All village affairs, big and small, were now handled by the newly appointed Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
This sudden change stirred restlessness among the previously peaceful nations. The Second Tsuchikage of the Hidden Stone Village also began to form his own plans.
Now, hearing that Hashirama was on the brink of death, the Second Tsuchikage knew it was time to start making moves.
If the news was false, they would wait for the right opportunity. If it was true, it would be the perfect chance to invade the Land of Fire.
"Continue the reconnaissance!" he ordered sharply. "Send more spies into the Land of Fire and confirm the truth of this information as soon as possible!"
Following his orders, a large number of Hidden Stone ninjas disguised as spies infiltrated the Land of Fire, closely monitoring every move Konoha made.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Wind, the Hidden Sand Village had long grown weary of its barren desert environment.
Upon hearing the news that Hashirama might be dead, the Hidden Sand Village could no longer hold back. The Second Kazekage immediately ordered the entire village to prepare for war.
"Hmph! Whether the news is true or false, what does it matter!"
His sharp gaze swept over the Hidden Sand's high-ranking officials as he declared, "We'll prepare in advance! The news that the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, was severely wounded in his battle to the death with Madara Uchiha is already confirmed. It's only a matter of time before he dies! This time, we'll first deploy troops to the border of the Land of Fire and observe Konoha's reaction."
The Second Kazekage spoke with certainty, having already calculated in his mind—if Konoha showed no response, it would mean Hashirama was truly dead. The fertile lands of the Land of Fire would then become the Hidden Sand's for the taking.
The Hidden Sand's high-ranking officials unanimously agreed with this decision. They had long grown tired of the desert's barrenness and yearned for the lush landscapes of the neighboring Land of Fire.
Seeing that everyone was in agreement, the Second Kazekage wasted no time. He dispatched ninja squads to harass the Land of Fire's border while putting the entire Hidden Sand Village on full war alert.
The same was true for the Land of Lightning's Hidden Cloud Village. Upon hearing the news that Hashirama was on the verge of death, the Second Raikage didn't even bother to verify its authenticity.
In his view, since the news had spread, Hashirama was as good as dead. He immediately ordered the Hidden Cloud Village to fully mobilize for war.
"Hmph! The God of Shinobi is finally coming to an end! Without Senju Hashirama, what right does Konoha have to occupy such fertile land? All troops, advance!"
For the Second Raikage, whether Senju Hashirama was alive or dead no longer mattered; the moment the news arrived, it became the signal for him to mobilize his forces.
Within Kirigakure of the Land of Water, the Head of the Kaguya Clan and the Second Mizukage listened to their subordinate's report, their expressions completely unperturbed.
The Head of the Kaguya Clan was a powerhouse on the same level as the Second Tsuchikage. What he hated most was Iwagakure; the life or death of Konoha was merely a secondary concern in his eyes.
"I've received the news about Konoha," he said, looking at the Second Mizukage with a grave tone. "Tell me about Iwagakure's movements. That guy must already be making his move, right?"
The one delivering the report was the future Third Mizukage. Upon hearing this, he bowed respectfully to the Head of the Kaguya Clan and the Second Mizukage and replied:
"Reporting to both sirs, as soon as Iwagakure received the news, they dispatched a large number of spies into the Land of Fire to gather intelligence, determined to verify the authenticity of the report. Once it is confirmed that Senju Hashirama has perished, Iwagakure will undoubtedly be the first to take action."
Hearing this, a flicker of eager battle intent flashed in the eyes of both the Head of the Kaguya Clan and the Second Mizukage.
"Good. Leave the matter of Konoha at that for now. You go and investigate the follow-up. If the news is true, Kirigakure should also take its share."
With those words, the Head of the Kaguya Clan turned and left the council chamber.
Watching the departing figures of the Head of the Kaguya Clan and his disciple, the Second Mizukage shook his head helplessly. The Kaguya Clan had always been this arrogant and unruly; he had no power to change them.
Having learned of Konoha's current situation and the movements of the other Hidden Villages, the future Third Mizukage, following the Second Mizukage's orders, immediately summoned Kirigakure's high-ranking officials for a council. Everyone agreed that this was an opportunity Kirigakure could not afford to miss.
Now that the four great Hidden Villages had reached a tacit understanding to launch a joint offensive, Konoha, without Senju Hashirama, would have absolutely no chance of withstanding the assault from all sides.
Considering this, the future Third Mizukage made a decisive decision, ordering Kirigakure to assemble its forces and prepare for battle.
News of the movements of the four great Hidden Villages soon reached Konoha.
"Brother, things are developing even faster than anticipated. The entire Ninja World is in motion. Sunagakure and Kumogakure have already initiated small-scale conflicts at the borders."
An intelligence officer presented a secret report to Senju Tobirama, reporting in a low voice.
Tobirama took the report and immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, silently arriving at Hashirama's room.
Hashirama and Tobirama reviewed the intelligence together, exchanging a glance that conveyed everything without words.
"Release the news. Next, it's our turn to act."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Tobirama's lips. Hashirama nodded in agreement, and Tobirama immediately turned and left.
Soon, the news confirming Senju Hashirama's death spread throughout the entire Ninja World.
The four great Hidden Villages were overjoyed, assembling their armies in full force and advancing toward the Land of Fire.
Not only the four great Hidden Villages, but also the smaller Hidden Villages in the nations surrounding the Land of Fire began to harbor covetous ambitions.
"Konoha is now overwhelmed, busy dealing with the four great Hidden Villages and has no time to pay attention to us! This is our chance!"
A host of ambitious small Hidden Villages clamored, one after another sending troops to invade Konoha's borders.
In an instant, Konoha found itself besieged on all sides, pushed to the brink by enemies from every direction.
Urgent battle reports flooded into the Hokage Building in the Leaf Village one after another.
Senju Tobirama looked at the mountain of reports piled on the desk, his expression still calm and showing no trace of panic. However, the other ninja clan leaders present were already anxious and frantic.
The enemy army was pressing closer step by step, yet the newly appointed Second Hokage remained perfectly calm and composed.
Seeing the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces, Tobirama paused briefly before speaking in a calm tone, "What's the rush? We will fight, of course, but I am not the vanguard."
Hearing Tobirama's words, the clan leaders exchanged bewildered glances.
In Konoha today, the strongest was the newly appointed Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. If he wasn't leading the charge, were they supposed to have the clan heads lead the troops into battle?
Just then, a figure forcefully pushed open the doors of the council hall and strode inside.
"Hahaha, since this turmoil began because of me, naturally, I should be the one to take the lead!"
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