"And by then, the village will be able to free up troops. Even if the war between the Village Hidden in the Stones and Village Hidden in the Cloud winds down, or even if they secretly make peace, we'll still have sufficient forces on hand to deal with the Village Hidden in the Stones' threat."
"In fact, after seeing us decisively crush the Village Hidden in the Sand, that old fox, the third Tsuchikage Onoki, may become even more uncertain and ultimately choose to keep fighting the Village Hidden in the Cloud rather than provoke us."
Concentrate superior forces?
Push all the way to the Village Hidden in the Sand's doorstep?
Hearing this, the third Hokage smiled bitterly inwardly.
While simultaneously fighting the Village Hidden in the Sand and Village Hidden in the Mist on two fronts, troops had to be stationed in the northeast to guard against the Village Hidden in the Cloud suddenly going berserk, while additional manpower had to be deployed in the northwest to watch for a possible sneak attack from the Village Hidden in the Stones.
With all these defensive lines spread out, the village's military strength was already stretched to the limit. Where could they possibly find spare troops to launch some concentrated counteroffensive?
The third Hokage opened his mouth to speak, but before the words could leave his lips, Shinichi dropped another bombshell.
"Hokage-sama, I propose that once spring arrives, I take full command of the war against the Village Hidden in the Sand."
The third Hokage found himself somewhat unaccustomed to Shinichi's straightforward request for authority and command, but upon further thought, he found himself somewhat tempted.
Every strategic deployment in this great war had been carried out according to the framework Shinichi had laid down, and so far the results had indeed been outstanding.
Moreover, since the war began, Shinichi had achieved one brilliant victory after another.
A twelve-year-old supreme commander was undeniably far too young; one could even say unprecedented in history.
(Author Note: When spring arrives, the protagonist will have turned twelve.)
But his ability was plain for all to see. Under the command of this child who had always created miracles, perhaps they really could resolve the war against the Village Hidden in the Sand in one stroke.
With that thought, the third Hokage said, "Shinichi, I'll give your proposal serious consideration. However, for now, let's focus on a Village Hidden by a Waterfall. Why do you think the Village Hidden in the Grass attacked them?"
"It should be because of the Box of Ultimate Bliss." After pondering for a moment, Shinichi answered.
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
The third Hokage looked puzzled.
Seeing this, Shinichi explained, "I once heard Monk Genjo mention it in passing. Village Hidden in the Grass has passed down a mysterious object known as the Box of Ultimate Bliss through the generations. It is said to have been created by the Sage of Six Paths. Once opened, it can grant one wish to whoever opens it. However, unlocking it requires an enormous amount of chakra as the key. Village Hidden in the Grass has most likely set its sights on Village Hidden by a Waterfall's Seven-Tails, intending to use the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki's chakra to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"However, what I still can't figure out is how Village Hidden in the Grass managed to persuade the Village Hidden in the Stones to let them have the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki."
Shinichi was genuinely puzzled, though not just about that.
As far as he knew, in the original course of history, Village Hidden in the Grass had never gone to war with Village Hidden by a Waterfall during this Shinobi World War.
Excluding the one occurrence in ancient times, the Box of Ultimate Bliss should only have been opened twice.
The first time was after the war, when Village Hidden in the Grass somehow persuaded the Five Great Ninja Villages to establish a prison called Hozuki Castle, specifically to house special prisoners who were inconvenient to imprison in either their own villages or other hidden villages.
Mui, the warden of Hozuki Castle, secretly used the prisoners' chakra to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss for the first time. The result was a catastrophe that led to his own son's death. As for how the incident was eventually resolved, that remained unknown.
However, his son's death filled Mui with deep remorse, and he began planning to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss a second time in order to revive him.
At that time, the target was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki.
He had no idea what had caused the Village Hidden in the Grass to suddenly shift its target to the Village Hidden by a Waterfall in this timeline.
Still, puzzled as he was, Shinichi didn't dwell on the matter.
He estimated that this was probably yet another butterfly effect caused by his own actions. From now on, such butterfly effects would only become more frequent, and the trajectory of the original timeline would drift farther and farther away from him.
"As for the Box of Ultimate Bliss itself, whether the stories are true and what the actual details are, perhaps only Monk Genjo knows."
Hearing this, the third Hokage pondered for a moment before ordering the Anbu beside him, "Quickly, invite Monk Genjo here."
....
"The matter of the Box of Ultimate Bliss is indeed true, but the so-called wish-granting is false."
A short while later, standing inside the Hokage's office with his palms pressed together, Genjo slowly spoke.
"The rumor that it grants wishes is nothing more than a gimmick. No matter what wish the person who opens it makes, the Box of Ultimate Bliss will only grant a few insignificant little favors before releasing an immortal monster known as Satori."
"In ancient times, the Box of Ultimate Bliss was once opened. At that time, countless lives were lost. Had the disaster been left unchecked, it would even have been enough to overturn the entire Shinobi World. Fortunately, that calamity was eventually brought to an end. This humble monk speculates that a Great Monk must have intervened behind the scenes."
A Great Monk?
The third Hokage froze for a moment before quickly realizing that the Great Monk Genjo referred to could only be the legendary Sage of Six Paths.
Does the Sage of Six Paths really exist?
And was he even still alive?
The third Hokage was shaken, but before he could ask, Monk Genjo continued.
"Hokage-sama, regarding this matter in the Village Hidden by a Waterfall, this humble monk respectfully requests permission to accompany the expedition."
"If Monk Genjo is willing to accompany us, I naturally couldn't ask for more."
The third Hokage readily agreed before calmly asking, "However, I am rather curious. Monk Genjo, your cultivation is profound and detached from worldly affairs. Why have you chosen to personally intervene in this matter?"
Monk Genjo lowered his eyes, let out a soft sigh, pressed his palms together, and said, "This object was indeed created by the Sage of Six Paths. Why the Great Monk created it in those days is not something this humble monk dares speculate upon. Likewise, after he quelled the disaster, why he did not completely destroy it remains unknown to me."
"But regardless, countless wronged souls who have yet to find liberation remain imprisoned within that box to this day. The cause was created by the predecessors of the Buddhist path, making it a karmic debt left behind by Buddhism itself. As one who walks the Buddhist path, it is only right that this humble monk shoulder this karma, bring this lingering burden to an end, and bring solace to all living beings."
As he spoke, he slightly turned his head toward Shinichi and said meaningfully, "Benefactor Shinichi Higashino, as the successor of the Sage of Six Paths and one deeply valued by the Great Monk, you too have a share in this karma."
His words were rather roundabout, and it took the third Hokage quite some time to fully grasp their meaning.
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