Intelligence gathering wasn't solely the ANBU's responsibility; the Konoha Hidden Leaf Village's Intelligence Division also bore this duty. In fact, the Intelligence Division was the main force in this area. After all, the ANBU had other responsibilities and, due to scale limitations, couldn't fully dedicate themselves to intelligence gathering. They only provided crucial intelligence in more complex and difficult areas, but the vast majority of intelligence analysis was carried out by the Intelligence Division.
According to the latest intelligence received by the Intelligence Division, the samurai army within the Land of Lightning had shown signs of movement recently, immediately attracting everyone's attention. It was well known that since the start of the Shinobi World War, the Land of Lightning had not expressed a clear stance, and its border troops were primarily defensive. Now, such large-scale movement clearly hinted at an unfavorable signal.
This abnormal situation was immediately sent to the Hokage's office, and Fumori Masaki quickly sent back orders: continue to monitor, and report immediately if anything unusual occurred. After receiving the Hokage's command, the Intelligence Division immediately began a detailed analysis of the Land of Lightning's situation, and the entire division seemed tense.
After several days of analysis, the Intelligence Division reached an unfavorable conclusion: the Land of Lightning was highly likely to wage war against the Land of Fire. Although Konoha still had many ninja units on standby, the addition of a new party would increase the pressure on Konoha, and the Hidden Stone Village, lurking nearby, would not remain idle.
Facing this situation, the Intelligence Division had to clearly explain the pros and cons. Yamanaka Takuma, who served as the Hokage's secretary, was the one to deliver the explanation. Having been the Hokage's secretary for many years, Yamanaka Takuma was well aware of Fumori Masaki's temperament and knew what to say, making him the most suitable person to report.
Carrying the meticulously compiled information from the Intelligence Division, Yamanaka Takuma arrived at the Hokage's office and met with Fumori Masaki. He spoke without pleasantries, directly stating the conclusion, understanding that Fumori Masaki never liked to hear pointless talk.
Fumori Masaki listened quietly, his expression unchanged, as if completely unmoved by the increasingly deteriorating situation. After Yamanaka Takuma finished his report, he simply said, "Begin mobilizing the standby troops within the village."
This situation did not come as a surprise to Yamanaka Takuma. Regardless, engaging in battle with the Land of Lightning was a certainty; at the very least, troops had to be deployed. He bowed and exited the office, then relayed the Hokage's order, and the entire village immediately began to mobilize.
The standby ninja units had long wished to go to the battlefield to teach Konoha's enemies a good lesson. However, Fumori Masaki was very cautious about troop control, only selecting appropriate numbers for each battlefield, not simply aiming for as many as possible. Thus, these ninja units could only helplessly remain on standby.
Fortunately, it was finally their turn to appear. At first, everyone thought they would either go to the eastern front or the western front. However, when they learned their destination was north, they were immediately stunned, as they knew the country bordering that area was the Land of Lightning.
"No way, our next target can't be the Land of Lightning, can it?"
"It's very possible, otherwise why would we go there? If it were to bypass the border to attack the Hidden Mist Village's forces, there's also a coastline separating us; we wouldn't choose that way."
"Sigh, the two battlefronts haven't ended yet, and now we have to open a new one? What will be the attitude of the remaining Land of Earth? Will it form an alliance like in the last Shinobi World War?"
"Wouldn't that be exactly like the last Shinobi World War, a war between the righteous alliance of the Lands of Fire and Earth and the aggressive alliance of the Lands of Lightning, Water, and Wind?"
There was speculation among the ninjas. The younger ones felt that the current situation was very similar to the last Shinobi World War. Considering the outcome of the previous war, although they were nervous about the Land of Lightning's attack, they remained full of confidence, believing that victory was inevitable. The older ninjas were not so optimistic.
They vaguely felt that it wouldn't be so smooth but couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. They also didn't voice unreliable guesses here to disturb morale; the ANBU were watching, and they wouldn't let anyone spread negative opinions, lest they be treated as spies from other countries.
After entering a state of war, the atmosphere in Konoha became stricter. Still, some spies from other countries who had infiltrated earlier sought opportunities to stir up trouble, incite public opinion, and destabilize the populace. These individuals were all ferreted out by the ANBU. After thoroughly investigating the ins and outs, they were dealt with according to regulations.
After the initial large-scale arrests, not all spies in Konoha might have been cleared out, but they no longer dared to show themselves unless there was truly important intelligence, in which case they might take risks. However, these spies likely hadn't even infiltrated important departments, so they wouldn't act rashly.
Unlike others, Fumori Masaki's wife, Satomi, knew some of the true situation. She had heard Fumori Masaki say before that if the Land of Lightning joined the war against the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth would most likely not become an ally like in the last war but rather an accomplice.
Satomi understood that such matters could not be divulged, so she said nothing to anyone. Instead, in the privacy of their home, she asked Fumori Masaki about the current war situation and whether Konoha's situation would worsen with the Land of Lightning's involvement.
Years of marriage gave Satomi great confidence in Fumori Masaki. She believed that Fumori Masaki couldn't be without a countermeasure. He had always advocated controlling the cost of war, avoiding situations whenever possible. Since Fumori Masaki had long anticipated the potential consequences of the Land of Lightning joining the war, the current situation could only be said to be within his expectations.
Hearing his wife ask about this, Fumori Masaki knew she needed an answer. Although Satomi didn't hold an important position, as his family member, her attitude could, to some extent, reflect his own. Satomi also interacted with others in her daily life, and even if she couldn't reveal any secret intelligence, those with ninja training could discern things just from her emotions.
From the perspective of reassuring those around him, Fumori Masaki felt it was time to let her know something, at least to understand his attitude. So, Fumori Masaki looked at Satomi and said calmly, "Don't worry, Satomi, the situation won't get that bad. Trust me."
Fumori Masaki's eyes were very calm, and his tone showed no sign of lacking confidence; instead, it carried strong self-assurance. Satomi felt the unease in her heart disappear. She didn't even need to ask for specific reasons because she trusted her husband completely, believing that if he said nothing, there must be a reason, and she shouldn't probe into it.
Satomi breathed a sigh of relief. She already knew what expression she should wear when dealing with the villagers in the future. She nodded at Fumori Masaki and smiled, "I understand."
Fumori Masaki also smiled slightly at his wife's understanding. The news of the Land of Lightning sending troops was well within his expectations; rather, he had been waiting for this news all along. With this news reaching the Land of Earth, he believed that Onoki, no matter how cautious, would surely be unable to restrain himself at this time and begin preparing to participate in this war.
As for how to break this deadlock, it would depend on his own efforts. Fumori Masaki planned to get a good workout. This was his first truly personal battle since becoming Hokage, and if he lost, his side's situation might genuinely worsen.
Satomi leaned against Fumori Masaki, feeling the warm atmosphere. Suddenly, she let out a soft sigh, looked at Fumori Masaki, and said, "Masaki, shouldn't you let Asuna return to the village to rest? She must be very tired after fighting on the front lines for so long."
Fumori Masaki knew Satomi missed Asuna, as they hadn't seen her in several years. Not just Satomi, Fumori Masaki himself missed her a little. He thought for a moment and agreed, "Hmm, I'll write a letter to tell her."
"Hmm." Satomi nodded happily, continuing to lean on Fumori Masaki's shoulder, muttering, "I wonder what Asuna looks like now. After so many years, she must have become even more beautiful. But the Land of Rain is so harsh, not a good place to thrive. Sigh, I shouldn't have let her go there in the first place—"
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At the same time, when the Land of Earth received news of the large-scale troop deployment within the Land of Lightning, Onoki immediately became excited. He quickly ordered his intelligence ninjas to continue gathering information to confirm its authenticity, and he also instructed the intelligence ninjas ambushed in the Land of Fire to send back their investigative reports.
It was learned that not only were the troops from the Land of Lightning moving, but the armies from the Land of Fire were also starting to mobilize. The standby ninja units from Konoha were also beginning to set off for the border of the Land of Rice. Onoki slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Good! Haha, I've finally been waiting for this!"
Overwhelmed with excitement, Onoki jumped off his chair and walked joyfully across the floor, but he accidentally moved too vigorously, and a sharp pain shot through his lower back. He crouched on the ground, trembling, and it took him a while to recover, but none of this could dampen his joy.
Onoki quickly summoned the high-ranking officials of the Hidden Stone Village and informed them of the news. Everyone became excited. Now, the Hidden Stone Village could finally participate in the war openly. They had been forced to act covertly all this time, which had made them very frustrated, especially with the recent actions of the Konoha ANBU.
Onoki declared that the Hidden Stone Village was entering a state of war and began mobilizing its ninja forces. At the same time, he ordered the Hidden Stone ANBU to quickly search for and pursue the Konoha ANBU. Previously, out of concern for an early conflict with Konoha, Onoki had only ordered the ANBU to track them. Now, both sides no longer needed to worry about this point, and the Hidden Stone ANBU could finally show off their skills and eliminate those who had killed their comrades.
Soon, a supportive reply came from the Land of Earth's Daimyo. He had also been waiting for this moment. The Land of Earth also hoped to get a share in this war, but Onoki had previously felt that he shouldn't be the first to act, which was why he had endured until now. Immediately after giving Onoki his reply, the samurai army at the border began to move.
As the Land of Earth's army moved, Konoha sent letters of inquiry and warning, urging Onoki to think twice or face the consequences. They also brought up their joint efforts in the First Shinobi World War, hoping that the Hidden Stone Village would show the same profound righteousness as the previous Tsuchikage, rather than aiding evil.
Onoki was completely unconcerned. He believed Konoha merely didn't want to face a four-front war. But this was a different time; was Konoha as powerful then as it was now? Relying on its head start and the richness of the Land of Fire, Konoha's strength had expanded far beyond other countries. In a two-front war, Konoha could achieve suppression with only a portion of its forces. How could Konoha be allowed to continue like this?
According to Onoki's estimation, Konoha might still be able to hold on with just the Hidden Cloud Village joining. Only with the Hidden Stone Village's participation as well would it be possible to severely weaken Konoha. Facing such a powerful village, the Hidden Cloud Village wouldn't be able to gain much either, so Onoki wasn't worried that the Hidden Cloud Village would pose a threat to him.
Therefore, Konoha's warning letter was completely ignored. Onoki self-importantly mobilized the Hidden Stone Village's forces, merging them with the samurai army deployed by the Daimyo, and marched grandly towards the border. Once everything was ready, it would be time to deal with Konoha.
At the same time, the ninja forces and samurai army of the Hidden Cloud Village had also rushed to the border, ready to step onto the Land of Rice's territory at any moment. War was imminent, and the trend of Konoha facing a four-front war seemed unstoppable.
Asuna, who had just returned from the Land of Rain battlefield, was unaware of this, because during the rainy season in the Land of Rain, the Hidden Sand Village couldn't find a good opportunity to attack. In this situation, both sides were in a truce phase. According to Hanzo's estimation, this situation might last for another month.
Thus, after receiving a letter from the village, Uchiha Kagami allowed the ninjas in the unit who hadn't been home for a long time, or those with more severe injuries requiring better medical conditions, to return. This included Hatake Sakumo, Asuna, and Maki. Everyone felt homesick; they had been away long enough. Now that a truce had finally arrived, perhaps they should go back and rest well, and talk with their families, otherwise, once the war resumed, they wouldn't know when they would get another chance.
Hatake Sakumo, Asuna, Maki, and Yamanaka Risa chatted and laughed as they stepped through the gates of Konoha, returning to their long-missed hometown.