Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 417 Hyuga Kumokawa: The Fifth Shinobi World War Begins
In the capital of the Land of Fire, the newly built Hokage Building had its strategic meeting room doors tightly shut, effectively isolating most of the outside world from noise.

Inside the conference room, the Fourth Raikage did not sit in the seat prepared for him, but instead stood with his back to everyone else in front of the curved floor-to-ceiling window.

Even though Hyuga Kumokawa, the Hokage, was already late, his face, which was usually filled with irritability and impatience, was unusually devoid of anger at this moment, showing only solemnity and complexity.

The Fourth Raikage looked down at the city outside, a city that felt both familiar and strange.

Outside the window, the city was no longer the bustling, languid, and even somewhat extravagant capital of the Fire Kingdom that he remembered.

The core area of ​​the city, formerly the Daming Mansion and the surrounding aristocratic district, has been completely transformed into military camps, hospitals, and supply warehouses.

All the original departments of Konoha were moved here and merged with the original departments of the Land of Fire.

The covert operations and intelligence agencies were merged and reorganized into a nationwide intelligence network...

The medical department integrated medical personnel and resources nationwide, upgrading them into a wartime medical rescue system...

The Academy of Sciences received unprecedented resource allocation, working day and night to develop tactics and technologies to counter the "Hollow" and the Akatsuki organization...

The Leaf Village's sensory barrier has been combined with the Fire Temple's defensive barrier, and now the barrier protecting the Fire Country's capital has both sensory and defensive capabilities.

The bustling traffic and noisy markets of the past have disappeared, replaced by a tense yet orderly scene of war mobilization.

The main road, once lined with shops and bustling with tourists, is now devoid of leisurely citizens, but instead filled with groups of people hurrying along.

The ninjas from the five great nations wore clothing in the style of their respective ninja villages, but their headbands had been replaced with the same Allied Shinobi Forces headbands, which only had the character "ninja" engraved on them.

Following unified instructions, they carried boxes of explosive tags, sealing scrolls, and medical supplies, or formed small teams to quickly traverse the main roads.

However, what truly shocked the Fourth Raikage were those who walked alongside the ninjas and even commanded them on certain occasions.

There were craftsmen dressed in coarse linen clothes standing on scaffolding, loudly directing several young men who were clearly Konoha genin to embed the giant logs into the reinforcement points of the city wall.

A burly blacksmith shop owner, with his apprentice, was counting the freshly forged kunai and shuriken in front of the bewildered ninjas from Kumogakure.

You could even see women wearing aprons pushing carts full of steaming rice balls and soup, weaving through the ninja ranks during their short rest.

There were simple distribution points and rest areas in the temporary open space on the street corner.

There were also ninjas from the medical team treating the wounds of civilians who had been scratched during the transport, and civilians surrounding a puppeteer, watching curiously as he used puppets to transport supplies, occasionally letting out exclamations of amazement.

The invisible wall between civilians and ninjas seemed to have been broken down here.

Ninjas were no longer high above ordinary people, and ordinary people no longer revered or feared the power of ninjas. Instead, they worked together with a common goal.

—Just for an impending war that will determine the survival of everyone.

"Hyuga Kumikawa..."

The Fourth Raikage's deep voice echoed in the silent conference room, sounding like a soliloquy or an incredulous sigh: "How did this guy even do that?"

This scene would have been unimaginable just a year ago.

In the Land of Lightning, or rather, under the old system of one country, one village, ninjas were swords, tools, armed groups employed by the daimyo, and "ninja masters."

Ordinary people are sheep, the tax base, and the masses who are protected but often ignored.

There is a clear and strict barrier between the two.

But now, the barriers have been broken down.

The wars that happened in the past didn't really affect the civilians of the major powers; they only felt that taxes were getting higher. As for the life and death of ninjas, only a small number of civilians living in ninja villages cared about them.

But now, judging from the behavior of those civilians, they are participating more spontaneously, even with a sense of ownership, and are actively involved in the preparations for war.

Even many of the new faces wearing headbands were clearly ordinary residents of the Land of Fire not long ago, who became genin because of that meditation and hand seal method.

They seemed to genuinely believe that these ninjas from different villages were protecting their army, not distant killing machines.

They themselves should even be a part of it.

This sense of identity and participation cannot be achieved simply by issuing commands.

Under Hyuga Kumokawa's control, the Land of Fire has taken the lead over other countries, breaking down the barriers between ninjas and civilians and truly uniting the entire nation as one.

"What are you still looking at?"

A sigh came from behind: "We've only just achieved the unification of the government and the shadow government, and there's a huge mess to clean up. We can forget about it anytime soon; it's absolutely impossible to emulate that."

The Fourth Raikage's eyebrows furrowed tightly as he exhaled a deep breath, creating a small patch of white mist that spread across the glass that was drawing ever closer before quickly dissipating.

After Hyuga Kumokawa used an iron fist to achieve "unity of shadow and government," the Land of Fire has now completed the integration of power and resources, demonstrating terrifying mobilization capabilities and efficiency.

In such a short time, such a huge gap has already been created...

Thinking this to himself, the Fourth Raikage turned around, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, and simply said in a muffled voice, "Putting everything else aside, at least I really have money on hand now."

Upon hearing this, apart from Mifune, who represented the neutral nation and led the warriors of the Land of Iron to join, Onoki, Mei Terumi, Azaburo, and Shikaku Nara all couldn't help but show genuine smiles.

The Fourth Raikage's words undoubtedly expressed the sentiments of all of them.

indeed.

Leaving aside the national treasury that is now at its disposal.

Just by using the cult of evil gods as a swift weapon, after purging the former daimyo and a large number of nobles, they found the real gold and silver in their treasuries and cellars.

The sheer size of that amount was astonishing, even from the perspective of "Shadow".

Not to mention, it's not just gold and silver treasures, but also valuable assets such as farmland, mineral deposits, and trade routes scattered throughout the country.

Its total value far exceeds the sum of the previous ninja villages' hard work in accepting missions plus the small "budget" allocated by the daimyo.

In the past, this windfall would have been enough to support all their expenses for two or three years in their respective ninja villages.

"It feels really great to be able to do whatever I want without having to argue with those idiots for money for half a year."

Onoki laughed heartily and with a hint of triumph.

"Think about how hard life was for us before. We had to beg and plead to squeeze out a little military funding from the daimyo's fingers, and we still had to be mindful of the daimyo and those nobles."

"If we had had so many resources to freely allocate a few decades earlier, we wouldn't have needed to use so many ninja lives to fight wars. We could have plowed up the battlefield several times over with just the explosive tags."

"Heh..." A cold laugh with obvious sarcasm rang out, interrupting Onoki's reflections.

"Does Lord Tsuchikage even believe what he's saying?"

Orochimaru, disguised as Rasa, touched his fingertips together and chuckled softly, "If we truly controlled such vast financial and military power, and were no longer subject to any constraints..."

"So, will these resources ultimately be used for so-called development and peace, or will they be poured into a larger-scale arms race or even wars to annex other countries...?"

He paused for a moment, glanced at everyone present, and laughed, "In my opinion, that's not necessarily true."

Upon hearing this, the temperature in the meeting room seemed to plummet.

The Fourth Raikage's brows twitched, his eyes glaring at Orochimaru. Mei Terumi, who had been playing with her hair, also stopped, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Onoki's face was expressionless, but his gaze toward Orochimaru was deep, as were the others'.

"Lord Fengying, please watch your words."

Without any reservations, Mifune sighed and said, "We are now allies, gathered here to deal with a common threat."

“Say such things not only do not help to unity, but also discourage people.”

Orochimaru simply smiled indifferently, leaned back in his chair, and said nothing more.

Clearly, he still believes that the nature of humanity and power will not change.

Even now, the five major powers are temporarily allied due to external threats.

Once the terrifying shadow of "Otsutsuki" recedes, the long-standing conflicts and desires for resources and hegemony among the five great powers will soon resurface.

The so-called peace is nothing more than a lull before the next, larger-scale war.

Mifune, the Fourth Raikage, and others also fell silent.

Even though they were unwilling to admit it, the four of them understood deep down that what "Luo Sha" said was not entirely impossible, nor was it an exaggeration.

As long as conflicts of interest exist, war will never truly be over.

Mifune, in particular, who joined as a samurai general and a representative of the neutral nation, had a deep understanding of the true nature of the five great nations.

If they survive the impending catastrophe and are free from the pressure of powerful external enemies, can these five military groups, which have suddenly gained unprecedented power, really live in peace with each other?
For a moment, the meeting room fell deathly silent. A cacophony of sounds seeped in through the walls, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere…

"Lord Fengying is being a bit of an unfounded worryer."

A calm, smiling voice came from the doorway, breaking the tense atmosphere at just the right moment.

Click.

The conference room door was pushed open.

"Lord Hokage," Nara Shikaku stood up and said respectfully.

Hinata Kumokawa walked in slowly, wearing a divine robe, his steps were unhurried, and his face had his usual gentle smile. His gaze swept over everyone and landed on "Rasa".

"Even if we really have to fight in the future, we must first unite our strength to overcome the current crisis."

Hinata Kumokawa walked to his seat, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he rested his hands on the table and smiled.

"If we can't even get through the current crisis, then we can all put aside all our scheming and happily join hands to go to the Pure Land or the illusory world together."

"At that time, it won't matter how much money or how many soldiers we have, and it will save us from worrying about how we'll stab each other in the back later."

This sharp, direct, and almost sarcastic mockery caused the Fourth Raikage and his companions to pause for a moment. "Tsk."

Immediately, the Fourth Raikage reacted, letting out a muffled groan that was hard to tell whether it was anger or laughter, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

Mifune, Onoki, and Terumi Mei shook their heads slightly, revealing a helpless, bitter smile.

Yes, what's the point of thinking that far ahead?

The Otsutsuki clan, those monsters that feed on the life of an entire planet, and the Akatsuki organization, the Espada... which one of them isn't a threat capable of overturning the entire ninja world?
Those enemies are lurking nearby, and it's still uncertain whether we'll survive this war.

Worrying about internal strife after defeating external enemies is as ridiculous as two drowning people arguing about who grabs the lifebuoy first.

"The Hokage is right."

The Fourth Raikage spoke first, glancing at "Rasa" before muttering, "Thinking about such trivial matters now is useless!"

"The important thing is to figure out how to pry open the iron shell of Amegakure, drag out those rats from Akatsuki, and then completely kill those Otsutsuki guys!"

"I second that." Mifune said succinctly, and Terumi Mei and the others nodded slightly.

Orochimaru's mocking smile faded slightly, but his eyes remained a deep, unfathomable darkness.

Seeing this, Hinata Kumokawa said no more and sat down in his seat.

"Now that everyone is here, then..."

Hyuga Kumokawa's voice echoed in the conference room as he got straight to the point: "The first Allied Shinobi Forces Supreme Operations Meeting is now beginning."

"Time is of the essence, so let's skip the formalities and probing. We've gathered here for one reason only: to survive."

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present, and he said, "This is a war that has nothing to do with past grievances, but only with survival. I hope you will all remember this."

After saying that, he looked at the sand table of the ninja world in the center of the conference table, which showed mountains, rivers, and national territories.

Among them, the Land of Rain was marked as "enemy stronghold", the Land of Hot Water was marked as "potential enemy intentions", and the capital of the Land of Fire was marked as "United Headquarters".

"Now, repeat and finalize the Allied Shinobi Forces' organizational structure and troop divisions." Hyuga Kumokawa's tone left no room for argument.

"First, the First Division, as the 'head' and 'nerve' of the Allied Shinobi Forces, is the highest command center."

"The responsibilities are strategic decision-making, overall command, real-time intelligence analysis and tactical countermeasures, with the five Kage jointly holding the highest decision-making authority."

"Subordinate to it is the General Staff, with Nara Shikaku and Azabui as its core, responsible for formulating specific combat plans and simulating the battle situation."

"It has an intelligence department, headed by Yamanaka Inoichi, which builds a communication network covering the battlefield to receive, analyze, and transmit battlefield intelligence. It is the eyes and ears."

After saying that, Hinata Kumokawa looked up at Nara Shikaku and Azaburo, and the two nodded with serious expressions.

"Next up is the main force of the Allied Forces in the frontal battle, divided into five regular combat sequences, from the Second Division to the Sixth Division."

Hyuga Kumokawa continued, "The Second Division, the mid-range combat squad, is composed of ninjas skilled in using ninja tools."

"The team leader is Moonlight Gale, who is responsible for mid-range fire suppression, blocking enemy movements, destroying positions, and covering the main force's advance."

"The Third Division is a close-combat squad composed of taijutsu ninjas, defensive ninjas, and elites skilled in frontal assaults and melee combat."

"Responsible for breaking through, holding the line, and engaging in head-on combat with the enemy, they are the true blade and shield of the Allied Forces. Captain Huang Tu is the captain."

"The Fourth Division, a close-to-mid-range support unit, is the most mobile unit, composed of ninjas skilled in Body Flicker Technique and speed."

"The team leader is Kakashi Hatake, who is responsible for providing rapid mobile support, tactical infiltration, filling gaps in the battle line, and rescuing critical areas based on the ever-changing battlefield situation."

"The Fifth Division is a long-range combat unit composed of ninjas proficient in various large-scale, long-range ninjutsu beyond visual range."

"The captain is Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is responsible for providing decisive long-range firepower coverage, strategic ninjutsu bombardment, suppressing the enemy, and providing long-range support to the front and rear."

Mentioning this name, everyone present subconsciously glanced at Hyuga Kumokawa, but Hyuga Kumokawa's face remained expressionless, as if he didn't care about what Sarutobi Hiruzen had done in the past.

"The Sixth Division is a special combat unit composed of samurai from the Land of Iron and ninjas from various villages who are skilled in swordsmanship or use unconventional but highly targeted combat methods."

Hinata Kumokawa continued, "The captain is Mifune, who is in charge of close combat, quick engagement, dealing with special individuals, or breaking through specific defenses."

"The above is the main framework for the coalition's frontal operations."

At this point, Hinata Kumokawa paused briefly before continuing, "In addition, there are three independent units carrying out special missions."

"The 7th Division is a surprise attack unit composed of ninjas who possess flying summoning beasts or have aerial combat abilities."

"Responsible for high-speed mobile operations, long-distance raids, harassment behind enemy lines, and pursuit of defeated enemies, the captain is Deidara."

The name made Onoki's brow twitch, but considering that Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi were with Deidara, he figured the kid wouldn't cause any trouble, so he kept quiet.

"The Eighth Division, the Medical Support Team, consists of medical ninjas and support personnel responsible for resource allocation and equipment maintenance."

Hyuga Kumokawa continued, "The captain in charge of battlefield first aid, treatment of the seriously wounded, disease prevention and control, and the support of all combat supplies is Tsunade."

"The Ninth Division, the Covert Mobile Unit, serves as the 'shadow' of the Allied Forces. It is composed of ANBU ninjas who are proficient in infiltration, reconnaissance, disguise, assassination, and intelligence gathering."

"The captain is Jiraiya, who is in charge of infiltration behind enemy lines, strategic reconnaissance, assassination of key targets, intelligence gathering and sabotage."

After finishing his presentation, Hinata Unkawa placed his hands on the edge of the table, stood up, and said, "The final integration and deployment of the Allied Forces, the command system, operational regulations, and logistical support have all been clearly defined."

"And according to the latest intelligence sent back from the front lines of the Land of Rain three hours ago."

“During routine patrols and guard duties, thirteen of our ninjas lost contact at the same time at different outposts several miles apart, and there was no trace of them.”

"No signs of intense fighting were found at the scene, nor were any bodies left behind. Based on intelligence analysis, it is suspected that the Akatsuki organization used space-time ninjutsu to move and abduct them."

Having said that, he raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said in a deep voice, "What this means, you all know very well."

Onoki narrowed his eyes and said, "They're about to make their move. This is their final confirmation of our troop deployment and intelligence gathering before the battle."

"Hmph! They finally couldn't hold it in any longer!"

The Fourth Raikage said coldly, "Our allied forces have already assembled, and the daily resource consumption of over 100,000 people is astronomical!"

"The longer this drags on, the more easily morale will falter, and those discordant voices that other countries have just suppressed may resurface. They are now poking their heads out of their shells, which suits us perfectly!"

“The Akatsuki’s goal is very clear,” Mei Terumi said. “It’s the remaining tailed beasts and the underground palace in the Land of Hot Springs.”

"Yes." Hinata Kumokawa nodded. "Currently, there are four Jinchuriki under our control."

"Two-Tails Jinchuriki: Yugito Nii, Three-Tails Jinchuriki: Kisame, Five-Tails Jinchuriki: Han, Eight-Tails Jinchuriki: Killer Bee."

"To ensure absolute safety, these four will not be deployed to the front lines after the start of the war. Instead, they will be centrally protected in the core area of ​​the capital, guarded by the First Division's direct subordinate units."

After saying that, he pointed his finger to the vast area between the Land of Rain and the Land of Hot Water and said, "We have already notified the people along the route from the border of the Land of Rain to the Land of Hot Water to move to the designated safe area, and it is now basically completed."

"Our objective for this operation is to use the Land of Hot Springs as the pre-set battlefield and the underground palace as 'bait' to lure the Akatsuki out."

"We will strive to intercept and wear down the Akatsuki forces at pre-established positions along the way before they enter the Land of Hot Springs on a large scale, so as to minimize the impact and damage on civilians."

"In response, we need to develop multiple contingency plans, including those for possible actions by the Akatsuki, and the intervention of the 'Kage' and their subordinate 'Espada'..."

"The most crucial, and also the most unpredictable, element is the Otsutsuki..."

Just as Hinata Kumokawa was about to elaborate, there was a gentle knock on the conference room door.

dong dong dong.

"Go in," Hinata Kumokawa said.

The door opened, and Karin, wearing glasses, strode in and reported, "The Allied Shinobi Forces have completed their assembly, and all personnel and supplies have arrived at their designated locations."

"Now, please proceed to the main parade ground."

Hinata Kumokawa nodded, turned around, and his gaze fell on the Fourth Raikage.

According to the alliance structure, as the captain of the ninja alliance, he should be the one to conduct the final pre-battle mobilization of the assembled ninja alliance to boost morale and clarify the greater cause.

"No! Don't come looking for me!"

Meeting Hyuga Kumokawa's gaze, the Fourth Raikage waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Standing on the stage and yelling nonsense at hundreds of thousands of people, I hate that the most!"

"Before, I was the Raikage and had to do it, so it was fine. But now it's not like I'm the only one who can do it."

Seeing his refusal so decisively and without any hesitation, Hyuga Kumokawa turned his gaze to the composed Onoki and said, "Lord Tsuchikage..."

Onoki raised his eyelids, a smile appearing on his face, and said slowly, "Hokage, at a time like this, isn't the best candidate right in front of us?"

Why go to the trouble of finding someone else to do it?

The Fourth Raikage immediately nodded in strong agreement, Mei Terumi also nodded slightly, Orochimaru disguised as Rasa remained noncommittal, and the others also cast their gazes toward Hyuga Kumokawa.

Hyuga Kumokawa, as the initiator and supreme commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces, is also currently the strongest member of the Allied Shinobi Forces on the surface.

Having him conduct this pre-battle mobilization was the most suitable, and perhaps only, choice, in terms of prestige, persuasiveness, and symbolic significance.

Most importantly, they all knew that Hinata Kumokawa had excellent oratory skills.

Especially the Fourth Raikage, who had suffered a loss on the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water.

“In that case…” Hinata Kumokawa smiled, “Let’s go.”

"Go tell our ninja."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door of the conference room, the hem of his divine robe drawing an arc in the air.

"The Fifth Shinobi World War has begun," he said.

(Phew, this is a huge project, it's really hard to write. I don't want to copy the original work exactly. I've been stuck on just the deployment of the Allied Shinobi Forces for half a day. Please give me some monthly votes QAQ)

(End of this chapter)