Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Kakashi rolled his dead fish eyes and said, "You ask me? How would I know? I've only done odd jobs a few years longer than you." Then he looked at his teacher, Minato.

"This... is rather complicated. The relationship between Golden Lion and Lord White Fang is one of both rivalry and mutual admiration. They're willing to fight tooth and nail for their respective villages, but personally, they're friends. When World War II was still ongoing, Golden Lion even came to congratulate Lord White Fang on his wedding..."

Minato Namikaze stroked his chin and said that it was also the first time he had seen Shiki, and it was from that moment that rumors began to circulate in the village that he was the one who had committed the crime in Konoha...

.......

Sunagakure has declared war on Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately convened a high-level roundtable meeting. All the Konoha high-ranking officials, except for Tsunade, whom Jiraiya could not persuade to return, as well as the heads of the major clans and the double-flower red staff, were present.

The war has begun!

"Sakumo, it seems you're destined to be the one in this mess..."

Jiraiya said that, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Sakumo Hatake next door was full of envy, jealousy and hatred!

"Uh-huh....!"

At the same time, his voice attracted a wave of envious glances.

Even though they're taking the blame, they've inexplicably become incredibly popular again. They want to take the blame for this kind of thing too...

659. We're both taking the blame, but you're doing it so differently.

"...Stop joking. -_-||"

Hatake Sakumo was speechless when he saw the envious looks from the crowd around him.

He'd never felt so helpless since his debut. Not only was he inexplicably framed, but he also couldn't explain himself. Now, the entire ninja world believed he'd stabbed the Kazekage to death. And judging by the villagers' attitude, even if he tried to explain, it would be useless. He had no solid evidence to prove he hadn't killed the Kazekage. His alibi was only his former underlings who'd gone to the Land of Snow with him, and Jiraiya—both his own people. Nobody would believe him anyway…

"Now that things have come to this, let's put this topic aside. As Shikaku predicted, Sunagakure has already declared war, and the other villages will surely follow suit. Everyone, war is coming again...!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few deep drags on his pipe, turning his office into a veritable paradise. He sighed helplessly, though he secretly envied Touma to the core. However, for the sake of his Hokage image, he didn't show it. They were both scapegoats, so why did Touma inexplicably become so popular? If Sakumo had killed the Kazekage, then the order would definitely have been given by him, the Hokage. But besides getting the nickname "scheming old man," he hadn't gained anything. All the popularity went to Sakumo. Was it just because Sakumo was handsome?

But he's not bad-looking either!

However, he was only slightly envious now, and had no energy to think about such things anymore, because war was about to start again. People who haven't experienced war are excited when they hear about it, since it's easy to rise to power during wartime. But only those who have experienced war know how terrible it is. It's a completely cruel head-reaping machine, especially for someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi, who lived through the chaotic era of war, from World War I to World War II.

Thinking about how many families will lose loved ones after this war...

"Iwagakure and Kumogakure will likely declare war on us soon. Currently, only Kirigakure remains undecided, but I suspect they will join the fray this time; it's just a matter of time. The situation in the Land of Rain will be unclear by then, and if they also join the war, we'll be under immense pressure..."

Despite being a clerical worker, Mitokado Homura, a literary figure, is quite knowledgeable, having served as Hokage's assistant for many years. As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, he immediately analyzed the current situation in Konoha in a very logical and insightful manner.

Those who were doing it nodded in agreement.

Kirigakure is far from the mainland, but it is still one of the five great ninja villages in the ninja world. It was already criticized by many people for not participating in the Second Shinobi World War. If the Mizukage is not out of his mind, with the strength they have preserved from the Second Shinobi World War, it is impossible for them not to participate this time. Therefore, Konoha will definitely have to be on guard against Kirigakure.

As for Iwagakure and Kumogakure, needless to say, Onoki's hatred for Konoha and his Hokage is even greater than that for Sunagakure and Shiki, who constantly sabotage him. So now that Sunagakure has already placed its bets, Onoki has no reason not to follow suit.

There have always been many martial arts factions in Kumogakure, and the Third Raikage is extremely concerned about his reputation. Since Sunagakure and Iwagakure have both placed their bets, Kumogakure has no reason not to follow suit.

Judging from the current situation, Konoha is facing four villages at once again – Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure. This is the first time in history that they've faced all four major ninja villages simultaneously. Just thinking about it sends chills down their spines. Add to that the Land of Rain, whose stance is unclear, and if they join in, Konoha will be fighting five at once. The Land of Rain isn't particularly strong, but they do have Hanzo of the Salamander, a factor they can't ignore.

They were already a bit hesitant to take on four opponents, let alone five. Aside from the Uchiha clan leader's father, who was quite knowledgeable about one-on-five combat and remained relatively calm, everyone else's expressions turned grave. While Konoha's equipment was superior, their civilian ninjas, aside from struggling against the Cloud Village's "James" (a reference to a specific group of ninja), could easily take on at least 1.5 opponents, if not two. Moreover, after so many years of development, Konoha's military strength was definitely at full strength; taking on two or three opponents at once was no problem. However, taking on multiple opponents simultaneously was uncertain. After all, the Cloud Village's "James," the Sand Village's puppeteers, the Iwa Village's map-wide attacks and Jinchuriki were all skilled at maneuvering, and then there was the Kirigakure, whose strength had been preserved most intact since World War II. And if the Rain Country were to interfere...

There are too many battlefronts; even Konoha can't handle them. The more they show themselves, the greater the risk. If they get crushed along the way, they're very likely to be defeated.

The Third Raikage, Shiki, Onoki, and Hanzo of the Salamander are not easy to deal with, especially the two tough guys, Shiki and the Third Raikage. If Sakumo goes to take on Shiki, then the Raikage will have a hard time doing so.

Moreover, their powerful healer Tsunade is absent, their double-flowered red staff is missing one, and although Minato has taken over, he has absolutely no experience leading a group and can only serve as a second-in-command to practice his skills...

"...I'll go to the Land of Rain; perhaps I can speak with Hanzo of the Salamander..."

Just as everyone was deep in thought, Danzo Shimura, the chief advisor of Konoha and half of Konoha's strength, stepped forward. He looked at his best friend with deep affection, and his confident eyes seemed to tell everyone that he had no problem leaving the Land of Rain to him!

His World Children's Charity Foundation has grown rapidly in recent years, "adopting" many "orphans." However, it encountered problems in the Land of Rain recently, suffering heavy losses among its members. The "orphans" it had finally found were also kidnapped, which infuriated it. It initially thought it was Hanzo of the Salamander who was responsible, but when the injured members returned, they were not Hanzo's men, but rather a newly formed organization in the Land of Rain, led by just three kids. This made it even angrier. His Root had built up from scratch over the years, and it wasn't easy for him to develop it to where it is now. Every member was his hard work, and he was heartbroken to lose even one. Now, almost all of his people who went to the Land of Rain had been wiped out by three kids. This was a slap in the face to half of Konoha.

People fight for their pride, and Buddhas fight for their incense. If you don't fight for your pride even if you die, others will think that the extraordinary man who once held up half the sky of Konoha and vowed to lead Konoha to the moon has grown old. How will he compete for the position of leader in the future?

However, in recent years he has maintained this "turned over a new leaf and started a new life" persona in front of his friends. Moreover, if he acts on his own, his friends will definitely pay attention, which will be very detrimental to his current image. It's a good opportunity to take a trip to the Land of Rain and deal with those brats who dare to slap him in the face.

660. Hiruzen Sarutobi: Danzo has returned!

As for talking to Hanzo the Salamander's side, talk to them? Talk to them for good!

He remembered clearly how many shoe prints that bastard had left on him back then. After dealing with those brats, he'd figure out a way to take down that bastard Hanzo of the Salamander as well. Maybe he could even use that opportunity to control the Land of Rain. Although the Land of Rain wasn't as strong as the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it was still considered the sixth strongest village after them. If he controlled the Land of Rain, he could use it as a base to slowly plot against Konoha...

Danzo became more and more excited as he thought about it. The next moment, he looked at his best friend with a self-righteous expression and declared, "With me in this first battle, victory is assured!"

"......"

Those around him stared in amazement at Danzo's superb face-changing skills. In just two seconds, he displayed more than ten different expressions. That was even more impressive than hand seals!

Is this guy starting to research hand seals using his face?

"Alright, Danzo will depart for the Land of Rain tomorrow..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his best friend strangely. Although he didn't know what was wrong with his friend's face, which was twitching so badly, he was deeply moved to see his friend so confident in solving Konoha's problems.

The positive and motivated young man Danzo is back!

.......

"Civilian has notified all departments in the village to prepare for battle, and simultaneously declared war on Konoha. We'll follow Sunagakure into battle after they enter... Also, inform the sealing team to set up several barriers around my house every night starting tonight..."

In the Tsuchikage Tower of Iwagakure, after receiving news that Sunagakure had declared war on Konoha, Onoki naturally couldn't lag behind. After speaking to Tsuchiki beside him, he suddenly thought of Sakumo Hatake and, feeling a toothache, instructed Tsuchiki to inform the sealing team.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death; for the sake of the village, he would absolutely not regret dying. However, with a major battle imminent, if he were to be stolen away by White Fang like that sissy Sunagawa, then Sunagakure would be leaderless. Sunagakure itself wasn't too badly affected. Although that sissy Sunagawa was dead, they still had Golden Lion Shiki and Chiyo, two of the most powerful and influential figures. Sunagawa's death would have some impact on Sunagakure, but not too much.

But he's the only legitimate double-flowered red stick in Iwagakure. If he gets stolen, the war is over, and Iwagakure will have to withdraw early. So, it's crucial to ensure his safety before entering the arena. Although he often criticizes that effeminate guy Sunagawa who's always swaying his hips, he acknowledges the guy's strength. Most importantly, that effeminate guy can fly, just like him—a fatherly ability in his eyes. Taking down someone who can fly is difficult, and taking down someone who can fly silently is even more difficult. Moreover, Kage-level fighters are inherently very alert. If White Fang could still silently kill that effeminate guy Sunagawa under these circumstances, then it's not impossible that White Fang might come and slit his throat one night while he's sleeping. He's fought White Fang before; that guy's jumping ability is truly terrifying. Several times, if he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been stabbed by White Fang. And White Fang's specialty is assassination. At this critical moment, he really doesn't dare gamble on whether that bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi, that cunning old fox, will send White Fang to steal him...

......

"Azabu, did Shiraiya really do this, Kazekage?"

In Kumogakure, the Third Raikage asked the large-headed man in burlap beside him with some confusion.

The Sand Village has declared war. The Third Raikage himself was reluctant to participate, after all, these subordinates were the foundation he had painstakingly built up over the years, each one like his own son. He was reluctant to let these subordinates go to the battlefield and die. Unfortunately, these sons had grown up and all wanted to take over, and people's hearts were restless. Moreover, those old fogies were always nagging him and driving him crazy. With the Sand Village already participating, the Iwa Village would surely follow soon. If the Cloud Village didn't participate, wouldn't that be a loss of face for him? He had been in the ninja world for so many years, debuting several years earlier than Onoki and Hiruzen Sarutobi. If he were called a coward, how could he face others in the future?

The fact that Kirigakure didn't participate in World War II has been criticized for almost ten years, so Kumogakure is definitely going to fight this battle. Since they're going to fight anyway, he's too lazy to think about anything else and will just leave it to the smart people to handle.

What caught his attention was that, according to the intelligence he received, the Kazekage had first disappeared, and then, after the Sand Village's meticulous investigation, they concluded that the Kazekage had been secretly killed by White Fang. But to be honest, he just couldn't believe this intelligence.

White Fang is indeed powerful. Although he has never fought White Fang, he is completely impressed by White Fang's extremely skillful movement in the sea of ​​Golden Lion's swords. In fact, no one in the entire ninja world can be as skillful as White Fang.

He had experienced the power of Shiki's sword aura firsthand. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode defense couldn't even break through the Eight-Tails. Only Shiki, the guy who withstood the Tailed Beast Ball, could rival him. However, back in the Uzumaki clan, because his movement wasn't flashy enough, he deliberately tested the power of Shiki's sword aura. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode dimmed after being slashed a few times, showing how strong that guy's sword aura was, especially that earth-shattering sword that cleaved the Uzumaki clan in two. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode probably couldn't withstand that sword.

But if you say that Hiruzen Sarutobi sent White Fang to kill the Kazekage, frankly, he just doesn't believe it. Konoha has been advocating love and peace for so many years. Although it may be a bit hypocritical, Konoha has always done so. From Hashirama Senju to the two World Wars, Konoha has never been the one to start a war. Hiruzen Sarutobi has been Hokage for so many years. Doesn't he know that killing the Kazekage at this time will only make the war come faster?

After all, ever since Shiki took power, the core of Sunagakure has always been Shiki, not the Kazekage. Killing the Kazekage would at most weaken Sunagakure's strength, but it would not actually achieve the goal of stopping the war.

Putting myself in his shoes, if he were Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would have sent White Fang to kill me or Onoki, right...?

If I and Onoki die, both Kumogakure and Iwagakure will be doomed. Kumogakure will be a little better off, as his son has already grown up. Although he is still a bit weak, his level has risen, and he will have no problem becoming the Raikage. However, if Onoki dies, Iwagakure will not have anyone who can stand up to the task. As for the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki, in his eyes they are just elite monsters with slightly larger bodies.

But now the rumors outside are so convincing, even he's starting to think it's like the Wind Shadow was really killed by White Fang, which is just so damn strange...

661. No one has ever doubted Handsome Scorpion.

"...Rumors may not be true. Killing the Kazekage would only hasten the start of the war. Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't possibly be unaware of this. Besides, the Third Kazekage has been famous for many years; killing him silently would be difficult. First, he would have to be killed in one strike. If he couldn't be killed in one strike, the Third Kazekage's dying counterattack would inevitably produce chakra fluctuations that would be detected. I suspect that if the person who killed the Third Kazekage wasn't Sakumo Hatake, it could only be someone close to the Third Kazekage..."

The man with the large head in burlap, who was writing a declaration of war, stopped writing, resting his chin on one hand and tapping incessantly on the table with the other.

He never believed that White Fang was the murderer of the Third Kazekage from the beginning. However, since Sunagakure had already declared war, White Fang's killing of the Third Kazekage was just an excuse. Whether White Fang was the murderer or not was not important to them, so he was too lazy to waste his brain cells on this matter.

However, now that the boss has brought up this topic, he has only expressed his own thoughts. Although the Third Kazekage is not a top-tier powerhouse, he is still a Kage-level shinobi and can fly. He is not so easy to kill, let alone kill silently. That would be even more difficult. It is true that White Fang is very strong, but to launch a night raid on Sunagakure, kill the Third Kazekage silently, and then escape unscathed is more difficult than hell, and it does not fit the situation at the time.

On the contrary, it seems more reasonable that the Third Kazekage was killed by his own people. After all, one cannot be too wary of one's own close relatives. If the method is correct, it is indeed the most silent way to kill the Third Kazekage. This inference is more reasonable than the information released by Sunagakure.

However, the problem is that the people close to the Third Kazekage are either his own guards or high-ranking officials in the village. These people have no reason to kill the Kazekage without a reason, and if they were to make a move, it would be too obvious. In addition, even if Shiki is not in Sunagakure, there is still Chiyo and her son and daughter-in-law. So even if it is someone close to the Third Kazekage, it is not so easy for them to kill him silently.

Actually, besides the Third Kazekage, the Sand Village's super genius puppeteer, Sasori of the Red Sand, also disappeared. However, he didn't consider the possibility that Sasori killed the Third Kazekage, because that was even more illogical. As the grandson of the First Kazekage and Chiyo, and a super prodigy whose talent surpassed even the founder of puppetry, and with his uncle being Shiki the Golden Lion, Sasori was practically a super Third Kazekage. It could be said that he had already reserved the position of Sand Village's leader. In two or three years, once he grew up, the Third Kazekage would definitely step down. Only someone with their brains slammed in a door would go and try something so risky.

This is what Azabu Big Head thinks, and this is what the entire ninja world thinks. Although the Sand Village's super genius puppeteer disappeared along with the Third Kazekage, no one would suspect this super genius. From any perspective, it's impossible for the Sand Village's super third-generation imperial grandson to harm his own Kazekage. The most likely explanation is that both the imperial grandson and the Third Kazekage were killed, or that the super genius imperial grandson happened to be traveling incognito to observe the people's conditions at that time... and that his simultaneous disappearance with the Third Kazekage was just a coincidence.

"Oh? You mean the Third Kazekage was most likely killed by someone close to him?"

When the Third Raikage heard Azaburo's big head's idea, he thought about it and it seemed to make sense. He had previously felt that it was unreasonable for White Fang to kill the Third Kazekage. If he was killed by someone close to him, it would make sense.

At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was tough enough, and his underlings were all muscular men, not many shady characters. Otherwise, if he were to be stolen by his own people like the Third Kazekage and die without knowing why, that would be incredibly frustrating.

He's never been afraid of death in this world, but dying so ignominiously, like the Third Kazekage, with no body found and only a cenotaph erected, is just... infuriating.

"It's hard to say. We're on guard against traitors day and night, and we're on guard against traitors in the south... but none of that matters now. It's just an excuse to start a war. Even if it wasn't White Fang who did it, he can't explain it now. White Fang is already taking the blame."

The burlap-headed man shook his head slightly, finished explaining that he had written his declaration of war and had nothing to do with the matter. The Raikage was just bored and playing detective games; he wasn't that idle...

.....

After Sunagakure officially declared war on Konoha, as expected, Iwagakure and Kumogakure followed suit, declaring war on Konoha as well. The ninja world was thrown into turmoil, a great war seemed imminent. Even the smaller ninja villages were in turmoil. Unlike the last world war, this time the smaller villages and nations didn't fight amongst themselves; instead, they all clung to the powerful ninja villages, hoping to gain some advantage—after all, Konoha was incredibly wealthy. Konoha had won the previous two wars, but these... People are never short of the desire to win big with small investments. If they followed the three great ninja villages and actually defeated Konoha, they could become rich and reach the pinnacle of life... So after the three great ninja villages of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure declared war on Konoha, other ninja villages, big and small, also began to stir. However, their strength was no match for the great ninja villages, so they could only wait until the war broke out in full force, supporting Konoha while the other ninja villages were busy fighting. They could only harass Konoha by raiding around the village, stealing chickens and dogs, etc. They didn't have the conditions to confront Konoha head-on.

However, after the Fourth Kazekage Rasa took office, and the major villages had finished their preparations for war, Madara finally couldn't hold back any longer. As a result, Kirigakure, which had been dormant for decades, finally emerged, and the Fourth Mizukage followed in the footsteps of the three major ninja villages to declare war on Konoha. The news of his disappearance spread throughout the ninja world in an instant.

This time, Kirigakure's unusual formal declaration of war completely ignited the entire ninja world.

After all, for decades, Kirigakure has been synonymous with underhanded tactics and cunning. Although decades have passed, the story of Hozuki Gengetsu leading a raid on Kirigakure's base during the First Shinobi World War, ultimately being killed by Shiki along with the Second Tsuchikage, remains deeply ingrained in people's minds. Although Hozuki Gengetsu is dead, he still lives on in the hearts of some older people, as he was the founder of the raiding tactic and left a colorful mark on the history of the Shinobi World War.

However, Kirigakure's decision to break with convention and formally declare war shocked many. But with Kirigakure's declaration of war, Konoha once again achieved a one-against-four situation, and this time it was a one-on-one battle against the four great ninja villages, including Kirigakure, whose strength had been preserved the most. It is worth noting that during World War II, almost all the villages suffered heavy losses. Even Sunagakure, which had been fighting Konoha for a long time, lost thousands of people. Kirigakure, which did not experience World War II, had developed its strength over the past few decades. Who knows how strong it had become. Iwagakure has always been known as a military powerhouse, and Onoki has always valued military development, but compared to Kirigakure, it seems to be quite inferior.

662. The former leader came to pull strings.

With Kirigakure's declaration of war, some pessimistic views about Konoha began to emerge in the ninja world. After all, Konoha had never had the experience of fighting the four great ninja villages in a one-on-one battle in the previous two wars. In the First Shinobi World War, Kirigakure became a potential ally of Konoha. Hozuki Gengetsu and Mu died together, which forced Iwagakure, who was originally pressing the Uchiha and preparing to crush them, to withdraw from the battlefield. Kirigakure also had no real participation because of Hozuki Gengetsu's death and Naruto's retreat. In other words, during the First Shinobi World War, Konoha was only fighting one against three.

During World War II, although Konoha achieved the feat of defeating four opponents single-handedly, the Land of Rain, despite losing its Seven-Tails to Takigakure and having Hanzo of the Salamander rise to Kage level, was still far weaker than Kirigakure, despite being the sixth of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. The first major battle in the Land of Rain during World War II demonstrated this weakness. If Danzo, Konoha's commander-in-chief, hadn't been inexperienced and recently transitioned from civilian to military leadership, the Land of Rain's forces might have been wiped out in a battle fought between the three great Shinobi Villages. Furthermore, if Shiki hadn't been so indiscriminate in his attacks, the Land of Rain's soldiers wouldn't have been enough to defeat him.

In the subsequent major battles, the Land of Rain officially changed from starting forwards to substitute defenders, and could only stare at the three legendary Sannin of Konoha on the border. Apart from the last challenge, no further major battles were fought.

So, although it was a one-against-four battle in World War II, the Land of Rain was just a figurehead. It was already crippled by the infighting in the Land of Rain alone, and could not be considered a great ninja village.

This time, however, it's different. Kirigakure has been developing its strength in a low-key manner for so many years, and its strength has reached the peak since the village was founded. Together with Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure, this is a true one-against-four-village battle. Because Kirigakure has been hiding for so many years and its strength is too strong, Konoha is also truly fighting the four-village battle one-on-one this time. So, for a time, voices in the ninja world began to predict that Konoha was doomed.

......

At this time, a month after Rasa took office, he had mustered his troops and led them to the battlefield. Rasa himself led the ten thousand Sand Ninja, with Masato and half of the clan heads of the village as leaders. Chiyo and Sasori's parents were left behind to guard the house. Before they set off, the villagers came to see off their loved ones who were about to go to war.

That's right, Rasa, who just took over in this war, will also be going. Generally speaking, unless the village really has no other generals, the head of a village will personally lead the troops. For example, Kumogakure and Iwagakure both have no other generals and can only personally go into battle. Kumogakure is a little better, at least they have the son of the Third Raikage, the future Fourth Raikage. However, the future Fourth Raikage is still a bit young, so he still has to learn from his father.

As for Iwagakure, they really have no one left but the old schemer Onoki. The young schemer, Yotsuchi, is actually quite intelligent. Don't let his burly appearance fool you; he's surprisingly meticulous. However, while Yotsuchi has the talent, his fighting ability is lacking. In a protracted war, he might be able to hold the front lines, but in the first wave of battle, they must demonstrate the spirit and morale of their village. A mere red stick won't suffice. The outcome of the first battle is often the most crucial. Whether they can fight and how long they can hold out depends on the first wave.

So apart from Onoki, no one else in Iwagakure has reached this level, so Onoki still has to keep going despite his old age.