"Hiruzen, are you really going to stand by and watch Tsunade bury Konoha?"
In the capital of the Land of Fire, a quiet courtyard lay almost abandoned. Once owned by the Daimyo, it had later been given to Danzo as a place of residence.
Though the estate was somewhat old, its isolation made it ideal. It even had a well-built underground chamber—perfect for serving as Root's temporary base.
Using funds obtained from the Daimyo and secret aid from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo had been rebuilding Root little by little.
Yet the current Root was nothing like the old one—filled with small-time operatives barely useful for information gathering, far too weak to sustain his ambitions. Only by returning to Konoha could Danzo realize his dream.
"Danzo, where's the evidence you gathered?"
Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke from his pipe, speaking slowly.
"Without solid proof, how can I convince the clans? Tsunade's actions so far show nothing unusual—at most, a hint of personal interest."
The Four-Nation Alliance had been a plan orchestrated through his contacts with the Daimyo, and Tsunade had fully cooperated, mobilizing ninja units to support it. Aside from the first batch of troops—mostly from the Sarutobi clan and its affiliates—there was nothing suspicious in her conduct.
If Hiruzen openly accused Tsunade of being a spy now, he would likely end up imprisoned himself, even as the Third Hokage.
A mere Wood Release user proved nothing. What he needed was decisive evidence.
"I only have a handful of men. How could I possibly uncover conclusive proof? Hiruzen, I'll need more funding."
Hiruzen frowned slightly. "Understood. I'll have someone send it to you soon."
After exchanging a bit more information, Hiruzen left.
Once alone, Danzo descended into the basement. It was packed with equipment he had managed to buy—mostly old or secondhand due to limited funds. Ironically, that choice had saved him. By avoiding the Hyakusa Trade Association's advanced medical devices, he kept his research from being instantly discovered by "18."
"How's the Edo Tensei research progressing?"
Danzo's voice echoed in the dim chamber. Only three researchers remained under him, drastically slowing the project's progress.
One of them replied, "We've succeeded in creating a curse mark that can control the revived bodies, Danzo-sama. However, to fully restore an Edo Tensei subject's original power, we'll need stronger sacrifices."
"Sacrifices..." Danzo thought for a moment, then his face hardened. "Use Hashirama Cells. You must make ordinary people or ninja capable of merging with them as soon as possible."
Over the years, he had studied Wood Release extensively—what he lacked were human trials. This time, he intended to use adults or shinobi as test subjects. If they could successfully fuse with Hashirama's cells, they would become perfect Edo Tensei sacrifices.
As for human experimentation—Danzo no longer cared. In the crowded capital, a few dozen or even a hundred disappearances meant nothing.
He took a deep breath. Everything he did was for Konoha.
Konoha, Hokage's Office—
More than twenty people filled the room—heads of departments, clan leaders, and ninja like Kimimaro.
They all knew about the Four-Nation Alliance, though the matter hadn't spread. The lower ranks remained uninformed. Nara Shikaku and the others were here only to discuss early coordination.
Yet something felt off—Tsunade's demeanor was distracted. When Kimura from logistics had been reporting just now, she'd seemed lost in thought, responding with half-hearted "Mm-hm" and "I see."
Everyone assumed she was preoccupied with preparations for the Fifth Shinobi World War. After all, no one was busier than the Hokage.
After Kimura's report, Shikaku spoke about troop movements. The Cloud and Stone shinobi were already on the move, sneaking through the Land of Fire under cover to reach Kikyo Castle. With Konoha's assistance, they would lie in wait and strike when the third exam began.
Coordinating the secret passage of nearly three thousand shinobi across Fire Country was no small feat. Shikaku had worked tirelessly to ensure everything went smoothly.
But even after his report, Tsunade still looked absentminded.
"Tsunade-sama? Tsunade-sama?"
"Hm? Oh, Shikaku. Well done. Anything else?"
Her calm response left everyone—including Shikaku—confused.
Had he done something? All he'd done was report troop movements—the same plan she had approved herself. Lately, the Hokage seemed... off.
Kabuto leaned close and quietly reminded her what Shikaku had just reported. Tsunade's expression stiffened immediately.
Shikaku asked, "Tsunade-sama, has something come up? If it concerns the Alliance, perhaps you should share it with us."
Tsunade shook her head. "I'll discuss it with you later. Anything else?"
Ever since that blue-eyed brat Hyuga Mirai had spoken to her, she hadn't slept well for days. Every time she tried to rest, her mind wandered back to that conversation. There was no way she could discuss such a thing openly.
After a few more updates about the war, the meeting concluded. Most of it revolved around keeping the Cloud and Stone movements hidden from the Sand Federation—a plan Shikaku's strategy department had spent weeks perfecting. Ironically, none of them realized the Hokage herself was aligned with the other side.
When most had left, Tsunade kept behind Kimura, Shikaku, and the heads of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans. If she could persuade Shikaku, the rest would follow—the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had stood together for centuries, their trust unwavering.
"Tsunade-sama, what is this about?" Shikaku asked. Since it wasn't war-related, it had to be something else.
Tsunade propped her chin on one hand and, after a brief silence, asked, "Shikaku, what do you think of peace?"
That's... quite the question to start with, he thought. After a pause, he replied carefully, "Peace is, of course, ideal. It's what we're striving for."
"But lately, haven't most of the ninja wars been started by us? Except for the first few peaceful years after Konoha's founding, the shinobi world has known nothing but conflict."
Tsunade shook her head slightly. The Second War had been initiated by Konoha to suppress the Rain Village. The Third, though seemingly defensive, saw Orochimaru seize the advantage by attacking Sunagakure first. The Fourth War had been between Konoha and Iwa to weaken the Sand Federation and the Rain.
Now the Fifth War was about to begin. In just over sixty years since the Warring States era ended, five major wars had erupted.
"During the Warring States, the clans of the Land of Fire fought endlessly. My grandfather and Uchiha Madara founded Konoha to end that chaos. Other nations followed suit—but that only turned clan wars into wars between countries."
"If they truly wanted lasting peace, they should have united all shinobi under one village. With my grandfather and Madara's strength, the chances of war would've been almost zero."
As for internal conflicts—that was something the blue-eyed brat could worry about. Not her.
Tsunade genuinely admired the Sand Federation's model. By accepting smaller nations, their people's lives had only improved. Konoha, on the other hand, still looked the same as it had decades ago.
Shikaku hesitated before replying, "Tsunade-sama, that would be far too difficult. Even the First Hokage couldn't accomplish such unity. All we can do now is preserve what peace we have and leave hope for the future."
"That's not hope for peace—it's the burden of war. Problems we should solve ourselves shouldn't be left to our successors."
Tsunade paused, then continued, "Soon enough, you'll understand, Shikaku, Shibi, Inuzuka. When that time comes, I hope you'll think carefully."
Think carefully about what?
Her words left everyone baffled—not just Shikaku, but also Shibi and Inuzuka. Even Kimura looked confused, though she'd long since grown used to Tsunade's cryptic remarks. She simply did her job and ignored what she didn't understand.
After leaving the Hokage building, Inuzuka couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Shikaku, Shibi, what do you think she meant? Does she plan to unify the Five Great Nations?"
Shikaku shook his head firmly. "Impossible. Even with Wood Release, Konoha doesn't have that kind of power. This war alone will be a struggle—and the Sand Federation isn't an easy opponent."
Still, Tsunade's words carried the faint implication of unification, leaving Shikaku uncertain of her true intent.
"For now, let's just focus on our duties. As for everything else—we trust Tsunade-sama. She's the Fifth Hokage, after all."
Though he spoke calmly, Shikaku had already decided—once he returned, he would consult with Inoichi and Choza about it.
(End of Chapter)