Silence.
A deathly silence.
Following Hayama Shirakumo's request to lead the vanguard, everyone in the room instinctively turned toward the man seated at the head of the table—a man whose expression betrayed not a single flicker of emotion.
Since the founding of the Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha had never been the one to initiate a war. Throughout the first three Great Shinobi World Wars, the village had only ever fought in response to external provocations or direct invasions.
Was that precedent about to be broken?
Every eye was fixed on Kakashi Hatake, waiting for him to speak. Yet, as the Hokage's gaze swept across the room, many found themselves looking down, unable to maintain eye contact. That gaze felt like a massive boulder pressing down upon their chests.
"Everyone..."
After a silence that felt both fleeting and eternal, Kakashi finally spoke, and a collective, subtle sigh of relief rippled through the room.
"We have always prided ourselves on being the number one hidden village in the shinobi world. We have never sought out war. But what has that gotten us?"
His words were calm, bordering on cold. The hearts that had just begun to relax tightened once more.
"Our restraint was met with further encroachment."
"Our restraint led others to believe we were an easy target."
"War. Blood. Death."
"Parents, friends, lovers—all sacrificed in one conflict after another. In the few short decades since the founding of this village, three wars have already ravaged the entire world."
The man in the high seat spoke the harsh truths of their world with chilling composure. The room remained hushed as they listened. Many present had lived through the Second and Third Great Shinobi World Wars; some even had elders at home who were veterans of the First. Everything Kakashi said was something they had experienced firsthand.
"And now, they have come again."
"Bringing blood and death, fueled by war and greed, they have once again pointed their blades at us."
"Konoha has dismantled their ambitions once more. Should we celebrate? Should we cheer because we won again?"
The Hokage rose slowly from his seat, his cold eyes taking in every corner of the meeting room.
"Yes, we won this time."
A mocking, almost jarring smile curled the corners of Kakashi's mouth.
"But what about next time?"
"And the time after that?"
"And the time after that?!"
He slammed his palm onto the table with a deafening thud, causing everyone to jump.
"We have defeated them three times, but what did it buy us? Greed! Lust for power! A never-ending cycle of war and death!"
"If we had lost, would they have shown us the same mercy we showed them?!"
His voice, low and slightly strained with a hint of suppressed emotion, echoed through the room. The assembly looked at the man at the head of the table with visible shock.
Winning and losing... No one could win forever.
Unless...
Unless there was only one person left sitting at the gambling table!
In that moment, everyone understood exactly what their young Hokage was thinking. This wasn't just about defeating the Sand or the Cloud. He intended to completely eliminate every hidden village except for Konoha!
On the grand chessboard of the shinobi world, he wanted Konoha to be the only player left.
Such a mad idea... such terrifying ambition...
Truly, one could only expect this from the youngest Hokage in history.
"It seems you all understand my meaning now..."
Under the artificial light, the white-haired man looked at the pillars of Konoha. His tone gradually returned to its usual level.
As his words faded, the heavy doors of the meeting room—which Tsunade had slammed shut earlier—creaked open. Light from the hallway flooded into the dim room.
"Those who are willing to give everything to see this through with me, please remain seated."
"If you do not agree, you are free to walk out that door. In my name as Kakashi Hatake, the Hokage, I swear I will not stop you."
The moment of truth had arrived.
Years ago, when this Hokage had personally led eight hundred shinobi to charge the Cloud Ninja camp, he had given those eight hundred the same choice. Not a single shinobi had retreated; they all followed him into the fray. In the end, barely a hundred survived.
Was history about to repeat itself?
The hearts of those present pounded with a mix of dread and awe. Back then, the target was just the Cloud. Now, the Hokage's target was the entire world.
This was truly...
"I will go."
The voice was calm, carrying an iron resolve that brooked no argument.
The crowd looked over, their skin crawling with anticipation. Asuma Sarutobi was the first to stand in support of the Hokage.
Many had assumed Asuma would harbor a grudge against the Hokage. It was common knowledge that Asuma had pursued Kurenai Yuhi for years. Yet, Kurenai now lived in the Hatake estate, and she even had a five-year-old daughter.
When the news first broke, people expected a scandalous drama between the Hokage and the son of the Third Hokage. Instead, nothing happened. Kakashi continued his duties as Hokage, and Asuma continued his duties as a guardian shinobi. There seemed to be no friction between them over Kurenai. Even after Asuma returned to the village from the Daimyo's mansion, he acted as if Kurenai living with Kakashi was perfectly normal.
Kakashi gave the standing Asuma a long, meaningful look.
"Wherever the Hokage's eyes look, that is the direction I will move," another voice rang out.
A lean, young figure stood up. It was the youngest person in the room: Itachi Uchiha.
"I have no desire to bully others, but I have even less desire to be bullied. So, I suppose I'll just have to make others feel a bit 'inconvenienced.'"
A melancholic voice drifted from the corner of the room. No one had noticed the man sitting by the window until then. His tall, familiar silhouette sent a shiver through the room, but the tension eased slightly when he showed his face.
Jiraiya.
And those with keen eyes noticed that the "Oil" character on Jiraiya's headband had been replaced by the standard Konoha symbol.
Counting Tsunade, who had already volunteered for the front lines, two of the Legendary Sannin had now thrown their weight behind the Hokage's ambitious plan.
This was becoming real.
"I'm in!"
A voice thick with rage erupted as a scarred woman in her thirties stood up abruptly from the crowd.
"My father, my mother, my husband, and my brother all died on the battlefield!" she cried. "Why is it that they always get to be the ones to attack us?!"
"I've had enough!"
The woman's sudden outburst startled those around her. Someone who knew her tried to pull her back down, but under the collective gaze of the room, their hand froze mid-air.
"Kyoko is right!"
"Why should we always be the ones taking the hits?!"
"I'm not standing for it anymore! Let's hit them back!"
"This world should only have one voice—ours!"
"That's right!"
"Take the fight to them!"
"Avenge my son!"
The meeting room exploded into a frenzy of indignation. Faces that were once hesitant were now twisted with righteous fury.
Kakashi watched the scene unfold.
The situation was settled. The morale of the troops was ready to be unleashed.
————
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