Under Iwagakure's offensive, the Land of Fire was engulfed in war.
At the same time, Kumogakure and Amegakure also launched their attacks.
Kumogakure moved south, continuing to contend for control over the Land of Rice, the Land of the Moon, and the Land of Rivers.
Amegakure, on the other hand, launched a retaliatory strike.
Sunagakure remained inactive.
The Third Kazekage, for some unknown reason, was said to have disappeared, and Sunagakure was fully engaged in searching for the Kazekage, completely unable to attend to the war.
Higashi Shinjin's forces, with an extremely swift offensive, destroyed Konoha's front line. Unlike the original story, Iwagakure's offensive was too fast, and Kazura Hagane and others were completely wiped out, with Minato Namikaze not even having time to arrive.
The residents of the entire Land of Fire were stunned by Iwagakure's lightning-fast assault.
Fast, too fast!
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire even proposed relocating the capital to Konoha for refuge.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, on his side, was also swamped.
He quickly arranged the battle, while also delivering speeches to boost morale.
"If everyone is united!"
"If we follow the path set by the First Raikage, we will definitely be able to protect Konoha and revive it!"
"The First Raikage desired everyone's tolerance. As long as we don't resist, Iwagakure won't do anything to us, and Konoha can still exist. Embrace civilization!"
"But if we resist, Iwagakure will surely exterminate us!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke had now become Konoha's leading figure for surrender.
"Lord Shinnosuke speaks well!"
"I also agree! Save the village through indirect means!"
"Yes, yes! Endure for now, preserve our strength!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was also internally cursing at this moment.
He had originally wanted to return to Iwagakure.
But now that war had broken out, he couldn't go back.
He should have joined Iwagakure earlier.
In Sarutobi Shinnosuke's opinion, Konoha could not possibly defeat Iwagakure.
Instead of fighting to the death and burning Konoha to the ground, it was better to surrender.
By joining Iwagakure, with Konoha's Bloodline Limits and geniuses, they would surely become high-ranking officials in Iwagakure.
At that time, they would completely purge Iwagakure's internal structure.
Within a few decades, all of Iwagakure's high-ranking officials would be geniuses from Konoha.
Wouldn't that be equivalent to Konoha annexing Iwagakure?
Sarutobi Shinnosuke looked at his followers and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Of course, there were also those who scorned him.
Many in Konoha planned to burn Konoha to the ground and fight Iwagakure to the death.
.....
"Hiruzen! Your son is spouting surrender rhetoric again!"
Danzo Shimura slammed the table, looking angrily at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo Shimura was extremely displeased with Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Is this still something a Hokage's son should be doing?
If the Hokage's son is like this, how can Hiruzen Sarutobi stabilize the hearts of Konoha's people?
"Alas! It's my fault for not raising him properly....."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed mournfully, taking a puff from his cigarette.
Actually, this was also his tacit approval.....
After all, he only had two sons, and he needed to leave a way out for them.
If Konoha won, his descendants would be fine.
If Iwagakure won, with Sarutobi Shinnosuke as the leading figure for surrender, his descendants would also be fine.
So-called hedging bets was also a tactic.
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not a coward who feared death.
Regardless of his son's descendants,
He would be prepared to make sacrifices for Konoha; he had already decided to personally go to the battlefield!
He had already learned the Reaper Death Seal, and he would take someone with him even if he died.
"Danzo, this time we might truly have to prepare to sacrifice everything..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked directly at Danzo, his eyes filled with resolve.
Danzo Shimura snorted coldly, directly tearing open the front of his clothes.
"The Four Symbols Seal on my chest is the best proof of my readiness to sacrifice!"
Danzo Shimura said in a cold voice.
....
"Victorious news keeps coming in....."
Ōnoki was already nearly sixty-four years old.
He sat on the sofa, looking at the messages sent back from the front line.
Iwagakure had achieved a great victory; in just one day, Iwagakure had successfully crushed Konoha's front line and was almost at Kikyo Mountain.
"Amegakure and Kumogakure are both attacking honestly, it seems I was overthinking it....."
Ōnoki breathed a sigh of relief.
He had thought Kumogakure would backstab them.
Actually, if he were the one in power in Iwagakure,
He would absolutely backstab!
He was the legendary King of Backstabbing.
"Hahahahaha..."
Ōnoki chuckled.
Hōzuki Gengetsu, who was recuperating in bed, raised an eyebrow: "Ōnoki, what makes you so happy? Why are you laughing?"
Ōnoki chuckled for a long time.
"I laugh at Kumogakure's lack of strategy, and Amegakure's lack of wisdom!"
"Now Iwagakure is attacking Konoha, the second strongest in the Ninja World. Once Konoha falls, Iwagakure will target them, yet they are completely unaware of this."
"If they were to backstab Iwagakure and form a three-way alliance to jointly resist Iwagakure, eliminating the dominant Iwagakure, the Ninja World's power would be much more balanced."
Ōnoki calmly stated his view.
Although he had long been away from politics and didn't often observe the Ninja World's situation,
He could still see this point.
Anyway, he was good at playing big with small stakes, and using the strategy of vertical and horizontal alliances.
When fighting Konoha back then, he used this very strategy.
Vertical and horizontal alliances, creating the 'Konoha Threat Theory'.
First, eliminate the strongest, then the other ninja villages, whose strengths are similar, can be slowly played against each other.
When facing one superpower and many strong powers, the many strong powers should unite to confront the superpower.
(Kumogakure, Amegakure: If we really backstabbed, you wouldn't be happy....)
.....
"Lord Madara! Konoha is done for!"
Black Zetsu looked at the tragic state of the Land of Fire on the television and couldn't help but say to Madara.
"Damn it, that brat Ōnoki has really made a name for himself..."
"He even started a war. How did that guy Ōnoki teach his disciple!"
Uchiha Madara's face was grim as he stared intently at the triumphant Ōnoki on the television.
At this rate, Konoha would be finished in half a year.
Uchiha Madara wasn't heartbroken that Konoha was being destroyed.
Instead, he was worried that once Iwagakure unified, it would be difficult for him to cause trouble.
Now with the Five Great Nations, he could sow discord among them and use his pawns.
Once the Five Great Nations were unified, what would he play with?
"It's time to send out the Hidden Mist!"
Uchiha Madara's eyes were deep, and his fingertips lightly tapped the stone seat.
.....
The Third Mizukage decided that the Hidden Mist would participate in the war.
To resist Iwagakure and support Konoha.
As soon as these words were uttered, the entire Hidden Mist was in an uproar.
But it also made countless Hidden Mist people breathe a sigh of relief.
Because killing outsiders was always better than killing their own people!
It was a good opportunity to use the war to reconcile some internal conflicts within the Hidden Mist.
.....
Front line.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura wore armor.
They were currently facing Iwagakure's main force.
Which were the Guiteng Clan and the Kaguya Clan.
Konoha's high-level combat power was currently insufficient, and the two of them could no longer stay in the rear. They could only let Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado manage the rear.
"Hiruzen, news from the Hidden Mist!"
A hint of joy appeared on Danzo Shimura's face.
"Hidden Mist?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. Regarding the Hidden Mist,
Ever since he became Hokage, the Hidden Mist had closed its borders.
He heard they were engaged in an unknown slaughter. His Anbu reported that the entire Hidden Mist seemed to have gone hysterically mad!
"The Hidden Mist wants to help us fight Iwagakure!"
"They now want to borrow passage through the Land of Fire to fight Iwagakure with us!"
Danzo Shimura said.
"Why are they helping us?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a bit confused.
"I heard that Hōzuki Gengetsu betrayed the Hidden Mist before and took the Guiteng Clan and the Kaguya Clan with him. Perhaps their goal this time is to eliminate these two clans!"
Danzo Shimura speculated.
Only this speculation made sense.
"Hiruzen! The Hidden Mist has already landed in the eastern Land of Fire and is heading this way. Refusing them is probably no longer an option...."
"It seems this is the only way. Take me to meet the Hidden Mist representative!"
...
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