Although the ninja world had quieted down, Sarutobi Hiruzen could feel that something big was about to happen. As a result, Konoha's defenses were not relaxed; if anything, they were more alert than ever.
"Hiruzen! We should strike first!" Danzo slammed his hand on the table, his excitement barely contained.
"That evil Onoki is definitely brewing a war!"
Hiruzen rubbed his temples in frustration. "Danzo, now is not the time to start a war."
"What do you mean 'not the time'?!" Danzo slammed his hand on the desk again, brimming with indignation. "Should Konoha be afraid of them? That brat Yuki Seisui alone can suppress Sunagakure, while the Uchiha and Hyuga clans confront Kirigakure!"
"And if we ally with Kumogakure to strike Iwagakure, Konoha will be great again!"
Danzo grew more and more passionate, but Hiruzen's headache only worsened.
"You're too extreme, Danzo!"
"Hmph!" Danzo scoffed, sitting down. "You're too weak, Hiruzen! If I were Hokage, Konoha would regain the prestige it had under the First Hokage!"
"Ninjas are not tools, Danzo. We absolutely cannot start a war ourselves!" Hiruzen stood, glaring at Danzo. "Have you forgotten the teachings of the First Hokage and the Third Hokage?"
"I could never forget!"
"Then why should Konoha be dragged into war every single time?"
"Strike first, that's how we minimize Konoha's losses!" Danzo's expression turned disappointed. "Hiruzen, you're letting me down."
"If that's how you feel, perhaps you should give up the position of Hokage."
"I will be Hokage! Under my leadership, Konoha will be great again, ruling over the ninja world!" Danzo's voice rose, as though he could already see the future of Konoha under his command.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen's anger flared. "I am the Hokage today and always will be!"
"Abandon these unrealistic fantasies, Danzo!"
"Indecisive! You'll regret this, Hiruzen!" Danzo scoffed, kicking his chair across the room.
The chair slammed into the wall with a heavy crash, sending shards of wood scattering. A crack appeared along the wall.
"Hmph!"
"Danzo! You've gone too far!" Hiruzen banged his palm on the desk and stood, glaring at him.
Danzo didn't respond, only coldly turned and opened the reinforced steel doors, striding outside. The heavy doors slammed against the frame, sending sparks flying along the threshold.
"Danzo!" Hiruzen shouted, furious. "Someone—"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" The ANBU appeared instantly, kneeling on one knee before the desk.
"Find someone to repair this wall," Hiruzen ordered, pointing at the cracked wall.
The ANBU followed his gaze: splintered wood in front of the wall and several deep cracks. Seeing that Danzo had already left, the ANBU relaxed; such chaos was routine for them.
"Find a skilled craftsman. Repair it properly."
The ANBU hesitated slightly.
"Hm?" Hiruzen frowned. "Do you have something to report?"
"Hokage-sama… I think a blacksmith would be better suited than a normal carpenter…"
Hiruzen stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Good idea. I like it. Proceed." He lit his pipe, inhaling deeply.
"Yes!" The ANBU's heart leapt—approval from the Hokage meant promotion, wealth, and glory were soon at hand.
The ANBU turned to leave, but Hiruzen suddenly called out, "Wait!"
The ANBU froze, looking back in confusion.
"Hire multiple blacksmiths. Replace the wall and roof. Also, get some panels or coverings to conceal the repairs."
"Yes!" The ANBU nodded again, though hesitantly. "Hokage-sama… we don't have enough funds left."
Hiruzen took another deep drag from his pipe, then slammed it on the desk.
"Do I need to teach you this? Danzo broke the wall—deduct the cost from his budget!"
"Yes!"
While the Hokage's office was being remodeled, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure had all already mobilized their armies, pointing straight at Konoha.
==========
Meanwhile, on Hokage Rock
"Seisui, what are you two doing here?"
Minato and Yuki Seisui were chatting when Uchiha Haru's voice came from behind.
Seisui turned: Haru wore a loose T-shirt, a black cat trailing behind.
"Haru?" Minato asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
Haru's brow furrowed. He gave Minato a cautious, dangerous look before calmly sitting beside Seisui.
"Should I not be here?" Haru asked, eyes narrowed.
"Uh…" Minato scratched his head awkwardly. "I didn't mean that. I just… thought you were training your dojutsu?"
"No need to train," Haru shook his head, keeping a cautious distance but moving slightly closer to Seisui.
"Dojutsu is naturally mastered. I just need to familiarize myself with it."
Seisui nodded. "Dojutsu is the manifestation of the Mangekyo Sharingan's power, and the abilities arise from the depths of one's mind. So the power is inherently yours; you don't need to practice, only refine it."
Haru's Mangekyo abilities were terrifying: one eye could manipulate repulsive and attractive forces, the other could create a pocket dimension. Combined, they could produce incredible effects—altering time flow and even negating death.
But the power came at a cost. Using the pocket dimension once had already drained a large portion of Haru's chakra, causing significant vision loss.
Still, the repulsive/attractive force eye consumed relatively little chakra, allowing Haru to use it casually and recover in a few months.
"I envy you guys," Minato admitted, eyes filled with admiration.
Seeing this, Seisui smiled, sending a faint blue chakra "pat on the head" symbol floating toward Minato.
Ninjutsu originally required no hand signs; mastery could eliminate or reduce them. For example, one Water Style technique might require forty hand seals for one ninja, but only three for another.
Minato felt the cool, tingling sensation on his head and frowned.
"Seisui, you'll regret this!"
Minato's own "pat on the head" chakra glowed pale green beside Seisui's blue.
Haru frowned. "Stop being childish."
"The Ninja Cat Clan has brought the latest intelligence."
Haru produced a scroll.
"The latest intelligence?" Seisui leaned in, curious.
"All four great ninja villages are planning to attack Konoha?"
Seisui was surprised at how quickly preparations were being made, though the idea of war with the four villages didn't shock him.
"Not immediately," Haru shook his head. "The Ninja Cat Clan's intelligence is accurate. The Hokage has likely received this information too. Preparations have begun, but it will take some time."
Seisui stroked his chin. "Then this is likely going to be a real war."
Minato's expression turned serious. "They're really going to attack us together?"
"Minato, you can remove the words 'probably' and the question mark," Seisui said.
"They are attacking us together."
==========
The next day, as Uchiha Haru predicted, Konoha began full-scale preparations. Thanks to prior planning, the village quickly readied itself.
A few days later, Seisui, Haru, and Minato stood in the Hokage's office.
"Why does this place feel… different?" Seisui murmured, surveying the room.
"It does feel a bit different," Haru agreed.
"Probably because the walls and roof were replaced with high-strength steel," Minato explained.
"Though it looks the same on the surface, the internal structure has completely changed."
Seisui instinctively nodded, but soon realized something was off.
"How do you know?"
"Of course, Uncle Hayata told me," Minato replied.
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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