The Hokage's office was thick with pipe smoke. Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado sat around the table in a closed-door meeting. When the four of them gathered like this, it always meant something big enough to shake the entire village was on the table.
Hiruzen opened with the southern front. "The fighting in the Land of Rivers is heating up fast. Jiraiya just reported that Sand's One-Tail jinchuriki has arrived at their forward camp. They expect a major clash within the next few days."
Koharu cut straight to the point. "Did he ask for reinforcements?"
"No. The jinchuriki seems unstable. We don't know how much power he'll actually be able to use. Danzo, what does Root have on him?"
Danzo took his time, voice calm and measured. "Sand's sealing techniques have always been crude. After their first jinchuriki, Bunpuku, died, they've tried four more. Every single one either went mad and got killed by their own village or died when the beast broke free. This latest one is the fourth. He's unstable, loses control when his emotions spike. Sand's basically using him as a disposable weapon. He won't last long anyway."
The room went quiet as everyone processed that. An unstable tailed beast on the battlefield was a double-edged sword. At least they had warning this time. If the jinchuriki had shown up out of nowhere during the big fight, the whole front could have collapsed.
Homura spoke up. "Since the field commander hasn't asked for help, he must believe he can handle it. We should trust his judgment."
Hiruzen nodded and moved on. "Next item—the western front against Iwagakure. Take a look at the casualty summary."
He slid a thick report across the table. Koharu's face darkened the moment she opened it. By the time she passed it to Homura and then to Danzo, the mood had soured completely.
Danzo didn't bother with subtlety. "Incompetent fools."
The numbers were brutal. The western front had only been active for a short time, yet losses were already rivaling the southern front. Small bleeding wounds every day added up to something ugly.
Koharu didn't hesitate. "Replace the commander. Mimura Yagami's been in charge long enough. Send someone new and make him deputy before he burns through the rest of our forces."
Homura frowned. "Who? We don't exactly have a long line of qualified candidates who can lead a full front while we're fighting on three sides."
Koharu thought for a moment. "What about Orochimaru? The northern front is stable. Send him west."
Danzo shut that down immediately. "No. Orochimaru stays where he is. The moment he leaves, Cloud will test us. Those barbarians look reckless, but they're not stupid."
Silence fell again. Then Danzo spoke, voice perfectly level.
"I'll go. I'll take command of the western front personally and bring a detachment of Root elites with me."
Koharu and Homura stared at him like he'd grown a second head. Danzo was the head of Root. Why would he suddenly want to play field commander?
Hiruzen, however, didn't look surprised. He studied Danzo for a long moment, then gave a slow nod.
"Fine. The western front is yours. I'll have Mimura Yagami coordinate with you. Make sure you actually win this time."
Danzo kept his expression neutral, but inside he was already calculating. This was the chance he'd been waiting for. Real battlefield victories would give him the kind of public prestige he needed if he ever wanted to challenge for the Fourth Hokage seat. Root had grown too powerful and too independent. Taking some of them into open combat would thin their numbers while earning him glory.
After the meeting, Koharu and Homura left. Danzo stayed behind and handed Hiruzen a scroll.
Hiruzen read it twice, pipe forgotten in his hand. When he finally set it down, his face was unreadable.
"Sand really thinks we're that weak? Spreading rumors about a ten-year-old kid so the rest of the world comes after him? And they gave him a nickname that puts him above even Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
Danzo allowed himself a thin smile. "'White Death' and 'Yellow Flash.' Both of them students of the same man. Quite the pair."
He didn't need to say more. The message was clear—Taiichi and Minato were becoming too famous, too fast. Danzo was already moving pieces on the board.
Hiruzen watched him leave, then picked up the scroll again. Pride and caution warred in his eyes. He was proud of his students' growth, but he wasn't blind to the danger that kind of spotlight could bring.
"Looks like I'll have to find a reason to pull Taiichi back soon," he muttered to himself. "Too sharp an edge breaks easily. He still needs time to temper."
Far to the south, in the Sand forward camp, Rasa had finally arrived with the jinchuriki and the massive supply convoy. The boy—Ryo—was immediately moved to a sealed-off section of the camp. A full sealing unit worked around the clock to keep the One-Tail suppressed.
Inside the main command tent, Rasa sat at the head of the table with Chiyo and Ebizo.
"The jinchuriki won't last more than a week," Rasa said bluntly. "Three days at best if he's pushed. Have you finalized the attack plan?"
Ebizo answered after a glance at his sister. "There's no time for anything clever. Wood Leaf already knows about the jinchuriki. They're pulling forces back and preparing for a straight fight. We won't get the chance to use any tricks."
Rasa's jaw tightened. If Taiichi hadn't spotted them on the road, they could have arrived with the element of surprise. Now everything was out in the open.
"Then we fight," he said. "Three days from now. Full frontal assault. We use the One-Tail while we still can."
Chiyo finally spoke, voice cold and steady. "Agreed. No more games. Let's see if the Leaf can survive what's coming."