Sometimes, the reasons for war between nations can be as trivial as a feather—something utterly insignificant. Yet the most common excuse has always been the same: the death of an important figure, followed by cries of vengeance.
Take this case, for example. The leader of the Lightning Country's diplomatic envoy was, in truth, a minor figure in Kumogakure—not even a jōnin, merely a chūnin. If he had been stronger, Hyūga Hiashi wouldn't have felled him with a single strike.
Still, his death carried weight. He had represented not just Kumogakure, but the face of the entire Lightning Country. So when news of his demise reached the village, the Fourth Raikage, A, seized upon it as the perfect pretext to rally his nation for war.
The Fourth Raikage was a man of pure fire and fury—fierce, impulsive, and utterly devoted to strength. In a village that revered raw power above all else, his reputation had already surpassed every Raikage before him.
After his rallying speech, the entire Kumogakure seemed to ignite. Every shinobi in the village was ready to march to war, their blood boiling with anticipation.
Satisfied, the Raikage returned to his office, where his secretary—Mabui, dressed in her usual sharp business attire—stood before him, files in hand.
"Lord Raikage," she reported crisply, "our ninja tools and logistics supplies are seventy percent ready. The remaining thirty percent can be completed within three days."
"Make it two," A barked. "War waits for no one. We'll strike hard and end this quickly."
Seated in his oversized chair, every inch of the man radiated raw masculinity—no wonder he was practically the poster boy of Kumo's hero tales.
"What's the Daimyō's stance?" he asked.
"The Daimyō has agreed to fully support the war," Mabui replied, flipping open another document. "However, he's made one demand: at minimum, we must seize one-third of the Land of Fire's territory—and all of the Land of Hot Springs."
She handed over a folder. "This contains the Lightning Country's fiscal report for the last three years."
The Raikage frowned and waved her off. "Just tell me the gist. Those numbers give me a headache."
Mabui sighed softly and skimmed through the pages. "In short, because we failed to achieve decisive gains in the Third Shinobi War, and due to recent years of heavy military expansion, the nation's finances are deeply in the red. We're on the verge of economic collapse."
The Raikage drummed his thick, dark fingers on the desk. "So you're saying this war is needed to ease the financial pressure?"
"Not just ease it," Mabui corrected, "but reverse it. We must win big. Only a major victory will justify continued military spending. If we merely fight to a draw, Kumo's training programs and weapon development will have to be suspended. The cost of that would be unbearable."
The Raikage rose from his chair, his eyes sharp with resolve. "So this is a war we cannot lose."
Mabui nodded slightly. "We not only have to win—we have to win decisively."
"Good," the Raikage grinned fiercely. "Then we'll give it everything we've got—and take Konoha's title as the number one shinobi village in the world!"
Soon after, vast numbers of Kumogakure shinobi began moving into the Land of Hot Springs. The ANBU intelligence units of Konoha continuously relayed urgent reports from the border, forcing the Leaf to mobilize its own armies. The war between Fire and Lightning was inevitable.
In such a tense atmosphere, Rokuro's experiments had to be put on hold—because every night, the Uchiha clan was convening emergency meetings.
Given Rokuro's recent prominence, he now had the right—and obligation—to attend.
Inside the Naka Shrine, the three main Uchiha factions, for once, weren't arguing. They were pooling information, discussing how their clan should participate in the upcoming war.
Rokuro sat quietly, his expression grim.
"Did I just shoot myself in the foot?" he thought wryly. "There wasn't supposed to be a full-scale war in the original timeline, was there?"
In the manga, after Hyūga Hizashi sacrificed himself to save his brother Hiashi, the conflict between the two nations simply ended there. From a shōnen perspective, that resolution was acceptable. But for an adult, it was laughably unrealistic—no country would halt a war just because one man died.
After all, wars were never waged out of pure emotion. They were born of necessity—of scarce resources, political tension, or the need to redirect domestic unrest.
"This time," Rokuro mused silently, "the Lightning Country clearly wants this war. Which means there's an internal crisis they can't resolve without it. Even if Hizashi hadn't died, even if the entire Hyūga clan had been sacrificed, the war would still have come. They'd have just found another excuse."
He sighed inwardly. "In that case, it's not really my fault. Shōnen manga were never meant to mirror reality."
While the clan's so-called "leaders" debated, Rokuro quietly observed. Their discussions all boiled down to the same thing—obey the Hokage, prove loyalty, and send as many Sharingan users as possible to the frontlines to show Konoha their sincerity.
Rokuro didn't say a word. He just lamented that his research would probably be suspended for a long time.
After the meeting ended, he was summoned to the home of Uchiha Setsuna, the clan's eldest elder, to discuss the war in more detail.
"Rokuro," the elder asked gravely, "do you think the Uchiha should send their main forces into this war?"
Rokuro didn't answer directly. Instead, he countered with a question.
"Elder Setsuna, if Sarutobi Hiruzen were assassinated right now, would our clan head—Fugaku—become the next Hokage?"
Setsuna paused, then shook his head slightly.
"Not even if Hiruzen died naturally and the Uchiha bore no suspicion. Fugaku still wouldn't be chosen."
"Then tell me," Rokuro pressed, "who do you think would become the Fifth Hokage?"
Setsuna thought for a moment. "Probably one of the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya or Tsunade. Jiraiya's too free-spirited to stay cooped up in an office, so most likely… Tsunade."
"Sharp as always, Elder," Rokuro said, clapping his hands softly. "Then let me ask one more thing—if Tsunade becomes Hokage, would our situation improve?"
Setsuna hesitated for a long while before replying.
"It might improve slightly, but not by much. Tsunade is a Senju by blood—the granddaughter of the First Hokage. The Uchiha and Senju have centuries of enmity between them. Even if she's not as ruthless as Hiruzen, the best we could hope for is maintaining the status quo. She won't favor us."
Rokuro smiled faintly.
"Exactly. Which means we have only two possible paths ahead of us."
He raised two fingers.
"One—declare independence, establish our own village, and cut ties with Konoha forever. But that path is fraught with danger. Too many forces covet the Uchiha's power. Once we walk it, we'll not only face Konoha's pursuit, but the ambushes of every other hidden village."
He paused. "And let's be honest—even within the clan, few have the resolve to leave. Our ancestor—the great warrior himself—tried this once, and no one followed. If he couldn't do it, no one can now."
At the mention of that forbidden name, Setsuna sighed deeply. Back then, he had been among those who opposed Madara Uchiha. Looking back now, part of him regretted it.
"Then the other path," Rokuro continued, "is alliance—forming bonds with as many clans as possible. Take a page from Sarutobi's playbook. Build a network so strong that when the time comes—"
He smiled darkly.
"we'll leave him no way out."
END OF CHAPTER
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