"Mm!"
Tsunade and Orochimaru didn't hesitate to accept such a valuable opportunity to earn distinction on the battlefield.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then turned to the other side.
"Jiraiya, you and Minato Namikaze will be responsible for the Iwagakure front."
"Don't worry, old man!" Jiraiya replied, grinning as usual. Despite his easygoing nature, when it came to war, Jiraiya never backed down.
"Mm," Hiruzen murmured, a faint smile easing his stern expression. Among the Sannin, Jiraiya was the one who reassured him most.
Finally, Hiruzen's gaze fell on Aoyama Ryuyun.
"Ahem! Ryuyun, the Kumogakure front will be entrusted to you. I'll have the Ino–Shika–Chō trio support you."
The Cloud Village was, after Konoha, the strongest of the Five Great Villages. They had the Third Raikage—renowned as both the Strongest Shield and the Strongest Spear—along with the future Fourth Raikage, Ay, and Killer B, the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki. Together, they formed the formidable AB Combo. They also possessed Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki.
To decisively defeat Kumogakure meant potentially facing four Kage-level opponents at once.
That was exactly why Hiruzen wanted Aoyama Ryuyun to command that front.
Still, he looked at Ryuyun with a trace of unease, half-expecting him to refuse outright.
But instead, Aoyama Ryuyun simply glanced at Tsunade beside him, then nodded without hesitation.
"In that case, leave the Hidden Cloud Village to me."
No fuss. No conditions. No hesitation.
Just confidence.
They were only human, after all—overconfident brutes at best. Aoyama Ryuyun didn't fear them in the slightest.
"…"
Hiruzen stared at him, momentarily dumbfounded.
That easy? No demands? No negotiations? It almost seemed suspicious.
Ryuyun noticed the flicker of disbelief in the Hokage's face and smirked faintly.
"What is it, Hokage-sama? Any further instructions?"
"...Nothing."
Hiruzen shook his head firmly. If Ryuyun wanted nothing in return, then so be it. As long as he agreed to fight, that was enough.
"Oh, right," Ryuyun said suddenly, as though remembering something.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly. Here it comes, he thought grimly. Now he's going to name his condition.
"Hokage-sama," Ryuyun asked, "have you deployed all of Konoha's top shinobi to the frontlines?"
"Yes," Hiruzen replied cautiously, uncertain where this was leading.
"Then what happens," Ryuyun continued, "if Kirigakure also declares war?"
The question landed heavily in the silent room.
If the Hidden Mist launched a large-scale invasion while every capable shinobi was deployed elsewhere, Konoha would have no one left to defend the homeland.
"This…"
Hiruzen hesitated. He wanted to dismiss the idea as unnecessary worry. And truthfully, most of the others in the room shared that sentiment.
For generations, the Hidden Mist had stayed out of the major Shinobi Wars. They were isolationists—bloody, yes, but inwardly focused. They had never openly joined a global conflict.
Yet, Aoyama Ryuyun's serious tone and calm demeanor made it difficult for Hiruzen to brush him off.
"If Kirigakure attacks," Hiruzen said at last, "then I, as Hokage, will personally lead our defenses."
Of course, he had no real intention of doing so—he simply didn't believe it would come to that.
Seeing that the Uchiha Clan hadn't been assigned a front, Hiruzen turned to them.
"In that case," he declared, "the old man and the Uchiha will hold the line against the Hidden Mist if it comes to that."
"With the Uchiha Clan present, Konoha will suffer no losses!" Uchiha Fugaku said proudly, his eyes alight with conviction.
Aoyama Ryuyun barely restrained an eyeroll. Idiot.
Fire Release specialists versus a village that mastered Water Release—and you call that a solid plan? Even the Sharingan would be hampered by the dense fog of the Mist.
Still, Ryuyun said nothing.
"Since Hokage-sama has made all the arrangements," he said with a faint, knowing smile, "we'll take our leave."
Hiruzen nodded in relief, interpreting Ryuyun's smile as confidence rather than quiet mockery.
To him, Kirigakure's neutrality was certain.
To Ryuyun, it was simply amusing.
Let's see, he thought, how you'll react when the Mist does declare war.
That subtle, almost playful glint in Ryuyun's eyes made Hiruzen uneasy. Could the Hidden Mist truly attack? No—impossible, he told himself. They would never get involved.
After leaving the Hokage Building, most of the attending ninja dispersed in silence to prepare for battle. There was no chatter, no casual banter—only grim purpose.
"Ryuyun!"
Just as Aoyama Ryuyun and Tsunade were about to head home, Shinku Yūhi called out to him.
Ryuyun turned, slightly puzzled. "Hmm?"
Shinku approached, expression heavy. "During this war, I'm entrusting my daughter, Kurenai, to you."
Kurenai Yūhi had already graduated from the Academy. Like many young genin, she would be pulled into the chaos whether she liked it or not.
This wasn't training anymore. This was war.
Though Shinku Yūhi had once harbored resentment toward Ryuyun, she now knew there was no one stronger or more capable of protecting her daughter.
Ryuyun gave a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Even if you hadn't asked, I'd still protect Kurenai."
"...Thank you."
That was all she could say. Shinku Yūhi nodded, gratitude heavy in her eyes, then turned away. She had preparations of her own to handle.
When the two of them returned home, Tsunade finally broke the silence.
"Ryuyun," she said quietly, "do you truly believe the Hidden Mist will declare war on Konoha?"
Her tone wasn't skeptical—it was cautious. She knew he wouldn't say something like that without reason.
Ryuyun, standing in the doorway, gave her a faint smile as he lifted the Dead Tree and Sakura-Ju blades from the rack.
"You don't believe me?" he asked, his eyes glinting under the lamplight.
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