The air hung heavy, thick as stagnant water, every breath a labored effort in the motionless room.
All eyes fixed on the man in the seat of honor, none daring to shatter the silence.
"Damn it…"
The burly, dark-skinned man with his rugged features twisted in fury glared at the four grisly heads arrayed on the desk before him, his eyes blazing like a cornered beast's.
These were… his envoys!
Their heads severed and delivered to him in brazen mockery!
An insult beyond endurance!
"Damn Konoha!"
With a roar of unbridled rage, he instinctively raised his arm, poised to smash the desk as he so often did in fits of anger—but… his fist froze mid-air.
The four heads rested there, unmoving.
"Raikage-sama, what shall we do now?"
"Konoha has already issued us an ultimatum: an apology and compensation within three days, or they won't hesitate to reignite the Third Great Ninja War."
The middle-aged man in a Kumogakure jōnin uniform beside the Fourth Raikage spoke with calm detachment, as if the severed heads on the table held no sway over him whatsoever.
This was Dodai, a veteran who had served under two Raikage, deeply trusted and known as the Raikage's Retainer.
"An apology!?"
"Compensation!?"
"I haven't even held Konoha accountable for this, and they dare demand an apology from me?"
"My people are dead!"
The words only fueled the Raikage's seething fury.
He had wanted nothing more than the Byakugan!
Why couldn't they simply hand it over without resistance!
Just as Senju Hashirama had once gifted them the Eight-Tails—the second mightiest of the tailed beasts!
"Since Konoha craves war, then I'll give it to them!"
"When has Kumogakure ever swallowed such a humiliation!"
As the Raikage raged, Dodai sighed inwardly.
He knew his lord too well; in this moment, no plea for reconciliation could pierce that wall of anger.
Yet what Dodai hadn't anticipated was Konoha's unyielding stance on the matter.
Just a few years prior, after crushing Iwagakure, they hadn't even demanded reparations.
Had something shifted within the Hidden Leaf?
"Raikage-sama, if you insist on clashing with Konoha, we must reach out to Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
"Even if they merely observe from the sidelines, positioning troops along the borders as a deterrent would force Konoha to divide their forces, lightening the burden on our front."
Dodai's measured words tempered the Raikage's fury just enough; he still heaved with suppressed rage as he growled:
"Fine, I'll leave that to you!"
"This cursed Konoha will pay dearly!"
...
Shockwaves rippled outward, explosive in their reach.
The news of Konoha executing the Cloud Village delegation spread like wildfire through the Five Great Nations and countless lesser lands.
Kumogakure, scheming to seize the Byakugan under the veil of a peace envoy, had instead awakened Konoha's dormant warlike fury.
Newspapers fluttered like snowflakes onto the desks of Kage and shadowy underworld leaders alike.
No one had imagined Kumogakure's duplicity—using a peace mission as a Trojan horse—nor Konoha's iron resolve, even after losing the Yellow Flash.
What bolstered Konoha's confidence so boldly?
Did they believe the village now was the same as three years ago, under Hokage Minato Namikaze?
But Kumogakure's counter-propaganda swiftly followed.
Konoha was the aggressor, ambitious and insatiable, shattering fragile peace and maligning the Raikage's noble intentions. Without satisfaction, Kumogakure would strike!
The Tsuchikage and Kazekage, however, eyed the fresh prints with wry, knowing expressions.
They understood Kumogakure's tactics all too well.
Deflection, an age-old ploy… Konoha.
Hokage Building.
Hokage conference room.
The chamber felt emptier than before, its occupants sparse.
Beyond the core quartet of Konoha's elders, only Nara Shikaku and Kakashi were in attendance.
Pitch darkness enveloped the room, broken solely by the projector's beam casting stark light across the walls.
As the curtain flickered, a map of the ninja world materialized in sharp relief.
"The Raikage's reaction aligns with our predictions. I've already prepared a formal declaration of war."
"Our forces are riding high on morale; we can take Kumogakure head-on."
"Jiraiya should reach the village tonight, as well."
"I intend to name him supreme commander for the Kumogakure front."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke between puffs of his pipe, his aging eyes steady beneath the haze.
Pale blue smoke curled from his lips and nostrils, veiling his features in subtle mystery.
With war inevitable, words were superfluous; even a lion exerts full might against a rabbit.
Wavering invited ruin.
"Lord Jiraiya's prowess and renown are unmatched in Konoha, second only to you, Hokage-sama. He's the ideal commander."
"But beyond Kumogakure—our declared enemy—we cannot overlook Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
Nara Shikaku drew on his own cigarette, smoke weaving lazily as his voice carried clear and even.
"Sunagakure sparked the Third Great Ninja War, true, but they've already leveraged it to stabilize internal unrest from the Kazekage's disappearance. Their defeat eroded public faith, and even the daimyo withholds military funding. They won't stir again."
"Sunagakure poses no threat."
Kakashi spoke then, his gaze fixed on the ninja world map glowing on the screen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's clouded eyes brightened faintly.
"Go on."
He had pegged Kakashi as impulsive youth, but beneath the brash edge lay unexpected acuity.
"Iwagakure's might rivals Kumogakure's."
"Yet they slew the Third Raikage—the current Raikage's father."
"Blood debt demands blood. Even if Kumogakure begs for aid to pin us down, trust is fragile. The Tsuchikage won't easily ally, no matter the Raikage's pleas."
Kakashi's cool analysis drew a nod of approval from Danzo Shimura, though his tone carried deliberate dissent:
"National ties aren't swayed by personal grudges."
Kakashi anticipated the rebuttal and pressed on:
"Still, we must dispatch a veteran of renown, skill, and authority with a full contingent to fortify the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire. Precautions are essential."
Both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura regarded Kakashi with fresh respect. Danzo continued:
"Precisely. This role demands the old—"
"It must be Lady Tsunade. No one else can shoulder it."