Chapter 85: The Gathering Storm
Kumogakure faced a similar, if less acute, problem. While their situation was better than Iwa's, a sharp population boom among their shinobi had placed a heavy strain on the village's resources. To cope with the financial strain, Kumo was forced to seek new revenue streams, exploring trade relations and cooperative projects with other nations. This served the dual purpose of easing domestic pressure and creating a veneer of regional stability.
In essence, both Iwagakure and Kumogakure were buckling under the weight of their own military expansion. Their solution—to export this pressure outwards—was a recipe for conflict.
Akatsurugi observed these developments with a grim understanding. War was brewing, and when it came, he would be at the center of the storm. The grudges held by the other villages, especially Kumo, were deep and personal. While the last diplomatic incident had been suppressed, a full-scale war would rip the lid off old wounds. He had little doubt that someone like Danzō would not hesitate to use that to his advantage.
Over the past five years, Danzō had been systematically and brazenly encroaching on his authority over the three ANBU battalions under his command. The Hokage had turned a blind eye, a clear sign that Sarutobi Hiruzen was complicit in this gradual power shift. Akatsurugi wasn't surprised. Power was a corrupting lure, and five years of peace had only nurtured their ambitions.
At that moment, a small cat darted into his room. Akatsurugi glanced at it and noted its blood-red eyes a moment before the world shifted around him. He was in an illusion—a secure, untraceable method of communication he had established with the Uchiha clan.
"Lord Akatsurugi," the voice of Uchiha Tai, the clan's Great Elder, echoed in the mental space. "Do you still intend to remain passive?"
Akatsurugi regarded the elder's spectral form. "For now."
Uchiha Tai's expression was deeply disappointed. "Lord Akatsurugi... I do not have many years left."
Looking at the elder's aged, weary face, Akatsurugi sighed. The Uchiha had been his staunchest, if quietest, supporters. But the political landscape was a tangled web. His personal strength was immense, but true authority still rested with the Third Hokage and his council. Seizing power through force was one thing; securing a stable reign was another.
This crisis, however, presented an opportunity. Seeing Uchiha Tai's profound disappointment, a decision crystallized in his mind. "Sometimes," Akatsurugi said slowly, "one must retreat to advance."
Uchiha Tai started, then his eyes widened with dawning hope. "Lord Akatsurugi... you have decided?"
Akatsurugi gave a single, firm nod.
A look of profound relief washed over Uchiha Tai's features. Life under the Third Hokage's administration had been a constant struggle for the clan. "The Uchiha await your command, Lord Akatsurugi!" With that, the illusion dissolved.
Akatsurugi stood and made his way to the Hokage's office.
"Ah, Akatsurugi! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted him with a practiced, genial smile.
Returning the smile, Akatsurugi came straight to the point. "Lord Hokage, I've recently had some insights into my training. I wish to undertake a period of secluded study in the Shikkotsu Forest and have come to request your permission."
Hiruzen was taken aback. A retreat? Was he on the verge of another breakthrough? "Is this regarding your Sage Art?" he asked, curiosity piqued.
"Nothing escapes you, Lord Hokage," Akatsurugi replied, neither confirming nor denying.
Believing he understood, Hiruzen nodded. "Very well. You have my blessing. If anything urgent arises, I will have Tsunade contact you."
By then, it will be too late, Akatsurugi thought. Aloud, he said, "Thank you. There is one more thing. I would appreciate it if you would keep an eye on my Third ANBU Battalion in my absence."
"Of course, Akatsurugi. You have my word," Hiruzen assured him.
Satisfied, Akatsurugi took his leave. He knew the news would reach Danzō's ears before the office door had fully closed behind him, but he didn't care.
He returned home, gave Kato Ei a few final instructions—primarily to avoid using his forbidden techniques and to keep his immortality a secret—and then departed. Few paid any mind to Kato Ei; he was widely seen as the talentless boy Akatsurugi had picked up from the battlefield, still a Genin after all these years, pointlessly training in taijutsu under another eternal Genin, Might Dai. He was beneath their notice.
At the Root headquarters, Danzō received the report, a flicker of envy in his eye. "Such prodigious talent. Another breakthrough in Sage Art? No matter. This is for the best. With the situation deteriorating, his absence provides a perfect opportunity for me to... distinguish myself."
Uchiha Tai, informed of Akatsurugi's departure immediately, set the next phase of the plan in motion. Through discreet channels, he leaked the information: Akatsurugi had left Konoha to undergo secluded training.
The news spread through the ninja world like wildfire. In every major village, leaders who had lived in the shadow of the Blaze God's power saw a window of opportunity swing open. Konoha without its ultimate deterrent was no longer an impregnable fortress; it was a target.
The borders grew tense, then chaotic. Probing attacks and provocations increased. Kumo was the most aggressive, but Iwa, Suna, and even the still-wounded Kiri saw a chance to press their advantages. The spark had been lit. The Second Shinobi World War was imminent.
In the Hokage's office, Konoha's leadership was in disarray.
"Given the critical situation, I believe we must recall Akatsurugi at once," Mitokado Homura stated, his voice grave.
The Third Hokage nodded slowly. He hadn't anticipated the situation would deteriorate so rapidly the moment Akatsurugi left. And the leak of his departure had placed Konoha in a dangerously passive position.
Danzō, however, vehemently disagreed. This was his moment. "Nonsense," he countered. "Akatsurugi is in seclusion. But even if he weren't, are we so weak that we are dependent on a single man? Do you wish to make him the undisputed savior of Konoha? Have we forgotten the trouble he causes? The Kage he has killed?"
A heavy silence fell over the room. He had a point. Akatsurugi was a force of nature, difficult to control. Perhaps they could manage without him.
The Third Hokage rapped his knuckles on the desk, calling for order. "Enough. We will monitor the situation for now." The decision was made. They would face the coming storm without their Blaze God.