Chapter Thirty: The Siege!

With Black Zetsu and the Akatsuki no longer stirring up trouble from the shadows, Konoha—and indeed the entire Land of Fire—experienced an unprecedented surge in growth. In a mere five years, through the combined efforts of ninjas and civilians, the Land of Fire seemed to enter a superhighway of progress, advancing at a breathtaking pace.

Civilians no longer starved; every year they could afford new clothes, every month they could enjoy meat a few times. The number of ninjas soared, with elite jonin and Kage-level powerhouses emerging one after another, pushing back the graduation age for ninja students time and again. Now, new ninja students were required to spend a full eighteen years in school before stepping out into society.

Those who graduated before the reforms sighed with relief at their narrow escape—now, upon entering the advanced ninja academy, the mountains of paperwork were enough to leave anyone dizzy and terrified.

The influx of wandering and rogue ninjas accelerated the formation of the Land of Fire’s army. Nowadays, the minimum requirement for a ninja to enlist was the chakra level of a chunin, proficiency in at least ten jutsu, and for slightly higher positions like company or battalion commander, one needed jonin-level chakra, mastery of hundreds of jutsu, battlefield command skills, and passing the military academy exam.

For high-ranking positions, such as staff officers, only Kage-level powerhouses would suffice—those capable of fighting hundreds alone. To put it simply, Jiraiya, upon returning to Konoha before his evolution, would merely rank as a division commander. Yet now, the Land of Fire’s army boasted hundreds of division-level powerhouses, more than a dozen corps commanders, and at the highest echelon sat Nagato—with five others of equal rank!

They were Nagato Uzumaki, Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki—all of super-Kage level.

On this day, as all the top leaders convened once more for a meeting, dragging along Hao Yun, who seemed content to idle away, to discuss the next five-year plan, a call came through from the Hokage’s border office.

“Reporting to Lady Tsunade: there’s a Ninja World Allied Army at the border! According to intelligence from the Hyuga and Aburame clans’ scouts, the enemy originates from the other three major hidden villages!”

If you’re wondering about the fourth hidden village, Sand, well… Four years ago, with Scorpion and Hao Yun’s newly accepted disciple Gaara taking action, and with Granny Chiyo and Ebizo as inside agents, Sand was compelled to join the Land of Fire. The feudal lord of the Land of Wind was expelled by Sand, and he led the entire nation, tail between his legs, into the happy embrace of the red society.

In the Hokage’s office, Tsunade, now the leader and Chairwoman of the Land of Fire, tapped her desk, signaling for silence.

“Hao Yun, why do you think they’re attacking the Land of Fire?” Tsunade asked, recalling Hao Yun’s earlier calculations that there should be at least ten more years of development ahead. Only five years had passed, and the others were already wary of the Land of Fire?

Given the Land of Fire’s expulsion of the feudal lord and abolition of the noble system, this should be their time to mock us.

Hao Yun smacked his lips. “Well… Perhaps Black Zetsu is behind this?”

After voicing his suspicion, Hao Yun grew more convinced he was right.

“Think about it. After Akatsuki and the Land of Rain joined Konoha, who’s left at Black Zetsu’s side? Obito, right? He’s the only one obsessed with entering the Eye of the Moon’s world to resurrect Rin.

Now the Land of Fire no longer accepts missions, only assigns jobs, and its national power grows ever stronger. Unable to meddle or stir up trouble, and lacking Akatsuki’s powerful support, the ones most anxious are surely those two.

And with Black Zetsu’s hundred thousand White Zetsus… If a world war erupts, what do you think will happen next?”

No further explanation was needed; the assembled leaders grasped Hao Yun’s point.

A world war would see most genin and chunin cannon fodder perish, and even the strong would suffer heavy casualties. At that point, facing a hundred thousand White Zetsus, even super-Kage level powerhouses could not survive.

Once the ninja forces of all nations were devastated, who could stand against Kage-level Obito and Black Zetsu? Without other strong contenders, with his Mangekyo Sharingan, Obito could easily collect the Tailed Beasts… Gather all nine, revive the Ten Tails, unseal Kaguya Otsutsuki… The rest need not be said; the entire ninja world would be devoured by the Chakra Tree.

“So what should we do? Break off relations with the three major hidden villages?”

Tsunade was troubled. After only a few years of peace, must they fight again?

“Hmph! Three mere nations—I only need to bring the Anbu to suppress them!” The Anbu Commander, Nagato Uzumaki, slammed his palm on the desk, his face fierce. The Anbu now equated to organizations like the FBI or National Security Bureau from the previous world. Only those with elite jonin strength even qualified to join.

Indeed, as long as they didn’t face overwhelming numbers, Nagato could lead his division to suppress all the hidden villages. Most importantly, peace had finally dawned, and Nagato would never allow anyone to undermine Yahiko’s dream.

“Shikaku, what do you think?” Tsunade ignored the hot-tempered Nagato and turned her gaze to the wisest member of the Nara clan.

Shikaku pondered and unfolded the current map of the Land of Fire.

“I don’t recommend starting a war,” Shikaku said, pointing to the newly acquired territories of the Land of Waves, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Wind. “Our border is stretched too thin. If war breaks out, with our current army numbers, we’ll undoubtedly be spread too far. So, I suggest negotiation!”

“Negotiation? I disagree!” Nagato roared. “Why negotiate? Don’t forget, our goal is to unite the ninja world and eradicate the feudal system!”

“I know!” Shikaku replied, undaunted. “But how do you know peaceful persuasion is impossible? Don’t forget the level of civilian support when the Land of Wind joined! Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it!”

Nagato was silenced, recalling the reaction when Gaara and Scorpion led the Land of Wind’s civilians into the Land of Fire. Aside from the feudal lord and the nobles, all civilians—including ninjas and ninja clans—were jubilant. In fact, when the ruling party assigned jobs, they were even more enthusiastic than the Land of Fire’s own citizens.

Perhaps the people of the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Water had long hoped to join the Land of Fire. After all, the flood of civilians and refugees pouring into the border had only grown in recent years.

“I agree,” Jiraiya raised his hand. “We can invite the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, and the Mizukage to visit Konoha, let them choose for themselves. If they’re willing to join, we’ll annex their nations and admit them to the ruling party. If not, then we go to war!”

Having survived the First, Second, and Third Great Ninja Wars, Jiraiya was never a gentle soul. Previously, he saw no hope for peace and muddled through. Now, he would allow no one to destroy the Land of Fire or Konoha.

Tsunade tapped the desk slowly, weighing the pros and cons. After half an hour, just as the others were about to speak up, she finally issued her command.

“Nagato and Jiraiya will lead the teams, Shikaku Nara as strategist. Dispatch the First and Second Corps to guard the border. Unless ordered otherwise, only defend, do not attack! Also, in Konoha’s name, issue a formal invitation to the leaders of the Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Mist villages to visit Konoha for a peace conference!”