Chapter 5: The Unconventional Cloud Village

Several years ago, Sunagakure in the Land of Wind initiated a war by claiming the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, using it as a pretext to shift internal tensions into external conflict.

The first to bear the brunt of this was Konoha in the Land of Fire, known for its fertile land and abundant resources.

Initially, both sides engaged in small-scale skirmishes along the border, which slowly escalated into full-scale war.

During this time, Iwagakure from the Land of Earth and Kumogakure from the Land of Lightning were also quietly preparing for their own moves. When the timing was right, both launched their attacks on Konoha.

At this point, the pressure on Konoha was unprecedented. Not only did they face the threat of the three major nations, but they also had to manage internal power struggles among the prominent clans within the village. Konoha was forced to mobilize almost all of its available forces.

Fortunately, the notorious troublemakers from Kumogakure played a key role. First, they ambushed Sunagakure, weakening their position. Then, they turned on Iwagakure, stabbing them in the back. This gave Konoha much-needed breathing room.

Seizing the opportunity while Sunagakure was weakened, Iwagakure and Kumogakure were kept at bay by mutual distrust. With the help of Minato Namikaze's exceptional strategy, Konoha decisively defeated Sunagakure and forced them to sign a ceasefire agreement.

Simultaneously, Konoha destroyed Iwagakure's supply lines and shattered their frontline forces, leaving them unable to launch another large-scale assault in the near future.

At this point, the outcome of the war seemed clear.

Just as Konoha believed the war was finally nearing its end and began to celebrate, Kumogakure dealt them another devastating blow.

Kumogakure had suffered setbacks at the hands of both Sunagakure and Iwagakure. They were first repelled when attempting an ambush on Sunagakure, and later, while attacking Iwagakure's rear, they were caught in an ambush, leading to the death of the Third Raikage.

In response, Kumogakure decided to take on Konoha directly.

This decision must have left the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, scratching his head in confusion, wondering what kind of madness was running through the minds of Kumogakure's leaders.

What took Konoha even more by surprise, however, was the sudden declaration of war from the Mist Village of the Land of Water—an otherwise quiet player among the five major ninja nations.

Konoha was once again thrust into a desperate situation.

Though Iwagakure was temporarily incapable of launching a large-scale attack on Konoha, they still had a substantial number of ninjas ready to fight. At any moment, they could reignite the war.

As such, Konoha had to station a large military presence on both its borders with Iwagakure and Sunagakure to guard against surprise attacks.

While Sunagakure had signed a ceasefire agreement, it was nothing more than a worthless piece of paper. If the opportunity arose, they could easily tear up the agreement and declare war again.

This meant that Konoha still had to maintain a significant military presence along its border with Sunagakure.

With the war with Kumogakure already ongoing, Konoha was stretched too thin to adequately address the threat from Mist Village's sudden invasion.

Faced with no other options, the high command of Konoha had no choice but to turn to two of the most powerful and influential clans within the village: the Uchiha and the Hyūga.

Both clans were powerhouse families within Konoha, known for their strength and tightly-knit internal structures, which had always made the village's higher-ups wary of them.

Especially the Uchiha clan, with their rebellious nature, had long been a source of suspicion for Konoha's leadership, influenced by the policies of the Second Hokage.

The reason Konoha's leaders were reluctant to send the Uchiha clan members to the battlefield was twofold: they wanted to isolate them, as they feared the clan might gain too much influence and enter the inner circles of Konoha’s power through military success.

Additionally, the Uchiha possessed the unique and dangerous Sharingan, a dojutsu that could activate in response to emotional turmoil and boost their power. In a battlefield filled with the constant threat of life and death, the more the Uchiha fought, the stronger they could become.

While other clans might weaken over the course of a war, the Uchiha were the type to get stronger the more they fought, as those who survived became seasoned warriors.

In this ongoing war, two members of the Uchiha clan had even unlocked the fabled Mangekyō Sharingan, each one strong enough to take on entire armies.

With such power, the leadership of Konoha feared that if the Uchiha clan were allowed to join the battle, they might become uncontrollable.

However, with the declaration of war from Mist Village, Konoha had no choice but to call upon the Uchiha, instructing them to defend the borders against the invasion.

Looking back on the Third Great Ninja War, it was clear that the other major nations had been fighting intermittently, while Konoha had been engaged in continuous conflict, swapping one enemy for another.

After nearly eight years of constant battle, Konoha’s people were exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But now, it seemed the end of the war was finally within reach.

"Kaito, what should we do next? Should we bring them all back to Konoha?" Minato Namikaze asked as he quickly regained his composure, looking at Uchiha Kaito for guidance.

The war was not truly over yet; they still couldn’t let their guard down.

Uchiha Kaito paused for a moment, then instead of answering directly, he responded with a question: "What do you think?"

Minato hesitated before answering, "The Third Raikage is dead, and the Fourth Raikage's position is still undecided. Kumogakure is in disarray with no clear leader right now."

"If we want to end the war, we need to send back their Fourth Raikage candidate to take charge."

"I think the bond between A and Killer Bee is strong, and with him back in Kumogakure, we can better facilitate a ceasefire agreement."

Minato was suggesting that A be sent back to Kumogakure to negotiate peace. After all, every village had differing voices, and without a leader, many people with ulterior motives would arise.

Since A had a close relationship with Killer Bee, sending him back to lead could turn the tide in Konoha's favor.

But that was the conventional strategy.

Uchiha Kaito smiled and said, "Minato, you’ve misunderstood! If this were any other village, your decision would make perfect sense. But Kumogakure is... different."

"Do you believe that if we send A back, he won’t immediately rally their forces and escalate the war, using a full-scale attack as leverage to force us to release him?"

Minato froze for a moment, and after thinking about Kumogakure's typical approach, he couldn't refute Kaito's argument. After all, everyone knew Kumogakure's warriors were known for their love of battle.

Kaito continued, "A and Killer Bee are both crucial to Kumogakure—A is the Fourth Raikage candidate, and Killer Bee is the Kaitochūriki of the Eight-Tails. They can’t afford to let them go."

"The only way to get them to sit at the negotiation table is to keep both A and Killer Bee in our custody."

Minato frowned, "Are you sure the leaders of Kumogakure will all agree on this?"

Kaito understood the underlying concern in Minato’s question and sighed, "Kumogakure's leadership is different from ours. They are much more united."

"Plus, their Raikage's right-hand man, the Earth Master, is a smart person. He won’t let things get out of hand."

"So, we should bring A and Killer Bee back to Konoha for now."

Pausing for a moment, Kaito added, "Oh, and when you report back, don’t mention me. Just say it was the success of your team."

Minato's eyes widened, surprised. "Kaito, wasn’t this mission ordered by the Third Hokage?"