Daimyo Communication

As the majority of ninja villages anxiously awaited the response from their respective daimyo, and the daimyo, in turn, awaited the response from the Land of Grass daimyo, the timeframe for this exchange was expected to be slightly extended. The strict regulations surrounding the capitals of each land meant that it would take approximately two weeks for a reply to be received.

During this period of waiting, news started pouring in about the remarkable advancements witnessed in grass ninja. These reports were undeniably alarming, as they revealed that the new chakra shroud amplified the abilities of ninjas by an entire grade. Genin were now on par with chunin, and chunin were as formidable as jonin.

Additionally, there hadn't been any sightings of a jonin from the Land of Grass since the appearance of this new power, suggesting that they may possess several ninjas at Kage level. The notion that a relatively small village harbored multiple Kage-level ninjas left the Five Major Villages deeply concerned, cautious, and filled with regret.

At that time, the Third Hokage felt a profound sense of remorse because he realized that had they taken the matter more seriously, it could have been their village experiencing this newfound power, rather than the humble Grass Village.

In the capital of the Land of Grass, the daimyo sifted through the plethora of letters recently received, all while under Kurogiri's influence. With Kurogiri's guidance, the daimyo began crafting a response. This reply mentioned that the creature had indeed infiltrated their lands and caused disruptions, but with Orochimaru's aid, it was eventually subdued and used to enhance the strength of all ninjas in the village.

The daimyo went as far as to detail how Orochimaru had taken possession of the creature's body and now controlled another similar creatures. The daimyo even went on to proclaim the land of grass has change to the Land of Shigaraki(Death)and the village will also be Shigaraki Village led by Orochimaru who they back.

Little did they know that this entire narrative was a clever ploy devised by Kurogiri to mislead the ninja villages, making them believe he was deceased, and that Orochimaru was utilizing his body. In order to deter anyone who may still be interested in acquiring Kurogiri's body, allowing Orochimaru to play the role served as a means of stability and a deterrent, while providing Kurogiri ample room to maneuver in the shadows. Kurogiri had already anticipated that the ninja villages would take issue with him openly controlling a village, so this strategy allowed him time to grow and evolve.

Once the Daimyo finished preparing the response, the return letters were handed off to former grass Jonin, who were using physically enhancement quirk to serve as an additional deterrent. These Jonin swiftly left the Land of Shigaraki and set out to deliver the letters to the capitals of nearby lands. Thanks to their physical enhancements quirks, the responses reached their destinations within just two days.

When the Daimyo's response letters were received, the ninja guards protecting the daimyo were astonished by the power displayed by the messengers. In these two days, sightings of the green-shrouded, Kage-level ninjas rushing through other countries were reported to major and even minor villages.

This wave of reports confirmed to the major villages that the Land of Grass did indeed possess a substantial number of Kage-level ninjas. This knowledge alone was terrifying, but when the Kages received the Daimyo's letter detailing the changes in the Land of Grass, the situation became even worse. Learning that Orochimaru not only held leadership but also controlled the creature's body sent shockwaves through the Kages.

The Third Hokage, deeply concerned upon receiving this news, knew that his former student harbored resentment towards him and the village. Now that Orochimaru had an entire village under his command, along with control over the creature's body, it heightened the Third Hokage's worry.

With the meeting order issued, all available Jonin and Clan Heads were quickly gathered, creating an atmosphere of tense anticipation in the meeting room. The Third Hokage wasted no time in relaying the information about the Land of Grass' name change, the Kage-level delivery ninjas, and Orochimaru's leadership.

The weight of this revelation hung heavily in the air, leaving the room in absolute silence. Even Danzo, typically outspoken, found himself temporarily struck mute. Every attendee had been aware of the reports regarding Kage-level ninjas, but having the truth confirmed was truly astounding.

The most concerning issue was the sheer number of Kage-level ninja, which stood at fifteen. This was an alarmingly high number, even for a major village, let alone a minor one. Jiraiya, who had been in the village since the first warning of Orochimaru's sightings, sat silently, contemplating his next words.

Coming to a decision, Jiraiya believed it necessary for everyone in the meeting to know that he had been able to sense the presence of these Kage-level ninjas, noticing their connection to natural energy. Everyone present was aware of Jiraiya's ability to use natural energy to enter sage mode, making him a true Kage-level ninja. Thus, the realization that the grass ninja possessed something similar, considering their number, was truly alarming.

Concerned, the Third Hokage asked Jiraiya if he was absolutely positive, to which Jiraiya assured him, adding that the concentration of natural energy among the grass ninja was not as high as in his sage mode. However, this news did little to alleviate the mounting concerns, as it became clear that the new Shigaraki Village, led by Orochimaru, posed a genuine threat with an unknown arsenal of powerful forces.

As discussion continued, Nara Shikaku, representing the Nara clan and renowned for his intelligence, inquired if there was any way to reach out to the other major villages. The Third Hokage hesitated, noting that the other villages might still hold a grudge against Konoha since the Third Great Ninja War. It was at this point that Danzo, despite his history with Orochimaru, suggested attempting to communicate with him to extract information.

Secretly, Danzo had already been planning to pursue this course of action, driven by his desire to obtain some of the power the grass ninja derived from the creature. He believed that by acquiring such power, his long-standing ambition of becoming Hokage would finally be realized.

The members of the meeting were taken aback by Danzo's suggestion, but after careful consideration, most acknowledged the realism of this approach. It became apparent that Konoha could ill afford to engage in a fight against a village boasting numerous Kage-level ninjas, especially when Konoha had fewer than five available at best. Hearing the discussion swirling around him, Danzo clandestinely reveled in the positive reception of his suggestion, as it brought him one step closer to his goal of becoming Hokage.

Though the Third Hokage sensed Danzo's ulterior motives, he recognized that, like everyone else, Konoha simply couldn't afford another war. Yielding to the weight of the circumstances, the Third Hokage reluctantly accepted Danzo's suggestion and put Danzo in charge of the communication process. The meeting was then concluded.

Simultaneously, in three out of the five major villages, high-level ninja was also conducting meetings to discuss the news coming from their respective daimyo. In the Land of Lightning, within the cloud village, the Raikage convened a meeting to discuss the information received from the daimyo.

As they went over the response, the Kage-level ninjas, including Orochimaru as the new leader, the Raikage and the attendees grew increasingly displeased with the news. The Raikage suspected Konoha's involvement, convinced that Orochimaru, despite being a traitor, still had ties to the village.

Realizing that the chances of acquiring the creature were now slim, the Raikage decided to foster a friendlier relationship with the newly established Shigaraki Village. The Raikage acknowledged that this new village would significantly alter the world's dynamics.

Unbeknownst to the Raikage, the Third Tsuchikage in the Land of Earth shared the same sentiment. Their village also held a meeting, coming to the conclusion that pursuing the creature was no longer viable and instead opting for cordial communications with the Shigaraki Village.

In the Land of Wind, within the Sand Village, the Kazekage and higher-ranking officials held a discussion regarding the transformations in the Land of Shigaraki. The Kazekage proposed the idea of establishing peaceful contact with Orochimaru, even considering the eventual formation of an alliance.

The Kazekage emphasized how Orochimaru had betrayed Konoha and speculated that by combining forces with their village and Orochimaru's, they may stand a chance at overthrowing Konoha. The benefits of such an alliance were listed, with even the elders, including Chiyo, acknowledging that it was a solid plan.

On the other hand, the Land of Water, specifically the Mist Village, remained detached from the issue, displaying their usual inclination towards bloodshed instead. However, the four major villages—Lightning, Earth, Wind, and Fire—were actively attempting to establish contact with the Land of Shigaraki.

The consensus among the minor villages was to limit their involvement and leave it to the major villages to handle. With everyone informed and taking action, rumors inevitably began circulating that the Land of Shigaraki, along with the Shigaraki Village, would soon ascend to major village status.