V.1-C.34│World War Begins I│

"So you mean to tell me that this is the way everything was handled." Hiruzen, the Third Hokage said as there were currently three people brought before him.

Kushina Uzumaki, Obito Uchiha and one Kirigakure, or former Kiri shinobi by the name of Mei Terumi.

"Yes. I was hoping that this wouldn't somehow negatively affect relations..." Kushina replied, as Obito and Mei were also awaiting for the answer Hiruzen would be giving.

"No, no. It's fine." Hiruzen replied so easily, and the three of them were relieved. "However, Mei Terumi, you should only stay here within Konoha for a certain period of time. While, yes, I have agreed to let you stay, that doesn't mean that it is anything permanent."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Mei said as she tanked the man for his kindness, which was something Hiruzen always had, and was slowly gaining on it.

If this was the Hiruzen from before the end of the Second War, he wouldn't have allowed Mei to stay here. "If that is all, you may leave."

"Thank you again, Lord Third." Kushina said before she gestured for Obito and Mei to follow after her and leave from here.

Things were complicated as is, and the conflicts were starting to become worse and worse between countries. A Third World War was most definitely around the corner now.

In fact, as soon as Kushina, Mei and Obito had left his office, Hiruzen would then be meeting up with a few other important people to discuss things.

Because of a decline in national power, the reign of the Five Great Shinobi Countries was crumbling. Along their borders, skirmishes with smaller nations broke out all the time. The prolonged conflicts gradually spread their flames far and wide.

These flames would then continue to spread some more, before something would have to give. Right now, the Hidden Villages, which are the most involved in said wars, would be having to involve themselves with the politics of the countries as well.

The political system, the whole government and country system in place for this world was strange. Strange in that there were effectively two 'leaders' of a country, one being the Daimyo and the other being the Kage of a Hidden Village.

These two leaders would interfere and not interfere in each others business. One was a semi-elected office, and the other was either inherited, or elected when there was no one that would be able to inherit.

It was strange, but it worked well enough that it was implemented across the world, and with the strange abilities people have access to, it isn't that hard to see why.

"Danzo." Hiruzen said as he sat down within another room, that was not his office. His friend, and current leader of the ANBU corps, Danzo was someone that he could trust.

Someone that he does trust to help him with maintaining the peace and prosperity of the village, as Danzo's love for the village was definitely there.

There were also the advisors of the Leaf, that were a part of the Konoha council. Currently composed of Homura Mitokado, Danzo Shimura, and Koharu Utatane.

"Lord Third." Danzo said respectfully to Hiruzen, just as Homura and Koharu had entered as well. They were all middle aged, and would be becoming even older than what they are now as time passes.

There was no one else to fill in their current positions on the council anyway, and the decisions they make are important for not only the village, but also for the rest of the county they reside within.

"What are we going to do?" Danzo asked Hiruzen, bringing up concerns surrounding the beginnings of a brewing world war.

"I would like to remain at peace, but there have been a lot of movements being made by the other Hidden Villages. Especially the big five, including ourselves." Hiruzen replied as he looked at his closest advisors.

"Iwagakure has been seen entering Kusagakure." Danzo stated, having known about Iwa trying to make their way through Kusa to get into Konoha.

They wished to lay siege on the borders of the Land of Fire. "What has the Daimyo said? Does he have an opinion about this?" Homura asked, knowing that the Daimyo should of already started to talk to Hiruzen.

"Yes. The Daimyo was strict in saying, that if Iwa wishes to try something, then we must retaliate." Hiruzen answered grimly, remembering that the Daimyo was not someone to so easily take the threats and attacks made by Iwagakure, or from anyone else for that matter.

"This is only the beginning." Danzo said as he crossed his arms, knowing that things would be turning for the worse.

On the map, Konoha, and the Land of Fire would be fighting a front from all sides, that is if Iwa, Kumo and Kiri decided that they wish to fight with Konoha that is. So far, there has been little between Konoha and Kiri, also little between Kumo and Konoha as far as fighting goes.

It was really only Iwa wanting to do something. "Reports tell us that they are preparing to invade. What shall we do?" Danzo wanted to go to them, and destroy all of their enemies, the zealous man that he was.

"It looks like we will have to defend, and then we shall strike back against them. What I'm afraid off if the fact that everyone has been affected, meaning that we will be sending children to fight and die, straight from the academy." Hiruzen was worried, as he knew that they were lacking in forces.

In fact, the battle between every village to be involved would probably have to be a war fought by children. At least for the big five. 'Or at least that is what I have gathered.' Hiruzen thought to himself as he had indeed seen everything that would be coming.

"Then it is settled. Lord Third, we are to push back Iwa then?" Danzo asked, more than ready to start the operations involved. Danzo may also have a part to play in framing Iwa, but it was not like anyone would know.

It also wasn't like Iwa hadn't already actually gone ahead and taken Kusagakure, occupying their village and lands, meaning they are a step away from crossing into the Land of Fire.

With a grim face, Hiruzen knew that he couldn't let things continue like this. Especially since there seemed to be some level of unrest amongst some of those in the higher levels of the village.

Konoha and Iwa would be the aggressors against each other, which would lead to many other villages wanting to get involved and take advantage of the situation as well. They would have to keep an eye on Kirigakure in particular, considering what had recently happened.

Even then, Kiri kind of disliked Konoha due to many factors, one such being their bloodline limits holders being important people. Then there was Kumo, and the relationship between Kumo and Konoha had never been good, in many things that had happened.

"Yes... we shall fight back." Hiruzen answered morosely.

All-out war.

The conflict would turn into an unprecedented war of attrition, tormenting all nations with a shortage of war potential. Not even excluding a great power like Konoha, very young children, some of whom were barely out of the Academy would be thrown onto the battlefield, eventually losing their young lives during the war.

[]

"Here it is. Pretty humble, I think." Obito said as he introduced Mei into his home, given that she has become his responsibility. Well, Kushina's responsibility really, but she had thrown Mei onto Obito to take care of and look after, for now at least.

There was no news about Mei becoming a rogue shinobi of Kiri, meaning that she is sill currently officially a part of that village. Whatever had happened though, Mei would not be returning until she is sure she can protect herself from anything that comes her way.

Not that Obito would have it any other way. "It seems nice." Mei had lived in worse, and it seemed like it was made to fit many more people. "Do you just live here?" She asked.

"No, there is myself, Kushina, and another girl whom is the current owner. Mikoto Uchiha."

"Your elder sister? Mother?" Mei asked, noticing that the last name.

"No, no. I guess you could say Mikoto is like an older sister, but we aren't blood related. I have no relatives related by blood, unless you count very, very distant relatives in the Uchiha." Obito said before guiding Mei inside and setting her up with everything.

She got her very own room as well. It was nice.

Mei got herself settled in, and although she didn't have much, it was better than being dead. She would still return to Kiri and do the changes that she wished to do. There was no way that she would give up now, not when she had to do a lot of things.

She dreamt of many things, and dreamt of achieving such things by implementing the change she wishes to see. 'Which means I have to be strong enough to do so.' Mei thought to herself, as the only way to do what she wanted is to become the strongest of the strong.

Kiri would accept no less, and Mei wouldn't accept any less for herself as well.

While Mei was monologuing to herself, Obito had made himself at home, thinking that he had earned some well earned time off. 'Is that even possible? Isn't the Third Shinobi going to start soon...?' Obito thought to himself.

'I mean, it's not like I would be any important to it, and it isn't like it is about to start just as soon as we come back to Konoha. That would just be too much.' Obito shook his head as he had many thoughts swirling within his head.

Ranging from the smallest things, to grandest and largest of things, the future and potential end of the world, if not through the hands of Madara Uchiha, then through the hands of the Otsutsuki that would no doubt be coming here one day.

Whenever that day was, he wanted to be strong enough to face off against them, meaning that now he would have to resort to some more extreme methods of training. 'I think I might need to start retraining my Sage Arts...' A dangerous thought, but it isn't like he doesn't already know of the process.

In fact, he would be able to perfectly enter sage mode with no downside, just that it would probably take some time to do so. 'Actually, no, this is a new body. My chakra is also slightly different as well, meaning that I will have to account for that.' Obito had many things going for him, which was his knowledge and new form.

But that didn't mean it was all perfect, or even complete.

'Whatever! Let's go and do some physical workout! I'm sure that will clear up my mind some.' Nodding his head, he needed to clear his thoughts and would do so by going towards the basic training grounds.

One that he had access too, but so too did others as well. This place was a spot that wasn't well known though, so he should remain undisturbed as he does his physical workouts, after all, the only other person that had been here was Bushy Brows.

'I guess Master Bushy Brows is now Bushy Brows until Bushy Brows junior is born.' Obito smiled to himself as he went through his exercise routine.

Because of his relations with Might Guy, he was able to use this place that was usually only used by Might Duy and Guy.

As he was doing so however, he would be rudely interrupted by another person coming onto the scene. It also wasn't like he had to hide anything about what he was doing either, so he didn't leave upon noticing their presence.

Instead, their chakra signature kind of reminded him of someone else. He had redeveloped and worked on his own sensory abilities after all, finding that he had high sensitivity for chakra himself, meaning that he is an official sensor.

'Or it could be that I have transferred something more than my knowledge from my previous life.' Obito had come to that conclusion as well, not discounting the possibility that there may be some other strange things going on.

"Come out! I know you are there." Obito said as he stopped doing some physical activity.

The person whom revealed themselves was someone that he did indeed know of. Anko Mitarashi. "How'd you know?" She asked as Obito got a good look at the girl.

She was shorter than him, obviously, but she was also slender. She has light brown, pupil-less eyes. Her hair, black with a violet tint, is styled in a short, spiky, fanned-out ponytail. Anko wore a sleeveless chainmail mesh shirt, chainmail armbands that reached to her elbows, dark shorts, and knee-length boots.

"That is because I could sense you, and if I didn't sense you, my eyes would see you anyway." The Sharingan was quite a broken bloodline limit, that if used right, was extremely powerful. Even a non-Uchiha would be able to become strong, just like Kakashi.

Not that Kakashi didn't have anything else going for him, but without the Sharingan, he would probably not have lived many encounters. "Really...?" Anko's eyes seemed to look at Obito in a new light.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Obito asked the girl, as she seemed to be still within the academy.

"Oh! That's right, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Anko Mitarashi! And I am 7 years old!" Anko introduced herself to Obito.

"Right-" Obito was interrupted as Anko continued.

"I also already know who you are, Obito Uchiha, and you are 10 years old, supposedly born on February the 10th. You're someone who is strong." Anko said excitedly.

"Right...?" Obito was now confused by the younger girls attitude in relation to himself. 'Now that I think about it, she hasn't even really meet Orochimaru at this point, has she.' It seemed like she hadn't otherwise she wouldn't be around him.

At least that is what he thinks, as from what he remembers, Anko was someone that admired Orochimaru, not him. "Please! I wish to learn from you!"

"Huh!?" Obito was most definitely shocked at this declaration.

"I have been stalk-I mean I have been watching you, before you left the village. I want to learn from you." Anko stated firmly, with some admiration in her eyes, and Obito didn't understand why. It wasn't like he had done anything that cool.

What he failed to recognize was the fact that Anko was someone that had been wanting to get close to him for a while now.

She was after all, only two years younger than him, and had been in the academy the same time as him, even if at different ages. She had watched him, and known about his skill level being compared to Kakashi, who was said to be a genius.

However, he didn't move on so fast, prompting Anko to gain interest in him.

"I'm confused now..." Obito said as his Sharingan eyes peered into Anko's, making her fidget and blush a little.