Chapter 23

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

"Hmm, what's going on?"

"Are you serious? Iwa has assembled a massive army and is marching towards the northern part of the Fire Country!"

"Really? It's not surprising. Something this big couldn't stay hidden for long."

"Now that the Land of Stone is making a move, I wonder if the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water will also join in."

"Surviving the Nine-Tails' attack might lead directly to a new war."

The news spread like wildfire through Konoha Village's ninja community. It quickly overshadowed the recent buzz about Yusuke's public altercation with the Hokage's son.

The previous incident, while noteworthy, didn't impact most people directly. It was more of a spectacle for the crowd.

But this? This is a matter of life and death.

Iwa's large-scale invasion of the Land of Fire has everyone on edge.

The ninjas of Konoha, though, didn't seem overly shocked. They had expected other countries to take advantage of the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha. The real question now is whether Kumo and Kiri will also strike.

At that moment, in the Sarutobi family estate, the Hokage's mansion:

Bang!

A treasured purple sand teapot that Sarutobi Hiruzen had kept for years crashed to the ground and shattered.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's close allies, Danzo, Koharu, and Homura, looked on calmly.

Koharu's eyes narrowed. "I expected something like this, but I didn't think it would happen so soon."

"Who should we send?" Homura asked, frowning.

"Jiraiya is already on his way back to Konoha," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, massaging his temples. "He'll lead the troops to defend against Iwa."

Sarutobi gritted his teeth. "Onoki, this guy... at this time."

Danzo interjected, "We should keep someone as trustworthy as Jiraiya in a safe place."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. Danzo continued, "Now that Iwa is attacking, we need to prepare for the possibility that the Kumo and Kiri might also decide to strike. We should station some of our forces in the northeast and southeast coastal areas of the Fire Country to prevent any additional attacks."

Koharu and Homura nodded in agreement. "Even if they haven't acted yet, the possibility of them joining the fray after Iwa's move is high. We need to be prepared."

Danzo suggested, "Jiraiya will be tasked with defending against Kumo's attack in the Land of Fire. Meanwhile, we'll deploy the Ino-Shika-Cho, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans to the southeast to guard against Kiri."

Sarutobi Hiruzen eyed Danzo suspiciously. "And what about handling Onoki? Any thoughts on that?"

Danzo gave a knowing smile. "Do we really need to discuss this? We have ready-made combat power at our disposal. We shouldn't waste it."

Koharu and Homura both shared a look of concern. They were thinking about the same person, and worried about his compliance.

Meanwhile, at the Senju clan grounds:

"Yusuke-sama, hello."

An elderly woman sweeping the floor greeted Yusuke.

"Yo," Yusuke responded with a smile.

The once-grand Senju Clan estate now felt desolate. The clan's decline was evident. Originally, it would have been unthinkable for an outsider to be invited here, but with so few Senju members left and Yusuke's current standing in the village, even the Uchiha would have difficulty stopping him.

"I heard you and Tsunade are doing well," the old woman remarked. "That brat's been learning from the First Hokage since she was young. She's quite the gambler, so be prepared."

"News travels fast," Yusuke chuckled, glancing around at the empty houses.

Most of Konoha's houses had been destroyed by the Nine-Tails, but a few, including the Senju Clan's, had survived.

"Old woman, what will happen to these vacant houses?" Yusuke asked.

"Most likely, they'll be reclaimed by Konoha. The entire Senju Clan land will probably be requisitioned by the village," she said with a sigh. "The Senju Clan has diminished so much that there are no heirs left to claim the properties."

Yusuke thought for a moment, then a familiar voice called from behind him:

"Yusuke, Hokage-sama wants to see you."