Naruto: I Am Uchiha Shirou [56]

Konoha, Hokage's Office Building.

"Hiruzen, what White Fang did this time was far too reckless. If this provokes the Iwagakure into declaring a full-scale war against the Konoha, who will take responsibility for it?"

Koharu Utatane frowned deeply, her anger evident. She was furious over White Fang's unauthorized actions—mobilizing troops and threatening the Iwagakure.

This was a move that, if mishandled, could escalate into a major conflict with devastating consequences.

On the other side of the room, Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses with a furrowed brow, his tone grave,

"Hiruzen, you're the Hokage. Such arbitrary troop deployments set a terrible precedent."

Both Koharu and Homura wore expressions of great concern. Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at his desk with smoke curling from his pipe, frowned deeply, his face heavy with thought.

"White Fang may have overstepped this time," Hiruzen admitted, "but fortunately, the Iwagakure hasn't retaliated directly. For now, the main focus remains on the Amegakure's battlefield. White Fang must not act rashly."

"Hiruzen!"

Koharu and Homura's expressions darkened as Hiruzen spoke. The weight of the war loomed over all of them.

The Third Hokage finally broke the silence, his voice steady and serious,

"This Second Ninja World War cannot drag on any longer. We must bring the Amegakure's battlefield to a swift conclusion. If this conflict drags on, the Iwagakure—already restless—could be emboldened. And what of the Kumogakure and Kirigakure?"

He took a deep breath and continued, outlining his plan,

"I plan to have White Fang lead the main forces against the Sunagakure, while Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade handle the Amegakure's battles."

Hiruzen's strategy was simple: swiftly end the two major battlefronts and decisively push the Amegakure and Sunagakure out of the war.

By then, any other ninja villages considering joining the conflict would have to think twice.

Though Hiruzen was dissatisfied with White Fang's actions, he understood the need for focus.

"Hiruzen! White Fang's unilateral decision to act against a major nation without the Hokage's authorization—what does he think he's doing? Is he dissatisfied with you, or is he being influenced by certain people?"

At that moment, the door burst open.

Danzo Shimura stormed in, his face livid, his voice sharp and filled with anger.

"Hiruzen! This recklessness from White Fang is unacceptable!"

Danzo's fury was palpable. His resentment toward Hiruzen had long been simmering beneath the surface. In his eyes, Hiruzen's ascension to Hokage had robbed him of what should have been his rightful position.

To Danzo, White Fang was nothing but a nuisance, an obstacle in his path.

"Danzo!"

Hiruzen's gaze softened for a moment, a rare warmth in his eyes. Despite their differences, Danzo's anger reminded him of their shared past—a time when they had been comrades.

At this moment of crisis, Danzo's outburst was, in its way, a defense of Hiruzen's authority as Hokage.

In their eyes, White Fang's intervention in the Land of Grass was an attempt to curry favor with the major clans and pave his way to higher ranks. This was precisely why they were so opposed to him.

Who was White Fang?

A ninja of humble origins, a ninja who had risen to prominence through sheer talent and determination. Yet, because of his unblemished reputation, he had quietly garnered the support of the Senju and other major clans.

To the major clans, White Fang was an ideal candidate for leadership—a stark contrast to Hiruzen, who often prioritized the interests of the upper echelons, or Danzo, whose methods were too ruthless.

"Danzo, I understand how you feel," Hiruzen said evenly, his tone firm. "But right now, the priority is the Land of Rain's battlefield. I need your Root division to fully support this effort and help end the Land of Rain's battles as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we risk repeating the First Great Ninja War, with all four major nations stepping in once again!"

Hiruzen's solemn expression conveyed trust and urgency, momentarily stilling Danzo's anger.

Danzo processed Hiruzen's words and let out a cold snort. To him, this was an acknowledgment of his value—not White Fang's. Still, his temper eased slightly.

"Hiruzen, I understand. The Root division will fully commit to ending the Land of Rain's battles," Danzo said after a tense pause, his raspy voice firm as he sat down.

His words brought a look of relief to Koharu and Homura, who exchanged satisfied glances.

They were comrades who had endured countless trials together. At the critical moment, it was still their own people they could rely on.

"Hiruzen, go for it!"

"Indeed!"

The four key figures of the Konoha exchanged determined glances, their eyes reflecting the resolve of their younger days.

With the support of his old friends, Hiruzen couldn't help but smile. For a moment, the vigor of his youth seemed to return to him.

"This time, the winner of the Ninja World War will once again be the Konoha!

..."

Uchiha Grounds

"Hey, Shirou, what's going on here!?"

In her home, Tsunade smirked coldly, twirling a brown-green scroll in her hand. Her sharp eyes gleamed with both amusement and irritation.

Uchiha Shirou stood awkwardly before her, his face flushed with embarrassment as Tsunade slowly unrolled the scroll, her smirk deepening.

"Well, well, our little genius is truly remarkable. Not only did he prepare to throw his life away, but he even left detailed instructions for his aftermath. And look at this—a gift of an A-rank original ninjutsu? Such charm, Shirou."

Under Tsunade's teasing tone, Shirou lowered his head, unable to meet her gaze. He stammered,

"Cap-Captain Tsu… Tsunade, I… I…"

Before he could finish, Tsunade cut him off with an impatient huff.

"A birthday gift for August 2nd? An original A-rank jutsu from the Uchiha Clan's little prodigy to the Senju Princess? My, my, the Konohagakure will surely have a field day gossiping about this!"

Despite her playful words, her eyes betrayed a complex emotion.

Shirou…

He had prepared this scroll when he decided to venture into the depths of the Land of Grass to save her—ready for the worst-case scenario.

A birthday gift? Or a farewell letter?

When Tsunade had received the scroll via Katsuyu's summoning, her first reaction was fury.

"Shirou, is this your way of apologizing? And what's this about warning the Senju Clan and White Fang after the war? What's really going on?"

The scroll was essentially a will—a contingency plan Shirou had prepared before infiltrating the Land of Grass. He had braced himself for the worst.

This was the source of Tsunade's anger.

How much was Shirou hiding from her?

Damn it!

How old was Shirou, anyway?

In such a short time, he'd already started keeping secrets from her. What would the future hold?

Faced with Tsunade's sharp questioning, Shirou hung his head in guilt, which only fueled her anger and evoked a twinge of heartache.

"I'm sorry."

Hearing his apology again stirred something inexplicable within Tsunade—a mix of fury, frustration, and something else she couldn't quite place.

In the cave at Land of Grass, he had apologized—while holding her at kunai-point!

In her entire life, no one had dared to hold a kunai to her neck. And now, the one to do so was Shirou.

Unbelievable!