Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 407 A Concerto of Wind and Earth

That eerie red lamp flickered persistently in the last rays of twilight, casting a flickering light on half of Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand, which was about to pick up his pipe, was still suspended in mid-air.

The office was eerily quiet.

The Root ninja, kneeling on the ground, even slowed his breathing.

He could feel that shortly after the communicator rang, all the air in the room was sucked away, replaced by an invisible and heavy pressure, the source of which was the silent Hokage behind the desk.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not move.

His brain was working at a speed beyond that of ordinary people.

Sand Village and Stone Village? They've started fighting?

It's been too peaceful for too long.

So long that even he himself, this time traveler who knew the future, was almost numbed by the prosperity before his eyes.

He slowly lowered his hand, not touching the pipe, but instead extended two fingers and gently tapped the communicator.

The red light is off.

"Summon all advisors, ministers of all departments, and tribal chiefs."

His voice was so calm that it was completely unwavering, as if what he had just heard was not the fuse that ignited a major battle, but an insignificant daily report.

"In the Hokage Building, on the top floor, in Conference Room 1."

"immediately."

The Root ninja trembled, silently replied "Yes," and then transformed into a blur, disappearing into the shadows.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Outside the window, the lights of Konoha Village have lit up one after another, outlining the bustling and warm silhouette of this semi-modern city.

The top of the towering wooden building glowed softly in the night, and a train glided silently by on the street, leaving behind a warm glow.

Everything is so beautiful, so hard-won.

And...so fragile.

He slowly exhaled and put the encrypted scroll containing the unusual movement of supplies across the border into his pocket along with his pipe.

The peaceful days are over.

Conference Room 1.

This is no longer the simple wooden room it once was.

The shadowless lamps designed by Orochimaru's Team Zero illuminated the entire room as bright as day. A huge holographic sand table of the ninja world floated in the center of the conference table, clearly marking every mountain and river, and even the latest village and town construction.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed open the door and entered, the core of Konoha's power was already fully assembled.

The two advisors, Mitokado and Utatane, sat upright with solemn expressions.

Danzo Shimura, the Minister of Construction of Konoha, had a resentful look on his face.

He had clearly been dragged directly from a pile of engineering drawings; he still smelled faintly of ink, and there was even a half-roll of drawings tucked under his arm.

Sakumo Hatake sat quietly on the other side, a cup of hot tea in front of him. The tea was warm and gentle, but anyone could sense that beneath that gentle warmth lay a sharp edge ready to be drawn at any moment.

Nara Deer Antlers yawned, looking like he hadn't woken up yet.

Beside him stood a young man who bore a striking resemblance to him, but appeared younger and had clearer eyes; this was his son, Nara Shikaku.

Fugaku Uchiha, as the captain of the security forces, sat silently in the corner in his smart uniform, his hands on his knees, like a statue.

Hiashi Hyuga, Torifu Akimichi, Tsubame Inuzuka... all the pillars of Konoha are here.

The conference room door closed silently behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, isolating him from the outside world.

"Let's begin."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took the main seat and got straight to the point.

As soon as he finished speaking, a Nara clan ninja walked up to the holographic sand table and quickly formed hand seals.

"Buzz—"

The images on the sand table instantly zoomed in, focusing on the border between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth, highlighting a precipitous mountain range called Mount Giant.

Two red arrows, representing Sand Village and Rock Village respectively, are entangled around a mining area in the mountains.

"According to the latest intelligence from the Western Frontier,"

The intelligence ninja reported rapidly, "Three days ago, the Third Kazekage and the Third Tsuchikage each led their vanguard forces in an armed conflict near Mount Kyoto. The cause was a newly discovered rare chakra vein."

"Since the beginning of the conflict, both sides have suffered casualties, but the scale has remained localized. Currently, both villages are sending reinforcements to the area."

After the intelligence report was completed, a brief silence fell over the conference room.

That's the situation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice echoed in the quiet conference room.

"The Sand Village and the Stone Village are at war over the mineral veins at Mount Giant. Everyone, please share your thoughts."

"Hmph, let the dogs fight."

The first to break the silence was Koharu Utatane, her voice as always, "The Land of Wind is resource-poor, and Onoki of the Land of Earth is a greedy old man. It's only natural that they'd fight over minerals."

Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement: "The Land of Wind and the Land of Earth have a long-standing feud, and small-scale skirmishes occur from time to time. As long as the flames of war do not reach our Land of Fire, Konoha should remain neutral and observe the situation. Our current focus is on the internal development of the village, and it is not advisable to resort to force."

The opinions of the two advisors represent the mainstream thinking among the higher-ups. Konoha has enjoyed peace for too long; the shadow of war has faded, and no one wants to easily shatter this hard-won prosperity.

Danzo Shimura raised his head, glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, and said in a deep voice, "I have a feeling that things aren't that simple. The Third Kazekage and Onoki aren't fools; they wouldn't start a conflict just for a mineral vein."

His intuition remained sharp.

Sakumo Hatake remained silent, only casting a questioning gaze at Shikanobu Nara. Everyone present instinctively looked towards this brilliant strategist of Konoha.

However, Nara Shikano merely raised his eyelids lazily and pointed to his son behind him.

"I don't have much of an opinion; let the younger generation have their say."

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on the young man who had been silent all along.

Nara Shikaku—many people present were familiar with this name.

Although he was young, his performance in the think tank was outstanding, and he was hailed as the most likely genius to inherit his father's mantle.

Shikaku stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Lord Hokage, please forgive my intrusion. I have some unfounded thoughts regarding this conflict."

A hint of amusement appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

Tell me about it.

Despite the intense gazes of the high-ranking officials, Nara Shikaku remained completely unfazed.

"Lord Hokage, everyone. I believe this is not a war at all."

His voice was clear and calm, carrying a penetrating logical power.

"It's more like... a carefully rehearsed charade."

These words shocked everyone present.

Even the usually composed Hatake Sakumo couldn't help but cast his gaze over there.

"reason."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words are concise and to the point.