Chapter 26

" Hiruzen! this is war ! " Danzo shouted with rage as he slammed his fist at the table.

Not few hours, after Suzuki's and Hikari's death, Hiruzen received the scroll along with the news of his son's and his daughter-in-law's demise. Hiruzen was heartbroken, the village elders who were at the scene heard the news as well and gathered all the members of the village council for a meeting.

Now, Danzo requested for a simple solution; exterminate the Kumo village and everything that live in it. Some found that it was a little too much, but his reasons were quite good. Nobody kills Konoha's ninjas with out receiving retribution.

Konoha, since the horrible incident of the Kyubi's rampage few years ago, the number of ninjas had dropped to a very dangerous level. That caused every high ranking ninjas to take up high ranked missions and very strict border patrol to keep away any ninja village who would try to attack the Village. This was to ensure that money and trade were always flow into Konoha's bank and still keep the image of Konoha as the strongest ninja village in the elemental Nations.

Well it was not a good plan actually. Many more ninjas were killed during the few years due to various causes: Fatigue, stress, unsuccessful missions and many more bloody reasons. This caused, the village to introduce many drastic measures to increase the numeber of active ninjas to the Village. Every ninja was important and they cannot afford to loose any more, so each and every ninja that graduated from the academy was greatly cherished.

" Calm down Danzo. " Hiruzen motioned Danzo to sit down and calm his nerves. To which Danzo did.

"How can I calm down from this Hiruzen? " Danzo said with an emotionless tone, that was filled with anger.

" That scroll on the table, was your own son's last and final message to you. No! it was his Last message to Konoha that there is an t village that is about to do many evil deeds, not on us, but to other villages as well... Do any of this not concern you Lord Hokage? considering that your Daughter-in-law sacrificed herself just to deliver this scroll to us. Do you? "

Hiruzen closed his eyes, took a deep, then it. " I know that very well Danzo, but the village takes first priority. And the village does not have the necessary resources nor the manpower to start whatever you are planning to accomplish."

"I also agree with Lord Hokage." Hiashi declared. " Not just my clan but, I also think the other ninja clans will agree that they have lost too much to start another war." All the other clan leaders nodded with approval to Hiashi's statement.

Since the last three great ninja wars, many clans went extinct. The very reason that they are still standing tall and proud, shows that they were formidable foes in a battlefield.

Wars was a place where many can earn fame, power, prestige, greatness and respect. Children during those era thought that the battlefield was their passage through adulthood, a great event to gain fame and glory and how wrong they were...

There was fame and glory, but at what price?

What price must you pay to earn them? What must be lost or sacrificed? And in the end, is it worth anything?

Every clan leader in the room had a fair taste of what war was and it didn't brought any fond memories. Many lives were lost, some of them were family.

And currently, they will not volunteer any members of their clan for war, without a valid reason.

Danzo was fuming with anger, but still kept a calm face.

" SO, I assume you people have better ideas ? " Danzo inquired.

All of them turned their gaze towards, the lazy Nara clan leader in the room.

The said man was looking at them with a look, that said, " Really?"

" Do you have any suggestions Nara-san. " The Hokage asked.

'Troublesome' He mentally sighed. " I have only one idea actually. It might bring huge benefits to Konoha as a whole."

"Which is?" Choza innocently asked. Honestly this council meeting is giving him a headache. First of all, they had to wake him up, too early in the morning, then the news of the death of the Hokage's son and daughter-in-law. This morning is to much for him.

" Share the intel we got to the various ninja villages. "

A loud sound echoed through out the room... It was from Danzo as he thrust as wooden cane to the ground impaling it.

Danzo was furious... "SHARE INTEL!!!? Are you out of your mind ?"

Share intel? that was the most outrageous thing he had ever heard, who in their right mind, would share intel to their own enemies.

When enemies are made, no mercy should be given to them, death should be the only thing they get. Now Kumo, is an enemy in his eyes and no mercy will be given to them.

" Can you atleast let me finish what I was saying. " Shikaku said.

Danzo grunted and calmed himself down, "Go on and finish it."

Shikaku cleared his throat, " So as I was saying, we share the intel of the shady things Kumo is about to do. The respective village may not appreatiate us at first but as they deal with the Kumo, they will eventually be grateful to us and you all know what that means."

They all know what Shikaku was talking about.

Danzo thought the plan was not that bad. As the other villages loosen up their gaurds, that would be the best time to take action.

" Shikaku-san are you sure that this would work." The Shibi Aburame asked. The plan sounds wonderful and all, but was it really going to work. He had known Shikaku for a long time and he trust him his life, but he could not be sure about this plan of his. It was a little too risky.

" I'm sure of it." Shikaku said.

" That plan of yours sounds great and all but my question now is, how much do we share with them." Tsume Inuzuka asked.

"Of course not all the information will be given, only information regarding their own villages will be given." Shikaku replied.

"And what about the Hidden mist village? " Fugaku Uchiha asked.

"Regarding the mist, I believe we cannot help them." Shikaku replied. " The ongoing civil war will make the Mist a very dangerous place to go. We could give it to the rebels, the risk of getting killed is high but it is worth the shot."

Everyone agreed with the Nara clan head. It was worth the risk. Getting more allies is so much than getting more enemies. But still, allies can betray you if one is not careful.

"This is good plan Nara-san." Danzo praised Shikaku with a calm emotionless tone, which sounded like he was not serious at all.

" So, all who agree with Nara-san please raise your hands." Hiruzen proposed.

All the people in the room raised their hands.

" Good. The plan will set in motion, in two days time."

"Now, that I think about it, " Tsume said, getting everyone's attention, "If we have this scroll right here, don't you think the Kumo would already know that information had already been leaked and they're going to change plans?"

That surprised everyone, but Shikaku answered, " It might sound crazy but I have a feeling that the Kumo did not realise that."

That bought relief to the council. It was crazy that Shikaku just guess that, but this was Shikaku, he knows what he is doing.

" I think this meeting has reached its end." Hiruzen said. A few moments later everyone left the room. All that was left was Hiruzen, sitting on his chair.

The room was silent, so silent that a pin drop could be heard loud and clear. His face was facing the floor, This morning was a horrible, he felt as if he lost a piece of his heart. The day he lost his wife nine years ago, the pain was still etched in his mind. Now he lost even more.

The Sarutobi clan, was a very vicious clan. A clan that specialises in warfare and tactics. With chakra supply that was surpassed only by the Uzumaki clan, they can fight for days. With their great intelligence and eagerness to learn, they can master all the five elements. They have amassed nearly every Ninjutsu known in the Elemental Nations. With their tactics, that could rival that of the Nara clan, they were present in every battlefield destroying their enemies with no mercy. But that was the past.

Due to them being present in every battlefield, currently only three Sarutobi clan members were left. Hiruzen himself, his youngest son Asuma and his grandson Konohamaru.

Tears were flown from Hiruzen's eyes. He was devastated by the sudden news of his son's and daughter-in-law's demise. But he could not let everyone see him like this. There was nothing he would not do to see the one responsible to die a horrific death, better if it was from his own hands. But the village has to the first thing he needed to focus on. Being patriotic, sometimes is a bad quality to have.

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~ At Kumo ~

A was currently infront of his father, he was drenched in blood from head to toe. The explosion he received at point blank distance, earned him a lot of injuries but he was still alive.

" So, what is the report?" His father asked.

"I'm the only survivor." A declared.

"Che. Kumo has gotten really weak. I can't believe that even with you involved with the, we cannot even defeat those Konoha scums with no casualties." His father said. " Anyways have you gotten the scroll containing the information they had stolen? "

A was silent.

" Answer me A. DO YOU HAVE THE SCROLL OR NOT!!!"

" Here is it." A took out a scroll from his pocket and gave it to his father.

His father took the scroll and crushed it with his bare hand.

" Now, we can proceed accordingly with the plan." His father said. " Go get yourself some treated, you are drenched in blood."

" Yes Raikage-sama." A left the office, going on his way to the hospital.

" Old man, your reign of tyranny will come to an end and I will be the one to end it." A said to himself. His father's plans are getting to ridiculous and dangerous for Kumo. He is going to end it before it can take place.