Chapter 349

The world was in an uproar, gathering its forces, preparing for war against Konoha and the Land of Fire.

With such large-scale movements, it was impossible to keep things hidden from Konoha.

The moment the preparations began, Konoha was already aware.

"Gathering the entire world's power to deal with a single village? It seems this world really holds us in high regard."

Upon receiving the news, Hui chuckled.

Mobilizing the strength of the entire world…it sounded terrifying.

But sorry to disappoint, the most terrifying thing in this world wasn't the world itself.

It was Konoha.

It was him, Hui.

What about the Four Great Ninja Villages? What about the entire ninja world? What about the entire world?

They were mere chickens and dogs, nothing worth worrying about.

Regarding the upcoming war, Hui remained confident, his heart devoid of any anxiety. He didn't even care that much.

Instead of concerning himself with these insignificant ants, he found it more worthwhile to continue researching the Ōtsutsuki clan's genetics and the Elemental Transformation Technique that he had yet to study thoroughly.

A war?

In the end, he alone could bring it to a close.

In fact, he didn't even need to act personally.

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Uchiha Madara, even Senju Nawaki, any one of them alone could end the war.

Not only was Hui unconcerned, but so were Tobirama Senju and Nawaki. Their confidence was unshakable.

Tobirama was unconcerned because he understood the weight behind the title "God of Shinobi."

He knew just how powerful his elder brother, Hashirama Senju, had been.

Even though Tobirama didn't fully understand the extent of Hui's strength, he was certain that Hui possessed power that rivaled, if not surpassed, that of his brother.

In addition, Tobirama was well aware of Konoha's overall strength. Even if the world turned against them, Konoha would have no reason to fear.

Thus, Tobirama remained confident.

As for Nawaki, his confidence stemmed from his own strength.

He alone knew how powerful he had become. And only he could fathom just how terrifying Hui truly was.

In Nawaki's eyes, dealing with the entire world didn't even require Hui's involvement.

He alone could win this war!

With the complete power of the Nine-Tails sealed within him, mastery over Wood Release, and having ascended to the fourth tier of Sagehood, Nawaki's confidence was unshakable.

As for Tsunade, Orochimaru and Sakumo.

They all trusted Hui's strength without question, even though it had been a long time since they had seen him fight at full strength.

But their trust was absolute and irrational.

It could be said that Konoha's leadership was united in their confidence regarding the war.

As for the common people of Konoha, they were indeed shocked by the news and felt some concern.

After all, they weren't just facing the Four Great Ninja Villages, nor just the entire ninja world, they were facing the entire world.

The entire world!

Every nation and every people outside of Konoha!

Just imagining such an enemy made their scalps tingle with fear.

But even with their concerns, they did not panic.

Because they were Konoha.

Because their leader was Hui!

And when they saw the unwavering confidence of their leaders, when they saw their Hokage standing tall and calm, their worries gradually faded.

If Konoha's leaders were confident and the common people felt mild concern, then Konoha's shinobi were filled with nothing but anticipation.

"Overturn the entire world and usher in a new era, that's the spirit of youth! Youth that will never fade!"

Might Duy felt his blood boil, his entire body surging with energy.

With a loud roar, he began a frenzied training session in the mountains behind Konoha, venting his overflowing passion.

"A war against the whole world… Is this the unification war the old man always talked about? This really gets my blood pumping!"

Even Jiraiya, always laid-back, had begun to intensify his training in preparation for the war.

In Mount Myōboku, he had already foreseen that this world would one day be unified by Hui. He already knew the outcome of this war.

So, all he felt in his heart was anticipation.

One after another, the shinobi clans and individual ninjas burned with excitement, eager to participate.

They knew that a new era for the world was approaching, and they would be its witnesses and participants.

The world continued to boil with unrest as armies began to gather in the Land of Fire, converging from all directions.

These forces formed four massive allied corps, waiting for the final command to launch their offensive.

Not only were armies gathering, but so too were ninja villages, rogue shinobi, and bounty hunters.

This was a war that would engulf the entire world and no nation, no village could remain uninvolved.

Any who dared declare neutrality or attempt to stay out of the conflict would first be eradicated by the Allied Forces.

It was a ruthless strategy, forcing the entire world to pick a side.

In the end, the world was divided into two factions: one side led by the world itself, and the other by Konoha.

As time passed, the four major allied armies had finally gathered.

But they didn't immediately launch their assault.

Instead, they sent emissaries to Konoha in an attempt to negotiate its surrender.

Their demands were simple:

Hand over Hui and execute him.

Dismantle the entire village.

Disperse Konoha's people across the world, never to regroup.

If these two conditions weren't met, there was only one outcome for Konoha, death.

This so-called negotiation was less a plea for surrender and more an ultimatum.

Many in Konoha couldn't help but laugh in anger at the absurdity.

"They've really gone mad with arrogance."

"It's about time we showed the world who's truly the strongest."

"Enough talking, let's just fight them already. There's no point wasting words."

"To demand something like that... They must have a death wish."

One after another, Konoha's shinobi expressed their anger with amused grins.

"So, this is an official declaration of war?"

Hui was not angry. He simply gazed calmly at the world alliance's emissary and asked his question in a composed tone.

"Y-yes... This is a declaration of war!"

Under Hui's calm gaze, the emissary became visibly nervous, swallowing hard before stammering out his reply.

"Since this is a declaration of war, Konoha accepts it. Return and tell them all, prepare to welcome the dawn of a new era."

Hui's voice was calm but carried an undeniable finality.

Since the world had declared war first, there was no longer a need for him to fabricate a reason or an excuse to wage war in return.

The emissary, hearing these words, nodded hastily and left Konoha in a hurry, his figure slinking away in disgrace.

Before coming to Konoha, he had thought the village would already be in chaos, that every person would be filled with fear and anxiety.

He had believed that his arrival would be that of a savior's, bringing relief to the terrified masses.

To his shock, not a single person in Konoha appeared frightened.

In fact, many of their gazes brimmed with excitement and anticipation.

This was completely outside of his expectations and left him baffled and incredulous.

After leaving Konoha, the emissary reported everything he had witnessed and heard to the leaders of the world alliance.

"What foolish, insolent bastards. Even now, they refuse to repent. Stubborn to the bitter end. They deserve to be wiped out."

"Then let's launch the attack immediately. Let them see that this world cannot be challenged by a single village."

"The sooner we destroy Konoha and the Land of Fire, the sooner this war will end!"

One after another, the leaders of the alliance spoke. To them, the war was already over.

The outcome had been decided long before, unchangeable and inevitable.

However, the Kage of the four great ninja villages remained silent, saying nothing.

The daimyō of the four major nations felt their hearts sink, a faint unease creeping over them.

Something about the situation felt off, it wasn't as simple as they had believed.

But regardless, now that Konoha had officially declared war, there was no turning back.

"Konoha seems so eager for war, let's grant their wish."

"Prepare the troops. Attack from four directions simultaneously!"

"It's time to put an end to this arrogant and ignorant village."

"Let Konoha and the Land of Fire become mere history."

Suppressing the unease in their hearts, the daimyō gave their orders.

Standing to the side, the Third Mizukage, who had been silently observing everything, listened to their words, especially the final statement, and suddenly understood something.

Konoha... Ah, so that's it.

Their true target wasn't just Konoha, it was the Land of Fire itself!

These greedy people... Can they really bring true peace to this world?

Can they truly lead the people of this world to a better life?

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the Third Mizukage's gaze grew resolute.