Chapter 101: The March Toward War

Kumogakure: The First Spark of War

Thunder rumbled through the peaks of Kumogakure, the sky heavy with storm clouds. The village never slept, its shinobi always prepared, but tonight—tonight was different.

War was no longer a possibility.

It was a certainty.

The Raikage stood at the center of the war council, his muscular form tense with fury. His golden eyes flickered with lightning as he stared down at the strategy maps before him.

"Konoha thinks they can play us for fools," he growled. His fists cracked the stone table.

Behind him, Darui and C stood in silence, wary of his temper.

"Raikage-sama," Darui spoke carefully, "attacking Konoha without evidence—"

"There is evidence!" the Raikage roared. "Their silence is the evidence! Their calm is the evidence!" His hands trembled with rage. "They know something. And if we wait, we will be left behind!"

C hesitated. "Even if Konoha is hiding something, attacking first means we declare war on them before the other villages do. Iwagakure and Sunagakure may not support us."

The Raikage's fingers curled into a tight fist.

Then, a slow, dangerous grin spread across his face.

"Then we force them."

The air crackled with tension.

"Send a message to Iwa and Suna. Tell them Kumogakure is moving forward. If they want to stay out of the fight, fine. But when Konoha is crushed, they'll be left with nothing."

Darui inhaled sharply. "And if they refuse?"

The Raikage's grin widened.

"Then we crush them first."

Kumogakure had made its choice.

And the world would burn for it.

Iwagakure: The Old Man's Patience

Onoki hovered over his war table, deep in thought as he studied the message from Kumogakure.

"Kumo is desperate," he muttered.

Kitsuchi, his son, frowned. "Are we joining them?"

Onoki smirked. "No."

Kitsuchi raised an eyebrow. "You want to sit this out?"

Onoki shook his head. "No, boy. I want to watch."

He turned to his strategists.

"We will wait. We will let Kumo test Konoha's strength first. If they succeed, we will follow. If they fail… well."

His smirk widened.

"They will have saved us the trouble."

Iwagakure would not act first.

But they would act last.

Sunagakure & Kirigakure: The Silent Watchers

Sunagakure: The Kazekage's Choice

The Kazekage's fingers drummed against the armrest of his throne as he read the Raikage's message.

"They want us to act without thinking," he mused.

Baki nodded. "They are moving without fully understanding Konoha's strength."

Rasa exhaled slowly.

"Then we will not move at all."

Kirigakure: The Mizukage's Amusement

Mei Terumi swirled a cup of sake, her emerald eyes gleaming as she read the Raikage's demands.

"How amusing," she whispered.

Her advisors looked nervous. "Mizukage-sama, what shall we do?"

She smiled, slow and dangerous.

"We wait."

She took a sip.

"And when the time is right… we will decide which side to destroy."

The Mist would move when it was most beneficial.

And not a second before.

Konoha: The War Council Gathers

While the world hesitated, Konoha moved.

The war council had been assembled.

Inside the grand chamber, the village's greatest minds and warriors stood together.

Hiruzen. Danzo. Orochimaru. Jiraiya.

And at the center—Ryusei.

A map of the shinobi world stretched across the table, covered in markings. Red for enemy movement. Blue for Konoha's defenses.

"The Raikage has decided," Hiruzen said calmly. "He is coming."

Danzo's single eye gleamed. "Iwagakure waits. Sunagakure refuses. Kirigakure watches."

Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair. "They're all waiting to see what happens next. Kumo is moving in rage, not strategy."

Orochimaru smirked. "And their emotions will be their downfall."

Danzo nodded. "The question now is how we respond."

Silence.

Then, Ryusei spoke.

"We let them come."

The air in the room shifted.

Jiraiya frowned. "You want us to wait?"

Ryusei nodded. "We let them march to our doorstep. And when they do…"

His Golden Tinted Byakugan gleamed.

"We crush them."

Danzo smirked. "A decisive victory would shatter the morale of the other villages."

Hiruzen exhaled. "Then it is decided."

Konoha would not chase war.

They would let war come to them.

And when it did—they would bury it.

Commanders of the Battlefield

Orochimaru took a step forward, placing both hands on the table.

"I will lead the main forces," he declared.

No one objected.

He was a master of war. A man who understood the battlefield better than any strategist.

But this war would not be fought by the old generation alone.

The young would rise.

Orochimaru turned his gaze to the next generation.

"They will fight," he said simply. "And they will prove why Konoha's future is already stronger than the present."

The Young Generals of Konoha:

• Minato Namikaze – The fastest shinobi of his generation. His mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique made him a force of unmatched speed and lethality.

• Kushina Uzumaki – A prodigy of sealing jutsu, her Adamantine Chains could bind even the strongest shinobi.

• Nawaki Senju – Young, but powerful, his Wood Release would shape the battlefield itself.

• Uchiha Inari – A genius of the Sharingan, skilled in Genjutsu and battlefield manipulation.

• Hyūga Reji – The heir of the Hyūga Clan, whose Byakugan saw everything.

• Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka Trio – Masters of strategy, strength, and mind control, they would command the battle from the shadows.

These were not just soldiers.

They were the next era.

And the world would remember their names.

The Night Before War

The village stood still beneath the full moon.

Every shinobi knew—by this time tomorrow, the battlefield would be painted in blood.

Ryusei stood atop the Hokage Monument, watching over his village.

He had seen many battles.

He had ended many wars.

But this time, it was different.

This was not just a war.

This was the beginning of Konoha's dominance.

As the wind howled through the night, Ryusei's grip tightened.

"Let them come."

His golden eyes shone in the darkness.

"And let them break."

End of Chapter 101.