Conflict Escalates

Chapter 48 Conflict Escalates

Aburame Shiki was dragged to a meeting by Shimura Danzo again.

This is a war mobilization meeting.

Hosted by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the event was attended by Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, Danzo, and two Hokage advisors.

It was a high-profile event, with all the Jonin from Konoha who could participate attending, and a large number of villagers watching.

Aburame Shiki, as Shimura Danzo's political successor, also participated.

However, because Shiki Aburame was not well-known and lacked prestige, he could only listen and was not qualified to speak.

So he quietly stayed in the corner, listening to the speeches of these important figures.

The mobilization meeting began with a speech by Hiruzen Sarutobi, who spoke about inheriting the Will of Fire, protecting Konoha, protecting the Land of Fire, and resisting invasions.

During his time as Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave numerous speeches, which became a standard practice for major events.

It doesn't take much effort, but it can win people over and inspire them. Why not do it?

It can also give Konoha's ninja confidence, letting them know that Konoha's rules are still in place and that Konoha is safe.

After finishing his speech, Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand.

Now for the important part: Hiruzen Sarutobi announced the positions within the ninja unit.

"Then, I'll leave it to you, Orochimaru."

As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to stay in Konoha and appease the people, so he couldn't just rush to the front lines.

Of the remaining candidates, Jiraiya was used to being carefree, Tsunade had hemophobia, Minato was strong enough but lacked prestige, and White Fang was not good at commanding and was not suitable for appearing in public.

Therefore, Orochimaru, with his rich experience and calm, meticulous approach, is the most suitable candidate to become a commander.

Under everyone's gaze, Orochimaru slowly walked up, his golden pupils shining brightly in the sunlight, and his cold demeanor was very reassuring.

Next came Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Minato Namikaze.

If Orochimaru's position is that of a commander, then Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Minato Namikaze are his vice commanders.

Their status was established at that very moment.

Seeing the Legendary Sannin and the Yellow Flash, the atmosphere below became enthusiastic, filled with confidence that Konoha would win.

Konoha is indeed very strong now. Although the Konoha ninjas have some concerns about the war, most of them firmly believe that Konoha can achieve the final victory.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction. The people's hearts were at stake, and the army's morale was also at stake.

The departure of the army calmed the somewhat restless Konoha.

However, Konoha dispatched reinforcements to the border, which further heightened the tension in the ninja world.

Perhaps Konoha's reinforcements provoked the four great ninja villages, or perhaps the four great ninja villages had long been determined to take a bite out of Konoha, as border frictions escalated.

The Sand Village has explicitly declared war, shifting the blame for the disappearance of the Third Kazekage to Konoha, claiming that Konoha's conspiracy led to the Kazekage's disappearance and that an explanation must be given.

The Hidden Stone Village, with its cunning and strategic mind, cooperated with the Hidden Sand Village but did not send troops. Instead, it gathered forces on the Konoha side, exerting pressure and tying down a significant portion of Konoha's forces.

The Hidden Cloud Village even dispatched a small force to break through the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.

However, all of this was thwarted under Orochimaru's calm command. Having participated in the Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru was adept at command and gave the enemy no chance whatsoever.

In the early stages of the war, when none of the villages had committed their full strength, it would be a gross underestimation of Orochimaru.

Jiraiya displayed his prowess, boosting Konoha's morale; Tsunade stayed behind to heal the ninjas, calming their anxieties; Minato Namikaze launched a surprise attack, making life miserable for the enemy.

But everyone knows that this is only temporary, and the pressure will only increase in the future, whether it is Konoha or the other four great ninja villages.

The war has begun and will not stop until it has consumed enough lives.

Each major ninja village will send additional manpower until a large-scale decisive battle is fought, or they will continuously send troops into the meat grinder until they can no longer hold on.

……

Upon returning to Root, Danzo summoned Shizuka Aburame and asked her directly.

"Can you create a wood-style weapon all by yourself?"

"Yes, transplanting Wood Release isn't difficult. The important thing is to suppress Hashirama cells with Phosphorus Damage Insects."

Aburame Shiitsu's decisive words pleased Shimura Danzo.

"Does Master Danzo want me to create a Wood Release weapon?"

Danzo Shimura nodded slightly.

"From now on, you will continuously manufacture wood-based weapons."

Danzo Shimura paused for a moment, then spoke seriously.

"It could be tomorrow, it could be the next second, a brutal war could break out at any moment, it just depends on who can't hold back first."

"Although Hiruzen is weak and has conceded a lot of benefits, he has an advantage in seeking the support of the ninja clans. Konoha now needs a large number of usable combat forces, as well as elite ninjas from various clans."

Aburame Shiki nodded and said, "Indeed, the Third Hokage was very charismatic at the mobilization meeting, and many ninjas from various clans were dispatched."

"That was because Hiruzen promised them a lot of benefits, allowing them to retain their wartime positions or be transferred to other positions at the same level."

"But that's not enough. We need more power. Wood Release weapons are the best choice. For the sake of Konoha, I hope you will put your power into this and not slack off."

Aburame Shiki hesitated for a moment before saying, "Making wood-style weapons isn't a problem, but we lack test subjects, and can wood-style weapons really withstand sunlight?"

"You must know that once a Wood Release weapon is used, the final outcome is death, which goes against the Hokage's will and could cause unrest."

Danzo Shimura said nonchalantly, "Precisely because we are at war, we should make the most of the Wood Release weapons. As long as the Wood Release weapons can play their maximum role, Hiruzen will have nothing to say."

"As for the test subjects, don't worry. I have some newly trained genin under my command, and they have all become qualified Root members."

"If that's not enough, then recruit. There are many civilian genin willing to sacrifice themselves for Konoha. They were already very likely to die on the battlefield, and they couldn't do anything anyway."

"In that case, why not become a Wood Release test subject and contribute to Konoha?"

"Rather than letting the genin become cannon fodder and die on the battlefield without knowing why, it's better to give them a chance and let them become heroes."

"I will finish it as soon as possible."

After giving his instructions, Shimura Danzo left. The Fourth Shinobi World War broke out, and he was very busy.

He needed to organize and analyze the information gathered from various parts of the ninja world before sending it to the Third Hokage.

They also communicate and trade with others, offering them substantial benefits to entice ninjas to betray their villages and sell information.

They also need to collude with Hanzo and find ways to get Hanzo close to Konoha so that he can provide convenience for Konoha.

Most importantly, he needs to keep an eye on the Uchiha clan to prevent them from getting out of control, and he also needs to find a way to collect Sharingan.

In short, Danzo was very busy.

(End of this chapter)