In an instant, Konoha was shaken, and its people were gripped with fear and anxiety.
Surprisingly, Shin, upon receiving this news, actually let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, many people had gathered in the courtyard of the Fukuyama household within the Uchiha clan.
"Your reaction is strange," Fukuyama said in confusion. "We're about to go to war, and you look more relaxed?"
"War has always been the best way to divert internal conflict," Shin explained. "Previously, there was widespread discontent in Konoha. The people were on the verge of organizing to oust Hiruzen. But such a thing must absolutely not be allowed to happen."
"Once that door is opened, others with ulterior motives will begin to stir up public sentiment, and pressure the next Hokage, Tsunade."
"That sort of situation would undermine the authority and prestige of the Hokage. And it would also teach the people of Konoha that any minor dissatisfaction could be resolved through unrest."
His words immediately sparked deep thought among everyone present.
Soon, they all nodded in agreement.
A Hokage can be replaced or step down, but never due to pressure from the people.
Of course, that was just one reason.
Though it was a good justification, for Shin, the more important reason was that his script was only halfway through.
Such a thrilling narrative couldn't just be abandoned halfway, after all, he hadn't had enough yet!
"But isn't using war to achieve that goal too high a price to pay?" Sakumo finally spoke up.
Indeed, this gathering was a public meeting of Tsunade's faction, and they weren't even trying to hide it. After all, even if they tried to keep it secret, Hiruzen wouldn't spare them if given the chance. So why bother being discreet?
What no one expected was that Sakumo chose to blow his own cover. He openly attended the meeting, acting friendly and familiar with everyone, completely at ease.
He explained that he no longer wanted to pretend with Hiruzen, and that just seeing his face disgusted him.
Shin sighed and said, "War is always costly. But this was a war that couldn't be avoided in the first place."
"How so?" Torifu asked. "Wasn't this war instigated by Hiruzen behind the scenes?"
"You're right that he pushed it, but it was also inevitable," Shin explained. "I originally thought the war would break out a few years later, but I didn't expect it to come so soon."
"Stop being mysterious and tell us what's really going on." Tsunade pressed him anxiously.
Shin patted the head of Minato, who had been taking meeting notes all along, and began explaining, "Suna had already been planning to launch an external war. As I said before, war is the best way to divert internal conflict. That applies to us, and just as much to Suna."
"According to intelligence, Suna's internal strife has reached an irreconcilable level due to resource shortages."
"Originally, they could've held out a few more years, but the battle against the Land of Whirlpools cost them 1,500 elite ninjas. That completely ignited their internal tensions. Furthermore, Suna is hoping to plunder the people of the Land of Fire during the war to relieve their own economic pressure, so choosing war isn't surprising."
"As for Ame, Hanzō has always been ambitious. He wants to elevate Ame to the same status as the Five Great Hidden Villages. In recent years, he's been steadily invading neighboring small countries, revealing his predatory ambitions without restraint. During the war with the Land of Whirlpools, all the major hidden villages suffered losses. But Ame managed to preserve its strength remarkably well, which only fueled his ambitions. Launching a war to prove himself was inevitable."
"I just didn't expect Suna to ally with Ame, and even more unexpected, that Hiruzen didn't send us to the frontlines immediately."
"What do you think Hiruzen is planning?" Tsunade asked worriedly.
"Even though Suna and Ame have declared war, it's possible Hiruzen has some shady deal with them, which is why full-scale war hasn't officially started," Shin explained.
"Maybe he's using this time to plant his own people in all the key frontline positions. That way, once we're sent to the battlefield, he can screw us over however he wants."
"Is he insane?" Fukuyama, Torifu, and Sakumo all blurted out almost in unison.
"You guessed right, he really has gone insane!" Shin laughed.
Although Hiruzen had lost the public's trust, he was still the Hokage.
Once war breaks out, the Hokage is granted wartime authority. At that point, everyone is required to obey the Hokage's commands absolutely, any defiance could be punished by death on the spot.
Now fully deranged, Hiruzen had thrown away all restraint in his effort to eliminate opposition.
After listening to Shin's analysis, everyone fell into a heavy silence.
What use was a Hokage like that?
"You've got a plan, don't you?" Tsunade pressed him again.
"Of course," Shin replied lightly, trying to reassure them. "Once war begins, the Hokage's orders must be followed. But when you're out in the field, battlefield commanders have some autonomy."
"Once we're actually fighting the enemy, the situation will be constantly shifting. As long as we accomplish specific strategic or tactical objectives, we won't be punished. He'll have no grounds to do so, if he tries, his already crumbling authority won't survive the public backlash."
"So listen up, when you're out there, don't blindly follow whatever that Danzō says. If you run into anything you can't handle, contact me immediately."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"Also, it's not all bad news!" he added.
"Although Danzō is the overall commander on the frontlines, Hiruzen has also assigned Orochimaru to command the right flank, that is, the Ame front. So I'll be upfront with you all, Orochimaru is one of us. And he's someone we can trust."
"If any of you are assigned to his unit, just quietly talk things through with him if you have any doubts."
As soon as he said that, everyone except Tsunade was stunned.
They'd all heard that Shin had a massive falling-out with Orochimaru, he'd even been forcibly expelled from Orochimaru's lab and completely cut ties.
Who would've thought… he was "one of them" too?
Another infiltration twist?
Everyone instinctively turned their eyes toward Sakumo.
Startled, Sakumo quickly asked, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Everyone quickly waved it off as nothing, but in their hearts, they felt much more at ease.
"If everything goes as expected," Shin continued, "I'll be assigned to Orochimaru's side too. After all, the rumors of a feud between us are widespread. If Hiruzen wants to set me up, in his eyes, Orochimaru would be the perfect person to do it."
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200 = +1 bonus chapter
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Completed at Chapter 278!