Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Mist Village Declares War, Other Villages Wait for Opportunity

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Mist Village Declares War, Other Villages Wait for Opportunity



He believed that he could grasp the secret of immortality. The cells of Hashirama Senju were the key to opening the door to eternal life.

Orochimaru wanted to become Hokage, which for Danzo meant yet another potential enemy. But Danzo had no intention of targeting Orochimaru. On the contrary, he would help Orochimaru eliminate his rivals, eventually pushing him into the position of the Fourth Hokage.

Orochimaru, like Danzo, operated in the shadows. They were like insects tied to the same thread-neither could easily shake off the other. For Orochimaru to secure the Hokage seat, Danzo's assistance would be crucial. In return, Danzo would receive some benefits, allowing him to solidify his influence and start laying down his plans. And once the time was right, Danzo would ensure that Orochimaru was taken down.

Taking down Orochimaru wouldn't be difficult; after all, his activities were far from clean. If the truth about their deeds was ever exposed, no matter if Orochimaru was Hokage or not, there would be no place for him in Konoha. The bigger threat to Danzo was if Sakumo Hatake managed to take the role of Hokage. Thus, discrediting Sakumo was necessary, regardless of whether Orochimaru was involved or not-Danzo was determined to do it.

Two days later, Konoha's advance forces, led by Orochimaru and Jiraiya, left the village. They headed for the coastline near the Uzumaki Clan's former settlement, where Konoha would set up a defensive line. If Mist Village dared to attack Konoha, this area would become the main battlefield. The goal was to keep the fire of war away from the Land of Fire. The former Uzumaki Clan territory, the surrounding islands, and the sea itself would serve as the battleground.

Konoha's response was strong. They refused to hand over Sakumo Hatake and even sent more troops to the border, clearly preparing for any sudden assaults from Mist Village. The damage from the ambush during the Second Shinobi World War by Sand Village was still fresh, and Konoha was determined to avoid a repeat of such losses.

With tensions escalating, the whole shinobi world turned its attention to the direction of the Uzumaki territory. Konoha moved quickly, but Mist Village was not far behind. As soon as Konoha's advance forces arrived, a shocking announcement spread across the shinobi world -Mist Village, led by the Third Mizukage, had officially declared war on Konoha.

In a hidden underground chamber, Black Zetsu phased through the wall, slipping into the

room.

"Lord Madara, it seems Tobi has gone a bit too far. He's declared war on Konoha."

"Oh?" The sleeping Uchiha Madara slowly opened his eyes, sounding a bit surprised. He didn't expect Tobi to be so bold. He had said to make use of any means, but Tobi had pushed it all the way to open warfare.

"If this becomes a prelude to other conflicts, perhaps it will spark a broader war, weakening all the Great Shinobi Villages. That would be helpful for my plans," Madara mused.

"Let him play his games then," he concluded.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Konoha, however, faced a critical issue- the Fire Country's warships were insufficient in number and inferior to those of Mist Village. This left Tsunade with a major headache. The Land of Fire was inland and rarely needed warships, but during times of war, the lack of proper ships posed a significant problem.

To make matters worse, both the Third Hokage and the daimyo of the Land of Fire wanted to keep the conflict away from the Land of Fire's borders. They insisted that even if there was war, it must not reach their land. This left Tsunade and the Third Hokage at odds again over how to handle the battlefield.

"The daimyo insists that the battlefield must not be on the Land of Fire's territory. During the Second Shinobi War, the Sand Village's invasion caused enormous damage. The daimyo is afraid of history repeating itself," the Third Hokage explained, frustration evident as he

spoke.

The Mist Village had only just declared war, and even before Konoha's main forces reached the front lines, the daimyo had already sent his orders-he wanted the battle fought outside the Land of Fire, preventing it from reaching his domain. It was unreasonable, and yet...

"Well, let him try to keep it out," Danzo scoffed. He had long since been fed up with the daimyo. If it weren't for that old fool, Sakumo Hatake wouldn't have had even a chance at the

Hokage position.

"If he doesn't want the flames of war in his domain, how does he expect us to fight it? Does the Land of Fire have a fleet of warships at the ready for us? If not, then he should stay out of

it," Danzo snapped.

The Third Hokage sighed, exasperated. He knew Danzo had a long-standing grudge against the daimyo, but he hadn't expected him to speak so irresponsibly.

"This isn't practical," Tsunade said, shaking her head as she looked at the map.

Bonus Chapter_

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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 340+ at patreon.com/Emiko1. _