Upon hearing Yamanaka Inoichi's words, everyone present gasped in disbelief.
Their gazes toward Gen'on were filled with shock and fear.
What a terrifying plan—if it had succeeded, the Hidden Leaf Village would have suffered catastrophic casualties. The civilians and genin, especially, would have had almost no chance of escaping the widespread explosions caused by the embedded explosive tags.
The thought of such a consequence sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Quickly report this to the Hokage! The buried explosive tags must be removed immediately!"
The group acted swiftly. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, received the news within moments.
The severity of the situation went far beyond his expectations, and he was so alarmed by the report that he stood up immediately from his Hokage seat.
Without hesitation, he made his way directly to the Sealing Team's headquarters.
Gen'on had already been deemed an extremely dangerous individual. Rather than being sent to the Torture and Interrogation Force or the Konoha Correctional Facility, he was directly placed under the custody of the Sealing Team, where a special room was prepared to restrain him.
"Gen'on, a remnant of the defunct Flame Village... to think he aimed to annihilate the Hidden Leaf entirely. What a terrifyingly dangerous man," said Utatane Koharu grimly.
She and her fellow advisor, Mitokado Homura, had rushed over immediately after Hiruzen received the news.
Though Gen'on's capture had seemed easy, it was only because he had deliberately suppressed his chakra to avoid detection.
Now restrained in the sealing room—his body immobilized and voice silenced—the village's leadership understood one chilling truth: if Gen'on had regained even a sliver of chakra, he could have detonated the explosive tags remotely, plunging the village into chaos.
Fortunately, none of that had come to pass.
Even more fortunately, it had been Aoba Kawaki who uncovered him.
Turning to face Aoba, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze softened with rare gratitude.
In that moment, Aoba Kawaki became more than just a promising chunin—he became a symbol of salvation. Hiruzen's regard for him quietly rose, nearly equaling the affection he held for his own son, Asuma.
If it weren't for his current obligations as Hokage, he might have taken Aoba on as a personal student.
"Koharu, Homura, take Inoichi with you. I'm entrusting the removal of the explosive tags to your team," Hiruzen said.
Both advisors nodded without hesitation and departed with Yamanaka Inoichi to begin the delicate work of disarming the explosive traps scattered around the village.
Once he had made the arrangements, Hiruzen turned back to Aoba and placed a firm, appreciative hand on his shoulder.
"Aoba, you've done exceptionally well. What you've accomplished today far surpasses the scope of an ordinary S-rank mission. While I cannot promote you to jonin due to your current lack of field experience, your contribution cannot go unrewarded."
After a brief moment of thought, Hiruzen made a decision.
"Chunin Aoba Kawaki, in my capacity as Hokage, I grant you and your team unrestricted access to all genjutsu materials within the village archives. Additionally, should you ever take on students of your own—or have children—you are permitted to pass on any ninjutsu, genjutsu, or even certain classified techniques you've mastered."
This reward was more than it appeared.
In truth, it was as much a gesture for Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi as it was for Aoba. Hiruzen had long been aware of the relationships forming among the younger generation, and he hoped that such access to Konoha's genjutsu resources would help cultivate their potential—especially Kurenai, a rising genjutsu specialist.
He also recalled Asuma's recent decision to begin training in the Eight Gates Release Technique, a drastic shift caused by hitting a wall in genjutsu development.
Now, perhaps this knowledge could help guide him back onto the path he once walked—or ensure Kurenai didn't face a similar block.
As for the right to pass on forbidden techniques—that was a privilege rarely granted outside of the Hokage's lineage. Even high-ranking jonin weren't typically allowed to teach forbidden techniques unless authorized. Take the Eight Gates, for instance: users were permitted to practice it, but not teach it freely. Doing so would be considered an act of treason.
But now, Aoba Kawaki had been granted that right.
Should he ever choose to pass on such a technique, he could do so with the Hokage's full blessing.
Naturally, Aoba was eager to share the news with Asuma Sarutobi—though truthfully, his motive was also to encourage Asuma to return to refining genjutsu, for Kurenai's sake.
He couldn't bear to see the future Kurenai become like the present Asuma—abandoning genjutsu to become a taijutsu fanatic. The thought alone was… unsightly.
After thanking Hiruzen, Aoba departed, curiosity now rising in his heart.
How detailed were the Leaf Village's genjutsu archives? Could they rival forbidden techniques?
And more importantly… what sort of knowledge could he exchange for from the Sacrifice Altar?
Hidden Leaf Year 43:
The Sand and Cloud Villages declared war on Konoha.
Amid this chaos, Aoba Kawaki distinguished himself by uncovering and eliminating enemy spies hidden among Konoha shinobi. He also thwarted the Flame Village's attempt to sabotage the village from within.
His name began to appear on the desks of leaders from all the Great Nations, with rumors spreading that he might even be Konoha's hidden Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
That same year, Uchiha Fugaku, captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, welcomed a son: Uchiha Itachi.
Meanwhile, in the distant Land of Water, the Bloody Mist tradition was abruptly canceled after a young boy, Zabuza Momochi, killed every one of his fellow academy students. Despite only being a genin, he had already earned the chilling title: Demon of the Hidden Mist.
Back in Konoha, Aoba Kawaki's team was nearly deployed to the front lines—but for reasons unknown, they remained behind through year's end.
Instead of heroes returning, only the corpses of numerous fallen comrades were brought back from the battlefield.
Alongside the bodies, reports on the front-line situation also arrived in the village.
With two powerful Sannin—Orochimaru and Jiraiya—stationed at the front, the battle between Konohagakure and Sunagakure had shifted from the Land of Rivers to the harsh desert territory of the Land of Wind.
This move delivered a heavy blow to Sunagakure's confidence and momentum.
However, the shift in terrain also gave Sunagakure a strategic advantage. The familiarity of the environment allowed their shinobi to maneuver more effectively, while the arid, sandy landscape enhanced the efficiency of their wind- and sand-based jutsu.
Konohagakure's shinobi, on the other hand, were reluctant to engage in the heart of the desert. Forced to remain near the outskirts of the Gobi-like region along the Land of Wind's border, they had to stay constantly vigilant against surprise attacks launched by the likes of Pakura and the formidable Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
This was the most frustrating aspect of facing Sunagakure: when on the back foot, they would simply retreat into the desert.
Unless their enemies had the power to destroy the entire village in one fell swoop, it was nearly impossible to draw them out for a decisive battle.
Meanwhile, the conflict between Konohagakure and Kumogakure was far more intense.
Both sides had deployed their elite forces. Though separated by two small neutral nations, the tension was such that large-scale conflict nearly broke out.
Still, even the battle-hardened shinobi of the Land of Lightning understood the limits of warfare. With other villages as potential threats, neither side dared to risk an all-out war, resulting in a precarious balance.
The Third Raikage frequently threatened to lead an assault on Konoha and "personally behead Hiruzen Sarutobi," but these outbursts were empty boasts. In reality, he remained in Kumogakure, overseeing matters from afar.
On the battlefield, however, the new-generation duo of A (the future Fourth Raikage) and Killer B began to shine. Were it not for the experienced Ino–Shika–Cho formation stepping up, they might have caused devastating losses to Konoha's forces.
Even so, the combined number of shinobi casualties from Konohagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure had already reached nearly a thousand.
Do not underestimate this number. Beyond the Five Great Nations and Amegakure, most smaller countries in the ninja world would struggle to field even 1,000 shinobi in total, including missing-nin.
Thus passed Konoha Year 44, marked by continuous warfare among the three major villages.
Despite the conflict, Konohagakure managed to maintain a steady number of shinobi for regular missions within its own borders.
After months of standard assignments, Kawaki Aoba's team requested a transfer to the front lines. However, the Hokage denied their request, citing the team's growth potential and future as an elite squad.
A clear excuse—but one the team had no choice but to accept. They continued their missions within the Land of Fire, sharpening their skills for a war they were not yet allowed to enter.
During this time, a shocking event occurred: the Third Raikage, Ay, led an elite strike force through seven small nations and launched a surprise raid on Sunagakure's supply lines in the Land of Wind.
To everyone's disbelief, the raid succeeded. Ay and his forces looted precious resources and returned to Kumogakure, again crossing the same seven countries.
The operation was baffling. Upon reading the report, Hiruzen Sarutobi reportedly pulled out tufts of hair, questioning whether Ay was truly mad or simply pretending to be.
Ay was a leader with strategic insight, but his actions were often erratic and unpredictable.
Outraged by the raid, Sunagakure formally declared war on Kumogakure—though the practicality of engaging an enemy separated by seven countries was questionable.
Nevertheless, for the Sunagakure shinobi on the front lines, it was a bitter insult. The stolen supplies were crucial for their survival.
Worse yet, Ay escalated tensions further by declaring war on Iwagakure, located five countries away.
Iwagakure did not take this lightly. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, responded by dispatching his son, Kitsuchi, to the border—though not to confront Kumogakure directly, but to pressure Konohagakure instead.
By now, most of Konoha Year 44 had passed. As winter approached, Kirigakure—isolated in the Land of Water—joined the fray by formally declaring war on Konohagakure.
By the end of the year, the Third Shinobi World War had officially begun, somewhat earlier than the original historical timeline.
The situation was now clear:
Konohagakure: At war with Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure
Kumogakure: At war with Konohagakure, and in conflict with Sunagakure and Iwagakure (though without direct engagement)
Iwagakure: At war with Konohagakure and Kumogakure
Sunagakure: At war with Konohagakure and Kumogakure
Kirigakure: At war with Konohagakure
Six major battlefields had opened across the shinobi world. Although large-scale casualties had yet to occur, chaos had engulfed the world of ninja.
Konohagakure bore the brunt of the pressure, facing enemies on all sides. Fortunately, the village had experience, deep resources, and a strong new generation rising through the ranks. Among them, Minato Namikaze shone the brightest.
As the year ended, Kawaki Aoba's team was assigned one final mission: compiling a list of fallen shinobi and organizing the bodies brought back from the front lines.
Given the scope of the war, they expected high casualties. But to their surprise, the list contained only around 500 names—barely higher than the previous year.
"This doesn't make sense," Kawaki Aoba muttered. "Four battlefields and a whole year of fighting… how could the death toll be so low?"
Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi shared his doubts.
Though none of them wished for greater loss, it seemed statistically improbable.
Kurenai placed a hand on Aoba's shoulder and said solemnly, "You find it strange too, don't you?"
He nodded.
Kurenai explained, "It's simple, really. Except for the initial battles, the five great villages seem to have reached a tacit understanding."
"War," she continued, "is the fastest way to train ninja. In peacetime, developing a jonin could take a decade. But in war, even a genin might reach elite level in just a few years."
Aoba's eyes widened as a realization dawned.
Training.
It wasn't just war—it was a system designed to cultivate the next generation under fire. Cruel, yes—but also the harsh reality of a world where only the strong survived.
That might also explain why Kirigakure, usually withdrawn, had jumped into the conflict—they couldn't afford to be left behind.
Kawaki Aoba clenched his fists. He finally understood the cruel essence of the shinobi world.
And then a chilling thought struck him.
"If this year's conflict is just the beginning—just a training ground for the new generation—then next year…"
He turned to Kurenai. "Kurenai-sensei… we'll be sent to the front lines soon, won't we?"
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