Land of Rain.
Konoha's encampment.
An unexpected incident had occurred.
Former front-line commander Danzo was found hanged from a tree in the middle of camp, murdered.
However, what should have been chaos settled quickly.
A new interim commander appeared.
To the surprise of many, the Konoha shinobi did not place their trust in Senju Yukika, but in Yukika's cousin—Senju Tsunade.
Not that it mattered much. Anyone with sharp eyes could see Tsunade followed Yukika's lead.
Whether she held the official title of supreme commander was irrelevant.
"Apply more pressure. Don't let him talk."
Not far from where Danzo's body was tied, Yukika gave a discreet signal to Sakamoto Ryo.
They had succeeded.
Danzo's reputation had been publicly ruined. He was no longer fit to command.
"Understood," Ryo sneered, cracking his whip and walking over.
Screams followed soon after, but Yukika paid them no mind.
The new commander would soon take office.
Yukika understood this well.
Once the news reached Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi would act immediately.
That meant Yukika had to act even faster. He had to solidify his position before Sarutobi could even think of removing Tsunade from her role.
This required cooperation from the other hidden villages.
Back in the command room.
Without Danzo, the room was far brighter—both literally and figuratively.
The clan leaders gathered there looked at Yukika with anticipation.
They were eager to hear the next battle strategy.
When Danzo was in charge, all the missions had been dull and uninspired.
Even when they proposed launching surprise raids while scouting enemy formations, Danzo had always rejected them, leading to repeated failures.
He never learned from his mistakes.
Senju Yukika was the complete opposite. He always returned victorious.
Though still young, he was already showing the makings of a formidable commander.
Now, sitting calmly in the commander's seat, Yukika lowered his gaze.
None of the people in the room tried to hide the fact that they were assessing him.
The Uchiha, who were in charge of firepower support, were led by Uchiha Yu—an unambitious man who hadn't quite grasped what Yukika's new position meant.
But then again, none of the Uchiha seemed interested in power.
The current and next heads of the clan—Uchiha Fugaku included—were conservative, always aiming to "stay in line."
They would never rise up against the Senju.
The Hyuga clan's representative, the uncle of Hiashi, was respectful toward Yukika.
After all, Yukika had saved Hyuga Hizashi, the future head of the branch family. That act had earned genuine goodwill.
Then there was the new generation of Ino–Shika–Cho.
They were about Yukika's age, brought to the battlefield under their parents' guidance. To Yukika, they were familiar faces.
Nara Ruku—the future tactical mind of Konoha.
Yamanaka Heiichi—the future head of intelligence.
Akimichi Dingza—the ever-reliable tank.
War kills, but not these ones—not yet. They were here for training, likely on Hiruzen's orders.
Nearby, another familiar figure stood beside Jiraiya.
It was Minato Namikaze, Yukika's fellow academy graduate.
He had now become Jiraiya's student.
The future pillars of Konoha stood here, right now.
All these clues pointed to one thing—Hiruzen was moving faster than Yukika had expected.
It had only been a day, and yet Sarutobi already knew Tsunade had taken command. Not surprising, considering how well-informed he was.
People like Kato Dan were always feeding intelligence back to Konoha.
But Yukika found it strange that Hiruzen hadn't tried to stop him, and instead continued to let him give real orders on the front lines.
Then he saw Minato and the others stepping onto the battlefield.
That's when it clicked.
If any of these young elites got injured—or worse, died—who would be blamed?
Naturally, Yukika!
Sending these heirs to him was nothing short of a trap.
Yukika chuckled. Classic Sarutobi tactics.
Hiruzen thought this burden would drag Yukika down the same path as Danzo?
What a joke.
They wouldn't die.
Never underestimate Konoha's vitality—even when it comes from their fathers!
Yukika smiled. Hiruzen didn't understand the frontlines. He underestimated Yukika's nerve.
If you hand them to me, I'll use them!
Once news of consecutive victories reached Konoha, Hiruzen would have no choice but to act.
"Everyone!"
Yukika's voice cut through the room like a blade, drawing all eyes to him.
He pointed at the map of the Land of Rain in front of them.
"I have a question."
Everyone leaned in, eyes drawn to the map.
"Why is it that even after all this time since the Second Great Ninja War began, Konoha is still stuck at the border?"
"It's ridiculous. With our full strength, we've barely crossed into the Land of Rain, and we pose no real threat to Amegakure."
That statement hit hard.
Was he calling them useless?
The ninja exchanged awkward glances.
Objectively, he had a point.
Aside from Kirigakure, who was geographically isolated, all the other villages had entered the Land of Rain. Their entry points were clearly marked.
The truth was simple.
Konoha's position on the map made them the least threatening force in the war.
Awkward silence followed.
Then Orochimaru stood up decisively.
"Because Danzo wasted everything. Lord White Fang had already pushed far into enemy territory, but once Danzo took over, he pulled everyone back and abandoned those gains."
That was a brutal verbal smackdown.
Jiraiya, seated nearby, looked away, expression unreadable. But even he couldn't argue—he hadn't supported Danzo either.
"So we take it back."
Yukika laid out the new strategy quickly and clearly, then shifted focus.
"I've got a plan already," he said. "Orochimaru-sensei, secretly leak this information to Amegakure."
He tossed a spiritualist book to the Snake Sannin, full of confidence.
"This will be a grueling battle," he added, standing and drawing the Thunder God Sword.
"But I, Senju Yukika, vow to complete Phase One with minimal losses."
"Bamboo Kun..."
He pointed his blade toward the distant battlefield.
"Let's begin!"
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