Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

If we exclude the five great nations, the Land of Iron is no small country. Its landmass is about one-sixth that of the Land of Fire, and nearly half the size of the Land of Water.

So, even if the ninja forces from the Five Great Nations wanted to withdraw from the Land of Iron, it wouldn't be quick. The long journey across snow-covered terrain served as a final pause, a breath before the coming storm—for both Konoha and Kumogakure.

Yet both the Hokage and the Raikage had already issued the order to sever all remaining ties between their forces.

After an entire day of negotiations, it was clear—neither side was willing to yield.

The outcome was inevitable now:

War.

In Konoha's military camp, the temporary war tent was already packed.

Tsunade, seated at the head, was surrounded by more than twenty high-ranking shinobi, including the heads of various clans. They stood around a makeshift sand table, analyzing the current situation.

Across from Tsunade stood her personally appointed chief strategist, Nara Shikaku.

Using a wooden pointer, Shikaku tapped the map over the Land of Fire first. "Logistics will be critical when the war begins. We must secure our supply lines."

He turned to the others. "We'll need to assign at least a thousand chunin to guard the Fire Daimyo, and another two thousand to transport supplies. One-third of our forces must remain in Konoha to work with genin and protect civilians."

"That will leave us with about eight thousand shinobi available for frontline combat. Five thousand are already stationed here, and the remaining three thousand can be deployed within the week."

He moved the pointer to the Land of Wind.

"Suna is our ally. While they lack top-tier fighters, the combined number of jonin and chunin they can provide is comparable to ours. If we promise them benefits after the war, they'll likely send reinforcements."

"In other words, we have a numerical advantage in mid- and lower-tier forces. But our weakness... lies in high-level combat power."

Indeed, Suna's forces were depleted. Their former powerhouse, Chiyo, was still alive—but as the last real line of defense for the village, she couldn't be risked in external battles.

As for Konoha...

The Third Hokage had died in battle.

Danzo was missing.

Jiraiya was wandering.

And Tsunade, the current Hokage, though powerful, wasn't known for her offensive prowess in large-scale battles.

On the other hand, the Raikage of Kumogakure was famed for his sheer physical might. And standing behind him were their two most terrifying trump cards:

Killer Bee, host of the Eight-Tails

Yugito Nii, host of the Two-Tails

Together, they had the power to devastate an entire battlefield. The destruction wrought by tailed beasts on low- and mid-tier shinobi was unimaginable.

After a detailed breakdown, Shikaku concluded:

"If Kumogakure commits fully, the battle will come down to a coin flip. Even with our slight advantage in numbers, the outcome is uncertain."

Yamanaka Inoichi, standing beside him, tried to lift the mood.

"Don't be so grim, Shikaku. It's not like Kumogakure is the only one with Jinchūriki. We have the Nine-Tails, remember?"

Shikaku sighed. "True... but Killer Bee is said to be a perfect Jinchūriki. I'm not sure our little Naruto can take him on alone."

Tsunade clapped her hands sharply, interrupting.

"Enough with the doom and gloom! The battle hasn't even started yet and you're already bringing bad luck. Sounds like you're just getting old, Shikaku."

Shikaku scratched his nose and grumbled to himself:

You're calling me old? You're clearly the oldest one here...

In truth, Tsunade was just as uneasy. Despite Konoha flexing its strength at the summit, Kumogakure still didn't take them seriously.

It was infuriating.

After a moment of reflection, she took out a pen and paper.

"I'll write to Jiraiya personally," she said. "Shikaku, send a letter to Iwagakure—offer them some concessions. See if they're willing to join us in attacking Kumogakure."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Outside the command tent, the special jonin patrols rotated shifts.

When Uzuki Yugao returned to camp, she saw many shinobi quietly writing letters—some to parents, some to spouses, some to children.

Before going to war, many shinobi write farewell letters—some to be delivered only in the event of their death.

But Yugao had no family. Her fiancé, the only person she could've called one, had died years ago.

Still, after a moment of hesitation, she picked up a pen and quietly began to write:

"Suicide Note of Uzuki Yugao — To Naruto Uzumaki."

Meanwhile, at Kumogakure's camp, their war council was also underway.

To the left and right of Raikage A stood the village's two strongest assets:

Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki

Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki

Facing them was Samui, a talented and cold-headed elite jonin of the Cloud.

She spoke evenly: "Lord Raikage, if we capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki... may I be the first to deal with him?"

Raikage A nodded. "Granted."

He understood. Samui had a personal grudge—her younger brother Atsui had reportedly died at Naruto's hands.

For Kumogakure, the goal wasn't just to defeat Konoha.

They wanted to capture the Nine-Tails, combine it with the Two- and Eight-Tails, and use those three beasts to dominate the remaining four great nations.

Why were they so confident?

Because they had inside information—and it had always been accurate.

Last time, they had precise intel on how many shinobi were in Konoha's escort team. Although the assault failed because of Naruto's unexpected strength, that failure was entirely the Raikage's own mistake.

He had acted prematurely, without coordinating with their informant.

Their contact had only provided intel—not an order to attack. Still, the Raikage launched a raid based on that tip alone.

This time, he wouldn't make that mistake again.

He smirked. "Send a letter to Haku—our old ally. Tell her if we win this war, we'll help her conquer a small nation of her own. Now's the time for her to repay the favor."

"Isn't she no longer in the Land of Lightning?" Killer Bee asked curiously.

Raikage A laughed. "I forgot to mention—I just got a letter from her yesterday."

He smiled darkly.

"She says that if we go to war with Konoha, she can supply us with intel at any time. We just need to write to the port in the Land of Snow to reach her."

"Understood," Samui said, immediately beginning the letter.

The Raikage trusted Haku because she had helped them before.

When Haku exposed the corruption of two major Konoha clans, she did it through Kumogakure's newspaper. Back then, Raikage summoned her for a private meeting.

"Why are you so hostile toward Konoha?" he had asked. "Why risk exposing all this?"

Haku answered bluntly:

"I'm from Kirigakure. My entire family was destroyed by Konoha. And I'm not smearing them—I'm telling the truth. I have someone inside Konoha—someone very high up."

Raikage had been skeptical at first. How could someone so important in Konoha be working with a rogue Mist ninja?

But then Haku told him:

"The Third Hokage and the Kazekage will be assassinated soon."

He didn't believe it.

Until it happened.

From that moment on, he purchased intel from her regularly—and every single time, it was spot-on.

Tsunade would become Hokage.

Gaara, the One-Tail Jinchūriki, would be exiled.

The size and route of Konoha's escort team...

Every. Single. Detail. Correct.

Raikage suspected she had brainwashed a top Konoha elder—maybe Danzo, who had since vanished. If not him, then perhaps Koharu or Homura—the old councilors.

It couldn't possibly be Tsunade herself... could it?

"With Haku's mole in place," the Raikage sneered, "Konoha's defeat is inevitable."

What he didn't realize was that the "traitor" feeding him information...

Was Uzumaki Naruto himself.

Dawn.

Naruto opened his window to let the fresh air in.

He grabbed his toothbrush and rinsed out his mouth in the bathroom mirror. His skin was smooth and pink from sleep, but his expression was still a bit groggy.

As he finished brushing and reached for the toilet, the white "One" phone on the counter vibrated.

He didn't answer right away.

He glanced around to make sure the apartment was quiet. From the bedroom came the soft, steady breathing of Ino, still fast asleep.

Then he picked up the phone and answered.

"Yo."

"Good morning, Naruto-sama!" came Haku's voice.

"Morning." Naruto yawned. "What's up?"

Haku's tone turned serious. "I estimate the Raikage will arrive in the Land of Iron today. If he contacts me... do I really give him information?"

"He acted without permission last time and endangered your team. That guy's not reliable."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I've already marked the Raikage as a liability."

If he hadn't been strong enough, that ambush might have ended very differently.

It was time for the Uzumaki organization's first major move—to weaken the Land of Lightning, and eventually replace them in the Five Great Nations.

He looked out the window.

The snow had stopped. A cold wind bit at his face and thighs.

Naruto grinned.

"Sure, Haku—sell him the intel. But don't guarantee its accuracy this time."

"That's what he gets for disobeying orders."

"Understood!"

They chatted for a few more minutes, then ended the call.

When Naruto returned to the hallway, he peeked into the bedroom.

Ino was still curled up like a kitten, lips twitching slightly as if she were dreaming about food.

Naruto grinned.

"Even in sleep, she lives up to Sakura's nickname for her... Wild Boar."