The news of Iwa Shinobi Village's surrender to Konoha spread the very day Raiden arrived.
Although the decision was made by Acting Tsuchikage Kitsuchi, many within the village refused to accept it. A large number of Iwa shinobi opposed Kitsuchi's command. Some even formed assassination squads to target Raiden, forcing his Sakegari no Tachi to inevitably be stained with Iwa blood.
After a period of purging by Raiden, the remaining Iwa ninjas—excluding defectors—finally recognized the reality of the situation and chose to remain in the village, awaiting Konoha's army to complete the incorporation.
By the time Uchiha Fugaku received news of Iwa's surrender, a full day had passed. From the moment he broke through the border defenses and crossed into enemy territory, he encountered surprisingly little resistance. At first, Fugaku assumed the Iwa forces had been caught off guard, still basking in the New Year's celebrations.
It wasn't until he received Raiden's summons that he realized the truth: it wasn't negligence—Raiden had already seized the heart of Iwa.
Upon understanding the situation, Fugaku dropped all pretense of concealment and marched straight toward Iwa at full speed.
As many Iwa rebels fled the village, the Land of Earth was thrown into chaos. The defectors either became local warlords or seized towns and villages for themselves. The civilians of the Land of Earth were plunged into misery.
Mission requests flooded into Iwa, asking for help suppressing these rebels. But strangely, Iwa—once renowned for its swift responses to such calls—refused. The village gates were shut, and the shinobi refused to leave.
Those who came to request aid were turned away, forced to leave in frustration. Iwa's reputation among the people plummeted.
These orders, of course, came from Raiden. He was well aware of how the defected Iwa shinobi would poison the region. Letting them ravage the countryside was part of his plan.
A shinobi village with no popular support would be easier to control—and that was exactly what Raiden intended.
Kitsuchi and other Iwa higher-ups understood this, but under Raiden's immense pressure, they were powerless to stop it. Kitsuchi could already foresee that the people suffering from the rebels' cruelty would soon hate the Iwa shinobi to the core.
A week after Raiden arrived, Uchiha Fugaku finally entered Iwa with Konoha's main forces and began the formal process of incorporation.
Iwa's numbers had once been immense—over 6,000 at its peak. But after Uchiha Madara and Raiden's campaigns, fewer than 1,000 remained.
Still, this number posed a challenge for Fugaku's forces. To make the integration easier, Raiden began reorganizing the remaining shinobi.
All disabled or over-40 shinobi were discharged from the army and reassigned as a scattered national security force. Their Iwa forehead protectors were confiscated. Their new title was simply "Ninja Guard."
Meanwhile, all ninjas under 13 were removed from combat roles and transferred to Konoha, or left to guard the village.
The remaining combat-ready shinobi were absorbed into Fugaku's units, preparing for the upcoming campaign against Cloud.
After the reorganization, the number of young and middle-aged combatants still reached around 3,000. To manage them, Raiden assigned Konoha shinobi as sub-unit leaders to command the Iwa troops.
This force, terrifying in its collective strength, was led personally by Raiden.
Before leaving Iwa, Raiden left Uchiha Itachi behind to manage the village. Though integrated, Iwa was far from stable.
Itachi would face significant challenges—but he understood this was a test from Raiden.
Unlike Fugaku's smooth progress, the Hyuga Hiashi-led forces that crossed into the Land of the Moon from the Land of Hot Water met fierce resistance from Cloud ninja.
Unlike Iwa, Cloud had not recently lost its Raikage Ai. Under the firm leadership of Ai, Cloud stood united. Though they had previously lost control of the Land of Tang, the Land of the Moon remained firmly under their grip.
Foreseeing Konoha's aggression, Gai had already fortified the border.
The day Hiashi launched his offensive, Cloud's border troops quickly mounted a defense. Not only did they repel Konoha's forces, but they also pushed the frontlines back into the Land of Tang.
Thankfully, the village had anticipated setbacks. Reinforcements arrived promptly, aiding Hiashi and stabilizing the line near the border. However, the battle became a stalemate. Each day, more Konoha and Cloud shinobi died.
Faced with the mounting losses, Hiashi, normally composed, began to worry. He sent an urgent request for reinforcements.
Raiden, who was advancing through the Lands of Birds, Grass, and Waterfall—previously held by the Land of Earth—moved slowly but steadily. After securing each territory, he left behind Konoha shinobi paired with a few Iwa troops to maintain control.
Raiden refused to station Iwa's Chūnin and Jōnin as local rulers, choosing instead to keep them close and move toward more active battlefronts.
Meanwhile, the Sand and Mist villages began cooperating. The Lands of Tea and Rainbow were seized by Mist, who purged the local elites and sent troops to assist Konoha via sea to invade the Land of Lightning.
Sand took responsibility for conquering the Lands of Oil, Bears, Demons, and Snow. But despite their efforts, the strain of holding these territories left them unable to reinforce Konoha directly.
Raiden's forces swiftly conquered the Lands of Birds, Grass, and Waterfall. But when they reached the Land of Iron, they encountered real resistance.
The issue wasn't the strength of the samurai—it was their unyielding nature. The Land of Iron, unique in the ninja world, was ruled by warriors who followed Bushidō and flatly refused to surrender.
Raiden had considered personally removing Mifune, but decided against it. Instead, he chose to let Iwa fight them, using the conflict to further weaken the former enemy village.
Most of Fugaku's Konoha shinobi had been stationed in the occupied territories. The more difficult-to-control Iwa Chūnin and Jōnin remained under Raiden's command, now facing off against the stubborn samurai.
Kitsuchi and the other former Iwa elites began to understand Raiden's intent—but by the time they did, it was too late. The fighting had already begun. Even without Raiden's orders, Iwa shinobi were clashing with samurai on sight.
The entire ninja world was in chaos.
The Fourth Ninja World War had officially begun.
Konoha's setbacks in the Land of Lightning battlefield finally exhausted Minato's patience. From the heart of the village, he ordered a massive assault on the Land of the Moon to break into the Land of Lightning.
Among those deployed were Uchiha Sasuke and other young-generation shinobi. Under Minato's orders, Sasuke once again formed Team 7 with Uzumaki Naruto and Karin, under the leadership of Nohara Rin.
Team 7 did not follow the main army—they had a separate mission.
Led by Rin, they crossed the Land of Fire into the Land of Tang within days.
But as they traveled, a growing heaviness settled over their hearts. The Land of Tang was nothing like the peaceful Land of Fire.
Along their route, they encountered battlefield after battlefield, desperate beggars, and a bitter wind that carried the scent of blood.
Once known as a hot spring paradise, the Land of Tang was now a war-ravaged wasteland.
After days of travel, Team 7 arrived at a village near the border where Konoha's troops were stationed.
What they saw horrified them—damaged streets, ruined houses, and bodies left to rot, many of them civilians. Children begged by the roadside, wearing rags and looking like they might collapse from hunger.
But when they saw the shinobi headbands, the children shrank away in fear.
They were terrified of ninja.
"This is war…"
"Is this what Uncle's fighting for?"
"Why... why are we doing this? Isn't peace better than this?!"
Naruto, still a kind-hearted boy despite everything he'd seen, was shaken. Though he'd endured hardship and witnessed cruelty, this was his first time seeing war on such a scale.
Those children's frightened faces pierced his heart like a blade.
For the first time, he doubted Raiden, the man he had always admired.
No one answered him. Karin looked down, her enthusiasm for war long gone.
Young shinobi often dream of glory in battle—but when faced with its brutal reality, their illusions shatter.
Anti-war thoughts began to grow within Karin and Naruto.
"Peace requires necessary measures," Sasuke said quietly. Though more mature than Naruto, the scene still left him shaken. He had believed in Raiden—but now, when confronted with Naruto's questions, he found no answers.
"Necessary... for peace?"
"What kind of peace is that?"
Naruto echoed Sasuke's words, his voice pale and broken. This wasn't the Konoha he believed in. This Konoha—starting wars, bringing suffering—felt foreign.
The fear in those children's eyes burned into his memory. Anger swelled within him.
"Peace is peace. The means don't change its value."
"Short wars... lead to long peace."
The voice came from behind.
Startled, the children scattered. Naruto and the others turned.
Standing before them was Hyuga Hiashi, commander of the forces here. Beside him was a long-haired youth with Byakugan, watching Naruto silently.
"You're finally here," Hiashi greeted them, a rare smile breaking across his serious face.
"Senior Hiashi, I didn't expect you to come in person," Rin said with a respectful bow.
Naruto, still shaken, raised his head.
"All this—is it because of us? Can war like this really bring peace?"
"Isn't peace just an excuse for you all to justify this destruction? Konoha... has fallen too far!"
He didn't wait for an answer. Turning abruptly, Naruto stormed off toward the village gate.
"Hey! Naruto, where are you going?!" Sasuke called after him, grabbing his hand—but Naruto shook free.
"I'm going back. I'm going to make Uncle and Father stop this senseless war!"
His eyes were firm, his voice resolute. He didn't look back.
Worried, Sasuke apologized and chased after him.
Karin started to follow too, but Rin stopped her gently, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Let him go," she said. "He'll understand, eventually."
"Lord Hiashi, I'm sorry you had to see that."
"But don't worry—I'll complete this mission, even if I have to do it alone."
Hiashi nodded silently, gazing after Naruto and Sasuke as they disappeared into the distance. He let out a soft sigh.
(End Of Chapter)
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