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Chapter 144n
🕑 Added 2025-08-29 15:01:25 +0000 UTCChapter 144n
2-in-1-chapter
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“…Sigh. Looks like today will be another busy one.”
Nara Shikaku sat in his office seat, his expression bitter. On his desk towered a stack of paperwork as high as a small mountain, and that was not all. His assistant had told him there were still more documents placed temporarily on the tea table because there was no more space on his desk.
This was the office of the Jōnin Corps.
Even within the village, most people only knew vaguely that such a department existed, but had no idea what it actually did. From the name alone, one could guess it had something to do with Jōnin, and indeed, that was precisely the case.
The Jōnin Corps had originally been founded by the Second Hokage. When the First Shinobi World War broke out, Senju Tobirama, realizing how slow and inefficient it was to mobilize shinobi from scattered departments, created this unit to centralize the roster and information of all the village’s Jōnin, so that manpower could be deployed quickly to the battlefield.
Thus, though the position of Corps Captain might seem inconspicuous, it was in fact one of low rank but great authority. Especially during wartime, the Jōnin Corps, backed by the Hokage, held powers that surpassed other departments, with the authority to draw suitable Jōnin from anywhere in the village according to battlefield needs.
At present, this was exactly the kind of work occupying Nara Shikaku.
“Captain, should we notify your wife in advance?”
The deputy captain, seated not far away, teased him. Everyone in the department knew about their superior’s “strict household management.” But no one looked down on their leader for it. Everyone here was intelligent enough to be in this office, and thus they all understood very well just how sharp their captain’s mind was.
“…We’ll see later. Work quickly. If we hurry, maybe we can just barely make it.”
Shikaku sighed heavily.
During the battle with the Mist-nin some time ago, he had already been run ragged. Just as the Mist were finally defeated and he thought he might get some rest, the troublesome Cloud-nin immediately stirred up new conflict. Though such a possibility had been anticipated, when it truly happened, it was still discouraging.
“The situation with the northeastern border defense unit is not looking good.”
Someone sighed.
The casualty lists of Jōnin returning from the frontlines were harrowing to read.
Even in Konoha, the number of Jōnin was limited. Unlike Genin and Chūnin, who could be trained and replenished more quickly, Jōnin required immense time and effort to cultivate, and the process was fraught with uncertainty. Many geniuses had died before ever reaching that rank. The overall strength of a shinobi village was, to a large degree, measured by the number of Jōnin it possessed.
“The Hyūga clan head has already set out with reinforcements. With their support, the frontlines should be stabilized, shouldn’t they?”
“Not certain. Yesterday’s reports indicated sightings of the Two-Tails Jinchūriki. If the Cloud-nin truly unleash a Jinchūriki onto the battlefield, our forces there will have no effective countermeasure.”
At that, the room fell silent.
Shikaku did not interrupt his subordinates discussion. Within the Jōnin Corps, all such classified intelligence was well known; there was no point in trying to forbid the conversation. The only thing that mattered was that the information never left this room.
“It’s a pity our own Nine-Tails Jinchūriki cannot yet be deployed.”
After a pause, another sigh was heard.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was only five years old. It would be at least five or six more years before he could be of use, and if his talent proved lacking, it might take even longer. For now, this was water too far away to quench the fire already at their gates.
“Speaking of which, Captain, since Lord Jiraiya has been in the village recently, why not ask him to lead the battle against the Cloud-nin?”
At last, someone voiced the question that had weighed on many minds.
Jiraiya had been in the village for some time. At first, very few knew of his return. But as he wandered the streets, making inquiries here and there, his presence had been spotted repeatedly. Soon enough, word had spread, and most of the village knew he was back.
Yet even as the Cloud-nin advanced south, Jiraiya had remained in Konoha without any move to intervene.
Many were puzzled. Quite a few had believed that Jiraiya had returned precisely because he foresaw war with the Cloud, yet he had taken no action. It was only natural for doubts to arise.
“Lord Jiraiya has other pressing matters. Enough—focus on your own duties. The fighting at the front will be handled. Don’t overstep.” Shikaku cut in firmly, halting the discussion before it wandered further.
As for Lord Jiraiya…
That was complicated.
To this day, he had not said whether he would succeed the position of Fifth Hokage. For now, old man Torifu continued sitting uneasily in that chair. And with the war against the Cloud worsening by the day, he had hardly rested at all. The grim situation at the front weighed heavily on everyone, and the village’s troubles only added to the strain.
It was not only the matter with Jiraiya; with the Uchiha clan head leading a host of elite shinobi and still not having returned, the village was left with few available hands. When Nara Shikaku advised Elder Torifu on strategy, he was truly pressed to cook without rice. In the end, he managed to persuade Hyūga Hiashi and drew forces from multiple directions to send to the front in the Land of Hot Water.
The situation inside and outside was strained—that was the true state of Konoha.
“Hopefully the Iwa-nin delay their move.”
Nara Shikaku let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
If the troubles ended here, he could still manage, but the spy planted in Iwagakure had reported that the Iwa-nin were stirring. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of Both Scales, seemed to harbor the intent of coordinating with the Cloud to strike at Konoha from the north and south. Up to this point that wily old fox had not acted, but if Konoha failed to swiftly and decisively repulse the Cloud’s assault, the Iwa-nin would inevitably take advantage of the fire.
“Captain Nara, the Hokage requests your presence.”
An ANBU wearing a mask appeared before Nara Shikaku’s desk without knocking. The door to his office was still firmly shut—the ANBU had descended directly through the ceiling with Earth Style. Such an unceremonious entrance did not bother Shikaku; free movement through most of the Hokage’s building was the ANBU’s prerogative. Only a few places, such as the Hokage’s own office, were off-limits to them.
“I understand.”
Nara Shikaku set down his pen, inwardly sighing that it seemed he would not be going home on time today. Overtime was already inevitable. He stood, gave brief instructions to his deputy to maintain order, and then followed the ANBU toward the Hokage’s office.
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“Lord Hokage, has something happened?”
That was the first thing Shikaku said upon entering the office.
“It is a reply from the Uchiha clan head,” said Akimichi Torifu, raising the letter in his hand.
“The Uchiha clan head has already set out to return, and he is not coming back alone. Alongside more than a hundred Uchiha Jōnin are twelve hundred Mist-nin. Not a single one is a Genin; every one of them is Chūnin or higher,” the old man shared happily, unable to hide his good mood.
“Twelve hundred Chūnin and above from Kirigakure?”
Nara Shikaku’s tightly furrowed brow eased somewhat. “That truly is good news.”
In truth, twelve hundred Mist-nin could not be called decisive strength, yet neither were they insignificant. What mattered was not the number, but that Kirigakure had indeed dispatched reinforcements. Simply spreading the word of an alliance between Konoha and the Mist would be enough to exert pressure on both the Cloud and the Stone. That was the point that Shikaku grasped instantly—whereas Akimichi Torifu remained buoyed by the sheer number of reinforcements.
Konoha’s manpower was already stretched thin, patching one hole only to open another. Torifu had followed Rēn’s earlier example and squeezed further strength from the Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans, but by now those families had nearly been bled dry. Unless the intent was to obliterate them completely, no further troops could be drawn from them.
But if he could not squeeze the Sarutobi, Shimura, and others, then the only option was to levy forces from different clans. Such a thankless task would make enemies, and as the acting Fifth Hokage, Torifu was reluctant. Were he the official Hokage, it would be another matter—he could bear the burden of a sullied name for the sake of the village. But as a mere stand-in, his enthusiasm for such measures was sharply curtailed, not wishing to drag his clan into disfavor for his temporary role.
“There is more. The Uchiha clan head has already dispatched Uchiha Shisui, Aburame Shikuro, Inuzuka Gaku, and Akimichi Tōdō to directly reinforce the front in the Land of Hot Water,” Torifu continued, speaking of what the letter contained, and then asked for Shikaku’s view. “What do you think, Shikaku? Is there a problem with this arrangement?”
“There is no problem.”
Nara Shikaku slowly shook his head. “The Uchiha clan head’s decision is sound. The front line is in a poor state. Any additional strength is worthwhile—especially Aburame Shikuro. Alone, he is worth a company of a hundred men. Even if he cannot repel the Mist outright, he can at least buy time. Buy enough time for the Uchiha clan head to return with the Nine-Tail’s Jinchūriki, and with Lord Jiraiya still in the village, once the internal disputes are resolved, there will be ample strength to face both the Cloud and the Stone.”
“Ah… I only hope the Uchiha clan head returns quickly.”
The acting Fifth Hokage let out a sigh.
Akimichi Torifu missed Uchiha Rēn and the Jōnin of the Uchiha clan who had left with him. No matter how disliked the Uchiha might be, when war broke out, those red-eyed shinobi were the most reliable allies.
