As the commander on the front lines, if he reported Mitsuno's unauthorized operation to Konoha, even though Mitsuno had made contributions, the incident would likely be framed by the village's higher-ups as an internal attack on Mitsuno. A way to seize leverage through his name.
Fortunately, Nara Shikaku ultimately chose to compromise. If this action was reframed from an "unauthorized operation" to a pre-discussed and jointly planned maneuver, the nature of the incident would change completely.
As a prominent figure aligned with the Hokage faction, Nara Shikaku should not have concealed things for Chao Yanqian. However, Shikaku understood well that if the village's higher-ups used the charge of "acting without authorization" to persecute Mitsuno, it would likely deepen the conflict between Mitsuno and the Third Hokage.
Based on Shikaku's understanding of Chao Yanqian, if things truly escalated, him leaving the village might be the best outcome. If he stayed and made a scene in Konoha, regardless of timing, it could result in serious consequences for the village.
As a rational and pragmatic individual, Nara Shikaku's compromise was understandable.
As the field commander and mentor figure for Chao Yanqian, Shikaku also sensed that Chao Yanqian still held a measure of respect for him. With that level of influence, Shikaku could serve as a mediator between Chao Yanqian and the Third Hokage, helping to ease tensions at the appropriate time.
In fact, letting Orochimaru go in exchange for power was, in itself, a minor event. But even in such a small matter, it became clear that Chao Yanqian and Orochimaru had long been secretly aligned. This ruthless pursuit of power clearly did not align with the ideals of the Hokage lineage.
Fortunately, the conflict remained one of ideology. It hadn't escalated to actual harm to Konoha. At worst, it meant categorizing Chao Yanqian alongside Shimura Danzō.
After clearing the battlefield, Nara Shikaku set up the Konoha encampment at the border of the Land of Fire, gathering all 4,000 Konoha ninja on the front lines to establish a tight defensive formation, ready to repel another potential invasion from Kumogakure at any moment.
Simultaneously, Shikaku reported the outcome of the battle to Konoha's upper echelon and sent a request for reinforcements.
This time, Kumogakure had lost nearly 3,000 shinobi and clearly would not let it slide. A retaliatory strike could come at any time. The 4,000 Konoha ninja at the front were clearly insufficient to withstand a full-scale counterattack by Kumogakure.
---
Konoha, Hokage's Office.
After receiving the frontline victory report, Konoha's leadership should have celebrated and commended the shinobi involved. But instead, the mood in the Hokage's office was grim. The Third Hokage silently read the report in his hands for a long time.
In Shikaku's report, he noted that the Kumogakure shinobi had remained inactive for a suspiciously long period and speculated they were waiting for a thunderstorm. Such weather would amplify the destructive power of Lightning Release techniques.
So, after discussions with fellow frontline commanders such as Hyuga Hiashi and Xiangyun' ,Nara Shikaku made the decision to launch a preemptive strike. Kumogakure's forces were caught completely off guard.
At the council meeting, Chao Yanqian proposed to infiltrate and attack Kumogakure's encampment alone, disrupt their defenses, and then signal Konoha's main force to attack.
In that single assault, Chao Yanqian reportedly killed nearly 2,000 enemy shinobi. Then, under Nara Shikaku's command, the Konoha forces launched a full offensive. The cost: fewer than 100 casualties. The result: nearly 3,000 enemy forces annihilated.
The casualty ratio and decisive outcome made it a stunning victory one worthy of textbook case studies. But despite the glory, the Third Hokage found no joy. In fact, the success achieved by one man who wiped out 2,000 enemies cast a heavy shadow over him.
When did that little boy grow into such a force?
The Third Hokage rubbed his temples, feeling the onset of a headache.
Although the sudden change in battle strategy raised suspicions, only a few including the Xiangyun', Hyuga, and Shikaku knew the real details. And they clearly weren't going to report them truthfully to the Hokage.
Even the few informants Sarutobi Hiruzen had in place couldn't uncover anything concrete.
The Third Hokage had once placed great trust in Chao Yanqian. But upon learning that Chao Yanqian used the opportunity to release Orochimaru in exchange for political power, his view of him changed dramatically.
If all of Chao Yanqian's previous actions were merely performances then this was a truly terrifying individual. To harbor such deep ambition and thirst for power at such a young age... If not controlled, he could easily become the next Uchiha Madara.
But now, the Third Hokage realized that Chao Yanqian had already slipped out of his grasp.
Impressive strength. Deep cunning. And the admiration of the average shinobi his popularity was now on par with the Hokage himself. The Third Hokage could no longer predict Chao Yanqian's motives.
He could already imagine the storm of prestige that would surround Chao Yanqian when this battle report spread throughout the village. If it weren't for his age, there would likely already be calls to name him the Fifth Hokage.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen silently vowed he would never hand over the village to someone so unreadable and potentially dangerous.
The current plan: find a young shinobi with both talent and the Will of Fire. If this person could match Chao Yanqian's achievements, then Sarutobi could use his own authority to pass the torch to them removing Chao Yanqian from the list of Hokage successors.
Hatake Kakashi.
Son of the White Fang of Konoha. Disciple of the Fourth Hokage, Be Feng Shuimen. Sarutobi had kept an eye on Kakashi long before Chao Yanqian ever made his mark. If not for Chao Yanqian's sudden rise after defeating Kakashi in battle, the Third Hokage might never have realized there was another genius with equal potential.
But Kakashi's tragic childhood, and the trauma of losing his teammates during the Third Shinobi World War, had left him emotionally shattered.
Recently, however, it was said that Kakashi had begun to regain his strength and was training hard once again.
With Kakashi's innate talent plus the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan if mentored properly, his future could rival even that of Chao Yanqian.
Still, the Third Hokage needed to examine Kakashi's loyalty carefully. After all, the death of Sakumo Hatake Konoha's White Fang was a result of the village's own negligence.
A test was already forming in Sarutobi's mind a test for Kakashi.
If Kakashi could pass, Sarutobi planned to recommend him to the ANBU, giving him elite training and the opportunity to build key connections. If his performance in the ANBU was strong, he could then be promoted to elite jōnin and assigned high-profile missions. With the right publicity, Kakashi could gain widespread prestige.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi also began planning quietly but methodically
how to reduce the influence of Chao Yanqian in the village.
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