Chapter 244: Ch-244 The Preparation Are Complete.

After Neji finished speaking—informing Inoiki and Naruto that Konoha had finally announced Sasuke as a missing-nin—the room fell into a quiet, waiting stillness. No one spoke. They were waiting for Naruto’s response—how exactly he would take this news, what he would say, what he would do.

Even Inoiki found himself watching Naruto closely.

For him, this had been expected. Tsunade had already informed him of her decision beforehand—that Sasuke would be declared a missing-nin of Konoha if he did not return. Inoiki had accepted it then, just as he accepted it now. He had already made a promise—to capture Sasuke himself if it came to that—and he fully intended to fulfill it. There was no hesitation in him, no surprise.

But still... he wanted to see Naruto’s reaction.

What will you do now, Naruto?

Naruto stood there silently for a moment, his expression unreadable, his fists clenched at his sides. Then he took a slow, deep breath, the kind that seemed to steady everything inside him.

"Well..." Naruto began, his voice firm but carrying a faint weight beneath it. "If the Granny has decided this... and Sasuke has also decided to remain an enemy of Konoha..." He paused briefly, his gaze lowering for just a second before hardening again.

"Then I will have no choice but to bring him back to Konoha."

A small gust of wind passed through, ruffling his clothes as he lifted his head fully, determination blazing in his eyes.

"Don’t worry, you guys," he continued, a confident edge returning to his tone. "I will definitely beat some sense into him." A faint grin tugged at his lips, stubborn and unyielding. "I am not going to give up that easily."

As soon as Inoiki heard Naruto’s response, he let out a faint breath through his nose, then spoke, his tone calm but carrying a subtle weight.

"Okay," Inoiki said, folding his arms as his eyes settled on Naruto. "If you want to fight Sasuke on your own and want to capture him, then you can do so..." He paused for a brief moment, his gaze sharpening slightly. "But do not become like your sensei while doing so, okay?"

The air seemed to still for a second as his words settled.

"He left Konoha just to capture his friend, Orochimaru," Inoiki continued, his voice steady, though there was a quiet firmness beneath it, "and he kind of just gave up on Konoha." His eyes didn’t leave Naruto. "That Konoha and this Konoha are very different."

Naruto listened without interrupting. After a moment, he gave a firm nod, his expression serious. He understood what Inoiki was trying to say—what he was warning him against.

Don’t lose yourself... no matter what.

Seeing that Naruto had understood, Inoiki gave a small nod of his own before shifting his attention. He turned his head toward Neji.

"Is there any other news that you would like to share?" Inoiki asked.

Neji straightened slightly before responding, his tone composed as always. "One last thing," he said. "There will be a meeting of all the Kages again." He paused briefly, then added, "But this time, they won’t be meeting in the Land of Iron. Instead, they will be communicating through a video call."

A faint rustle of wind passed as he continued.

"They won’t be the only ones in that meeting," Neji said. "The Daimyos of the respective major countries will also be attending." His gaze remained steady. "It is said to happen ten days from now."

As soon as Inoiki heard this, he gave a thoughtful nod, processing the information.

"Very well then," Inoiki replied. "We will get news about that meeting then." His tone shifted slightly, becoming more decisive. "Until then, let’s continue with our training."

Neji nodded after hearing this, a small sense of anticipation rising within him.

This was a very good opportunity for him. Training with Inoiki—someone stronger than him—would undoubtedly push him further. Each exchange, each fight, would help him improve. And with Inoiki guiding them, correcting them, pushing them forward...

It would be a good thing for everyone.

...

Days passed, one after another, until finally the day arrived—the day when the meeting between the Five Kage and the Five Daimyo was to take place.

The atmosphere surrounding it was tense, even from afar. Though the meeting itself was held through a video call, the weight of the discussion was no less heavy. Voices were raised, opinions clashed, and decisions were carefully weighed over a long and exhausting session.

By the time it ended, two main conclusions had been drawn.

The first was that all the Daimyos were to be gathered at a single, secret location and protected there under tight security. The moment this plan was brought up, however, a common thought surfaced among the Daimyos—one that none of them bothered to hide.

They wanted Inoiki.

To them, safety meant certainty, and certainty meant someone like him. In their eyes, only Inoiki could provide the level of protection that would allow them to rest without fear. Anything less felt... insufficient.

However, this request was firmly denied.

The Kages rejected the Daimyos’ demand for a very simple and logical reason. Inoiki was not just any shinobi—he was one of the main fighting forces against Obito. Removing him from the battlefield, even for something as important as protection duty, would create a significant disadvantage.

If Inoiki himself did not participate in the war... the consequences could be disastrous.

They might even lose.

And that was a risk no one was willing to take.

The second conclusion came after persistent insistence from the Raikage. His desire was clear, almost palpable through the screen—he wanted revenge against Obito, and more than that, he wanted authority over the battlefield.

He demanded to be made the Commander-in-Chief of the coalition army formed by the five major villages. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

At first, there was hesitation. Such a role carried immense responsibility, and the decision was not one to be taken lightly. But the circumstances played in his favor. The expected battlefield was near Kumogakure, his home ground—terrain he understood better than anyone else present.

One by one, the Kages relented.

In the end, the decision was made.

The Raikage was chosen as the Commander-in-Chief.

Previously, that role had been intended for Tsunade, but with this new development, the leadership shifted. The balance of command had changed—and with it, the course of the coming war subtly began to take a new direction.

The news of the meeting’s outcome was soon relayed to Inoiki and Naruto.

What exactly had been decided?

The first report came from Darui. After all, they were closer to Kumogakure, and information from there reached them faster. Then, only a few hours later, the same message arrived again—this time from Konoha, delivered by a messenger bird that cut through the sky before landing nearby with a soft flutter of wings.

The contents matched.

As Inoiki had expected, there was still no concrete information about the base of the Akatsuki.

Not a single lead.

However, alongside that, another piece of news had spread—one that shook the entire world.

A ninja village belonging to a small country had been completely destroyed.

Not damaged. Not raided.

Destroyed.

The details were vague, but the aftermath was undeniable—ruins, silence, and no survivors strong enough to tell the tale clearly. The force behind it was described only as... overwhelming.

It didn’t take long for the major villages to come to a conclusion.

This was the work of the Akatsuki.

The implication was immediate. If such destruction had occurred there, then perhaps the Akatsuki base was hidden somewhere within that country. Acting on that possibility, multiple teams were dispatched from the major villages to investigate the region.

Search after search was conducted.

Eventually, they did find something—a base.

But it was empty.

Abandoned.

Cold.

Whoever had been there had already left, leaving behind nothing but hollow structures and fading traces, as if they had anticipated the search long before it even began.

The realization settled in heavily.

This was not just destruction.

It was a message.

The annihilation of that small ninja village served as a clear warning to all other small countries. A silent but brutal declaration—if they dared to search for the Akatsuki, if they involved themselves too deeply...

Their fate would be no different.

Fear spread quickly.

Where there had once been cooperation, there was now hesitation. Where there had been effort, there was now only formality. The smaller villages continued their searches, but only on the surface—perfunctory actions meant more to show compliance than to yield results.

They were afraid.

And rightly so.

There was little the major villages or countries could do about it. They could offer words, promises, even temporary support—but they could not guarantee protection at all times, not across every small nation.

Not against an enemy like the Akatsuki.

And so, the idea of a widespread, coordinated search led by the smaller villages began to crumble.

Not because they lacked will—

But because fear had already taken hold.

The only remaining option was clear—to prepare for the upcoming war.

And so, without delay, the major villages began organizing their forces. Orders were issued, units were formed, and strategies were drafted with urgency. The atmosphere across the shinobi world shifted, becoming heavier with each passing day.

The Daimyos, as decided, were moved to a secret location under tight protection.

But "secret" did not mean hidden from everyone.

That location was already known to Obito, thanks to the silent, ever-present surveillance of White Zetsu.

Even so, Obito made no move.

There was no attempt to capture them. No plan to take them hostage.

To him, it simply wasn’t worth the effort.

He understood something very clearly—Inoiki was not someone who would be swayed by such tactics. The Daimyos held no real value in his eyes. Inoiki’s priority was singular and absolute: protecting Naruto at any cost.

Nothing else came close.

Because of that, even if Obito captured every Daimyo, it would change nothing where Inoiki was concerned. There would be no hesitation, no compromise.

While such a move might have pressured the Kages of the various villages, it would do nothing to influence the one person Obito needed to account for the most.

And so, he chose not to act.

Time passed steadily.

Then, before anyone realized it, the one-month deadline came to an end.

The forces of the five major villages gathered, assembling into a single, unified army—the Allied Shinobi Forces. The sheer scale of it was overwhelming, thousands upon thousands of shinobi standing together, the ground itself seeming to hum with the weight of their combined presence.

War had begun.

Naruto, as expected, immediately wanted to join the fray at the very forefront. There was no hesitation in him, no fear—only determination burning brightly in his eyes.

But Inoiki stopped him.

"Those at the front will face the enemy’s initial wave," Inoiki said, his voice steady, his gaze firm as it met Naruto’s. "You don’t need to rush in." He paused for a brief moment, then added, "Be patient. Save your strength."

A faint gust of wind passed between them.

"For the battles that will actually matter."

Naruto clenched his fists, clearly unwilling, the urge to fight evident in every part of him. But Inoiki’s words carried weight—enough that he couldn’t simply ignore them.

After a moment, Naruto exhaled slowly.

He didn’t argue.

As the forces began to be distributed according to the instructions of Shikaku, the army’s main strategist, units moved into position, lines forming with precision as the grand structure of the battlefield took shape.

Amidst all this movement, Inoiki found himself face to face with someone familiar.

Inoichi.

His father.

As the captain of the Intelligence Division, Inoichi stood at the center of coordination, surrounded by reports, signals, and constant communication. Even now, his responsibilities did not allow him even a moment of rest.

Still, when his eyes met Inoiki’s, there was a brief pause.

No long conversation. No unnecessary words.

Just a quiet understanding.

As a father, all he could do was pray for his son’s safety.

And as a shinobi, he turned back to his duty—doing everything in his power to manage the flow of information that would decide the outcome of the war.