Chapter 103: Intelligence
In the Hokage’s residence of Konoha Village, Kato Yoshikaze stood dutifully before the Hokage’s desk, attentively listening to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Earlier, Kato Yoshikaze had already reported on his recent activities, focusing in particular on his ventures outside the village. Beyond the intelligence concerning Uchiha Madara, he relayed what he deemed the most crucial information to the Third Hokage.
Especially notable were Kato’s observations from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, alongside his analysis of the current state of the ninja world and his predictions—and growing concerns—about the imminent Fourth Great Ninja War.
Kato’s forecast of the upcoming ninja world conflict was drawn from his fragmented memories of a past lifetime, combined with the intelligence he had recently acquired from Uchiha Madara during his mission to the Rain Country.
According to Kato’s analysis, the war would likely ignite from tensions between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, with Sand Village and Konoha leading the initial clashes. Seeing an opportunity to benefit from the strife, the Land of Earth, allied closely with these nations, would see Iwa Village joining the conflict. Next, the Rain Country, due to its unique geographic position between the three nations, would be compelled to enter the war, bringing Amegakure into the fray. Ultimately, Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning and Kirigakure of the Land of Water would be drawn in, culminating in a war engulfing the entire ninja world.
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Kato Yoshikaze’s completion of so many high-level missions in such a short span was not exactly earth-shattering, but it was certainly impressive enough to catch attention.
Before coming to the Third Hokage, Kato had prepared a set of explanations in anticipation of questions about how he managed such tasks. Unexpectedly, Sarutobi Hiruzen simply listened intently to Kato’s reports on the A- and B-rank missions without pressing him on his methods.
Rather than probing the details of the missions, Hiruzen was more interested in the intelligence Kato gathered from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, as well as his analytical predictions regarding the ninja world’s future.
As Hiruzen often said, a ninja thrives on information and secrets; every ninja has their hidden cards and untold secrets, especially those who rise above others within Konoha’s ranks. As long as these secrets did not harm the village’s interests, they were no cause for concern to the Third Hokage.
What Hiruzen valued even more was Kato’s reasoning and predictions about the forthcoming ninja world war.
Kato was not the first Konoha ninja to report on the shifting political landscape, but he was the first to offer such a detailed and comprehensive forecast of the next great conflict.
In truth, as the rightful leader of Konoha—the most powerful ninja village in the world—Hiruzen Sarutobi had long established systematic intelligence channels. He had already sensed the growing tension and strange atmosphere spreading across the ninja world. Under his leadership, Konoha had quietly begun preparing for war: stockpiling supplies and repositioning ninja forces.
Hiruzen was no stranger to war. He had inherited the mantle of Hokage from the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, near the end of the previous Great Ninja War. It would be no exaggeration to say he was a Hokage forged in the crucible of war.
Compared to that previous conflict, Konoha was currently in a much better position. The current generation of ninja was in their prime—around their forties—with both strength and experience peaking. Meanwhile, the new generation was beginning to emerge and shoulder the Will of Fire, including Sarutobi’s three disciples, Kato Yoshikaze himself, and others.
Hiruzen’s only worry was Konoha’s jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. The previous vessel, Uzumaki Mito, wife of the First Hokage, had passed away only a few years ago. The new jinchūriki was still a young girl attending the ninja academy, not yet fully grown and likely unable to take part in the coming war. In terms of tailed beasts, Konoha was at a relative disadvantage for the time being.
In recent years, all five great ninja villages had undergone leadership transitions. Each village’s current Kage was the third of their line, roughly the same age as Hiruzen and at the peak of their power.
For some among them, the era of peace had stretched on too long. Konoha, as the strongest village, had held the top spot for too long, stirring tension and rivalry.
This was especially true of the Land of Wind. Since the rise of the Third Kazekage, the Land of Wind had increasingly clashed with Konoha over its own development and interests.
Among the five great nations, excluding the mysterious Land of Water island nation, the four continental nations—Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Fire—were marked by stark contrasts. The Land of Wind was the largest in territory but also the most barren.
To call the Land of Wind’s terrain “a thousand miles of scorched earth” would be an understatement; it was largely desert dotted with sparse oases.
In contrast, neighboring Fire Country was rich and fertile, fostering an irreconcilable rivalry dating back to the warring states period and persisting to this day.
Hiruzen found himself agreeing with Kato’s assessment of the coming war. Other intelligence sources corroborated the likelihood that hostilities would erupt first between Konoha and Sunagakure.
Listening to Kato’s report put Hiruzen at ease. His capable subordinate shared his views on this crucial matter, offering a more thorough and logically structured analysis that was both coherent and convincing.
The more Hiruzen observed Kato, the more satisfied he became, even entertaining the thought of taking him on as a student once more.
Unfortunately, Kato had already matured and attained the rank of Konoha’s upper ninja, entering a phase of rapid growth in his abilities.
Still, it did not matter much to Hiruzen if he could not be Kato’s master himself. Becoming the mentor to Kato’s future wife would suffice.
Just in terms of Tsunade alone, Kato would naturally stand on Hiruzen’s side.
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After concluding official business, Hiruzen did not immediately dismiss Kato, and Kato was happy to cultivate a good personal relationship with his semi-father-in-law.
Kato hoped to lean on Hiruzen’s support during the coming Great Ninja War, and so they began a private conversation.
“By the way, Kato, you returned to Konoha the day before yesterday. Why didn’t you report to me yesterday? I waited for you in my office all day,” Hiruzen asked, somewhat bothered that Kato had not shown up.
“Well, Third Hokage, about that… yesterday I suddenly remembered an important matter I wanted to ask for your help with,” Kato replied.
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