Naruto: Pay-to-Win Ninja System

It had been more than two weeks since the fateful night the village was attacked.

One could clearly feel it.

Recently, the entire atmosphere in Konoha had grown increasingly tense. Even the number of pedestrians on the streets had noticeably dropped.

At this point, even those slowest to catch on had sensed something was wrong.

The strict, oppressive vibe felt too much like the watchfulness that precedes an all-out war.

So much so that many spies embedded in Konoha by other hidden villages became anxious and tried to send intelligence reports.

Unfortunately,

it was already too late.

Since the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly left Konoha two weeks ago,

the entire village had activated Level One Alert status.

The protective formation surrounding the entire village had been powered to its maximum capacity.

During this time: entry allowed, but absolutely no one was permitted to leave!

Every possible chance of information leakage had been thoroughly eliminated.

This upcoming battle was no child's play.

If they were going to strike, they needed to do so unexpectedly and decisively win in one blow!

Otherwise, before Konoha launched their surprise attack, Iwagakure would catch wind of it and be well-prepared.

That would only lead to even heavier losses!

Thus, although these spies and moles hidden within Konoha had grown frantic with desperation,

they remained helpless, forced to sit there and wait for their doom.

...

Like this,

until tonight.

The night the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi returned.

The entire Konoha sprang into action!

There wasn't a moment's delay. All logistical preparations had already been made over the past two weeks.

This showed just how serious Konoha was about going to war.

Quickly, under the cover of darkness,

a large group of ninjas split into three forces, rushing out of Konoha.

First Wave: personally led by the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, heading directly toward Iwagakure.

Totaling eight hundred ninjas, including half of Anbu's elite, reinforcements from various clans, as well as more than half of the civilian ninja force. This team featured luxurious configurations and constituted Konoha's strongest main force.

Second Wave: led by Jiraiya, one of the renowned Sannin known as the "Toad Sage," totaling twenty-one people. Except for Jiraiya himself, the rest were elite ninja selected from Anbu and regular civilian ninja units—all upper-level Jonin level strength.

They formed an incredibly sharp vanguard unit! However, their movements and specific mission remained unknown.

Third Wave: commanded by Uchiha Great Clan Leader Fugaku, consisted of approximately fifty Uchiha ninja members.

Their target was Homura Hidden Village! Their mission was to hold down those rogue ninja at Homura Hidden Village during this critical large-scale conflict.

Of course, some personnel were naturally left behind to defend Konoha itself.

All remaining defenders were placed under the command of advisor Homura Mitokado.

Meanwhile, just to ensure safety,

Sarutobi lifted Danzo's house arrest, though did not restore his position as Hokage's assistant.

Instead, he merely allowed Danzo to lead Root's remaining forces in assisting Homura Mitokado with village protection.

Regarding this arrangement, Danzo was naturally delighted.

Just regaining control over what remained of Root gave him enough room to move and push his own agenda.

Although previously decimated, almost crippling Root entirely, it still hadn't completely lost its might.

After all, a lion among lambs is still a lion.

Root still possessed considerable reserves.

Moreover, the fact that every remaining member held absolute loyalty to Danzo alone already counted as a significant advantage.

Therefore, as long as he himself was present, and unless the attackers were some kind of a Tailed Beast,

Danzo was confident in defending Konoha!

In fact, a small part of him secretly hoped that during this war, he could lead Konoha to victory in one major battle.

This would greatly boost his reputation.

At that point, the Hokage position would be right within his grasp!

Of course, it was nothing more than a fantasy...

This deployment had drawn out every single Uchiha ninja remaining in the clan,

except for a few very young Genin.

Those left behind were mostly women, children, and the elderly.

It clearly showed the 'determination' of the Uchiha Clan!

After leaving the village, under Fugaku's leadership, the group quickly headed north.

Not long after,

Itachi quietly sped up, moving beside Fugaku, and whispered:

"Father, do you believe Konoha will win this war?"

"Yes!"

Fugaku replied without hesitation.

Itachi: "???"

Fugaku: "Don't underestimate the Third. That old monkey's got one sharp mind, I tell ya."

"Within two weeks, he'll have everything ready. With Konoha's overall strength, thorough preparation, and a surprise attack,"

"This war's outcome was decided from the very beginning."

"The only thing we need to worry about now is how severe the losses will be..."

As someone who had personally experienced both the Second Great Ninja World War and the Third Great Ninja World War,

Fugaku knew Sarutobi's power and strategy all too well.

Even though Sarutobi was aging and his combat ability had declined, he still completely deserved the title "Professor of Ninjutsu"—a title earned from mastering all forms of ninja techniques.

With him leading the charge, their chances of victory were certainly not low!

"Then... are we really going to fight Homura Hidden Village to the death?" 

*(Note: Homura Hidden Village refers to the Hidden Village of the Flame Country, representing a rival nation in this conflict.)*

"Itachi, have you already awakened Susano'o—the Divine Force?"

Itachi hesitated for a moment, then gave a slight nod.

Spurred by that great battle over a month ago, he had focused heavily on developing his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Just recently, he successfully unlocked the 'Third Eye,' completing the awakening of [Susano'o].

However, since he wasn't yet proficient,

he could only stably maintain the initial form; even the complete second stage—skeletal frame—was difficult to sustain.

Fugaku: "Then do you think you can beat that kid Shimoku?"

Itachi shook his head.

Fugaku: "What if we team up? Do we stand a chance?"

Itachi fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing carefully:

"If we risk it all, there's a chance!"

"But... we might die as well..."

Fugaku: "Well said. That kid really does possess amazing strength!"

"But your estimation was based on a month ago, right? Given that brat's monstrous talent, by now, his power has likely skyrocketed again..."

"So tell me, what do you think our chances of winning are now?"

Itachi: ...

"Then... shall we just not fight?"

"But... those two behind us..."

Itachi glanced back at the end of the line.

Two masked Anbu ninja followed closely behind.

They were the spies sent by Konoha's leadership to monitor the Uchiha Clan.

If, in the subsequent battles, anyone on their side showed signs of passivity in battle or deliberately delayed action...

They would report back to Konoha, and punishments would be imposed on the Uchiha clan members within the village.

To put it simply, those two were acting like overseers.

With them around, no one could fake effort or hold back without being noticed!

Fugaku shook his head, dismissing the two as insignificant.

"Fighting is definitely going to happen."

"Exactly which side we end up fighting on, however, remains uncertain..."

"I suppose your cousin Shimoku's side won't be caught off guard either."

"We'll see what happens once we arrive at the Homura Hidden Village."

"Don't worry, I will never abandon Sasuke and your mother..."

Upon hearing this, Itachi finally felt a weight lift from his chest.

Clearly, his biggest concern was that his father might recklessly defect to the Homura Hidden Village without thinking,

Leaving his mother and younger brother Sasuke in danger back in Konoha.

Now, with his father's word, he was finally able to let go of the tension he'd been holding inside.

As for Shimoku… Itachi would be seeing his cousin again before long.

He hoped that this time, Shimoku would have something truly unexpected in store—for both himself and the clan.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>