"Creak!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the door open. Inside, the atmosphere shifted. Warmer lamplight pooled over a large, central table strewn with maps weighted down by kunai, scrolls partially unrolled, and half-empty cups of cold tea.
Two figures occupied the room. Near the far wall, bathed in the soft glow of a dedicated lamp, sat a Yamanaka kunoichi. Yuka Yamanaka, who seemed muted in the dim light. Her eyes were closed, brow furrowed in concentration, hands resting palms-down on a smaller table before her, connected to a complex array of chakra-conducting wires and polished crystals – the Yamanaka Mind Transmission Relay.
Across the main table, practically slumped over a particularly thick scroll detailing border fortifications, was a young man.
Nara Shikaku.
Even in the low light, the signature Nara laziness was palpable, warring with intense focus. His dark, spiky hair fell over half-closed eyes. He stifled a massive yawn behind his hand, jaw cracking faintly. "Huuuuaaaaaah…"
He blinked blearily, dragging a finger down a column of troop estimates.
"Good evening, Yuka, Shikaku," Hiruzen greeted.
Shikaku startled slightly, pushing himself upright with visible effort. He blinked rapidly, focusing on the Hokage.
"Hokage-sama." His voice was thick with sleep. "Forgive the… lapse."
Hiruzen offered a small, tired smile. "Long hours, Shikaku. How are you finding your tenure under the High Command's roof? A far cry from frontline patrols, I imagine."
Shikaku ran a hand through his messy hair, "It's… strategic, Hokage-sama. Necessary, I understand." He paused, "Though, truthfully, I'd feel more useful applying shadow techniques directly against opponents."
A genuine chuckle escaped Hiruzen, a brief, warm sound in the tense room. "Kuh-huh. Direct and honest. Just like Shiba. It was his suggestion, you know. He insisted your mind was better served here, weaving the larger picture, than tangled in the immediate fray. 'The boy sees patterns in the chaos,' he said."
Shikaku blinked, surprise momentarily banishing his fatigue. "Father… suggested this?"
Hiruzen's expression sobered as he turned to Yuka Yamanaka. Her eyes remained closed, her breathing slow and measured. "Yuka-san. Connect me to all field commanders."
Yuka didn't open her eyes, but a soft, harmonic hum emanated from the crystals on her table, intensifying for a moment.
"Only a few of them are available," Yuka said, to which Hiruzen nodded as he was aware of the situation
Hiruzen felt the familiar, slightly invasive pressure build in his temples, then settle.
Suddenly, voices echoed directly in his mind, layered and distinct despite the psychic connection.
`Hokage-sama?` The voice was Tsunade Senju's, sharp with impatience and underlying exhaustion. `What's the issue? Triage is overflowing here. Lost two medics to a poisoned kunai trap near Outpost Seven this afternoon. Every minute counts.`
`No significant movements on the Western Ridge, Hokage-sama,` came the calm, gravelly report of Daichi Uchiha.
`Similar situation on the Southern Flank, Hokage-sama,` Shiba's voice cut in, `Suna's probes are like sand flies – irritating, constant. Two intercepted, one slipped through, but triggered a perimeter seal. Minor explosion, no casualties. They're all poking, seeing how we flinch.`
Hiruzen focused his thoughts, projecting them through the Yamanaka link. `Understood. Maintain vigilance. Hold the lines. Stand strong, all of you. The night holds more than just probes.`
He paused, gathering his mental voice. `I have just returned from an audience with the Fire Daimyo.`
Immediately, Danzo Shimura's cold, precise thoughts sliced through the mental space. `How did it proceed?`
The question was sharp, devoid of pleasantries, radiating focused intensity.
Hiruzen mentally acknowledged Danzo. `Before I answer, Danzo – did you make contact with Jiraiya?`
`Yes. The rendezvous was… efficient. He understands the critical nature.` Danzo's mental tone was clipped, satisfied.
`Good. Then you know what must be done on your end.` Hiruzen projected a sense of gravity. He shifted his focus back to the collective. `Regarding the Daimyo… The delegations from Stone, Sand, and Cloud reached him. Simultaneously. Formally protesting Minato's actions, demanding sanctions, reparations… the full diplomatic assault.`
A ripple of reaction pulsed through the psychic link. Hiruzen could feel it – a surge of cold anxiety from Danzo, a spike of alertness from Shiba, a muttered psychic curse from Tsunade, and a wave of grim tension from Daichi.
`The audacity!` Danzo's mental voice hissed, sharp with genuine alarm and outrage. `Coordinating their accusations before the Daimyo? This is brazen!`
`Fascinating,` Shiba's thought cut through Danzo's alarm, `Leveraging the 'evidence' of Minato's… intervention… to maximum effect. They're not just accusing; they're isolating us diplomatically. Admirably efficient, if morally bankrupt.`
There was a hint of reluctant appreciation in his tone.
`Bankrupt or not, it puts us in a bind!` Tsunade's thought slammed in, fueled by frustration. `If the Daimyo wavers under that pressure…`
`He did not waver,` Hiruzen projected firmly, `I presented our case. I revealed Iwa's duplicity – their clandestine negotiations with both Suna and Kumo prior to this conflict, their attempt to play all sides. The Daimyo was… disgusted.`
Hiruzen allowed a sliver of grim satisfaction to colour his mental voice. `Not only did he dismiss their protests, but he has pledged increased support. The wartime budget is approved.`
A wave of profound relief, almost tangible through the link, washed over the commanders.
`Tsunade,` Hiruzen continued, focusing on Tsunade, `compile a detailed list. Medical supplies, personnel requests, specialised equipment – everything your division needs, urgently. Prioritize. The village will mobilise teams immediately for transport. Use this allocation effectively.`
`Understood, Hokage-sama,` Tsunade's thought was laced with genuine gratitude and renewed determination.
`This… this changes things. Thank you. I'll transmit the list within the hour. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a shattered femur waiting that won't set itself.`
Her presence in the link faded with a final, focused intensity.
`Shiba,` Hiruzen turned his mental focus south. `Our Response. Are they ready? The window is narrow.`
Shiba's response was immediate and confident. `Affirmative, Hokage-sama. Final checks are complete. Weather conditions over the Chigiri are optimal. The attack commences within the next four to five hours. Dawn will illuminate the results.`
Danzo's sharp thought interjected. `Is there no direct communication with them?`
`No,` Shiba replied, `Any signal risked immediate detection by Kumo's coastal sensors.`
Hiruzen nodded, `Understood. We place our faith in their skill and preparation. Once the operation concludes and the team reports in, I will brief you all immediately on the results. Maintain your positions. Stay alert.`
He focused on Yuka Yamanaka, sending a silent mental command.
The harmonic hum from the crystals faded. The pressure in Hiruzen's temples receded, leaving the familiar quiet of the command chamber, now feeling heavier than before.
He walked to the large window overlooking the sleeping village, its few lights like scattered embers in the vast darkness.
'I hope this goes well,'
=====
Far from the tense quiet of the Hokage Tower, the air on a small, mangrove-choked island in the Chigiri Sea was thick, wet, and alive with the sounds of the night. Salty brine warred with the cloying scent of rotting vegetation.
"Are you sure they're going to arrive?" hissed a lean Kiri chunin, his eyes darting nervously into the oppressive darkness beyond the mangrove roots.
"The time was precise. They're late. Maybe we should move to the shore? Wait for them there?"
"Bad idea, Kenji," rumbled a jonin, his voice low but carrying authority.
"If Kumo has any patrols sweeping the outer islands tonight, a bunch of us milling about on the shore is a giant 'Kill Me' signal. We stay hidden. Stick to the plan."
"Stick to the plan?" Kenji whispered back, frustration edging his voice. "The plan had them here by now! What if they got intercepted?"
"Patience," the jonin, Taizo, insisted.
A third shinobi, a kunoichi with her dark hair tied back severely, shifted her weight. "Maybe… maybe we initiate phase one without them?" she suggested tentatively.
Taizo shook his head firmly. "It's too risky." He looked at Kenji. "And no, we do not go to the shore. That's an order, Chunin."
Suddenly, a voice spoke from above, calm and clear, cutting through the swamp's chorus like a honed blade.
"No need for improvisation. I am here. We can go now."
Four heads snapped upwards. Perched impossibly high on a slender mangrove branch, silhouetted against the fragmented disc of the moon, was a figure. Moonlight gleamed off the polished metal of a Konoha forehead protector. Below it, in the shadowed face, two points of crimson light glowed with an unnatural intensity. Three tomoe spun lazily within each orb, casting faint, bloody reflections on the still black water below.
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcomed
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon.