"I'm a girl! How can you say that? You… you're slandering me!" Ino exclaimed, her face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment."I'm not slandering you," Morkel said seriously, pulling at his collar and pointing at the two water stains visible on the fabric. "This one is from tears, and this little patch down here is snot. It's not much, but it's definitely yours."Ino's expression darkened with every word.Before he could say more, Ino gave him a hard shove and stormed off in a huff.Morkel stood rooted to the spot, confused. His brows furrowed, and he turned toward Darui standing nearby. "Did I say something wrong? Why is she both crying and laughing at the same time? Girls' minds are really hard to understand."Darui tried to keep a straight face but failed. "...Maybe it's your way of communicating with girls? It could use a little... work."Morkel shook his head with conviction. "That can't be it. I always tell the truth. Don't girls prefer honest guys?""Pfft—" Darui finally burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer."What's so funny?!" Morkel asked, frowning.Darui quickly tried to cover it up. "Ah, my wife is giving birth!""Pfft~""Pfft~"Laughter erupted from others nearby.Morkel blinked. "What are you all laughing at? Do your wives also give birth at the same time? Do you all share one wife?"Another ninja chuckled and said, "No, no, it's just that they're giving birth to the same child... Hahahaha!"The entire group roared with laughter.Morkel looked around, utterly speechless. The ridiculousness of the moment overwhelmed him, and with a sigh, he walked away, shaking his head. Something about this whole scene felt strangely familiar.Not far away, Ino vented her frustration by kicking a helpless rock repeatedly."I'm so mad! I'm so pissed off!""Who even is that Morkel guy? It's bad enough he has no sense of romance—does he have no brain either?!"Little Sakura walked over and tried to comfort her with a gentle smile. "Actually, Morkel really likes you, you know?"Ino scowled. "Don't say that! I don't even know who that idiot is. He just treats me like a classmate—he treats everyone the same way.""That's not true," Sakura replied seriously."You didn't see him when he found you unconscious. He was frantic with worry. After he healed you, he even left a special mark on you."Ino blinked. "Mark? What mark?"Sakura nodded. "It's on your back. You can't see it by yourself. The pattern looks similar to the one Morkel placed on Lady Tsunade's hand."Ino's eyes widened. "Really?!"She had been present when Morkel placed the mark on Tsunade. At the time, he had only said that it would absorb chakra and activate when the host's chakra was exhausted, producing miraculous effects. Though the details were unclear, it was undoubtedly a sign of concern and care.And now she had one too.Besides Tsunade and Jiraiya, she had become the third person Morkel had marked.That idiot... finally did something right!---Meanwhile, on the battlefield of the Iron Country…A vast desert spread across the land, scorched and barren. Uchiha Madara stood on a rocky plateau, surrounded by devastation.Below him, the Four Kage lay beaten and exhausted, their bodies battered and bruised after a grueling battle.Madara's expression was one of contempt. "So, this is it? The mighty Kage of this era... unable to entertain me even for a moment.""Their power is less than one ten-thousandth of Hashirama's. How boring!"The Four Kage were broken in both body and spirit.The aged Tsuchikage lay motionless, eyes closed, barely clinging to consciousness. Raikage had lost an arm, blood soaking into the sand. He growled, "Damn it... we were the hopes of our villages. And we failed."Mizukage Terumi Mei was impaled through the stomach, blood streaming from her mouth. She tried to speak, but her throat was blocked by blood, making it impossible to form words.Tsunade's condition was the worst—her body had been sliced in two. Overusing her Mitotic Regeneration Technique had caused her youthful appearance to fade. She now looked like a worn woman in her fifties or sixties.Despite her critical condition, she bit her finger, drawing blood, and used her final strength to perform a summoning jutsu.With a burst of smoke, the giant slug Katsuyu appeared.---In the Cloud Shinobi Village – Ninja Alliance HeadquartersThe news of Ino's miraculous survival reached her father, Yamanaka Inoichi, who had collapsed from grief and exhaustion. The moment he heard the words, he sprang up from bed, eyes wide in disbelief."Is it true? Ino's alive? She's okay?"Nara Shikaku nodded with a rare smile. "Have I ever lied to you, old friend?""Morkel sensed she was in danger and rushed to save her in time."He leaned in with a teasing tone, tapping Inoichi's chest. "Congratulations. The most dazzling young man in the ninja world might be your future son-in-law.""Don't talk nonsense," Inoichi replied, waving his hand. But inwardly, he beamed with pride. Though every parent wishes their child happiness above all, if there was one person in the world who could ensure Ino's safety and peace of mind, it was Morkel.As they spoke, a liaison ninja ran in, his face pale with urgency."Staff Officer Shikaku!" he panted. "Urgent report from Iwagakure! The former Jinchūriki of the Four and Five Tails, Rōshi and Han, have been captured by the Akatsuki!"Shikaku's face darkened immediately."The former Jinchūriki?" he echoed. "Why would Akatsuki target them now?"Unable to answer the question, he quickly moved to issue orders. "Notify Kazekage Gaara and the former Two-Tails Jinchūriki Yugito of the Cloud. Tell them to be on high alert. Akatsuki doesn't make moves without reason.""Also, any updates on the Iron Country battlefield?"The contact ninja shook his head. "No fresh news from the Second Combat Unit."Just then, the sensory ninja Ao spoke. "Madara's chakra signature is still strong, but the Kage are dangerously weak. We suspect the Second Unit has been wiped out."A heavy silence fell."Madara..." Ao muttered. "The legendary Uchiha is far more terrifying than the stories say."Shikaku exhaled slowly. "The First Combat Unit has reached the Iron Country. If even all our forces can't stop Madara... then we'll have no choice but to seek help."Mabui, Raikage's aide, looked hesitant. "But this war started to protect them. If we interfere with the one holding the prophecy from the Toad Sage, we might bring about unforeseen consequences."Shikaku nodded grimly. "That's why it's our last resort. For now, we must place our hopes on the surprise attack squad. If they can end the Impure World Reincarnation, we may stand a chance.""Have we identified the White Zetsu infiltrators among our units?" he asked.The liaison ninja shook his head. "No. White Zetsu's transformation technique is too advanced. Regular perception ninjas can't detect them.""This has sown distrust among our ranks."Before the situation could sink in further, another ninja cried out, "Message from Iron Country! Powerful chakra has appeared on the battlefield again—"---Back on the Iron Country battlefield…Madara stood tall on the rock, peering down at the broken Kage.He sneered. "Looks like you can't dance anymore. How disappointing. Your generation is far inferior to Hashirama's."Raikage growled through clenched teeth, blood still flowing from his missing arm.Mizukage was pale, barely conscious, and gasping for breath.Tsunade, despite being halved and aged from her regeneration techniques, had summoned Katsuyu. Her hope now lay in backup forces... and the strange mark Morkel had once placed on her palm, which began to glow faintly.Somewhere in her soul, she clung to the belief that the boy—no, the man—who had silently protected so many might still be watching, still fighting.---To be continued...!
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