As Haseo led five hundred Konoha ninjas back to the Land of Fire, there were no unexpected obstacles along the way. Everything was peaceful—like a group of elementary students returning from a picnic.
At this point, Mist would never dare provoke them. Any provocation wouldn't just be trouble—it would mean suicide… After reassessing the threat Haseo posed, Yagura had become incredibly cautious. Thoughts like "As long as Haseo lives, no major war will break out" firmly took root in his mind.
Ninjas are still ordinary people after all. How many years can one live? If you can't kill him, then just wait him out. As long as this guy dies first, heh, Mist might still have a chance.
Isn't playing humble something anyone can do? Who hasn't done it before? Besides, Yagura already looked young enough anyway.
Putting aside Mist's temporary patience and humility for now, when Haseo returned with his team to the Eastern Front Camp, he was immediately greeted like a hero.
Given this situation here, one could easily imagine how things stood in Konoha Village and other battlefronts—the victory would definitely boost morale among Konoha's ninja ranks.
There had always been various rumors circulating about Haseo in Konoha. But only now did he suddenly seem like someone who had emerged out of nowhere.
Ending a quarter of Konoha's battlefield engagements on his own alone was already impressive enough.
After the legendary First Hokage faded into history, many people began considering Haseo's performance comparable even to the "Ninja God"... Though in all honesty, Haseo's approach did slightly tarnish the Ninja God's image.
After briefly greeting the ninjas stationed here, Haseo quickly excused himself, citing post-battle matters needing attention. To be honest, he couldn't quite handle the overly excited stares coming from the surrounding ninjas. At this moment, if he wanted to build a personal cult of worship, it could easily develop into a new religious movement known as the "Church of Haseo." It wasn't just the female kunoichis—it was the guys staring too that made him feel weird.
Once sitting inside the command headquarters' tent, Haseo summoned the Hyuga brothers to his side.
"There are three things I need you two to handle. First, compile the overall combat report—with particular emphasis on detailed statistics concerning Konoha's losses. This is the top priority.
Second, arrange the remains of fallen comrades. During our period of disadvantage, battles were fought mainly within the Land of Fire. But once we moved the battleground to the Land of Water, we seized the advantage, meaning in theory we should be able to recover all our fallen comrades' bodies... Make sure the families are properly notified, and then bring the fallen back to Konoha to be buried at the Memorial Park.
Some shinobi place great importance on what happens after death, so ensure these arrangements are handled properly. While victory certainly honors their spirits, it cannot entirely mask the true nature of war. This will provide some small measure of comfort.
Third, reorganize our units. Although Mist has been neutralized, we must remain cautious—we still need continuous surveillance across the sea toward their territory. Absolute trust doesn't exist between ninja villages, especially not toward an enemy. Just assume Yagura has zero integrity.
The fourth point is to control the unit's size effectively. As long as surveillance on Mist remains intact, surplus ninja stationed here can be reassigned to the Western or Northern Fronts. Konoha's wartime situation remains dire, and one of our biggest challenges right now is a serious lack of manpower.
The first two tasks focus on strategic planning, while the latter two deal directly with battlefield operations. Though you're young, I believe you're capable of handling such responsibilities—after all, it was you who rebuilt the command structure previously, so you must have a solid grasp of the overall Eastern Front situation."
What Haseo assigned was no ordinary task; naturally, the Hyūga brothers accepted the command without hesitation. However...
If such critical duties are being "delegated," what exactly does Commander Hiyu himself plan to take charge of?
Had Lord Haseo already decided to dump all the messy, exhausting postwar work on them back when he ordered the Hyūga brothers to set up the command system?
Didn't he say there would be three orders? Then why has it turned into four?
Hiashi Hyūga twitched his lip before finally voicing his question: "Lord Haseo, we will certainly complete our tasks diligently and live up to your trust. However, may I ask what important matters you yourself will handle next, considering you've entrusted us with such overarching responsibility..."
"Not really. My job hasn't it already been completed... Haven't you figured it out yet? I've always specialized in giving speeches and issuing commands—that's my Ultimate Art as a leader."
Hiashi: "..."
Outwardly speechless, but internally cursing "What the hell" repeatedly.
"Besides, high-intensity combat missions are really exhausting. After staying at the camp for a few more days to ensure everything runs smoothly, I'm planning to return to Konoha to rest and recuperate. Therefore... I truly trust you, Hiashi Hyūga. Effective immediately, I officially promote you to Deputy Commander of the Eastern Front. The responsibilities of managing this camp will fall entirely on you.
If anything goes wrong, you'll be held primarily accountable. Your Hyūga Clan is large and prosperous anyway—you won't be able to run from responsibility."
"Heh... Haha... Hahahaha...?"
Suddenly promoted, Hiashi seemed delighted—at least on the surface. His face visibly twitched as he forced an awkward, unattractive smile. Lord Haseo always encouraged subordinates in his own uniquely unforgettable way.
The war here had already ended—who needed an "Eastern Front Deputy Commander" anymore? Once full troop reorganization was complete, Hiashi would probably only merit the rank of "Eastern Front Deputy Captain" at best.
It was anyone's guess whether Hiashi had just struck gold or stepped on a mine. Either way, he was bound to start losing hair at an alarming rate.
In any case, rest or not, once the Mist issue resolved itself, Haseo no longer had any reason to remain stationed at the Eastern Front—he was basically nothing more than a 'band-aid solution.'
Hiashi should be capable of maintaining control over this area since heavy fighting wouldn't happen again... Maybe it was time to drag Danzō Shimura back into action—assuming he even had an ounce of shame left, that is.
As for Lord Haseo, he always kept his promises—even when it came to sneaking away from work. A few days later, having confirmed the Hyūga brothers indeed handled their current assignments capably, he actually returned alone back to Konoha.
In addition to informing the Elders, Haseo didn't notify anyone else upon his return to Konoha… He had no intention of being greeted with a grand welcome when all he wanted was to go home.
To show how truly exhausted he was, Haseo locked himself inside his house for rest, planning to resume activities once the attention surrounding him cooled down a bit… The war was still ongoing, and soon enough, new topics and events would take over the spotlight.
Haseo, who had returned in great triumph… Well, there wasn't really anyone with a reason to bother him anyway.
About a week passed. Seasonally speaking, it was now deep winter.
One afternoon, Haseo placed a rocking chair on his balcony, enjoying the rare warmth from the sun while petting Black Cat, who lay across his lap.
How should one describe this scene? At this moment, he carried the air of a solitary old man—relaxed, yet quietly lonely.
It couldn't be helped—right now, only one person and one cat lived in this house; Tsunade was still at the battlefield.
With nothing better to do, he was just rubbing the cat's fur when he suddenly stopped—clearly bored out of his mind. He murmured softly, "Still, it doesn't feel quite as exciting as trading stocks."
This startled the black cat, causing it to shudder involuntarily. Instinctively, it turned its head around, revealing an expression full of shock.
"What are you staring at? Listen up—start acting more like a cat. How can a feline have such precise facial expressions? Stop making those human-like faces from now on."
Haseo scolded the Black Cat before continuing to pet it… After all, having something to pet was still better than having nothing.
Basking in the warm sunlight, Haseo eventually dozed off without realizing it.
He wasn't awakened until several unexpected presences abruptly appeared nearby.
Assassination attempt?
Not exactly. What showed up beside Haseo were Anbu, clad in pitch-black attire and wearing pale animal masks—their signature look.
Haseo shifted his gaze past their figures and noticed that the sky outside had already begun to darken. That's just how winter was—once the sun dipped westward and cast its final glow, the sky quickly lost its warmth, and everything across the land rapidly became cold and indifferent.
At this point, Haseo couldn't help but feel a slight chill himself.
"What is it now?"
Only after noting the change in time did Haseo finally turn his gaze toward the lead Anbu.
The Anbu ninja had no patience for Haseo's complaints. In a crisp, clear voice, he stated:
"Lord Haseo, today during the afternoon, Kumo launched a large-scale attack against our Northern Front camp. And half an hour ago…
The Third Hokage perished in battle against the Third Raikage."
"…"
Didn't Haseo say something along the lines of—
War never lacks surprises.
[PS:] This novel is about to enter a new phase: [Mudslide Mode].
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