Danzo's words were like striking a vital acupuncture point, instantly clearing the blockages in Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's minds.
The two elders exchanged glances, their eyes flashing before they immediately turned their gazes toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
As Danzo had anticipated, Koharu spoke up first:
"Back in the days of the First Hokage, Hashirama-sama used Wood Release to subdue all nine tailed beasts. It can be said that Wood Release is the most effective weapon against them. And now, in our village, do we not also have someone who has inherited the First Hokage's Wood Release?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent, drawing deeply on the pipe in his hand, smoke curling upward in quiet spirals.
Amamiya Rei: "…"
He would indeed step onto the battlefield one day, but definitely not now.
Quietly, Rei's eyes flicked toward the figure standing among the ranks of assembled shinobi—Hatake Kakashi.
This was not his battle to fight. Kakashi would naturally step forward to confront Danzo in his stead.
Homura, seeing Hiruzen's silence, added his own persuasion:
"For the sake of the village, and to reduce shinobi casualties, sending a Wood Release user to the battlefield is necessary."
Danzo's eyes, cold and sharp, locked onto the hesitant Hokage. His pupils gleamed with a sinister light as he declared:
"As shinobi of the Konoha, it is our duty to be prepared to sacrifice ourselves for the village!"
Almost before the words had finished leaving his mouth, Kakashi stepped forward. He stopped directly before Hiruzen and spoke with unwavering seriousness:
"Hokage-sama, how could Amamiya Rei's Wood Release possibly compare to that of the First Hokage? She has only just begun her shinobi training—less than a month! To send her to the battlefield now would mean nothing but certain death. A Wood Release user is of immeasurable importance to Konoha. She must not be allowed to die before she has had the chance to truly grow."
Kakashi's words carried undeniable weight.
Even Koharu and Homura hesitated.
Yes—wasn't it far too reckless to thrust that young girl onto the battlefield so soon?
The death of a Wood Release user was a loss the village could not afford.
Standing behind Hiruzen, Amamiya Rei silently gave Kakashi a big thumbs-up in his heart. Excellent, excellent!
Danzo fixed his gaze on Kakashi, pupils contracting, cold light gleaming within.
"The front lines are desperately short of shinobi. Compared to the fate of the village, what does the life or death of an individual amount to? Even if she wields Wood Release, she must fight on the battlefield! If her Wood Release is not used to protect the village, then what meaning does it have?"
Danzo's force of argument was as sharp and heavy as his battle strength.
Hearing his words, the two fence-sitters—Koharu and Homura—began to waver yet again.
Kakashi's fists tightened at his sides. He cast a glance at Danzo before lowering to one knee before the Hokage, his voice resolute:
"Then let me take Amamiya Rei's place on the battlefield! At the very least, give her the time she needs to grow. Otherwise, sending her out now will only add to needless deaths."
Danzo's brows drew tight. Sending Rei to the battlefield had never been about the war itself—it was to expose her to Orochimaru's line of sight, thereby making it far easier to acquire her cells later. And yet, here was Kakashi, throwing himself into the fire in her stead…
Danzo's grip tightened on his cane, his breath hissing out between his teeth.
Amamiya Rei was destined to go to the battlefield sooner or later. If she slipped away this time, he did not believe someone would always be there to shield her the next.
Sarutobi Hiruzen studied the young man before him. After a moment, he nodded slowly in assent to Kakashi's plea.
"You are right. Amamiya Rei is not yet suited for the battlefield."
Inwardly, Rei clapped his hands together. Well done, Kakashi!
A brilliant maneuver—taking the father's place in battle!
…
The Hokage's office soon returned to silence.
The gathered shinobi all withdrew, leaving only the soft crackle of burning tobacco and the sharp smell of secondhand smoke filling the air.
"Go and see Kakashi off."
"I know you want to go."
Hiruzen's voice was gentle, his gaze fixed on the street beyond the window, as if he truly understood the thoughts of the one standing silently behind him.
Amamiya Rei: "…"
In any case, he didn't want to remain here, breathing in secondhand smoke.
Swiftly, Rei slipped out of the Hokage's office.
At the great gates of Konoha, he hurried to catch up with the shinobi preparing to depart for the front lines.
"Kakashi-senpai."
At a glance, Rei immediately spotted Kakashi—his hair sticking up wildly like a broom.
Kakashi turned his head, walking toward him.
Around them, many shinobi were embracing family, exchanging farewells with loved ones. Within that sea of partings, Rei and Kakashi did not stand out.
Kakashi had not expected Rei to come. He knew Rei's assigned duties—at this hour, she should have been in the Hokage's office on rotation.
"…Why are you here?"
Though he already knew the answer—that Rei must have skipped duty to see him off—he still could not stop himself from asking.
"I wanted to bid Kakashi-senpai farewell… and to thank you."
Kakashi looked at Rei, then turned his gaze away, feigning indifference.
"There's no need to thank me. I only kept the promise I made to my sensei…"
Rei gave a small hum in his heart but his eyes softened, overflowing with deep concern and reluctance to part.
"I know Kakashi-senpai only looks after me because of Minato-sensei. But… to me, Kakashi-senpai is someone very important. I hope you'll return safe and sound."
Kakashi froze for a moment.
His eyes lowered, the tips of his ears burning faintly red.
It had been so long since he had felt the warmth of being cared for. The feeling of having someone to worry about him, to wait for him—it wasn't bad at all.
"I'll be in Konoha, waiting for you, Kakashi-senpai."
Rei's voice carried quiet but steadfast resolve.
Strangely, Kakashi felt something within him shift.
Like a bird that once flew without aim or nest, he now felt as though he had a home to return to—a thread of care tying him down, urging him not to be reckless, but to come back safely.
It was a feeling he hadn't known in a very long time.
"…I will."
The words were a promise.
Kakashi rarely made promises. But this one—this one, he would risk everything to keep.
Rei's lips curved into a smile.
He lifted the lunchbox in his hands.
It had been made in haste, yet packed full with generous portions of fish and braised meat. Rei would never allow Kakashi to return someday half-starved and skin-and-bone.
"I made this for you, Kakashi-senpai. Eat it on the road."
"Kakashi-senpai must take care of yourself. Don't neglect your health. Otherwise, I'll be terribly worried for you back in Konoha."
"…"
Rei repeated his reminders again and again, each word brimming with sincerity.
All his concern could be condensed into a single plea: Don't lose weight.
Listening to Rei's words, Kakashi felt warmth flood his chest, as though his heart had been bathed in sunlight. The warmth spread through him, filling every part of his being.
He accepted the lunchbox from Rei.
Immediately, his arm dropped slightly under the weight.
His pupils widened in shock, disbelief flashing across his face as he stared at the small, ordinary-looking box in his hand.
How could a lunchbox be this heavy?
He swallowed hard, a sudden reverence rising within him toward whatever lay inside.
Later, when he opened it on the road, he would discover its true nature: the box was crammed full, every inch stuffed with dense layers of braised pork and fish, pressed in tight with no gaps.
From the sheer density of the meal, one could easily imagine Rei, brow furrowed with worry, cramming food into every corner, determined that Kakashi would not go hungry.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rei caught sight of another figure approaching him—Uchiha Fugaku.
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