Late at night, Konoha was as peaceful as ever.
Beneath the Hokage Building, in the depths of the Root base, Kabuto Yakushi sifted through layers of intelligence relayed from various covert networks spread across the Land of Fire.
Suddenly—
Pop!
A distinct sound rang out from the spell-sealed platform behind him.
The moment Kabuto heard it, his mind immediately recalled the warning Uchiha Hikaru had given him:
"Once an intelligence scroll appears on the table, you must deliver it directly to Tsunade or to me. If we are out of the village, hand it to the next highest-ranking official immediately."
Both Tsunade and Uchiha Hikaru had left the village due to a summons from the Daimyo. They were currently at the capital of the Land of Fire.
That left only one person to receive this classified intel—Hyuga Hiashi, acting Hokage in their absence.
Kabuto stood abruptly. The chair beneath him toppled backward with a loud clatter.
By the time the chair hit the ground, Kabuto had already vanished from the room.
He raced across rooftops under cover of night, moving swiftly toward the Hyuga compound.
"Who goes there?!"
The sudden movement alerted a Hyuga branch family Jonin patrolling the grounds.
"Root—priority command!"
Kabuto hurled a scroll forward, then ignored the guard entirely, leaping straight into the Hyuga clan's courtyard.
The branch Jonin examined the scroll and the mask Kabuto wore. Unfurling the scroll, he quickly read the message.
It bore Tsunade's direct seal.
Without another word, he stepped aside, though unease twisted in his gut.
He had a very bad feeling about this...
Within the hour, the roof of the Hokage Building was packed with clan heads and leaders of Konoha's departments.
Hyuga Hiashi stood at the center, his expression more solemn than ever.
Everyone present understood instantly—this was serious.
"The Hidden Mist Village has launched an assault on the eastern coastal border," Hiashi announced. "Their advance force alone numbers nearly a thousand shinobi."
"Effective immediately, the village is under second-level combat readiness."
"We will deploy five thousand shinobi to reinforce the eastern front."
Then he turned to Orochimaru, who stood quietly near the front.
"You have the most experience with battlefield command," Hiashi said, placing full trust in the Sannin. "The command is yours."
Orochimaru wore a blood-stained white lab coat. Crimson specks from his last experiment were still drying on the fabric.
The glint in his serpentine eyes sharpened.
The icy strategist of the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars—the one who once terrified entire enemy nations—was back.
A flicker of long-dormant flame reignited within him.
"No problem."
He turned toward Aburame Shibi, giving him a brief, knowing look.
Shibi returned the glance with a nod.
Orochimaru's lips curled upward.
"Just like before… the Aburame clan will accompany me into battle."
No one objected. In previous wars, the Aburame had always served as Orochimaru's most trusted battlefield support.
But then—
An aged, gravelly voice broke the silence.
"Orochimaru, this time… let the Sarutobi clan stand beside you on the front lines."
A small, hunched figure emerged from the crowd.
Orochimaru froze for a moment, stunned by the familiar voice.
Then he turned, hesitating briefly, before locking eyes with his old master.
"Lord Third… at your age, can you still wield the Adamantine Staff?"
"Ha!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen ripped off his white cloak, revealing a full black combat uniform underneath. Armor covered his forearms, and a hood shadowed his eyes.
"I am the so-called 'Professor of Ninjutsu.' Once known as the hero of the Hidden Leaf!"
"I ate three bowls of rice last night. Don't you dare think I can't swing my big stick!"
Hiashi gave a sharp nod.
"Orochimaru and Lord Third will each lead their respective forces—two thousand Sarutobi clan shinobi and three thousand additional troops. They'll deploy to the eastern border immediately."
He hesitated for a moment longer, then finalized the remaining deployment orders.
Jiraiya would lead one thousand shinobi to the west to counter any movement from the Hidden Sand.
The northwest border was entrusted to Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka.
Fugaku Uchiha would lead the Uchiha clan in defending the northeast.
If full-scale war broke out, the other Great Nations could strike Konoha from any direction. The borders had to be secured now—while there was still time.
In an instant, the rooftops of Konoha were filled with flurries of movement. Shinobi leapt between buildings in waves.
The noise woke many civilians from their sleep. Windows opened across the village.
"What's going on…?"
"Is it another war, like before…?"
"Mom, it's loud outside. What's happening?"
"Don't worry, sweetheart. The ninja will protect us. Everything will be fine soon…"
Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves—the military engine of the Land of Fire—was already running at full speed.
In less than an hour, two thousand Sarutobi shinobi and three thousand civilian ninjas were fully equipped, each wearing their combat vests and forehead protectors.
They moved out, heading for the eastern border.
At the Uzumaki residence, Jiraiya quietly placed a sealed envelope on Naruto's bedside table before slipping out silently into the night.
Elsewhere, both Fugaku and Itachi left letters at Sasuke's bedside as well.
Across Konoha, many shinobi wrote letters to their loved ones before departing.
No one could guarantee they'd come back.
And for some shinobi, there was no one left to write to…
Those letters were never written—not because they didn't want to, but because the people who mattered were already gone.
Kakashi stood atop an electric pole, gazing down at the peaceful village now roiling with tension.
The faces of civilians watching from their windows…
The anxious movement of shinobi…
It all stirred something deep in his mind.
Without realizing it, the image of Rin's death began to flash behind his left eye.
He instinctively raised a hand to cover his Sharingan beneath the forehead protector.
"…Obito…"
"…Is this your doing…?"
"…Rin…"
"I swear I'll stop Obito…"
With that, Kakashi disappeared from the pole and reappeared at the Hokage's office, where Hiashi Hyuga sat at the desk, buried in mid-night material coordination and troop assignments.
"Acting Hokage."
Kakashi's voice made Hiashi instinctively glance up, clearly overworked and bleary-eyed.
"Kakashi. Do you have a report?"
He returned to scanning scrolls and mission rosters without waiting for a reply.
"I'm requesting to deploy to the eastern front," Kakashi said.
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