The moon was bright, stars sparse, the wind gentle, and clouds drifting calmly.
The sky seemed veiled by a black cloth, with only faint starlight adorning this dark night.
Under the gloomy sky, light rain fell continuously. Raindrops tapped silently against the ground like a stagnant pool. The environment was eerily quiet, giving off a chilling and terrifying sensation.
On this rain-soaked open field, several corpses already lay scattered. Among them stood one last ninja, barely holding himself up as he squatted on the ground, staring at the group before him.
They were all clad in thick black cloaks, revealing nothing but their cold, ruthless eyes.
The crouching shinobi wore unmistakably the forehead protector of Sunagakure. Now filled with anger, he glared at the group and roared, "Who are you people to dare ambush us Suna ninjas in the territory of Sanshouo Hanzo? Once we identify who you are, someone will certainly avenge us!"
"Vengeance?" The leader among the black-cloaked figures chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid you won't live long enough to see it. We're merely the vanguard—our purpose is only to cut off your Suna spies' ears and eyes. Soon, we'll formally declare war on you."
This was the last sentence the Sand ninja heard before dying. In his final moments, he saw through the cloak, finally recognizing that face—it wore the forehead protector of Kumogakure.
In the Hokage's office, the Third gazed anxiously at the intelligence report, a heavy sense of unease settling over him. Truthfully, the disappearance of the Third Kazekage wasn't as serious as imagined. Unfortunately, Sunagakure's approach was foolish—they hadn't selected a new leader immediately; instead, they openly searched everywhere for their missing leader. Wasn't this just shouting to others, 'Our internal affairs are unstable—come attack us now!'?
Only a few years had passed since the end of the Second War. Could it be that the Third World War was about to begin?
The Third's expression darkened with worry as he cleared his throat with a few soft coughs.
Soon, several Anbu appeared beside him.
The Third put away the intelligence report and ordered the Anbu, "Contact our spies hidden in each village, especially those in Sunagakure. I need them to deliver the latest intelligence reports as soon as possible."
"Yes." The Anbu quickly vanished upon receiving their orders.
As Anya once said, intelligence work is vital during wartime. Now, it all depended on whether someone couldn't hold back from starting a conflict. If war broke out, the Konoha ninja would inevitably have to make a decision.
The Third gazed thoughtfully at the map of the Five Great Countries, lost deeply in contemplation.
Just as the Third Hokage feared, not long afterward, Kumogakure, which advocated military expansion, began launching fierce attacks against Sunagakure. As soon as the war ignited, Sunagakure found itself on the defensive. Nearly all Suna ninjas carrying out missions outside perished immediately, and the battlefront advanced directly onto Sunagakure's territory—the situation growing increasingly critical.
Sunagakure, having signed an alliance agreement with Konoha during the Second War, sent an immediate request for assistance to Konoha.
Konoha's high command promptly held an emergency meeting. Following deliberation, they unanimously decided to provide aid—Kumogakure's strength had always been formidable. If they occupied Sunagakure and grew even stronger, Konoha itself would be in danger.
The Iwagakure village, long suppressed during the Second War, was now showing signs of movement. Large groups of ninja began assembling within the village, preparing to wage war at any moment. With Konoha's rescue team joining the battle, Kumogakure declared war on Sunagakure, Konoha, and then Iwagakure. Thus, the Third Battle officially erupted.
This war arrived far more fiercely than the previous one. As soon as it began, it reached its peak intensity immediately. The major nations involved threw everything they had into the fight. Massive casualties occurred every day. Fighting broke out everywhere—blood ran in rivers, and corpses littered the land.
Anya walked alone through Konoha's streets, silently observing the villagers around him. Every face showed varying degrees of fear and tension. It seemed like everyone already knew the news about the outbreak of the Third Battle. Many lives would be lost this time, though Anya didn't care much. He could just stay comfortably within the Medical Division, coasting while assisting the village's medical ninja in treating injured shinobi returning from the battlefield.
But those lazy days wouldn't last long. If he hadn't miscalculated, someone would eventually come looking for him sooner or later. The blade that hadn't tasted blood in years was likely due for unsheathing.
Third Hokage watched reports on the daily battles with his brow deeply furrowed, as if three vertical lines had been carved into his forehead. The war had become too chaotic. Casualty reports kept coming in every single day. The most critical problem now was Konoha fighting enemies on multiple fronts, yet he had practically no one left to send.
White Fang was dead. Orochimaru defected. Jiraiya wandered all over the place. Tsunade struggled alone to manage the Medical Division, overwhelmed with work. The only relief was Minato—Jiraiya's student—who'd finally matured and shone brilliantly on the front lines. But even Minato alone couldn't carry such a complex and multi-front war effort. Who else remained?
Thinking back to White Fang during the Second Battle, The Third sighed inwardly. White Fang had once been the sharpest knife on the battlefield—a warrior born for warfare. What a pity...
After sighing deeply, The Third suddenly straightened himself. Although White Fang was gone, his disciples still lived; knives equally tempered by war still existed.
When thinking of Anya, The Third could no longer contain himself. Immediately, he ordered the Anbu beside him to go straight to the Medical Division.
When the Anbu arrived, Anya was working with Tsunade to save a dying ninja. Thanks to their powerful Medical Ninjutsu, the man's life was finally stabilized. However, his career as a ninja was undoubtedly over. Seeing the tears streaming down the revived ninja's face, Anya couldn't help but sigh softly: For you, perhaps losing your career as a ninja is actually a good thing.
Once they finished their tasks, the Anbu quickly stepped forward and said, "Anya, the Third Hokage summons you. Please report to him immediately."
So it finally came?
Anya knew it all too well, but just as he turned to leave, he was stopped.
"Wait," Tsunade stepped forward, blocking the Anbu's path as she spoke, "you can tell that old man something—that the Medical Division is busy, and Anya can't go right now. Let him find someone else."
Tsunade had seemingly already guessed why the Third was summoning Anya, so she took the initiative to refuse on his behalf first.
Though the Anbu member wore a mask, Anya could clearly sense his hesitation. Caught between conflicting demands, the masked ninja simply stood there wordlessly, unsure what to do.
"Fine. You may return to the Third Hokage," Anya finally spoke. "Tell him I'm coming right away."
Anya's Release spared the Anbu officer.
Upon hearing her words, the Anbu officer exhaled in relief and vanished.
"Are you out of your mind?" Tsunade snapped at Anya. "You know damn well why the old man summoned you. Don't go."
To Tsunade's surprise, Anya stepped forward and gave her a gentle hug.
Tsunade, who had been about to speak, froze completely, her body stiff and motionless. Then she heard three words spoken by Anya.
"Thank you."
With that, Anya vanished.
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