"The Raikage isn't foolish either; he actually knows to retreat?"
Upon scouting that Fox was bringing 2,000 Konoha shinobi to reinforce the Land of Hot Water front, the Kumo-nin immediately withdrew. The Konoha forces, in turn, advanced with great strides.
Yōkō thought the Konoha troops would fight a major battle at the Capital of the Land of the Moon, but he underestimated the Raikage's resolve. The Raikage actually abandoned the Capital of the Land of the Moon. Not only that, he took the Land of the Moon's Daimyō family and several major noble families with him, denying Fox the opportunity to purge the Tenshu Castle.
Standing at the gate of the Tenshu Castle, Yōkō decided not to pursue the Kumo-nin hastily, opting to first digest the gains in the Land of the Moon. Forming a Joint Government and establishing the teleportation altar system would require over a month. Konoha shinobi began rotating for rest.
A certain palace within the Tenshu Castle was converted into the Konoha forces' temporary command center. Team Kakashi entered the grand hall. Kakashi said urgently, "Sensei Minato! I have already completed Lightning Release Chakra Crystallization Refinement. There's no need for me to return to the village for rest."
Fierce battles and near-death experiences were what rapidly strengthened surviving shinobi. Kakashi, engaged in high-intensity combat against Kumo-nin, had, at only 14 years old, preliminarily mastered the White Fang's strongest ability, possessing Kage-level strength.
Namikaze Minato smiled and said, "Kakashi, don't be impatient. All Konoha shinobi will rotate for rest. Before the final decisive battle against Kumogakure, we must be fully prepared. Prolonged tension and fatigue aren't conducive to maintaining peak combat strength. The conditions have changed now. three of you can go to the Divine Hall and return to Konoha instantly. When the decisive battle is about to begin, Konoha will also deploy elites to the frontlines. You can return then."
Hearing this, Kakashi said no more. He keenly sensed that perhaps he would never experience a Great Shinobi War again. Konoha was spreading its influence across all nations with exaggerated strength.
Seeing that Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku wasn't in the command center, Uchiha Yōmomo asked, "Sensei Minato, how has the village arranged things? I see the Capital of the Land of the Moon also has a garrison department. What's the difference between this garrison department and Konoha's garrison department—the one controlled by our Uchiha clan? Why not let the Uchiha clan establish the garrison department here?"
Minato said, "The Konoha Garrison Department, as the law enforcement entity within the village, has long been criticized by villagers. Lord Fox has resolved the conflict between the Uchiha Garrison Department and the village by establishing a new garrison department system. The Uchiha clan no longer needs to be bound to the Konoha Garrison Department. They will join the garrison department system for the entire shinobi world alongside all other Konoha shinobi. Konoha has a garrison department; the Capital of the Land of the Moon also has a garrison department. Above all local garrison departments, Konoha has established a Garrison Headquarters, with the Hokage serving as its Head and Clan Head Fugaku as Deputy Head. Kakashi, Rin, Yōmomo, you've been on the frontlines for too long. It's time to return to the village and experience its changes."
Yōmomo didn't fully understand but felt the Garrison Headquarters sounded impressive. After receiving their rotation leave documents, the three left the command hall and headed to the large hall beneath the Tenshu Castle's north gate. This hall had the large square where the Land of the Moon's Daimyō inspected his samurai forces, suitable for crowd dispersal, making it ideal for a Divine Hall.
Inside the hall, Rin Nohara and Yōmomo placed their hands on Kakashi's shoulders. Kakashi extended his finger, pointing to Konoha's marked location on the shinobi world map scroll. The three vanished instantly, returning to Konoha Village.
Exiting Konoha's Divine Hall, Uchiha Yōmomo pointed east in surprise. "Look! Someone is dismantling Konoha's walls!"
Kakashi followed her pointing finger and saw shinobi dismantling sections of the wall. Rin Nohara said, "Don't worry, Yōmomo. Look, those construction barriers bear the village's markings, indicating it's official construction."
Walking through Konoha's streets, the trio found the village exceptionally crowded, with people everywhere. Kakashi thought for a moment and said, "Konoha controls all countries except the Land of Lightning and the Land of Iron. Every country's capital and major towns have teleportation altars. Presumably, these people are government officials from other countries here on business."
The three went to the Hokage Building to submit their rotation leave documents but saw the Fourth Hokage Tsunade waiting at the entrance with her assistants. Then, a group of people approached from the distance. It was Lord Fox accompanying someone. Who could make Lord Fox welcome them at the village gate? Looking closely, Kakashi saw the person wore the Kazekage's hat and ceremonial robe—it was actually the Fifth Kazekage, Pakura. From the conversations around them, today was the formal signing of the agreement between Sunagakure and Konoha. Sunagakure had already established teleportation altars. The Capital of the Land of Wind and its four major cities would have garrison departments established by Konoha.
Hearing the agreement's contents, Rin Nohara said, "Sunagakure has essentially voluntarily submitted to Konoha. The terms they signed are actually the same as those imposed on Iwagakure and Kirigakure, who were utterly defeated by Konoha."
Kakashi said, "The higher-ups' will is as cold as steel. In Konoha's plan for the shinobi world, there should be no room for exceptions, not even for Sunagakure, which voluntarily aligned itself with Konoha."
Yōmomo looked at Lord Fox and said, "When will I ever have strength like Lord Fox's? The war in the Land of the Moon is still ongoing, yet it doesn't stop him from returning to the village for important ceremonies."
After submitting their scrolls, the three went their separate ways home. As Kakashi passed by the Ninja Academy, a child bumped into him. This child wore silk clothing in the style of a noble's robe. Kakashi was somewhat surprised. There are still nobles? Weren't the nobles all eliminated by Konoha? But Kakashi didn't pay it much mind; perhaps the child just liked noble attire.
Koishi Yakata hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry! I was in too much of a hurry and didn't notice you!" After apologizing, Yakata continued running in a certain direction.
Kakashi also turned to leave but then frowned. This child looks like he's still in the Ninja Academy, at most third year. Why is his strength so high? Logically, even if Kakashi was momentarily inattentive, his muscle memory shouldn't have allowed a child to bump into him. Puzzled, Kakashi looked back at the child's retreating figure, only to find he had already disappeared from sight.
Koishi Yakata spotted a courtyard from afar, with a plaque reading 'Koishi' hanging at the entrance. This was the residence the Koishi family had purchased in Konoha. Rushing into the main hall, Yakata saw his mother, Koishi Chisa.
"Mother! I heard—"
Koishi Chisa said, "Don't rush, Yakata. Speak slowly."
"Mother! Has our Koishi family truly given up the Land of Rivers? Really handed the Land of Rivers over to some Joint Government?"
Chisa said, "Yakata, this is the inevitable trend in the shinobi world. Our Koishi family is the first to voluntarily renounce the Daimyō title. The Land of Fire's Daimyō family was exterminated. The Land of Grass's Daimyō family, which resisted, was also exterminated. It's only our family and the Land of Hot Water's Daimyō family who have aligned with Konoha in succession. of history, understand?"
Koishi Yakata clearly couldn't accept his mother's explanation. Looking at his somewhat unfamiliar mother, he turned and fled the Koishi family courtyard.
Yōkō Body Flickered behind Chisa, shaking his head. "Yakata is still young. Let's hope as he grows older, he can shed the pointless sense of superiority his noble status gave him."
That same night, as Yōkō was heading from Koishi Chisa's chambers to the inn where Pakura was staying, several Anbu shinobi were moving across the village rooftops. Yōkō summoned one down and asked what was happening.
"Lord Fox! White Ram is looking for you! Lord Jiraiya has left the village! He took a child with him. According to Anbu investigation, the child's name is Koishi Yakata, a former noble from the Land of Rivers."
Yōkō was taken aback. He looked up at the crescent moon in the night sky. Have those souls unwilling to die finally begun making their moves? Jiraiya took the Child of Prophecy, starting to nurture Ashura's reincarnation... What a familiar plot. So where is Indra's reincarnation?
(End of Chapter)