The Hokage's office was steeped in silence.
Behind a wide desk sat Hiruzen Sarutobi. In his hands was a scroll containing the latest intelligence reports. The Third Hokage's face looked tired—far too many such reports had accumulated over the past few days.
In front of the desk stood two of his students. Jiraiya had his arms crossed over his chest, frowning as he stared out the window. Beside him stood Orochimaru, watching his teacher with keen attention.
The Hokage slowly set the scroll aside.
"The situation is worse than we expected."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.
"Because of Kagero?"
"Not only."
Hiruzen rose from his chair and approached the map fixed to the wall. Several points were marked along the borders of the Land of Fire.
"The Village of Kagero was the first to act openly," he said, pointing to one of the marks. "But in the past few days, our scouts have recorded movement from several other small settlements."
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly.
"They've decided to take advantage of the moment."
"Exactly," Hiruzen nodded, pausing briefly. "But on their own, they wouldn't have dared."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, recalling one of his team's past missions.
"The Sand again."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. The Kazekage had not openly opposed Konoha, but his actions were obvious.
"Our agents confirm that the Land of Wind is actively supplying these settlements with weapons and money," Hiruzen continued. "They're stirring up conflicts along our borders. But more importantly—the Rain is doing the same."
Orochimaru smirked coldly.
"An old tactic. Force your enemy to spread their forces thin, then strike at the right moment."
"We need to determine whether Sand and Rain have formed an alliance, or if their goals simply align for now," Jiraiya said. Hiruzen looked back at the map.
"In truth, it doesn't matter that much. Their actions already speak clearly of their intent to start a war. If we respond too slowly, these small skirmishes will wear us down."
Silence hung in the room for a few seconds. Then Jiraiya sighed.
"Alright. Do we have a plan?"
Hiruzen turned to him.
"Yes. You will lead our forces along the Kagero front and suppress their rebellion."
"Got it. I'm ready."
"Good. We cannot afford to delay," the Hokage's gaze became deadly serious. "End it as quickly as possible."
After a short pause, he added:
"As soon as Tsunade returns from her mission, I'll send her to support you."
At the mention of her name, Jiraiya smirked slightly.
"With her, things will be much easier. Don't worry about Kagero—I'll handle them."
Hiruzen nodded and turned to Orochimaru.
"You will have a different task."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded.
"I'm listening."
The Hokage pointed to the western border.
"The Land of Wind. For now, the Sand is acting through others. But that could change at any moment."
"You want me to guard the border in case of an attack?"
"Yes. I trust you can hold them back, even if they strike directly. As for the Rain, Danzo has volunteered to deal with them."
"I understand. It will be done."
"Then it's settled. Prepare your units and move out as soon as possible."
"Looks like," Jiraiya said with irritation, "the peaceful days are over."
Hiruzen didn't reply. He walked to the window and looked down at the Hidden Leaf Village spread below. People still walked the streets, children played in the yards, merchants arranged their goods. Ordinary life.
But the Hokage understood well that all of it could soon change.
Even his legendary teacher had once failed to fully protect the village. Now that burden rested on his shoulders—and with every new report, it grew heavier.
The following events unfolded rapidly. Just days after the meeting, Konoha's forces moved to the borders. Shinobi units were deployed to key points, reinforcing outposts, while the intelligence division worked almost without rest.
Orochimaru's team received orders to move toward the border with the Land of Rivers. The journey took a week. The closer they got to the border, the more the atmosphere changed. The people in the settlements they passed grew increasingly anxious. Many began packing their belongings and moving deeper into the Land of Fire.
Even so, the first weeks of the mission passed relatively quietly. Orochimaru's unit occupied a fortified border outpost. Their camp stood atop a hill, offering a wide view over the rocky plains stretching toward the Land of Rivers.
At first, their duties were simple—observation. Patrols, reconnaissance, caravan inspections, and occasional clashes with suspicious groups of shinobi. Sometimes they were mere mercenaries. Sometimes nukenin taking advantage of the instability. But soon, squads from the Sand began appearing as well.
Usually, encounters ended in brief skirmishes. Both sides tested each other's strength and withdrew just as quickly, unwilling to be the first to escalate into full-scale battle.
Still, the tension grew. A month passed. Then another.
During that time, Orochimaru's team conducted dozens of patrols. Several times, they had to repel small Sand squads attempting to infiltrate the Land of Fire. Fortunately, they suffered no serious losses. But even so, Kuro understood that everything happening now was only a prelude.
A full-scale war could begin at any moment.
And that was why, one evening, after finishing a training session with Mikoto, Kuro headed toward his sensei's tent. Orochimaru sat inside at a small table, studying scrolls with reports. The candlelight softly illuminated his face.
Without even looking up, he spoke:
"If you're here with a report, leave it on the table."
Kuro stopped at the entrance.
"That's not why I'm here."
The future Sannin raised an eyebrow slightly and finally looked at his student. For a few seconds, he simply studied his expression.
"I see. Then what do you want?"
Nara stated his desire directly.
"I want to sign a summoning contract with the snakes."
For a moment, silence filled the tent. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting. And what sparked it?"
"If a war starts, my current strength may not be enough. And I don't rely on chance—especially when it concerns my life."
"A reasonable approach. But I should warn you—snakes are quite willful creatures. Many shinobi have tried to form a contract with them. Not all survived meeting their masters."
He formed a hand seal, and from his sleeve, a white snake slithered out. Opening its mouth, it released an old scroll, which Orochimaru handed to Kuro.
"But I am curious to see how this turns out."
Kuro took the scroll. This was another step toward power. Just as he was about to unroll it, his sensei spoke again.
"You know… in the future, I may ask you for a favor, Kuro-kun."
Looking intently at his teacher, Kuro nodded and continued examining the scroll. It was quite heavy. The old, dense paper was covered in numerous seals and symbols.
When he fully unrolled it, a long list of names appeared inside—each written in blood.
This was it—the snake summoning contract. Kuro ran his gaze over the names, feeling a strange pressure.
Snakes… willful, dangerous, and extremely proud creatures. They never agree to serve the weak. Even his teacher couldn't master Sage Mode with them. It's hard to say why—especially since Kabuto managed it—but still…
For a moment, the young man fell into thought. Several ideas flashed through his mind. He raised his gaze to Orochimaru.
The latter watched calmly, as if he already knew the outcome.
"If you sign the contract," he said quietly, "there's no turning back."
Kuro merely smirked faintly.
"I don't intend to turn back."
He drew a kunai and, without hesitation, cut his thumb. Blood immediately welled up on his skin. A drop slowly slid down. Pressing his finger to the scroll, he began to write his name.