The same familiar conference room.
The same familiar faces.
Yet when Kyusei sat here again, the atmosphere was even heavier than the last time.
Unlike before, a massive map of the shinobi world had been laid out across the central table.
"The Lands of Wind, Earth, and Lightning have declared war on us."
"I won't waste words."
"I have only one demand."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's sharp gaze swept across the room.
At this moment, even the most unruly figures—Tsunade and Kyusei included—said nothing.
"They are not to set foot in the Land of Fire."
"Keep the enemy beyond our borders!"
Hiruzen's words were absolute.
He then pointed to the Land of Grass, situated between the Lands of Fire and Earth.
"Orochimaru and Jiraiya will lead three thousand shinobi to confront Huangtu in the Land of Grass."
The forces of the Land of Earth were the most numerous, and they excelled at coordinated ninjutsu—without question, the hardest nut to crack.
Entrusting them to the most capable of the Three Sannin, with Jiraiya in support, should be enough to pin them down in the Land of Grass.
Next, Hiruzen pointed to the Land of Frost, between the Lands of Fire and Lightning.
"Sakumo, you'll take two thousand shinobi."
"Dodai of the Land of Lightning is yours."
"Let's see whether your blade is sharper—or their Lightning Armor is tougher."
"Yes."
Hatake Sakumo inclined his head slightly, confidence gleaming in his dark eyes.
"As for the Land of Wind—Tsunade, I'll leave it to you."
"You'll go together with kaoru."
Sunagakure's puppet forces specialized in poison, and Tsunade was the pinnacle of medical ninjutsu—she was the perfect counter.
As for kaoru, this was also an opportunity for her to acclimate to real warfare.
After all, completing missions alone would never forge the Fourth Hokage Hiruzen envisioned.
Missions and war were fundamentally different things.
"Uh… old man, you're really trusting me with this?"
Tsunade looked at Hiruzen with some surprise.
She had virtually no experience commanding troops.
"Don't disappoint me, Tsunade."
Hiruzen's voice was low.
Assigning kaoru to Tsunade wasn't without personal consideration.
At present, the three-nation alliance hadn't committed fully—this was merely a test, probing how deep Konoha's waters truly were.
Once the fighting escalated, Orochimaru and Jiraiya would support each other in the Land of Grass.
The Land of Frost had Hatake Sakumo—Konoha's White Fang. His strength needed no explanation.
Of all three battlefronts, Sakumo was the one Hiruzen trusted most.
Only the battlefield in the Land of Rivers concerned him.
Though Tsunade countered puppet users perfectly, she lacked leadership experience.
Placing kaoru beside her served a second purpose.
If things turned dire, kaoru could extract Tsunade instantly—
Using Flying Thunder God to escape the battlefield in a blink.
Anyone could be sacrificed.
Except Tsunade.
She maximized shinobi survival rates—not just because she was a Senju princess, but because of her unparalleled ability.
"Alright then, old man."
"Just wait for good news."
Tsunade thumped her chest confidently.
Kyusei glanced around.
Everyone had an assignment.
Everyone—except him and Shimura Danzō.
"Then what about me and this old guy?"
Kyusei pointed directly at Danzō.
Danzō's mouth twitched slightly as he ignored the utterly disrespectful Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
"Danzō will oversee covert intelligence operations. He has his own task."
"As for you—until the enemy deploys tailed beasts, you are not going anywhere."
Hiruzen looked at Kyusei sternly.
"Alright then."
Kyusei scratched his head, then pointed to the Land of Rain on the map.
"I hear Hanzō of the Salamander is pretty strong."
"What about him?"
Kyusei's question made Hiruzen pause.
Because of Hanzō's earlier overtures, despite interference by unknown forces, Hiruzen had subconsciously believed Rain was leaning toward Konoha.
All that was needed was mutual understanding.
Yet since then, the Land of Rain had fallen eerily silent.
No messages. No movements.
Even Danzō's agents embedded there had gone dark.
Now it seemed—
Rain itself was a hidden danger.
Hiruzen's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally looked toward his old friend.
Shimura Danzō.
Homura and Koharu weren't suited to lead wartime operations.
That left only one choice.
"I understand."
"If Hanzō shows any abnormal movement, I'll handle it personally."
Danzō said reluctantly.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Hiruzen nodded.
With Danzō stepping in personally, the Rain front could be temporarily set aside.
Let's hope Hanzō knows better.
Kyusei glanced at Danzō, lips twitching slightly.
Fine. Let him go.
Since Nagato's path was already irreversible—
He might as well let this man test the waters.
"If that's settled, everyone."
Hiruzen looked at Konoha's pillars and spoke solemnly.
"May fortune favor your blades."
—
Kyusei leaned against the doorframe, watching the blonde girl rummage through boxes.
kaoru had a habit of hoarding supplies.
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo—anything on sale, she bought in bulk and stored away in her small house.
That included kunai, explosive tags, medical bandages, and soldier pills.
So even with war arriving this suddenly, she was fully prepared.
No frantic scrambling required.
Standard-issue military supplies couldn't compare to finely crafted weapons.
kaoru's Flying Thunder God kunai, for example, had to be custom-made.
Watching her pack so carefully, Kyusei knew—
Had they been mere acquaintances, he'd simply think:
Even as a woman, the future Yellow Flash is still the Yellow Flash.
But they weren't strangers.
They were closer than that.
And Kyusei couldn't stop worrying.
Under that weight, his expression darkened.
Even the Yellow Flash could be injured.
The thought of her alone in a tent, silently enduring pain, licking her wounds—
It made him restless.
"kaoru…"
Kyusei finally spoke.
"Hm? What is it?"
She turned to look at him, puzzled.
Golden strands framed her face, slightly disheveled.
Through the gaps in her hair, her azure eyes shone.
Sunlight filtered through the window, bathing her in a soft glow—
Like an angel.
Kyusei's irritation only deepened as he looked at her.
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