The Empire's call is connecting...

Sasuke was still called back.

He still had a measure of respect for Kakashi.

Obito wore a puzzled expression.

"Why? A hothouse flower that hasn't been tempered by bloodshed can never grow into a towering tree!"

Kakashi hesitated, but soon spoke:

"Sasuke is from Konoha, and in everyone's eyes, the two of you are surely considered people from Konoha as well. If we act, it won't be long before everyone knows that Konoha accepted no mission and slaughtered merchants on its own."

"At that point, the relationship between the Land of Fire and these merchants will certainly deteriorate to some extent, and the Daimyo will surely impose certain sanctions on Konoha's military funding."

"Now that Zabuza is the one taking action, we don't have to worry about any of those consequences."

Obito and Kakashi knew what he was thinking and were rendered speechless.

No wonder Gato, an ordinary man, dared to slap Zabuza in the face. So you ninja don't have even a shred of human dignity?

You just finished cursing us, then assigned a mission that had us stop Zabuza.

What the hell is this supposed to be?

You work hard to train for years and finally become a ninja, only to rank below the Daimyo, below the powerful, and even below merchants?

Then what are you risking life and limb for?

For the so-called Will of Fire?

After hearing Kakashi's words, a complex emotion flashed through Sasuke's eyes.

He understood Kakashi's concerns, but he desperately needed to improve his strength, and this was an excellent opportunity.

"What should I do?"

Sasuke turned to Obito with a pleading look.

"What are you waiting for? Get in there!"

Obito pointed at the ninjas, more than half of whom had already been slaughtered by Zabuza, and shook his head in exasperation.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, then drew the Kunai from his waist without looking back.

" Sigh..."

Watching Sasuke's back, Kakashi sighed inwardly.

He knew Sasuke's past had brought him too much pain, but as his mentor, he also hoped Sasuke could find his own path.

"Huh?"

"Teacher Kakashi! These utterly vile bastards should just be killed! Why should we care what the Daimyo in the country think? We're ridding the people of a scourge!"

When Naruto saw that Sasuke had already joined the two Genin in a chaotic battle, he couldn't help worrying that his beloved would be injured and looked toward Obito.

Kakashi sighed. Naruto... he really didn't understand anything...

"I don't know what method you used to manipulate Sasuke, but he needs help now! Hurry and release my Chakra!"

Obito helplessly shook his head.

"With me here, you don't need to worry about Sasuke's safety."

There was a divine quality to the Kamui in Obito's eye. It could practically be called an invincible ocular technique.

Whether used for offense or support, it was unmatched.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, his heart filled with frustration.

He had finally gotten a mission that wasn't about catching cats or walking dogs, only to have all the Chakra in his body sealed the moment he left home.

I might as well go catch cats and walk dogs!

Naruto let out an aggrieved "Hmph" and said nothing more.

He stared intently at the battlefield, his eyes filled with eagerness to try.

Sasuke moved nimbly through the crowd, the Kunai in his hand flashing with cold light.

His Sharingan was focused and cold. What had just been an even match against two Genin had already turned into a fight he handled with ease.

"Sasuke! Look out!"

Suddenly, Naruto saw two blades being swung at Sasuke from his blind spot while he wasn't paying attention.

Naruto and Sakura both broke into a cold sweat for Sasuke.

At the critical moment, Zabuza used a Kunai to knock the blades from the two men's hands, giving Sasuke a chance to catch his breath.

The Three-Tomoe in Obito's eyes also slowly faded, showing no sign of transforming into the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"What? Getting nervous?"

Kakashi teased Obito.

"Tch, as if. He's only a little disciple."

Though Obito said that, his eyes followed Sasuke's movements every moment.

Bzzzz—

The Nano-Bracelets on their wrists suddenly began to vibrate.

"It's a message from the Empire!"

The two exchanged glances, and a hint of excitement flashed in both their eyes.

We've been undercover for so long. The organization can finally contact us!

"Waaah..."

"Obito! Should we call Sasuke back?"

Kakashi looked at Obito.

Obito shook his head.

"If he can die here, then he simply wasn't meant to live."

The ninjas present had already been almost completely wiped out by Zabuza. The rest were merely ordinary people with a little skill. If Sasuke could still die under these circumstances, then he clearly wasn't suited to be a ninja.

The two made no effort to avoid the few people present. They simply found a place to sit, then sat down and answered the call.

Within the Empire, telephones had already become widespread ten years ago. Although most of their operation relied on converting Chakra, a higher form of energy, into electricity, since the Emperor called it a telephone, people gradually came to call this method of long-distance communication making a call.

As soon as the call connected, the Nano-Bracelets drew some of their Chakra. Then the faces of the Emperor and Nagato appeared before them.

The moment Kakashi and Obito connected, they heard Nagato reporting to the Empire about the sealing of the Valley of the End's landmark.

"The people of Konoha used the Space Sealing Technique to seal the Chakra flow in that place. Fortunately, the Sealing Technique they used still belongs to an ancient sealing method of the Uzumaki Clan. The several methods of breaking it that are taught at Konoha University can all be used to work backward and undo it. Based on what I've learned during this period, their level of Ninjutsu is still relatively low."

Orochimaru's voice came from the other end.

"Excellent. You did very well, Nagato. Before we construct a two-way Cross-Dimensional Channel, we can no longer easily change the new coordinates. I tried several times to see whether the coordinates could be altered, but every time I changed them, the time line we reached was no longer the one you were in. Fortunately, you broke through the spatial seal over that area in time."

Orochimaru praised him without reservation.

"Everything is for the Empire!"

This was also the first time Nagato had expressed his loyalty to the Empire.

On the Empire's side, Orochimaru and Uchiha Senju exchanged a smile.

"Emperor, just as you expected."

Orochimaru transmitted the message to Senju.

"Kakashi and Obito are here too? Since everyone has arrived, let's begin sharing our intelligence."

"Nagato, you go first."

Looking at Lord Senju's face, Nagato felt for the first time that it was so captivating.

"Yes, Lord Senju!"

"First is the matter of this loss of contact. Although I've used the Mirage technique over the area we transported into to alter its appearance and terrain to a certain extent, this certainly isn't a long-term solution. Constructing a two-way Cross-Dimensional Channel is an urgent priority!"

"As for the Land of Fire, although I didn't visit Konoha Village, I traveled to their capital and exchanged words with this world's Jiraiya, my master. Based on what I saw and heard along the way, I personally believe this is a world in need of salvation!"

"Their history before Year 44 of Konoha is almost identical to ours, but in the twenty years since Imperial Year 20, war and conflict have filled the entire Shinobi World."

Nagato reported his experiences and the intelligence he had gathered to everyone in detail.

"This world is still jointly ruled by the Daimyo and the shinobi villages. The Daimyo are just like the powerful described in the history books: bloodsuckers who oppress the common people and contribute nothing to the development of the world, much like the old aristocratic clans."

"As for the shinobi villages, they resemble the Empire's military institutions. They are the core armed forces of each country. Though they're said to coexist with the Daimyo, they're actually controlled by them."

"Because of the special nature of shinobi, the shinobi here are extremely unpopular with ordinary people. Ordinary people want to become shinobi, yet fear them..."

"This is an era in which neither ordinary people nor ordinary shinobi have human rights..."