Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
A light, orderly knock suddenly sounded.
"Come in."
Minato Namikaze was frowning at the document in his hands. Hearing the unexpected knock, he answered absentmindedly.
Clearly, the document in his hands had captured all of his attention.
Judging by his expression, it must have recorded something extremely important.
"Creak..."
Upon hearing Minato Namikaze's response, the person outside did not hesitate and pushed the door open.
"Lord Fourth Hokage."
Then, a young boy's voice rang out.
"Chiba?"
Hearing that voice, Minato Namikaze seemed quite surprised. His gaze instantly left the document in his hands and turned toward the door.
A young boy was stepping through it.
It was Chiba.
"Why are you here? Your vacation started today, didn't it?"
Then Minato Namikaze asked another question, puzzled.
"Teacher Minato, I have some ideas about the lockdown. I have a plan I want to discuss with you."
Chiba showed no particular expression. After entering and coming to a stop, he spoke.
The lockdown?
Minato Namikaze froze slightly upon hearing Chiba's words.
"What? You already have an idea?"
Then Minato Namikaze was both startled and delighted as he spoke.
The lockdown was practically a major burden weighing on his heart. If it was not handled properly under the current circumstances, the village's defenses might collapse completely.
It could even affect the course of the Third Great Ninja War, which had only just begun to gradually stabilize, due to the collapse of the village's defenses.
Large-scale military clashes might begin anew, dragging the Third Great Ninja War back into the abyss of full-scale war.
If that happened, ending it would not be so simple. The Third Great Ninja War would likely become the longest war of all the Ninja World Wars.
By then, the village's fate, the nation's