Land of Wind, Sunagakure's secret command post.
Sand sifted down from overhead as the entire underground facility shuddered violently once more.
Chiyo instinctively looked up. Only after confirming the ceiling hadn't collapsed did she slowly let out a breath.
"Don't worry, it won't cave in. Even if it does, I can get you out." Ebizo, his head wrapped in bandages, leaned against the wall and smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Stop joking around and get back to work. This place is no longer safe. We need to be ready to relocate at any moment." Chiyo ignored her younger brother's joke. She picked up a scroll beside her and unfurled it, her tone instantly turning grave.
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"Our village is already stretched thin, and now even Konoha's Hokage has personally gone to the front lines. We have no choice but to take extraordinary measures.
"So many have died recently. We have to use the command post's proximity to the front lines to give our troops even the slightest chance of winning."
After she finished, she waited out of habit. Usually, at times like this, her brother would rally himself and offer some quip like, "We're sure to win," to raise everyone's spirits.
This time, however, the only response was silence. Ebizo kept his head down and said nothing as he read through the latest intelligence scrolls.
Perhaps... the state of the war was weighing on him too.
Chiyo sighed inwardly, put it out of her mind, and began annotating the scroll:
"The bridge has been destroyed. Order the frontline troops to withdraw for now.
"The trade route with the Land of Rivers has been cut off. Our current priority is to ensure the enemy cannot launch a surprise attack on the outpost across the river. Strictly prohibit any