Movements from All Sides

The next day was overcast, as if a heavy rain could fall at any moment, and a somber air hung over the entire village.

Sasuke got up early, dressed in a black shirt and pants, a faint sadness in his expression. He sat at the living room table, head bowed, lost in thought, while Chen sat across from him, yawning occasionally as if he hadn't slept enough.

Then Sakura Haruno, a teammate on Sasuke's squad, came looking for him. She wore the same black clothes and the same mournful look.

"Sasuke..." Sakura started to say something to him, but Sasuke waved a hand, so she stopped. Her gaze then flickered to Chen sitting nearby—brief, but Chen caught the disgust in her eyes, aimed at him.

"Let's go." Sasuke stood and walked straight out. After he left, Sakura looked at Chen again, this time without hiding it. Her eyes were full of contempt, as if she were staring at a pile of dog crap.

"Uchiha Chen, I don't care if you understand or not. No matter what, I will never let you be with Ino. You're an idiot who doesn't deserve her." Without waiting for his reaction, she ran off after Sasuke.

"Tch! What's her problem? That forehead's way too nosy. Thinks she's someone important, idiot!" Chen had hated Sakura Haruno in his past life too.

On the roof of the Hokage's Office, a crowd had gathered, all in black clothes, silent. Grief seeped through the group as they stared at a long table ahead, lined with photographs. In the center sat one larger than the rest—the face of the Third Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Then rain began to fall.

"It's raining."

"Is heaven crying too?" Asuma Sarutobi murmured sadly, watching the rain.

"This funeral is to mourn the Third Hokage and all the others who fell in this battle," Mitokado Homura, the Third's former teammate and now a Konoha advisor, announced to those below. He then invited everyone to come forward and offer flowers.

"Why? Why did Third Grandpa have to die like this? Why..." Naruto's heart was heavy with sorrow as he watched Konohamaru sobbing beside him.

A ninja must never show emotion, no matter what. The mission comes first. No matter what, you don't cry.

"Teacher Iruka, why... why would someone risk their life for another person?" Naruto asked, standing beside Iruka after placing his white flower and returning to the crowd.

"When a person dies alone, everything vanishes. Their past, present, and future all disappear. Many die in missions or wars, and they die easily—Hayate was one of them. Among the fallen, some had dreams. Everyone has something they treasure most. Parents, siblings, friends, lovers. People who matter deeply. They trust each other, help each other. From the moment you're born, you form bonds with those most important to you, and those bonds grow stronger with time. It doesn't need some grand reason. Anyone with such bonds would do the same, because that person is worth cherishing."

"Yeah... I think I get that feeling. But... death really hurts."

"The Third Hokage didn't die in vain. He left us something important. Someday, you'll understand."

"Yeah! I think I can kind of get it."

Though the memorial had started, Kakashi wasn't there. He stood alone at Konoha's Memorial Stone as rain poured down. Footsteps sounded behind him, and a woman with long purple hair, holding a bouquet of white flowers, stopped at his back.

"For Hayate?" Kakashi asked without turning around. "The Third's funeral has started. You should hurry."

"Kakashi-senpai, you came to see Obito too? If you're always making excuses for being late, why not just come earlier?" Uzuki Yugao placed her white flowers before the stone, clasped her hands, and knelt.

"I came... early this morning. But every time I'm here, I keep scolding myself for being so stupid back then..." Kakashi turned to leave.

"Senpai, does the Hokage-sama have a secret unit?" Yugao suddenly remembered something and stood, asking Kakashi as he was about to go.

"Secret unit?" Kakashi turned back, puzzled. "I served in the Anbu for years and never heard of any secret unit."

"Really?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Yesterday, while chasing an enemy, I ran into a strange Anbu. He claimed to be from the Hokage-sama's secret unit."

"Was he short, with a voice that sounded young?"

"You've seen him?"

"Yeah. At first, I thought he was Anbu too. But later I noticed—he didn't have the Anbu's flame tattoo on his arm. So he's not Anbu."

"Not Anbu? Then who is he?"

"I don't know. But he didn't seem hostile to Konoha. In fact, he saved quite a few people."

"Is that so?"

"Anyway, the Third's memorial is almost over. I need to go." Kakashi left without another word, heading toward the Hokage's Office.

After the memorial ended, the sky cleared. The chunin gradually dispersed. Iruka watched the young ninjas leave and felt a surge of emotion.

"The little leaves of Konoha... Third-sama, it seems they've inherited the Will of Fire you spoke of. The tiny sparks that fall on the leaves will one day blaze up. They'll keep lighting and protecting this village. Someday... they'll become the new Hokage."

On the road from Konoha to the Sand Village, several Sand Ninja appeared. Among them was Baki, who had faced off against Kakashi and the others during the Konoha Crush Plan.

"Found them!" A Sand Ninja suddenly appeared before Baki and spoke.

"Let's go." The ninja led the way, and Baki and the others followed.

They arrived at a spot and found several badly decomposed bodies, all in Sand Village ninja gear. One wore a Mitarai, and there was a Kazekage's hat.

"They've been dead a long time. Probably before the Chunin Exam even started," a Sand Ninja reported to Baki.

"I see. So that's how it was. That bastard Orochimaru killed the Kazekage-sama, then he or Kabuto impersonated him. I was too careless."

Elsewhere, in a dark secret room.

"Damn Sarutobi." Orochimaru's voice dripped with venom. His arms' souls had long been sealed by the Reaper Death Seal.

"It's not that simple. After all, your opponent was the strongest of the Five Great Nations' Kage. But you're still impressive—taking out two of the five..." Kabuto Yakushi said respectfully beside him.

"Don't... comfort me. Or I'll kill you." Orochimaru's cold glare fixed on Kabuto.

"That's not what I meant. Even if you didn't take Konoha, the other goal of this plan... Uchiha Sasuke is now collared by you."

"Hehehe... This cost me my hands and all my jutsu. If I'd gotten Uchiha Itachi, none of this would've been necessary. But that dream's dead. Because he's stronger than me." Orochimaru's mind flashed to Itachi's icy eyes. "That's why... I left that organization."

At the same time, in a secret base in Amegakure, a massive demonic statue stood. On its ten fingers stood nine figures. This was the main base of the Akatsuki Organization, and those nine were its core members—S-class rogue ninja from various villages. "According to outside intel, Orochimaru, once a member of our organization, allied with the Sand Village yesterday to attack Konoha. Though he failed, he dealt heavy damage, and the Third Hokage was killed by him." The speaker had orange spiky hair, piercings across his face, and eyes with concentric rings—the Deva Path of the Six Paths of Pain.

Upon hearing this news, Itachi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them.

"Tch! Just a decrepit old man who can barely move anymore—Orochimaru's really pathetic. How about it, Zero? Let me go kill that traitor Orochimaru and bring back his ring while I'm at it, to fill the organization's ranks." Deidara couldn't help but bluster from the side.

"Leave Orochimaru for now. We'll deal with him if we run into him later. Konoha is currently being rebuilt and hasn't chosen a new Hokage yet—they're a headless dragon. So no one should be paying attention to the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Our organization has been preparing for that plan for years, even if we're not fully ready yet. But this time, consider it a test. One of you go to the Land of Fire and bring back the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki."

"Let me go! I'll definitely bring back the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Anyone who dares to stop me will taste my Instant Art." Deidara volunteered eagerly.

"No, we can't cause too much of a stir this time." Deva Path didn't agree to Deidara's request.

"Kakuzu!" Deva Path turned his gaze to the Waterfall Ninja, Kakuzu.

But Kakuzu wasn't having it. "Hmph! I've got money to make. I don't have time for boring stuff like a test."

"I'll go."

Just as Deva Path was about to say something more to Kakuzu, Itachi, who had been silent, spoke up.

"You'll go? Fine!"

"Ah! Perfect—I've been cooped up here so long I'm getting rusty. I'll tag along for a walk." Kisame, who was partnered with Itachi, chimed in.

"Alright, that's settled." After saying this, Deva Path vanished into a puff of smoke.

The remaining members, after some bickering, went their separate ways to attend to their own affairs.