The War Was Over

The sky over the Land of Rain was perpetually shrouded in dark clouds. Rain could start falling at any moment, just like the fate of this country: there was no hope in sight, and all they could do was weep.

Years of warfare had left the roads full of potholes, with no one to repair them. Whenever it rained, they turned into little ponds. Raindrops sent ripples across their surfaces, distorting the reflections of the sky.

Patter, patter, patter—!

A dense shower of droplets fell through the woods and struck the water. A dark shadow flashed across the broken reflection.

The Sunagakure Shinobi kept leaping forward at speed, with Pakura at their head.

The two Chunin at the rear looked young, probably newly promoted. One glanced at the Jonin in the distance and asked in a low voice, "Hey, Xian, is it true you defeated the Cloud Ninja ambush unit?"

The ninja called Xian shot him a look and raised his chin. "Of course it's true. You should've seen it. Those guys were all elite, but Lord Hoshino said a real ninja was meant to take on the elite. He clapped his hands together and subdued over a hundred ninjas. Their Elite Jonin were so scared they didn't dare fight him!"

The ninja who had asked looked doubtful. "How could that be? That's way too strong. And what you're saying doesn't match Yang Tai's story. Were you so scared you hid in the back and had no idea what was going on?"

Xian's face reddened. "W-who was hiding in the back? I was forced to stay behind to protect the Medical Ninjas, but I saw everything clearly while they were fighting."

As soon as he finished speaking, stifled laughter rose around them. Their conversation had clearly been less private than they'd thought.

"Yeah, Xian, you just love to brag. Look at me. Have I mentioned that I killed a Jonin? No, right? For a genius like me, that kind of achievement is just too ordinary."

A ninja leaped up beside them, shook his head, and wore an expression that said, "That's nothing."

"I don't know if being killed by Doma was that Jonin's proudest moment, but I can guess what his most humiliating moment was."

"Who— Oh, sensei." Doma flushed at the teasing and turned around, ready to fire back. But when he saw his old Genin instructor, he immediately hunched his shoulders.

That set off another wave of laughter.

"Doma, it's fine to be happy about it. But remember, don't become like the Jonin you killed."

"I won't! As long as we follow Lord Hoshino, we'll be invincible!"

Young people admired the strong most of all. And when they got to witness someone rise to power, that person's image was etched ever more deeply into their minds.

Hoshino Maki was the strong one in the eyes of the Reinforcement Unit.

Doma's words left the atmosphere strangely quiet.

They had fought the Cloud Ninja in over a dozen battles, large and small, alongside Pakura. Both sides had suffered heavy losses. Even with Sunagakure's advantage in Medical Ninjas and Pakura keeping two of the enemy's Elite Jonin at bay, nothing could make up for the gap in their overall strength.

They had all lost comrades in this war. They envied the great victory Xian and Doma had experienced, but also couldn't help regretting it.

If that victory had come sooner, would things have been different?

Sunagakure wasn't large, and many of its ninjas knew one another.

It wasn't only the group gathered around Xian. Nearly everyone in the Reinforcement Unit had people asking them about the ambush counterattack. Each person told it differently, and as the story spread, it grew more and more outrageous. Before long, people were even saying Hoshino Maki had killed Pashira with three punches.

Pakura frowned. She didn't like that man. She'd known from the first time she saw him at the hospital that he was bound to cause trouble. Ordinary ninjas wouldn't deliberately do things just to earn a reputation.

But she hadn't expected him to dare leave the unit and go alone into enemy territory!

When Pakura heard that the Reinforcement Unit had won, she'd thought the same thing as Pashira: they should wipe out the entire Cloud Ninja force. But Hoshino Maki had ruined everything!

Just thinking about it made a fire burn in Pakura's chest.

"My lady, the Thunderstorm Gap is just ahead."

Pakura stopped before the Thunderstorm Gap. It was the only route to the Cloud Ninja base. Its entrance was extremely narrow, with room for only two or three people to walk side by side, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

"What time is it?"

"Five thirty."

Rain clattered against their armor. Pakura waved, and several Sensor Ninjas stepped forward to scout ahead.

"Wait!"

Pakura raised her hand and narrowed her sharp eyes. A black figure was barely visible through the curtain of rain.

The person carried an oilcloth umbrella and walked at an unhurried pace, as if strolling through his own garden to admire the flowers. As he drew closer, those who had once been part of the Reinforcement Unit lit up with genuine smiles. "It's Lord Hoshino!"

The newcomer lowered his oilcloth umbrella, revealing a handsome, refined face. He smiled faintly at the dense crowd before him.

"The Cloud Ninja have withdrawn. The war is over."

The setting sun slanted westward. The clouds that had shrouded the Land of Rain mercifully parted, and golden rays of dusk spilled through the Thunderstorm Gap, lighting the space behind Hoshino Maki.

Standing against the light, Hoshino Maki seemed to shine. A faint rainbow arced across the sky after the rain.

According to a legend in Sunagakure, making a wish on a rainbow would bring good fortune. Some of the younger ninjas were seeing one for the first time. They couldn't help interlacing their fingers and pressing their hands to their chests as they silently made a wish.

Their wishes, along with the image of the man before them, became memories that would shape their lives.

Pakura walked toward Hoshino Maki without expression. They stood face-to-face.

"Lady Pakura, I'm Hoshino Maki."

As he spoke, Hoshino Maki held out his hand.

Pakura didn't take it. Instead, she stared straight into his eyes.

"Do you know that, as the highest-ranking officer in the unit, you violated discipline by leaving without permission?"

"An order from home doesn't have to be obeyed on the battlefield. I simply chose the option that was best for the village."

"An order from home doesn't have to be obeyed on the battlefield?"

Pakura repeated the words softly twice. Her icy expression suddenly blossomed into a smile that could outshine every flower. She nodded, stepped forward with a smile, and hooked an arm around Hoshino Maki's neck.

Hoshino Maki sensed danger in her smile and hurriedly took half a step back, but her slender, fair arm still caught him around the neck. It didn't look strong, yet he found himself unable to break free. Then a heavy punch slammed into his stomach.

"Ugh..."

Hoshino Maki bent over and retched.

"Do you know what happens to generals who disobey orders when they return to court? They're held accountable! Take him away and hand him over to the Elder Council!"

Pakura turned away, once more wearing the expression of an icy beauty.

"My lord, are you all right?"

Only after Pakura had gone did a few young Medical Ninjas from the Reinforcement Unit dare approach Hoshino Maki.

"I'm fine. Here, these are candies from the Land of Lightning. I stole them."

Hoshino Maki straightened up, no trace of pain on his face. He winked mischievously and pulled a handful of candies from his sleeve to share with them.

He knew Pakura would use him to establish her authority. How else could a ninja of civilian origins command an army?

But Hoshino Maki wasn't the type to take a loss lying down, either.

Hmph. Women. I'll deal with you after I become Kazekage.

"Want some?"

Hoshino Maki turned around and pulled out another handful.

The two Jonin assigned to watch him could only shake their heads with helpless amusement.

They might have been ordered to keep an eye on him, but they weren't fools. There was no way they'd treat him like a prisoner.

"Take them. Give them to your kids when you get home. We don't get things from the Land of Lightning very often."

Hoshino Maki pressed the candies into their hands. After a moment's silence, the two quietly thanked him.

Only they knew what they were thanking him for.

Sunagakure Hospital

"Lord Hoshino is just too sweet~"

"Yeah, he came straight back from the front line and immediately started treating patients. I'm worried he'll wear himself out."

"If you stopped pestering Lord Hoshino so much, he'd be in much better shape."

"Hmph! Don't talk about me. I know you've been wearing black stockings every day since he came back. Everyone knows what you're after."

"Pah! What right do you have to talk? I wonder who it is that pretends to bend down and pick things up every time she goes to Lord Hoshino's room, swaying the whole time. You little flirt."

"..."

At the service desk, two young nurses whispered and bickered, unaware that a petite figure had slipped along the wall and into Hoshino Maki's room.

"Lord Hoshino."

"Mei, you don't have to be so careful."

Hoshino Maki set down his book and smiled at the visitor.

Mei pouted. Lord Hoshino had no idea how much danger and trouble she'd gone through just to get this rare moment alone with him.

"My lord, the public hearing is the day after tomorrow. Why don't you run away?"

Mei asked anxiously. She couldn't understand why Lord Hoshino was so relaxed when disaster was about to strike. The rumors surging outside seemed like no more than a light drizzle to him, something he didn't need to worry about at all.

Hoshino Maki shook his head. "I believe everyone will understand my reasons. If you really want to help me, little Mei, why not find out what's going on with these people?"

As he spoke, Hoshino Maki took a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to her.

Mei didn't even look at it. She tucked the paper into her pocket, puffed out her chest, and lifted her chin. "Don't worry. Leave it to me!"

Before leaving, the little nurse even gave Hoshino Maki an encouraging gesture. "Lord Hoshino, don't be afraid. We'll always support you!"

Hoshino Maki smiled and nodded. He wasn't afraid at all, because this had been his idea in the first place!

The assembly hall was a hemispherical building, with stone seats arranged in tiers on two levels and a white circular marble platform standing in the center.

It was the largest venue in Sunagakure. The last time it had been used was to search for the Third Kazekage; before that, it had hosted a Ninja World War. That showed just how important Hoshino Maki's trial was to the village.

Early that morning, aside from the Anbu and the ninjas on guard duty, all the other Jonin and the leaders of the Great Clans arrived.

On the surface, this public hearing was about Hoshino Maki acting on his own. In reality, it was also a clash between Chiyo's and Lord Chōjūrō's two factions.

It was still only a clash because neither side had openly entered the fray.

Chiyo didn't want to come into conflict with Lord Chōjūrō, but until Sasori was found, Hoshino Maki was a partner she couldn't afford to lose.

Even if he'd brought most of his troubles on himself.

Lord Chōjūrō, meanwhile, had no choice but to take the initiative.

If he wanted to become Kazekage, he was bound to clash with Chiyo, who had once again intervened in village affairs. He might as well take this opportunity to make his position and determination to become Kazekage known—semi-publicly, before all of Sunagakure's senior leadership. That way, he wouldn't seem indecisive to potential allies.

Though it was called a public hearing, it had officially been announced as a briefing. "Public hearing" was just the private name for it.

Hoshino Maki wasn't bound in chains, either. He wore a long white coat with the stand-up collar that was iconic in the Ninja World. He was chatting with the person standing guard beside him, completely unlike a prisoner about to be put on trial. Instead, he looked like a competitor about to enter a match, perfectly composed.

The clock ticked away. As the hour hand neared nine, the Elders entered from the side, and everyone in the hall rose to greet them.

The elderly woman at their head was short and slightly stooped, yet everyone present treated her with even greater respect when they saw her.

"Be seated."

The Elders reached the twelve white jade chairs in the front row. Only after Chiyo spoke in a low voice did the others sit down.

"It's Lady Chiyo!"

"I didn't expect Lady Chiyo to come out of seclusion. This must be serious."

"And Lord Chōjūrō too... Sigh, there's always some kind of trouble in the village."

"..."

The crowd's murmurs were quiet, but the Elders were no ordinary people, and they heard at least some of them. Their expressions varied.

Compared to Chiyo's calm composure, Lord Chōjūrō kept his face expressionless, but his slightly furrowed brows revealed that he was far from at ease.

Chiyo's sudden move had caught him off guard. He couldn't help worrying that she might join forces with Rasa and support him as the Fourth Kazekage.

After all, Chiyo had been on good terms with the Third Kazekage, and Rasa was the Third's student. In the Ninja World, where the bond between teacher and student was valued, the two of them should have made good partners.

Thinking this, Lord Chōjūrō let his gaze sweep over Rasa and Chiyo.

When the clock struck the hour, Pakura acknowledged the Elder Council, then stood and walked to the center of the hall. Her gaze passed over the seats on both levels before she began.

"This briefing will discuss Hoshino Maki's actions while serving as the unit's chief medical officer. He left the Reinforcement Unit, intervened in military affairs involving the Cloud Ninja without the Elder Council's approval, and allowed a Cloud Ninja force that should have been completely wiped out to retreat safely. Now, Hoshino Maki will explain himself."

When Pakura finished, she glanced at Hoshino Maki, then sat down nearby.

Hoshino Maki sat alone near the entrance in the middle of the hall, with two ninjas standing guard behind him.

He stood and straightened the hem of his coat. At the same time, he whispered, "Do you think I did the right thing?"

The two guards had kept their faces stern and said nothing since the meeting began. Hoshino Maki smiled and said no more. When he reached the center of the platform, one of them spoke with ventriloquism. "Actually... sigh, forget it."

"First, I'd like to correct one thing. At the Cloud Ninja base, I saw the future Fourth Raikage, A. Lady Pakura, may I ask if you could take him on?"

Hoshino Maki's words shocked everyone present. A hadn't yet done anything to make a name for himself in the Shinobi World, but the fact that he could be called A said everything.

Pakura's face turned ashen. She wanted to say that they might have a chance if they fought together. But her pride wouldn't let her say that here. She could only consider the fight on her own.

"I... can't."

Pakura ground out the two words.

Why didn't you tell me this before?!

If she'd known A was at the Cloud Ninja base, she never would've talked about wiping them all out. Now it made her look as if she hadn't thought things through.

The frustration knotted in her chest, and even her tightly bound breasts seemed to swell a little.