That night, the moon hid and the stars dimmed.
After Shimura Danzō left, the Anbu captain dropped to one knee before Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk.
"Hokage-sama, the shinobi forces under Orochimaru departed the base outside the village tonight."
Following last night's decision to pursue a strategy of "swift battle and swift victory," the fully prepared Orochimaru set out under cover of night with two thousand shinobi, heading straight for the southwestern border—
To join forces with the southbound Jiraiya and crush Sunagakure as quickly as possible!
They would kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, making Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure wary while also keeping the Uchiha Clan in check within the village.
"At the same time, an Anbu squad has reached the vicinity of Kumogakure's shinobi encampment. They can disguise themselves as Iwagakure shinobi and strike down Kumogakure's ninja at any time."
The Anbu captain continued his report. "Mitokado-sama met with the Daimyo in the Capital of Fire today, but no good news has come back yet."
Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.
The strategic situation swiftly unfolded in his mind—the war against Sunagakure in the southwest was about to begin, while Danzō would soon restrain Kumogakure in the northeast.
The most critical variable now lay in the northwest, along the border with the Land of Rain.
"Transmit my orders."
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave the command calmly. "Order Namikaze Minato to immediately reinforce the northwestern border and fully assist the local shinobi forces."
The Anbu captain bowed to accept the order, only to hear the Hokage speak again.
"Send another Anbu squad to search for Tsunade with all their strength. Tell her—"
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, his voice laden with enormous weight. "Konohagakure needs her!"
"Understood, Hokage-sama!"
With the Anbu captain's departure, the Hokage's office returned to silence.
The flickering glow in his pipe cast light upon the deep lines etched between the old man's brows.
He could not help thinking of Uzumaki Kushina—the Jinchūriki of Kurama, who represented Konoha's greatest fighting strength yet remained unstable. Even with Namikaze Minato's request, she would still have to take the battlefield when necessary.
I hope it does not come to that.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
He hoped the two fronts would bloom with victory.
The night had grown deep, and only scattered lights remained in Konoha.
A black shadow landed soundlessly before the Namikaze home. Before it could knock, the door opened from within.
Namikaze Minato stood in the warm light, seemingly having sensed the visitor's arrival long ago. His face still bore that gentle smile, though his eyes had become alert in the way of a shinobi.
The Anbu ninja briefly relayed the Hokage's urgent summons.
Understanding flashed through Minato's eyes. He nodded lightly. "Please report to the Hokage-sama that Minato will depart at once."
After seeing off the Anbu, Minato thought of his fiancée. A hint of helplessness appeared on his face as he turned and vanished into the night, arriving at Uzumaki Kushina's residence after several leaps.
The light was still on inside. He knocked softly on the door, and moments later, it opened a crack, revealing the girl's radiant figure.
She seemed to have just gotten up. Her thick crimson hair, cascading like a waterfall, was still somewhat tousled as it hung loosely over her shoulders.
She wore a light haori embroidered with the Uzumaki clan crest over plain sleepwear. Her collar was slightly open, revealing the graceful lines of her collarbones.
The warm light cast gentle shadows over the girl's exquisite features, and her eyes held both confusion and sudden delight.
Thinking of the little nighttime surprise visits that only happened after dark, she asked with flushed cheeks.
"Minato? At this hour..."
"Kushina."
Minato's voice was lower than usual, carrying an unmistakable gravity.
"I've just received an urgent mission. I must leave immediately for the northwestern border."
The smile on Kushina's face froze.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end she merely folded her arms and gazed at Namikaze Minato's apologetic expression.
As a shinobi, she understood all too well what this order meant—the carefully selected wedding invitations, the wedding dress she had secretly prepared, all of it would have to be put aside.
"...You have to be careful."
A thousand words turned over between her lips and teeth before finally condensing into those few short words.
Kushina lifted her head and forced a smile, but she could not hide the disappointment in her eyes.
Seeing Kushina pretend to be calm, Minato felt a deep sense of guilt rise in his heart.
He wanted to reach out and stroke his fiancée's red hair. He wanted to promise that he would return soon. But who could predict the twists and turns of the battlefield?
What was more, the scale of this war would likely be unprecedentedly brutal.
To protect Konoha, and to keep Kushina from being forced onto the battlefield, he had to give everything he had on the front lines!
"When I return, I'll hold the grandest wedding for you."
Minato gazed at Kushina, his voice as gentle as water yet every word firm and resonant. "I'll let the entire Shinobi World witness that I, Namikaze Minato, am the man who loves you most in this world."
A dazzling smile spread across his face, so brilliant that beneath the moonlight, it seemed capable of dispelling every shadow.
His golden hair fluttered lightly in the night breeze. He was like a warm little sun, brightening even the darkness of their parting.
Leaning against the doorway, Kushina's originally fair cheeks had already turned a lovely crimson, the flush spreading all the way to her ears.
The girl unconsciously bit her lower lip, but she could not hide the sweet curve at the corners of her mouth.
"Mhm, I'll wait for you to come back!"
Only after watching Minato disappear into the night did Kushina gently close the door. With her back against it, her hands unconsciously pressed against her racing heart.
Her lips kept curving upward, and even her steps carried a buoyant lightness.
She took small, quick steps back into the room, her gaze irresistibly falling upon the wedding dress carefully hung beside the window—
Unlike the pure white Shiromuku traditionally worn by brides in the Shinobi World, it was an elegant Western-style wedding gown.
Delicate lace layered upon lace outlined its exquisite neckline and waist, while the long skirt flowed down like drifting clouds, gleaming with a soft pearlescent luster beneath the hazy lamplight.
The veil rested lightly over the back of a chair, its tiny crystals resembling stars in the night sky.
Kushina reached out and gently stroked the soft fabric of the gown, her fingertips filled with careful tenderness.
Half-written invitations lay scattered across the table, every detail speaking of her hopes for the future.
"When you come back..."
She murmured softly, a gentle smile rippling through her eyes. "I'll definitely wear it and become your most beautiful bride."
Thinking of that beautiful future, Kushina could not help smiling happily.
After lingering before the wedding dress for a long while, she reluctantly returned to her bedside and picked up the novel she had been reading—
There was an illustration in the book, depicting a woman in a pure white Western wedding gown, a happy smile on her lips.
The title on the cover read:
<I Forgave Everything in the Past, Because We Will Never Meet Again>
"This awful author!" Kushina said indignantly as she reached a crucial part.
The first half had clearly been full of the sweetness of two people meeting, knowing, and staying with each other, yet complications suddenly arose in the blink of an eye.
The return of some so-called "white moonlight," together with endless misunderstandings and carefully crafted pretentious remarks, tore apart a once-perfect union.
"How could they treat people in love like this?!" Kushina threw the book onto her lap.
"If I find out who this author called Ji Boda is, I'll definitely let him have a taste of my iron fist!"
Amid her indignation,
Kushina could not help thinking of Minato, who had gone far away, and of his firm vow before their parting.
The girl suddenly straightened her back, blazing light igniting in her eyes—Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato would never be separated!
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