Duel Between Shadows

He took a deep breath and stepped into the cave.

The darkness lasted only a moment.

When he emerged from the other end of the cave, the sunlight was just piercing through the morning mist, illuminating a clearing surrounded by mountains below.

"I didn't expect this village to still be here... and it's even grown larger."

Looking along the forest, there was a small village in the clearing at the end.

[I hope readers will remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network, to relieve boredom, t̆̈̆̈w̆̈̆̈k̆̈̆̈̆̈ă̈̆̈n̆̈̆̈.c̆̈̆̈ŏ̈̆̈m̆̈̆̈, waiting for you to explore.]

The houses were scattered in an orderly fashion, with wisps of cooking smoke rising, and the faint sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard.

The surrounding flowers, plants, and trees were exceptionally lush, a stark contrast to the desolation ravaged by war in the outside world.

If he had to use a metaphor, Hyuga Qinglan felt it could be considered a Shangri-La.

"What a true paradise away from the world."

Hyuga Qinglan pulled back his hood, looking at the peaceful scene before him, the tightness in his chest easing slightly.

The villagers inside probably had no idea that a war was raging in the outside world.

Just living quietly like this, farming, raising chickens, watching the sunrise and sunset...

"Heh... I'm overthinking it..."

--

"Lord Hokage, urgent report!"

The door to the Hokage office was slammed open, and an Anbu member stumbled in, nearly falling.

"Hm?"

The slight sense of relief Sarutobi Hiruzen had felt due to the "everything is going smoothly" report from Danzo was interrupted in an instant.

He adjusted his state immediately and asked in a deep voice, "Speak slowly, don't rush."

"Yes... Lord Hokage."

The Anbu member took a deep breath, trying his best to steady his voice.

"The Rock Battlefield... the situation is not optimistic. The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki has personally rushed to the front lines, and even with Minato and Jiraiya joining forces, it is difficult to completely suppress him."

He paused, then added, "Ōnoki's Particle Style has an extremely strong suppressive power on the battlefield. To avoid large-scale casualties among the troops, Jiraiya has already ordered some front lines to retreat."

"The front lines we had originally pushed forward... are being pushed back by Iwagakure step by step."

Pushed back?!

Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contracted slightly.

How long had it been since the Kannabi Bridge was destroyed?

Logically speaking, Iwagakure's supply lines should have suffered heavy damage, and it would be impossible for them to recover their vitality in such a short time.

But now, not only had the enemy stabilized the situation, they were even able to organize such a powerful counterattack...

Was it that they had been prepared all along and opened up alternative logistics routes? Or could it be...

Smoke swirled in front of him, making his expression increasingly dark and inscrutable.

"So Ōnoki has even taken to the battlefield..."

In his memory, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki rarely stepped onto the front lines of a battlefield.

The only time it was truly memorable was during the encirclement and killing of the Third Raikage.

Now, this veteran Kage, known for his caution, slickness, and strength, had taken up arms again. Combined with the intelligence that Iwagakure's logistics had suddenly recovered...

The meaning behind this was already all too clear.

Iwagakure had received the full support of the Land of Earth's Daimyo.

They were going to pour the strength of the entire nation into a life-or-death battle with Konoha.

"The village... has it really reached its most critical moment?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes.

Images flashed rapidly through his mind.

The First Hokage Senju Hashirama, who suppressed the chaotic world with his own strength and forcefully settled the order of the ninja world.

The Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, who led them through battles in all directions, establishing Konoha's true system and order with iron-blooded tactics and wisdom.

And after that, it was himself.

That year, his teacher died in battle, and the position of Hokage was passed down in haste.

Konoha was in a precarious state, and he had to take up that hat at the most dangerous moment, shouldering the fate of the entire village.

It was also after that, step by step, that he led Konoha out of the flames of war and won the Second Shinobi World War.

Those glorious years, those figures fighting in blood, those beliefs that had been torn apart by war but pieced back together by the Will of Fire...

Even today, they had never truly left him.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes. All traces of hesitation had vanished, replaced by deep composure and resolve.

"How is the situation with Orochimaru?"

The Anbu member was slightly taken aback, but quickly reacted, pulling a scroll from his robes and unfurling it: "The Cloud Village forces have already retreated from the borders of the Land of Fire."

"Lord Orochimaru is currently leading his troops to mop up the remaining enemy forces, and as of this morning, he has launched a full-scale counterattack."

He turned a page and continued his report: "This is the intelligence intercepted by the Hyuga Qinglan squad from the Land of Hot Water."

"After stealing the intelligence, they first rushed it to the front lines, and subsequently sent a copy back to the village."

"..."

The corners of Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched slightly.

As expected of the soldiers trained by Orochimaru.

They did things with airtight precision, sending intelligence to the front lines before the village.

This was the typical style of "reporting to the front during war, and to the village during politics"—it was entirely the way Orochimaru's subordinates operated.

However, at a time like this, such news was undoubtedly a shot in the arm.

At the very least, the Cloud Village front had stabilized.

There was even room for a counterattack.

Thinking of this, a rare hint of relief finally appeared in the depths of Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.

Furthermore, since the Hyuga Qinglan squad had already completed the mission of escorting the Son of the Daimyo.

Then, perhaps he could take this opportunity to have a proper discussion with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire regarding material support.

What Konoha needed now was not just victory.

It needed the capital to keep this war going.

"Pass on my orders."

Sarutobi Hiruzen set down his pipe, his voice suddenly rising with unquestionable authority.

"First, order Jiraiya to hold his current position. He is not allowed to retreat a single step further; he must stall the main force of the Rock Village until the village reinforcements arrive."

"Second, mobilize the main forces of the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan to depart immediately for the Rock Battlefield to support Jiraiya's army."

Having said this, he paused briefly before continuing: "As for the Mist Battlefield... they won't be able to stir up any trouble. Maintain the current containment posture; there is no need to send reinforcements."

"Yes!"

The Anbu member acknowledged the order, his figure flashing and vanishing from the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly stood up. He walked to the window, his gaze passing over layers of rooftops toward the direction of the capital.

The wind caught his Hokage haori, the hem fluttering slightly.

It was time to make a personal trip to the capital.

When that time comes, it will be the true meaning of...

A confrontation between shadows.

--

"Why does this feel so strange?"

Hyuga Qinglan observed for a long time, his gaze fixed on the largest house in the center of the village.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the village seemed exceptionally abnormal.

Villager after villager emerged from their homes carrying chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, their expressions excited as they walked in an orderly fashion toward the largest house in the center of the village.

Their faces bore a near-pathological excitement, as if they were about to welcome some grand celebration, or perhaps as if they were paying homage to some incredibly important existence.

"Are they holding a banquet?"

As soon as this thought surfaced, Hyuga Qinglan dismissed it himself.

Having lived in the ninja world for so long, he had naturally seen wedding banquets, celebrations, festivals, and even major gatherings within clans.

But those were scenes that generally only occurred in regions with stable situations, or in towns and clans with relatively abundant resources.

In a small village like this, even if it were a joyous occasion or something else requiring a celebration, it shouldn't be done on such a grand scale.

Moreover, the state of these people didn't look like they were celebrating a happy event at all.

It was more as if they were all being collectively dominated by some kind of emotion.