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, sunlight poured through the morning mist, illuminating an open space nestled among the mountains below.
"I didn't expect this village to still be here... It's even bigger now."
Looking through the trees, he saw a small village at the far end of the clearing.
The houses stood in neat rows, cooking smoke curled into the air, and the faint sounds of chickens and dogs drifted over.
The surrounding plants and trees were especially lush, a stark contrast to the desolation of lands ravaged by war.
If he had to compare it to something, Hyuga Qinglan would say it was a hidden paradise.
"What a peaceful place, far removed from the world."
Hyuga Qinglan lowered his hood and gazed at the tranquil scene before him. The tightness in his chest eased a little.
The villagers probably didn't even know there was a war raging outside.
They lived quietly, farming, raising chickens, watching the sun rise and set...
"Heh... I'm overthinking it..."
"Lord Hokage, an urgent report!"
The door to the Hokage's office burst open, and an Anbu member nearly stumbled inside.
"Hmm?"
The slight relief Sarutobi Hiruzen had felt after receiving Danzo's report that "everything was going smoothly" vanished in an instant.
He quickly composed himself and asked in a grave voice, "Take your time. Don't rush."
"Yes... Lord Hokage."
The Anbu member drew a deep breath, doing his best to steady his voice.
"The situation on the Rock Battlefield... is not good. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, has personally gone to the front. Even with Lord Minato and Lord Jiraiya working together, it's difficult to keep him in check."
He paused, then added, "Ōnoki's Dust Release is exerting immense pressure on the battlefield. To prevent mass casualties among our troops, Lord Jiraiya has ordered some of the front lines to fall back."
"The front line we'd been advancing... is being pushed back, step by step, by Iwagakure."
Pushed back?!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contracted slightly.
How long had it been since Kannabi Bridge was destroyed?
By all rights, Iwagakure's supply lines should have been dealt a devastating blow. There was no way they could have recovered so quickly.
And yet, not only had the enemy stabilized the situation, they were now mounting such a powerful counterattack...
Had they prepared in advance and found another supply route? Or was it...
Smoke billowed before him, and his expression grew even more inscrutable.
"Ōnoki has gone to the battlefield..."
As far as he could remember, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, rarely set foot on the front lines.
The only time that had left a lasting impression was when they hunted down the Third Raikage.
Now this veteran Shadow, renowned for his caution, shrewdness, and strength, had taken up arms again. Combined with the sudden news that Iwagakure's supply lines had been restored...
The meaning behind it could not have been clearer.
Iwagakure had received the full support of the Daimyo of the Land of Earth.
They intended to commit the entire country's strength and fight Konoha to the death.
"Has the village... really reached its most desperate hour?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes.
Images flashed through his mind.
The First, Senju Hashirama, had single-handedly quelled the chaos and forcefully brought order to the Shinobi World.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had led them into battle across the lands, using iron resolve and keen strategy to establish Konoha's true system and order.
And after them, there was himself.
That year, his teacher had fallen in battle, and the Hokage Position had been passed to him in haste.
Konoha had been adrift in a storm, and at its most perilous moment, he had been forced to take up the hat and bear the fate of the entire village.
It was after that that he had led Konoha, step by step, out of the flames of war and to victory in the Second Shinobi World War.
Those turbulent years, those figures who had fought and bled, those convictions once torn apart by war and then pieced back together by the Will of Fire...
Even now, they had never truly left him.
A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes. Not a trace of hesitation remained in them, only solemn resolve.
"What's the situation with Orochimaru?"
The Anbu member froze for a moment, then quickly recovered and took a scroll from his vest. He unrolled it. "The Cloud Village forces have withdrawn from the Land of Fire."
"Lord Orochimaru is leading the troops in clearing out the remaining enemy forces. He also launched a full-scale counterattack this morning."
He turned to the next page and continued, "This is intelligence about the Cloud Village intercepted by Hyuga Qinglan's squad in the Land of Hot Water."
"After stealing the intelligence, they hurriedly sent it to the front lines, then copied it and sent a second report back to the village."
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched slightly.
As expected of a soldier trained by Orochimaru.
Nothing was left to chance: the intelligence went to the front lines first, then the village.
It was a classic "war news goes to the front, political news goes to the village" approach, exactly the sort of thing Orochimaru's subordinates would do.
Still, in a moment like this, the news was undoubtedly a much-needed boost.
At least, the Cloud Village front was holding.
They even had room to counterattack.
At the thought, a rare hint of relief finally appeared in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.
And since Qinglan's squad had already completed its mission of escorting the Son of the Daimyo,
perhaps they could use this opportunity to discuss material support with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Konoha needed more than just victory now.
It needed the means to keep the war going.
"Carry out my orders."
Sarutobi Hiruzen set down his pipe, his voice rising with unquestionable authority.
"First, tell Jiraiya to hold the current position. He must not retreat another step. He is to pin down Iwagakure's main force until reinforcements from the village arrive."
"Second, mobilize the main forces of the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan. Have them depart for the Rock Battlefield immediately and reinforce Jiraiya's forces."
He paused briefly, then continued, "As for the Mist Battlefield... they won't be able to cause much trouble there. Maintain the current containment effort; there's no need to send more troops."
"Yes!"
The Anbu member acknowledged the order, then vanished from the office in a flash.
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly rose to his feet. He walked to the window and looked past the rooftops toward the capital.
The wind stirred his Hokage robes, their hems fluttering slightly.
It was time for him to make a personal trip to the capital.
And then, it would truly be...
a showdown between Shadows.
"Why does something feel off?"
After observing for a long time, Hyuga Qinglan turned his gaze toward the largest building in the middle of the village.
The atmosphere in the village seemed especially strange.
One family after another emerged from their homes carrying chickens, ducks, fish, and meat. Their faces alight with excitement, they made their way in orderly fashion toward the largest house in the village center.
They wore an almost feverish excitement, as if they were about to celebrate some grand festival—or pay homage to some supremely important presence.
"Are they going to have a feast?"
The thought had barely crossed his mind before Hyuga Qinglan dismissed it.
He had lived in the Shinobi World for a long time and had seen weddings, celebrations, festivals, and even major gatherings within clans.
But such events were usually held in stable regions or in towns and clans with ample resources.
For a small village like this, even if there were a happy occasion or some other reason to celebrate, there was no need to make such a grand affair of it.
What's more, these people didn't look as if they were celebrating a happy occasion.
They seemed more like they were all under the sway of the same emotion.
Before you continue