The next day.
It's not bright yet.
"Whew!!!!!"
Suddenly a sharp whistle sounded in the camp.
"Assemble--! Everyone urgently assemble--!"
Someone shouted outside, and the sound exploded, making the tent cloth buzz.
Kai jumped out of bed.
He moved too fast and almost hit his head on the roof of the tent.
Ebisu and Genma also woke up immediately.
Without any nonsense, the three of them got dressed and ran outside quickly.
Kai's body even trembled a little.
It's not because of the cold.
It's because of excitement!
"Letter!"
"The letter must have worked."
Kai's face was full of surprise.
Last night, when he was lying in bed, he tossed and turned and couldn't sleep.
All I can think about is whether White Fang will receive the letter.
My reaction after receiving the letter.
Will you go directly to the third generation?
Will Sandai mobilize troops overnight?
Will...
He thought like this and then fell asleep at some point.
Early this morning, the whistle sounded.
Still an emergency gathering!
It must be because the letter worked!
This speed was faster than he thought.
But counting the time, the letter has clearly not been sent yet.
How could there be a response so quickly?
The reason is simple.
The letter has been read!
During the war, any letter sent from the front line would be checked at all levels.
Kai already knew this.
He had even made preparations for the letter to be seen by the camp commander.
Because of this, when he wrote the letter, he specifically replaced the sentence "camp security is lax" with "camp troops are insufficient".
Otherwise, with this sentence alone, it would be impossible for the letter to be sent smoothly.
Judging from the current situation, Sarutobi Sosuke must have read his letter.
"Is he going to start tightening security?"
Kai grinned, full of anticipation.
"Let's go."
Three people walked through the camp.
There are people all along the way.
He got out of the tent and ran from the direction of the cafeteria.
A ray of white just appeared on the horizon.
Most of the people were already standing in the open space in the center of the camp.
Kai stood at Team 9 and glanced around.
Soon, everyone gathered.
Even those who could move out of the medical tent came out, some were on crutches, and some had bandages on their arms.
Standing at the back of the line, he looked confused.
A thousand people stood in the open space.
Nervous and quiet.
They all noticed something was wrong with the atmosphere.
Kai stood there, his heart beating faster than usual.
He glanced towards the high platform.
Empty.
Sarutobi Sosuke hasn't come yet.
"What's the matter so urgent?
"Ebisu lowered his voice and moved closer to Kai.
"Isn't it Iwagakure calling again?"
Kai didn't answer.
Genma held a toothpick in his mouth, with a solemn expression and did not speak.
Waited for a while.
The tent curtain on the side of the high platform was opened.
Sarutobi Sosuke Come out.
He wore a brand new jounin vest today.
Forehead Protector is polished and her hair is combed meticulously.
Behind him were two Guard, one on the left and one on the right, with serious expressions.
He stepped onto the high platform and stood still.
His eyes swept over everyone in the audience.
Kai noticed that his eyes stopped on him for a moment.
Very short.
But Kai caught it.
He felt more certain.
It must be because of faith.
Sarutobi Sosuke cleared his throat.
"I called everyone here so early because I have something to say."
The sound was not loud, but in the quiet open space, everyone could hear it clearly.
No one in the audience answered.
Sarutobi Sosuke paused.
"First of all, let me talk about the situation on the front line."
He began to speak slowly.
Talk about the defense of the border line after Iwagakure retreated.
Say Konoha High Command is mobilizing troops.
It is said that the supply line has been restored to smooth flow.
It is said that everything is developing in a good direction.
They are all... words that are not painful or itchy.
Kai listened and felt something was wrong.
His brows gradually wrinkled.
"Hurry up!"
"Just tell me about the letter!"
He is a little impatient.
Ten minutes later.
Sarutobi Sosuke is still talking.
Talk about how Third Hokage makes wise decisions.
Let's talk about how Konoha's troops are sufficient.
Let's talk about how Kikyo Mountain's defense line is impregnable.
As he was talking, the conversation suddenly changed.
"But-"
he drawled.
The audience became quieter.
"There's a man in the camp."
He paused.
"Sent a letter."
Kai's heartbeat accelerated rapidly.
"From Kikyo Mountain, send back to Konoha."
Sarutobi Sosuke's voice was unhurried and slow, as if he was reading an ordinary report.
"The letter said that the camp is slack. There are not enough troops. The enemy is about to attack."
There was a commotion in the audience, and people began to whisper among themselves.
Kai stood there, his expression completely changed.
"A nine-year-old child writes a letter to Konoha White Fang."
Sarutobi Sosuke's eyes finally fell on Kai.
"Ask for help."
These two words came out of his mouth with an indescribable taste.
Not anger.
Not worry.
It's more like a kind of strange, light and airy...
ridicule.
"What help are you asking for?"
Sarutobi Sosuke's voice suddenly became louder by three points and he stared at Kai.
"You think Lord Third didn't expect it? Do you think Konoha High Command didn't expect it? Do you think..."
He paused.
"Are you the only one smart?"
Kai didn't move.
There was no expression on his face.
In an instant, he suddenly understood why Sarutobi Sosuke had this attitude.
The other party is Sarutobi Clan.
They are three generations of direct relatives.
And everything Kikyo Mountain currently has is the arrangement of the third generation.
Whether it's transferring Lu Yi or withdrawing the wounded.
It's all arranged by three generations.
In his eyes, Kai's letter did not make Konoha High Command more vigilant.
Instead, he is slapping the third generation in the face.
Slapping them Sarutobi Clan in the face.
Sarutobi Sosuke took two steps forward, stood on the edge of the high platform, and looked at him condescendingly.
"Questioning the decisions of the third generation. Shaking the morale of the military. Spreading panic."
He spoke every word.
"This is what deserters do."
"This is--"
He emphasized his tone.
"Things only cowards do."
"There is a coward in our camp!"
Someone in the audience took a breath.
Kai stood there. Although he had figured out the cause and effect, he still felt that his blood was rising and his face was a little red.
"I! No! Yes!"
He stared at Sarutobi Sosuke and spoke word by word.
"You didn't?"
Sarutobi Sosuke interrupted him, his voice suddenly rising.
"You didn't question Sandai's troop deployment? You didn't say the camp was lax? You didn't write a letter asking for help?"
He stared at Kai, his eyes narrowed.
"Then tell me, what's in the letter?"
Kai opened his mouth.
Speechless.
Of course he knew what was written in the letter.
He remembers every word.
The camp's troops have been mobilized, and Sunagakure may make a sneak attack. I hope White Fang can help convey the message.
But now that these words came out of Sarutobi Sosuke's mouth, they all changed.
"Can't tell?"
Sarutobi Sosuke sneered.
"I said it for you."
He turned around, faced everyone, and spoke loudly.
"Someone said in the letter that Sunagakure will attack by surprise, but Kikyo Mountain cannot defend it."
"Some people say that Konoha High Command's decision is wrong."
"Some people say Lord Third, the wounded injured for Konoha should not be transferred away."
He paused again and said in a strange tone:
"Some people think that they are smarter than Lord Third."
"What a joke!"
The buzz in the audience became even louder.
Some people were talking quietly, and some were looking in Kai's direction.
Those eyes stuck into me like needles.
Kai stood there, gritting his teeth.
"I didn't mean that-"
Kai suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth.
"Then what do you mean?"
Sarutobi Sosuke turned back and stared at him.
"You are a nine-year-old child. Just a few days after being promoted to Chunin, you feel that you know more about fighting than Lord Third?"
"You think you can see the situation more clearly than Konoha High Command?"
He took a step forward.
"Do you know what others will think if your letter is spread?"
"Konoha People on the front lines are writing letters asking for help, but what about the people in the rear? What about the common people?"
His voice became louder and louder.
"Shake the morale of the military. Spread panic. Question your superiors."
"Which one is enough for you?"
Kai clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.
He wanted to speak.
I want to say that Sunagakure might really make a sneak attack.
I would like to say that the camp is indeed under-strength.
I want to say that he is doing it for the good of everyone.
But when the words came to his mouth, they were all blocked.
In the current situation, it's useless to say anything.
Sarutobi Sosuke doesn't listen at all.
Suddenly someone in the audience spoke.
"Sousuke-sama!"
Voices came from the crowd.
Kai turned to look.
He is Chunin, a member of Team 3. He is in his thirties and has a scar on his face.
Kai didn't exchange a few words with him, but they knew him.
"That kid Kai, he did a good job on the supply line before and saved many people. He may have just written that letter..."
"Just what?"
Sarutobi Sosuke interrupted him and glanced over.
"Just too young? Too impulsive? Taking yourself too seriously?"
Then Chunin opened his mouth but said no more.
Someone next to me whispered softly.
"He did kill a lot of Iwagakure people on the supply line..."
"That rainy night, he and Captain Choza killed a Jonin..."
"Although he was assisting in the killing, a nine-year-old child..."
The voice was not loud, but every sentence penetrated Kai's ears.
Sarutobi Sosuke heard it.
He sneered.
"Have you killed a few Iwagakure Genin, and you think you are great?"
He looked at Kai with a condescending contempt in his eyes.
"Assist in killing a Jonin, do you think you can be on an equal footing with Lord Third?"
Kai looked ugly.
"I never thought of it that way."
"You didn't?"
Sarutobi Sosuke interrupted him again.
"Then when you wrote the letter, did you ever think about it, why do you, a nine-year-old child, question the decision of the third generation?"
"How many battles have you fought? How many men have you commanded?"
"What makes you think that your judgment is more accurate than Lord Third?"
Kai stopped talking.
Not nothing to say.
I know it's useless to say anything.
Sarutobi Sosuke doesn't want an explanation.
I want him to admit his mistake.
I want him to bow his head.
It requires him to admit that he was wrong in front of everyone.
Kai stood there, motionless.
Ebisu stood beside him and rubbed his hands anxiously. He wanted to speak several times, but was held back by Genma.
"Stop talking." Genma lowered his voice.
"But he-"
"Don't talk."
Ebisu shut his mouth, but his face turned red.
On the high platform, Sarutobi Sosuke is still talking.
"I know that some people think this child is a hero. He killed Iwagakure and saved the lives of his companions, nine-year-old Chunin."
He snorted coldly.
"But I want to tell you, sometimes there is only one step between a hero and a deserter."
He looked at Kai.
"You feel that the camp is lax, you feel that there are not enough troops, and you feel that the enemy is coming."
"Then what do you think you should do?"
Kai looked up at him.
"You should stand here and guard with everyone instead of writing back and crying."
Sarutobi Sosuke's voice suddenly became colder.
"Since you think the enemy might make a sneak attack."
His expression turned cold.
"Then from today on, you will defend the mountain ridge by yourself. If the enemy doesn't come, you don't have to come back."
The audience fell silent for a moment.
Everyone heard it.
This is not an order.
It's exile.
Where is Shanliang?
It is the edge of the Kikyo Mountain defense line.
But after the battle with Iwagakure, the terrain was severely damaged.
Konoha's cordon also retreated ten miles.
There is nothing there now.
No supplies, no support, not even a tent.
If a person is guarding there, what is it but exile?
You will even encounter the Iwagakure team.
Go there alone.
What is the difference between dying and dying?