In the bustling Konoha commercial street, amidst the throngs of people coming and going, two adorable little girls were turning their heads, looking around curiously, as if searching for and waiting for something. Suddenly, the Red Eye little girl in the red and white blouse's eyes lit up, and tiny sparkles of starlight shimmered in her large, jewel-like eyes.
Amidst the crowd, Sato Hideaka, with his hands in his pockets, slowly made his way through the throng to the two young girls, saying, "Alright, the matter is settled. Now let me take you home."
"Ah, Hideaka, where's my uncle? Didn't he come with us?" Mitarashi Anko looked around but didn't see her uncle. A hint of disappointment flashed in her purple eyes as she whispered.
It seems that Anko is lonelier than she imagined!
In Sato Hideaka's memory, Anko's parents died in the Second Shinobi World War, and she now lives with her Mitarashi Shishio. This similar experience is probably why she is as carefree as Naruto Uzumaki.
Shaking his head, Sato Hideaka said calmly, "He's been very busy lately, he might be a bit preoccupied. I'll take you two home, or I can take you both somewhere for some fun. Do you have any opinions or suggestions...?"
"Play? Where to play, amusement park or stadium? You're already so old, don't you know how to train seriously... All you know is how to play!" Mitarashi Anko Sato Hideaka with her hands on her hips and a stern face.
Sato Hideaka sighed heavily, shrugged, and said, "Alright then, pretend I didn't..."
Such a person's negative emotions disappear in the blink of an eye; they're not worth my comforting at all.
Wasting emotions...!
" Hideaka just finished his mission and hasn't had a proper rest yet. Let's go home first," said Yuhi Kurenai quickly from the side.
Mitarashi Anko waved her hand and muttered, "Alright, he just finished a month's mission and came straight to school instead of going home. I wonder what he's thinking? Luckily, Uncle Zixiao is busy, but he's not like this guy..."
" Anko, what did you just say?" Sato Hideaka raised an eyebrow and asked.
"You misheard me, it's nothing, it's nothing..."
The three turned and walked along the wide street toward their home. Mitarashi Shishio stood on a rooftop not far away, watching the three gradually disappear into the distance. When she fixed her gaze on Mitarashi Anko, a hint of guilt appeared in her eyes.
Anko was entrusted to him by his dying brother. However, the missions of the Anbu not only required secrecy but were also arduous, leaving him with very few days off. Apart from providing Mitarashi Anko with basic material necessities, he received little companionship or care...
However, this is the Anbu that White Fang entrusted to him; it absolutely must be kept in operation!
On this very day, the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, with the support of the Chiyo of Sunagakure, including Ebizo, officially launched a war against the Land of Fire, using the pretext of the Third Kazekage 'Konoha death in Konoha...
Under the command of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, Rasa, 16,000 Sunagakure, who had been waiting at the border, invaded the neighboring Land of Rivers of Land of Wind, crossing the mountains and heading towards the border of the Land of Fire. Orochimaru, stationed at the border of the Land of Rivers, waited in ambush, leading 4,000 Konoha Ninja to meet Rasa's 5,000-strong vanguard ninja force...
The two forces engaged in a fierce battle in the mountains of the Land of Rivers. Vegetation was destroyed, rocks collapsed, and mountains crumbled. The ninja forces were extremely lethal. Both sides suffered casualties in the battle. Rasa led the Sunagakure to set up camp in the Land of Land of Rivers and began to quickly deploy the left and right flank forces. War was imminent!
Within two weeks, news of the war between Konoha in the Land of Wind and Konoha, Sunagakure that cherishes peace, began to spread from the heart of the war in the Land of Rivers, and then began to sweep across the Land of Fire and the entire Konoha. The shadow of war began to loom over this long-peaceful village.
On the third day, Sarutobi Hiruzen strongly condemned the Sunagakure for its actions of instigating war based on rumors.
In the most prosperous part of the village, under the watchful eyes of all the villagers, the Third Hokage Sunagakure, Sarutobi Hiruzen Tsunade Senju, the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, the founder of Konoha, and one of the Sannin Tsunade Senju, to lead four thousand ninjas to support the western battlefield in response to the war that Sunagakure had started without authorization.
Tsunade Senju, dressed in a ninja combat uniform and wearing Konoha Forehead Protector, with two golden ponytails hanging down her back, stood at the forefront of the Western Support Force, her eyes and brows exuding a mixture of heroism, boldness, and even arrogance.
Amidst the villagers' righteous indignation against the Sunagakure and their cheers for Princess Tsunade, the valiant leader led a large contingent of ninja troops through the streets and alleys, marching in a grand and imposing manner toward the western gate of Konoha...
" Lady Tsunade, it's Lady Tsunade! I hear that this time it's Lady Tsunade and Lord Orochimaru fighting against the Sunagakure ninjas together. I reckon this battle won't be too difficult to win. This barren Land of Wind dares to challenge our vast and resource-rich Land of Fire? They're really courting death."
" The Sunagakure of the Land of Wind has declared war on our country. This is a completely reckless and suicidal act. I wonder what the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning are thinking now. I bet they're eager to join the fray too. They're just like a pack of greedy jackals, utterly disgusting."
"Yes, of the Five Great Nations, our Land of Fire is right in the center of the Fourth Shinobi World War, making it a land of constant conflict. War is almost inevitable for us. This time, we must deliver a crushing blow to the Sunagakure of the Land of Wind, deterring the other ninja villages from making any rash moves...!"
The crowd below buzzed with discussion, everyone displaying immense confidence in Konoha's upcoming expedition. Since the moment Konoha was founded by Land of Fire Senju Hashirama, Konoha has been the most powerful ninja village and has maintained this honor ever since.
The Land of Fire, Konoha, which crushes the four great nations, controls the Nine Tailed Beasts and distributes them at will, and was the victor in two Shinobi World Wars, is still the strongest even when surrounded by other nations. Moreover, this time their opponent is... the Land of Wind is recognized by the Five Great Nations as the weakest and least powerful.
In the hearts of the villagers of Konoha, this war was one they were destined to win!
Only a very few people had the foresight to anticipate the simultaneous entry of the three ninja villages —Sunagakure ( Land of Earth), Cloud Village (Land of Lightning), and Kirigakure (Land of Water )—into the battlefield, causing the war to drag on for several years. Although the Konoha leadership may have had some idea, they could never have imagined that this would be a war far more brutal than World War II or Third Shinobi World War...
On the rooftops, every few houses, a figure stands atop one of them.
This is Anbu unit!
This expedition is a rally to demonstrate our strength and confidence to the people of Konoha. At this crucial moment, it is absolutely unacceptable for enemy nations to cause trouble. Moreover, the Five Great Nations have spies planted in each other's territories, and these people must not be allowed to disrupt this atmosphere...
Wearing a beige Monkey Mask, Sato Hideaka stood quietly with his hands in the pockets of his coat, watching the bustling crowd below. His gaze swept across the people, and he kept in touch with his colleagues several dozen meters away.
Because the Land of Rivers is surrounded by mountains, making combat in mountainous terrain prone to obstruction of vision, Konoha dispatched two of the most powerful families specializing in ocular techniques to participate in the battle. These two families had two distinct objectives: firstly, to train their clan members, and secondly, to gain merit in battle. The members sent by both families were quite formidable...
Members of the two clans were easily distinguishable among the dense crowd of ninjas. Both of the two Konoha clans had their own honors, and they would print their clan crests on their combat uniforms. The Hyuga Clan was even easier to identify, with their Byakugan appearing in large numbers, like cataracts.
Hizashi Hyuga, Hyuga Ningbo, Uchiha Kenichi, Uchiha Kaoru...
These distinguished figures, including even representatives of the new generation, participated in the battles supporting the west!
At this moment, Uchiha Kaoru, with her long, straight black hair and wearing her combat uniform, walked in the second row of the Uchiha formation with a cold expression. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and she seemed extremely impatient or even disgusted, appearing very uncomfortable...
Sato Hideaka stood atop a rooftop several meters high on the street, secretly finding it amusing.
This girl's obsession with cleanliness hasn't changed yet. When the battle really begins and the intense combat leaves her covered in dust, mud, and blood, she probably won't have time to wash herself. At that time, all sorts of smells and stains will probably make her even more uncomfortable! (To be continued.)