It was made of bamboo and looked unremarkable, but the power it contained astonished Uchiha Hanazuki, who was still in Sage Mode.
"What is this?"
"The Book of Vermilion Moon. It contains Menma's final prophecy in that opposite world."
The Black Nine-Tails sat cross-legged, memories flashing through his eyes as he slowly recounted everything he knew.
"It was when the Red Moon rose. Menma obtained the Book of Vermilion Moon and was about to unify the shinobi world..."
"After Menma opened the Book of Vermilion Moon, he was about to see what the prophecy said about him. But after a flash of light, your old man ended up inside you."
"This Book of Vermilion Moon seems to have absorbed something extraordinary. Thanks to it, your old man was able to pull his sealed half back into his body."
The Black Nine-Tails' words only made Hanazuki more intrigued. He examined the Book of Vermilion Moon in his hand and asked curiously,
"It can pull out your other half. What else can it do? Could it also bring other things out of the Limited Tsukuyomi world?"
Unexpectedly, the Black Nine-Tails shook his head again and again, looking helpless.
"Your old man tried pulling other things out of the Book of Vermilion Moon, but nothing happened. It wasn't until a few days ago, when you brat absorbed Natural Energy in Ryūchi Cave, that the book showed the slightest change."
"But your old man still hasn't figured out what happened, and then you came along to give your old man an ultimatum. How did you find out?"
Hanazuki grinned and replied as though it were obvious.
"Of course I knew. This is inside me, so I know what's hidden in your body. Anyway, I'll hold on to the Book of Vermilion Moon for now. I'll give it back once I figure out what it does."
The moment his fingers touched the Book of Vermilion Moon, the intricate Mangekyo shifted slightly. As if there were some connection between them, Hanazuki found himself reluctant to return it to the Black Nine-Tails for the time being.
"Tch, do whatever you want. If you find a way to use the Book of Vermilion Moon, remember to tell your old man. I've got a feeling that you brat and this bamboo scroll are connected somehow."
His figure slowly vanished, and the pale-blue Heart Lake fell silent once more. The Black Nine-Tails let out a quiet sigh, then curled up in his little nest and drifted back to sleep.
Back in the real world, Hanazuki held the ancient bamboo scroll in his hand, lost in thought. Then he disappeared from the border of the Land of Earth.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Grass, the Iwagakure army led by frontline commander Higashi Shito was locked in a desperate battle against Mimura Hamaki's resistance force.
Outnumbered, the Konoha Ninja could barely hold their ground and had no choice but to send a plea for reinforcements to Konoha.
The Konoha High Command had gathered in the Hokage Office. On the map of the lands surrounding the Land of Fire, marked battlefronts made even the usually composed Konoha F4 furrow their brows.
"After fighting Sand Hidden, Cloud Hidden, and Mist Hidden one after another, have our battle lines grown too long?"
Mitokado Homura scanned the map and immediately spotted the problem.
"Even with the village's prodigies stepping up—Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Hanazuki, and now Uchiha Shisui, who's begun to make a name for himself..."
"But we're still losing too many ordinary shinobi. Even sending those young sprouts who haven't finished the Academy into battle isn't enough to keep us going."
The wrinkles on Utatane Koharu's aged face deepened, her worry growing more apparent. She looked around before continuing.
"The key to victory now is to gather Konoha's elite shinobi and deploy them as a blade, just as we did in the Battle of Kikyo Pass, to strike at the Iwagakure Ninja's weak point."
"Where should we send this blade to pierce the enemy's heart? Uchiha Hanazuki? He's keeping the Third Tsuchikage occupied. So, Minato?"
Danzo's expression darkened. Having spent years immersed in Konoha's highest circles of power, he knew better than his old friend just how difficult the Third Hokage was to deal with.
To be fair, the merit earned by defeating an enemy head-on on the battlefield was often greater than that gained from a so-called diversionary mission.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was likely trying to establish a strong rival for Orochimaru in the contest for the Hokage Position.
Uchiha Hanazuki was Orochimaru's student. Some, if not all, of the merit he earned would be credited to Orochimaru.
That was why Hanazuki had deliberately been assigned to deal with the Third Tsuchikage. It was a diversion either way, and no one could tell whether he had actually fought the Third Tsuchikage on the battlefield.
Then, all they needed to do was point out that Orochimaru hadn't personally gone to the front lines later on, using that to hold him back. Meanwhile, Namikaze Minato, whose greater accomplishments had helped turn the tide of battle, could smoothly become the Fourth Hokage.
"No. Minato still has a mission on the front lines. Come to think of it, today his student—the son of the Konoha White Fang—officially became a jonin..."
He left the thought unfinished, but the implication was clear enough to make Danzo grit his teeth.
What blade? It was obvious that Hiruzen was exploiting Namikaze Minato's nature, counting on him to cover for his student and add another achievement to Minato's record.
"Then where should this blade be pointed?"
Danzo spoke with an ulterior meaning. Sarutobi Hiruzen finally placed a finger on Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass and spoke solemnly.
"Kannabi Bridge is a crucial supply route for the shinobi. If we destroy it and leave a chakra mark, we can completely cut off Iwagakure's ability to transport supplies."
At this, the two Hokage Advisors admired Sarutobi Hiruzen's experience. Even if the enemy used Earth Style to rebuild the bridge, they could detect their movements through barriers and other means.
Few shinobi possessed the talent for space-time summoning. Besides, compared to ordinary Summoning Jutsu, scrolls could store only a limited number of items.
This plan would effectively cut off the enemy's supplies and hasten the end of the war.
"No. Sending Minato's student alone would be too much for him. It would be safer to have Uchiha Hanazuki back him up. With his abilities, he'd be more than capable—"
"No! If we let Ōnoki enter the battlefield, this war truly will never end. The Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release is impossible to counter without a Body Flicker Technique like the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The reasoning was airtight, and the political foresight far-reaching. Sarutobi Hiruzen's judgment was as sharp as when he'd seen through Orochimaru.
"Then it's settled. Leave the rest to the former Minato Team, soon to be reorganized as Team Kakashi. The White Fang's son won't let us down."
Danzo was the first to leave, but a memory flickered through his eyes. Hatake Kakashi was a young prodigy whose style was entirely unlike the White Fang's, a model shinobi by all accounts.
Still, his talent fell short of that of the prodigies now emerging. Did the geniuses of the Uchiha Clan really have to appear one after another in the middle of a war?
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Danzo's retreating back for a long moment, then waved his hand.
"Summon the former Minato Team."