The bamboo was plain and rustic, seemingly ordinary, but the energy it contained astonished Uchiha Hanazuki, who was still in Sage Mode.
"What is this?"
"The Book of the Crimson Moon. It contained Menma's final prophecy in that opposite world."
Black Nine-Tails sat cross-legged, memories flickering in his eyes as he slowly recounted everything he knew.
"It was when the red moon rose. Menma obtained the Book of the Crimson Moon, just as he was about to unify the Ninja World..."
"After Menma opened the Book of the Crimson Moon, he was about to see what prophecy it held about him. But after a flash of light, your old man ended up inside you."
"This scroll seems to have absorbed something incredible. Thanks to it, your old man was able to pull his sealed half back into his body."
Black Nine-Tails' words made Hanazuki even more intrigued. He examined the Book of the Crimson Moon in his hands and asked curiously,
"It can pull your other half out. What else can it do? Could it also bring other things back from the world of Limited Tsukuyomi?"
To his surprise, Black Nine-Tails shook his head repeatedly, looking helpless.
"Your old man tried pulling other things out of the Book of the Crimson 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 deliver your final warning. How did you find out?"
Hanazuki grinned and answered as if it were obvious.
"Obviously, this is inside me. Of course I know what's hidden in here. Anyway, I'll hold on to the Book of the Crimson Moon for now and return it once I figure out what it does."
The moment his fingers touched the Book of the Crimson Moon, the intricate Mangekyō Sharingan stirred faintly. As if the two were connected, it made Hanazuki reluctant to return the book to Black Nine-Tails just yet.
"Tch, do whatever you want. If you figure out how to use the Book of the Crimson Moon, make sure you tell your old man. I've got a feeling you brat and this bamboo scroll are connected somehow."
His figure gradually faded away, and the pale blue Heart Lake grew quiet once more. Black Nine-Tails sighed softly, curled up in his little nest, and fell asleep again.
Back in the real world, the rustic bamboo scroll rested in Hanazuki's hands. Lost in thought, he vanished from the border of the Land of Earth.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, events unfolded.
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 forces.
Outnumbered, the Konoha Ninja could barely hold their ground and had no choice but to send a request for reinforcements to Konoha.
The Konoha High Command had gathered in the Hokage's office. Marked battlefields dotted the map of the lands around the Land of Fire, making the usually composed Konoha F4 frown deeply.
"After fighting the Sand Village, Cloud Village, and Mist Village one after another, have our front lines stretched too far?"
Mitokado Homura scanned the map and immediately spotted the problem.
"Even with the village's talented shinobi—Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, and Uchiha Hanazuki—and now Uchiha Shisui starting to make a name for himself..."
"But we're still losing ordinary shinobi at an alarming rate. 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 old face deepened, her worry growing more apparent. She looked around before continuing.
"The key to victory now is to gather Konoha's elite shinobi, just as we did at the Battle of Kikyo Pass, and send in a sharp blade to strike at Iwagakure's weak point."
"Where should we send this blade to pierce the enemy's heart? Uchiha Hanazuki? He's tying down the Third Tsuchikage. So should it be Minato after all?"
Danzo's expression darkened. Having spent years immersed in Konoha's highest circles of power, he understood better than his old friend just how difficult the Third Hokage was to deal with.
To be fair, the battlefield credit earned by defeating the enemy head-on was usually far greater than what one gained from a so-called diversionary mission.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had likely arranged things this way to set up a strong rival for Orochimaru in the race for the Hokage Position.
Uchiha Hanazuki was Orochimaru's student. Not all the credit for his achievements would go to Orochimaru, but at least some of it would.
That was why Sarutobi Hiruzen had deliberately assigned Uchiha Hanazuki to face the Third Tsuchikage. It was a holding action either way, and nobody could tell whether he had actually fought the Third Tsuchikage on the battlefield.
Then, as long as they pointed out that Orochimaru hadn't personally taken the field in the later stages, they could use it to hold him back. Namikaze Minato, who had earned greater merit and turned the tide of battle, could then smoothly become the Fourth Hokage.
"No. Minato still has a mission on the main battlefield. Speaking of which, today Minato's student, the son of the White Fang of the Leaf, officially became a jōnin..."
He left the rest unsaid, but the implication was obvious. Danzo gritted his teeth in frustration.
What sharp blade? It was clearly a ploy that took advantage of Namikaze Minato's character. Sarutobi Hiruzen knew Minato would cover for his student, so he was giving him another achievement to add to his record.
"Then where should this blade be pointed?"
Danzo asked pointedly. Sarutobi Hiruzen finally placed his finger on Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass and spoke gravely.
"Kannabi Bridge is a vital point for shinobi supplies. If we destroy it and leave behind a chakra marker, we can completely cut off Iwagakure's supply routes."
At this, the two Hokage Advisors admired Sarutobi Hiruzen's seasoned judgment. Even if the enemy used Earth Release to rebuild the bridge, they could detect their movements by setting up barrier sensors and using other methods.
Shinobi with space-time summoning abilities were rare, and ordinary Summoning Techniques couldn't compare to scrolls when it came to the limited amount of supplies they could store.
This plan could effectively cut off the enemy's supplies and hasten the end of the war.
"That won't do. Sending only Minato's student would be asking too much of him. It'd be safer to have Uchiha Hanazuki go along. With his abilities, he should be able to—"
"No! If we let Ōnoki enter the battlefield, this war will never end. The Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release is impossible to counter without a space-time technique like the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The reason was unassailable, and his political foresight far-reaching. Sarutobi Hiruzen's judgment was as incisive as it had been when he saw through Orochimaru.
"It's settled, then. Leave the rest to the former Minato Team, soon to be reorganized as Team Kakashi. The White Fang's son won't disappoint us."
Danzo left first, but memories flickered in his eyes. Hatake Kakashi was a young prodigy and a model shinobi, though his style was nothing like the White Fang's.
Still, his talent was a little less impressive than that of the other rising prodigies. Why did the geniuses of the Uchiha Clan keep appearing one after another during wartime?
Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed after Danzo for a long moment, then waved a hand.
"Summon the former Minato Team."
Before you continue