Konoha is to the North, I Shall Not Die Facing South

Land of Grass, a mountain hollow somewhere.

Several dilapidated wooden huts stood crookedly on the slope, surrounded by a crude ring of wooden fencing. A few simple crates were piled in the center, filled with supplies looted from caravans—several sacks of grain, two bundles of cloth, and a mishmash of tools.

This was the hideout of that band of rogue ninjas.

Inside the largest hut, several rogue ninjas sat around a table, guzzling alcohol with grease shining around their mouths. Half a roasted sheep lay spread across the table, its bones picked clean, while wine bowls clattered noisily against one another.

"Boss, we captured someone from Konoha this time. Nothing will go wrong, right?"

The man called boss sat at the head of the table. He was broad and burly, with a scar slashing diagonally from his forehead to his jaw. His name was Jinba. Originally from the Land of Rain, he had later gathered over a dozen desperate outlaws and taken to robbing and plundering around the Land of Grass, becoming the most feared band of rogue ninjas in the area.

Jinba gave a dismissive snort.

"Don't worry. I checked his eyes when we caught him. They weren't Byakugan."

He raised his wine bowl and gulped down a mouthful before continuing, "And he never showed the Sharingan from start to finish, so he isn't an Uchiha either."

"His name was... what was it again—Kamizuki Yakumo? He's not from the Senju Clan either. He's just a ninja from some minor clan. Konoha won't mobilize a huge force to come after us."

"Besides, we only demanded five million ryo. It's so cheap. Tell me, would Konoha find it more worthwhile to capture us, or just pay up?"

"Boss is wise!"

"The boss is right!"

The rogue ninjas all chimed in, raising their wine bowls and clinking them loudly together.

"But what if... Konoha really sends someone?"

Jinba shot him a sidelong glance and sneered. "Send who? He's just a chunin from a minor clan. Konoha would be doing well to send a few chunin after us. There are more than a dozen of us here, and we know the terrain. What are we afraid of?"

"Besides, in a place like the Land of Grass, the Land of Fire can't control us, the Land of Earth can't be bothered with us, and the Land of Lightning can't reach us. We're the local emperors here. Just follow me, and you'll eat well and drink—"

"BOOM—!!!"

Before he could finish, the entire roof of the hut exploded apart.

Splintered wood flew everywhere as dust filled the sky.

Jinba's vision went black. A tremendous impact crashed down from above, flipping him onto the ground. Several rogue ninjas near the door were hurled away by the shockwave, slammed into the fence, coughed up blood, and collapsed without rising again.

Amid the smoke and dust, two figures descended from the sky and landed steadily in the center of the ruins.

Uchiha Madara wore a black combat outfit beneath his signature white Hokage haori. Simply standing there, he radiated an oppressive presence that made it hard to breathe.

Uchiha Yan stood at his side, his scarlet Sharingan slowly turning as his gaze swept over the surroundings.

The two had traveled the entire way with the Body Flicker Technique, arriving in the Land of Grass from Konoha in less than two hours.

After arriving, Uchiha Yan had first scanned the area with his Sharingan and confirmed that the kidnapped Konoha chunin was not in the camp.

Then Madara struck down with his palm.

"Who... who is it?!"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

In the ruins, the surviving rogue ninjas scrambled out from beneath the rubble. Some reached for kunai, while others drew their swords.

When they made out the two figures in the smoke, every face went pale.

The white Hokage haori—

"U-Uchiha Madara?"

"T-The Hokage?"

—They were finished.

Uchiha Madara looked down coldly at the wretched group of rogue ninjas as if they were nothing more than ants.

"Who gave you the nerve to kidnap a ninja of my Konoha?"

"Lord Madara, let me handle this."

Uchiha Yan stepped forward, his scarlet Sharingan instantly locking onto everyone present.

"Don't look into his eyes!"

Uchiha Yan's Mangekyo Sharingan slowly turned. Moments later, everyone's eyes became hollow and vacant.

Uchiha Yan withdrew his gaze and turned to Madara.

"Lord Madara, that Konoha chunin is nearby. He's locked in a cave three li east of here. The supplies are there as well."

"Let's go."

Uchiha Madara did not spare the rogue ninjas another glance. He turned and headed east.

Kamizuki Yakumo's eyes were covered, and his hands and feet were bound tightly with coarse hemp rope. Curled up on the cold ground deep within the cave, he had been lying there for an entire day and night.

The Kamizuki Clan was only a minor clan. Its strongest ninja had been a jonin, but he had unfortunately died in a battle with another clan a year earlier. Just when the Kamizuki Clan had been at a loss, Konoha was established. Kamizuki Yakumo made a decisive decision and led the clan's remaining members to join Konoha as a whole, finally finding a path to survival for his family.

But who could have expected that, while escorting supplies to Konoha this time, he would run into this band of rogue ninjas?

He fought desperately, but two fists could not beat four hands. In the end, he was knocked unconscious and tied up.

Now, locked in this pitch-black cave, Kamizuki Yakumo had nothing left in his heart but despair.

His family simply could not afford the five million ryo ransom to buy his freedom. As a mere chunin, he was an insignificant nobody in Konoha. Who would risk themselves for him?

He was destined to die here.

Panic, fear, and despair surrounded him at that moment.

Kamizuki Yakumo's body began to tremble.

Just then—

Thud, thud, thud.

A set of steady footsteps came from the cave entrance, drawing closer and clearer.

Kamizuki Yakumo's body suddenly tensed.

Were they here to kill him?

Strangely, now that death was truly approaching, he was no longer as afraid as before.

Kamizuki Yakumo took a deep breath and straightened his back with all his strength. Even blindfolded and bound hand and foot, he would die standing.

He gathered his courage. "Before I die, I have only one request."

"I am a ninja of Konoha. Konoha lies to the north—I must not die facing south!"

"Come on!"

"Lord Yan once said—where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire shall burn on forever! Konoha's ideals and the Will of Fire will never perish!"

As his words fell, the cave became utterly silent.

Then, the black cloth over his eyes was abruptly torn away.

Blinding light flooded his pupils, and Kamizuki Yakumo instinctively narrowed his eyes. Once he gradually made out the figure before him—

Kamizuki Yakumo's pupils suddenly widened.

"L-Lord Hokage? Lord Yan?"

Konoha Village, before the Konoha White Palace.

Uchiha Madara: "Konoha Chunin—Kamizuki Yakumo."

Kamizuki Yakumo: "Present."

"In view of your unyielding conduct during captivity and your steadfast Will of Fire, I, the Hokage, have decided—to award you the Konoha Courage Medal. I hope that in the days ahead, you will uphold the Will of Fire and live up to Konoha's name."

Kamizuki Yakumo: "Please rest assured, Lord Hokage. Please rest assured, Konoha. I will devote my entire life to practicing the Will of Fire!"

"Did you hear? Lord Hokage and Lord Yan awarded that captured chunin a Courage Medal. They said it was to commend his faith and Will of Fire in the face of hardship."

"Really? I heard that when Lord Hokage went to rescue him, he was so scared he nearly pissed himself?"

"Hahaha, he got a Courage Medal after wetting himself? Is that for real?"

"Lord Yan said that Kamizuki Yakumo was blindfolded at the time and thought rogue ninja had come to kill him. Right before his death, he said, 'Konoha lies to the north—I must not die facing south.' Then he said, 'Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire shall burn on forever.'"

"Tsk, tsk. That guy is so lucky. I almost want to get captured too, then face death as heroically as he did."

"Hah, you? Give me a break. I bet you'd have surrendered from fright long ago. You'd definitely be a Konoha traitor."

"You're the Konoha traitor!"

The Hokage personally rescuing a chunin, then making a grand show of awarding him a medal—what a brilliantly played public-opinion card.

What was popular support?

This was popular support.