Invitation

November.

Nightview City had already been blanketed by heavy snow. The hum of the underfloor heating system was like a beating heart, operating without pause twenty-four hours a day.

After nearly a year of turmoil, the unrest outside seemed to have settled down considerably lately.

Internal conflicts in many small countries were also beginning to draw to a close, while ninja villages sprang up across those nations like bamboo shoots after rain.

Under the One Country, One Village system, ninja villages bore the heavy responsibility of national defense, but they had two main sources of development funding.

One came from the support of their own country's daimyo, who adjusted the amount of military funding issued each year according to the village's development and changes in the international situation.

The other was accepting outside mercenary missions and earning military funds from external clients.

It could be said that although ninja villages had become pillars of their nations, they still had not escaped the traditional mercenary model. They had merely become more organized and stratified than ninja clans.

On the surface, however, they no longer interfered in the internal affairs and wars of other countries.

Because of this, the Ninja Mission System, following Konoha's lead, began to take shape and officially commenced operation at the end of last month.

No one knew what ninja villages would become in the future, but for now, both great nations and small countries that had established small ninja villages held enormous expectations for it.

This development was within Yayoi's expectations.

Compared to this mission employment system, which was bound to emerge sooner or later, Hidden Leaf Village seemed somewhat unstable recently.

Rumors said that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, the village's founders, seemed to have developed ideological differences.

No one knew whether the rumor was true, and no one dared investigate the truth.

But at that moment, an invitation personally signed by Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was sent from Hidden Leaf Village to the Land of Night.

It was not only the Land of Night. Every country with ninja forces received an invitation from Hashirama Senju.

It expressed the hope that the ninja leaders of every great and small nation could travel to Konoha for an important meeting. Even if they could not come personally, they could send a representative.

In addition, the invitation stated Konoha's willingness to form alliances with the other countries.

It was a summit on forming an alliance.

"It seems I'll need to make a trip to Konoha."

Yayoi began preparing the moment he received the invitation.

He had foreseen this situation long ago.

As the first ninja village to be established, and with such terrifying military strength, Konoha's every move would affect countless people.

As the general of the Land of Night, he could not be absent from such a pivotal meeting.

"Would you like me to accompany you, Lord Yayoi?"

Knowing the importance of this meeting, Irori expressed her desire to go with him.

"No. Stay here. Kicho will be giving birth in around three months, and someone needs to look after things here."

Yayoi shook his head without hesitation, rejecting Irori's request.

Then he added, "Kakuzu alone will be enough this time. Since it's a meeting between ninja, we can travel light. There's no need to make it as complicated as last time."

"But..."

"Don't worry. You know Kakuzu's strength. He recently obtained Lightning Release and Fire Release hearts, and he's only one step away from completion. Besides, you know what I can do. If it truly comes to that, I'll use the Summoning Jutsu to summon you."

Seeing Yayoi's firm attitude, Irori could only give up despite her reluctance.

Yayoi stroked Irori's long silver hair, then gently pressed her forehead against his broad chest.

"L-Lord Yayoi..."

Irori's face reddened slightly. She made a token struggle, yet she did not truly want to leave his warm embrace.

Yayoi continued to gently stroke Irori's silver hair as he spoke in a calm, gentle voice.

"Irori, you are special to me. I can only truly rest easy about matters at home if you are here. I'm counting on you."

"Mm... I understand."

Irori obediently nodded lightly.

"Please be careful on your journey, Lord Yayoi."

Carrying Irori's reluctant blessings and prayers with him, Yayoi turned and left the Tenshu Tower.

Freezing days were not suited for travel.

But for ninja, there was no day on which travel was impossible.

Chakra granted ninja the extraordinary ability to move freely through many environments.

Yayoi was fully armed, dressed in black travel ninja attire with armor layered over it. A ninja forehead protector engraved with a red spider lily pattern was firmly tied around his left arm. Besides that ninja forehead protector, another was tied around his right arm.

Unlike the one on his left arm, this forehead protector bore the same red spider lily emblem, but its strap was pure white instead of the ninja forehead protector's black.

It was a samurai forehead protector.

It represented that he was both the leader of the Land of Night's ninja and the leader of its samurai.

His ninja tool pouch contained everything he needed: kunai, shuriken, Explosive Tags, scrolls, and other tools.

Kakuzu, who traveled with him, was equally well-equipped.

The two had departed from the Land of Night's capital a day earlier. After running for an entire day, they set foot in the border forest of the Land of Fire around sunset on the second day.

"Lord Yayoi."

Not long after entering the Land of Fire, Kakuzu suddenly spoke while they were running.

"Yeah, I know."

Yayoi abruptly stopped his rapid advance through the forest.

Leaves rustled beside his ears as the frigid wind surged in from afar.

There was no snow in the Land of Fire, but the weather was still bitterly cold.

Especially at this hour. It was already dusk, and night would soon fall. The temperature was even lower than during the day.

"Come out."

Yayoi's gaze pierced toward a thick tree. At least three to five people could hide on its northern side.

"Impressive. You actually noticed my presence. The general of the Land of Night, huh? The last time we met was during the First Hokage's succession ceremony, when we were invited to Konoha."

A slightly muffled voice came from behind the tree.

As the voice rang out, two figures, one tall and one short, slowly revealed themselves.

"So it's you, Mu of the Land of Earth. But what happened to you? Is this some new art trend in the Land of Earth?"

Yayoi looked at the tall figure, a thin man.

However, his body was wrapped in copious white bandages. Even his mouth, fingers, and other parts were covered.

Only his eyes were exposed.

He was Mu, the Land of Earth ninja Yayoi had met once before in Konoha.

"The Land of Earth doesn't have such strange art. Over the past year, I had quite a few encounters with that little mustache from the Hozuki Clan of the Land of Water. He didn't have it easy either."

Mu, wrapped head to toe in bandages, spoke in a muffled voice and brushed over what had happened to him recently. Clearly, he did not wish to discuss the matter.

Yayoi nodded slightly and did not press further.

Then Yayoi shifted his gaze to the short figure beside Mu.

He was a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy, only around four feet tall, looking thoroughly unfortunate.

The large nose in the center of his face, paired with his dwarf-like frame, gave him an inexplicably comical appearance.

If Mu's current mummy-like appearance was forced performance art, then this big-nosed boy was art himself.

"Pfft."

A strange sound came from beneath Kakuzu's mask.

"Hey, you green-eyed freak in the mask! What are you laughing at? Do you think I wanted to grow up like this?"

The big-nosed dwarf boy immediately shouted in fury.

Kakuzu's behavior had clearly struck deeply at his self-esteem.

"Kakuzu, don't be so rude."

Yayoi shot Kakuzu a sidelong glance, telling him to mind his conduct.

Judging people by their appearance was unacceptable.

"Uh, sorry."

Kakuzu honestly lowered his head in apology, indicating that he had not meant to do it.

"Hmph."

Only then did the dwarf boy snort in satisfaction.

The future Third Tsuchikage is just a brat right now. He probably hasn't even learned Dust Release yet...

Yayoi stared at the big-nosed dwarf boy and immediately recognized him as Ōnoki, Iwagakure's Third Tsuchikage, who would appear during the Five Kage Summit in the original story.

A ninja who wielded Kekkei Tōta, Dust Release, a power even more advanced than Kekkei Genkai.

However, Mu, the creator of Dust Release, had only gained his fame as a Dust Release ninja a few years ago.

At Ōnoki's age, there was no way he could have learned Dust Release from Mu already.

Looking at the young Ōnoki, whose hair had barely grown in, then recalling the frail old man he would become in the future, Yayoi suddenly felt as though he had crossed through time.

"All right, Ōnoki. Stop making a fuss."

Mu also reprimanded Ōnoki.

Then Mu turned his attention to Yayoi, the leader of the Land of Night.

"Since you are here, the Land of Night must have received Lord Hashirama's invitation as well."

"That's right. It seems we share the same destination. But isn't your village's Tsuchikage coming?"

Yayoi saw only Mu and Ōnoki. Ishikawa, the First Tsuchikage, was nowhere to be seen.

"The Tsuchikage is overwhelmed with work and busy building the village, so he has no time to spare. I will be representing him on this visit to Konoha."

Mu gave a brief explanation.

There was no conflict of interest between the Land of Earth and the Land of Night, so Mu's attitude toward Yayoi was relatively peaceful.

If the delegation from the Land of Water had appeared instead, he would have blasted them with Dust Release immediately.

"Lord Mu, shall we travel together?"

Yayoi asked, the invitation implicit in his words.

Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Ōnoki did not object either, though his gaze toward Kakuzu carried a trace of hostility.

Kakuzu raised an eyebrow but said nothing further. He did not take a brat like Ōnoki's hostility seriously.

At present, he only lacked a Wind Release heart. He had already mastered four advanced releases: Earth Release, Water Release, Lightning Release, and Fire Release.

Dealing with a brat at Ōnoki's level would take no effort at all.

The four of them then set out together toward Hidden Leaf Village.

After running for a while, night fell completely. Darkness and cold enveloped the forest, bringing a biting chill.

Furthermore, there was no inn ahead and no village behind. It was entirely desolate wilderness.

"I remember there's an abandoned temple not far ahead. We can make do there for the night."

Yayoi recalled that he had taken this route on his previous trip to Konoha and roughly knew the terrain.

Mu nodded and led Ōnoki after Yayoi and Kakuzu.

When they reached their destination, it was indeed a temple that had been abandoned for a long time.

Under the dim moonlight, the overall outline of the buildings had long since become indistinct. Only a few broken steps remained exposed above the ground, along with a rather dilapidated house that exuded an air of desolation and decay.

Still, it was acceptable as a place to rest for one night.

"Then we'll stay here tonight... Who's there!?"

Mu had barely begun speaking when he suddenly sensed something and looked toward the house atop the steps.

Yayoi and the other two were also startled. None of them had sensed anyone else here.

"Heh. You bandaged fellow, you're a sensory-type ninja like Tobirama, aren't you? You actually noticed my chakra. Interesting."

Accompanied by slow, unhurried footsteps, a figure emerged from the house.

He finally stopped at the top of the steps, looking down expressionlessly at the four of them with scarlet eyes.

His words naturally carried the imposing tone of someone above all others, as though Yayoi and the others were nothing more than dust he could sweep away with a casual gesture.