ANBU

The sky was still dark, but the area before Konoha Gate was already crowded and noisy. Grief hung over the gathered Ninja Corps.

Some had lost brothers. Some had lost their closest friends. Others had seen loved ones carried to the hospital with grave injuries.

In peacetime, Konoha had more than twelve thousand registered ninja. Two years had passed since the fighting in the Land of Rain began as small-scale skirmishes and grew into a full-scale war.

Even excluding the various departments and secret units, Konoha still had seven thousand ninja on its active rolls.

The fighting the previous night had killed or wounded three thousand villagers. Nearly every casualty had been close to one of the ninja gathered here.

Many in the Ninja Corps carried deep hatred in their eyes.

With a few bounds, Fugaku appeared beside the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage nodded to him. Konoha was in crisis, and he could no longer afford to cling to the idea of keeping the Uchiha at arm's length.

Fugaku's displays of strength had earned the respect of most Konoha shinobi. For now, the Third Hokage wanted only to drive back the Wind-Earth Allied Forces. Everything else came second.

Factions and principles alike seemed far less important in the face of Konoha's peril.

The minutes ticked by, and more ninja arrived. Orochimaru, Shinsuke, and Nara Shikashu joined them in turn.

The Third Hokage stood at the front of the Ninja Corps and called out, "I don't need to tell you how dangerous this mission will be. The forces of the Land of Wind and Land of Earth are advancing in strength. Hold them back, and the Land of Fire will remain the Land of Fire. Fail, and it may be torn apart.

"Konoha's future rests in your hands."

When he