A Dagger Pointed at Kannabi Bridge

The bamboo scroll was ancient and unadorned, seemingly ordinary, yet the fluctuations contained within it astonished Uchiha Huayue, who was still in Sage Mode.

"What is this?"

"The Book of Vermilion Moon—the final prophecy concerning Menma in that opposite world."

Black Nine-Tails sat cross-legged, a recollective gleam passing through its eyes as it slowly recounted everything it knew.

"When Crimson Moon rose, Menma obtained the Book of Vermilion Moon and was preparing to unify the Ninja World..."

"After Menma opened the Book of Vermilion Moon, he was about to see what prophecy it held for him. But after a burst of intense light, This Lord entered your body."

"This Book of Vermilion Moon seems to have fused with something extraordinary. Thanks to it, This Lord was able to drag my sealed other half back into my main body."

Black Nine-Tails's words further piqued Huayue's interest. 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? Don't tell me it can also retrieve other things from the Limited Tsukuyomi world?"

Yet, unexpectedly, Black Nine-Tails shook its head repeatedly, looking helpless.

"This Lord also tried pulling other things out of the Book of Vermilion Moon, but nothing happened. It was only a few days ago, when you brat accepted Natural Energy in Ryūchi Cave, that this book finally showed some changes."

"But This Lord still hasn't figured out what happened, and then you little brat came to give This Lord an ultimatum. How did you find out?"

With a chuckle, Huayue answered as if it were only natural.

"Obviously. This is my body, so of course I know what you're hiding inside yourself. Anyway, I'll hold on to this Book of Vermilion Moon for now. I'll return it once I figure out what it does."

The instant his fingers touched the Book of Vermilion Moon, his intricate Mangekyō stirred slightly, as though it shared some connection with it. That made Huayue temporarily unwilling to return it to Black Nine-Tails.

"Tch, suit yourself. If you find out how to use the Book of Vermilion Moon, remember to tell This Lord. This Lord has a feeling that you brat is somehow connected to this bamboo scroll."

As Huayue's figure gradually vanished, the pale-blue lake of his mind returned to silence. Black Nine-Tails let out a faint sigh, then lay back down in its little nest and fell asleep once more.

In reality, the ancient bamboo scroll rested in his hand. Huayue pondered for a moment before disappearing from the border of the Land of Earth.

As one flower bloomed in two branches, each told its own tale.

Within the Land of Grass, the Iwagakure army led by frontline commander Higashi Shinin was locked in a desperate battle with Mimura Hamaki's resistance forces.

With the enemy outnumbering them, the Konoha Ninja could not hold out and could only send a request for reinforcements back to Konoha.

Inside the Hokage's Office, Konoha's upper ranks had gathered. The marked battlefields across the map surrounding the Land of Fire made even the usually unruffled Konoha F4 furrow their brows.

"After going to war with Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure one after another, have our battle lines been stretched too far?"

Mitokado Homura swept his gaze over the map and immediately spotted the flaw.

"Beyond that, even if the village's geniuses have all emerged—Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Huayue, and Uchiha Shisui, who has only recently begun to distinguish himself..."

"The losses among ordinary ninja are still too great. Even if we send those fledglings who haven't finished the Academy curriculum onto the battlefield, can we still not hold on?"

The wrinkles on Utatane Koharu's aged face deepened, and the concern in her expression grew more pronounced. Only after looking around did she continue.

"The key to victory now is to gather Konoha's elite ninja, as we did in the Battle of Kikyō Pass, and use a dagger strike to pierce Iwagakure's vital point."

"If we're using a dagger to pierce the enemy's heart, who should we send? Uchiha Huayue? He's keeping the Third Tsuchikage occupied. Then is it Minato after all?"

Danzo's expression darkened. Having been steeped in Konoha's highest authority for years, he understood better than his old friends just how troublesome the Third Hokage before them truly was.

To be fair, the merits earned by crushing enemy forces head-on on the battlefield were often greater than those gained from so-called containment missions.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's reason for doing this was likely to establish a formidable rival who could compete with Orochimaru for the position of Hokage.

Uchiha Huayue was now Orochimaru's disciple. Even if not all of Huayue's merits were credited to Orochimaru, at least some of them would be.

That was why he had deliberately arranged for Uchiha Huayue to deal with the Third Tsuchikage. It was a containment mission either way, and no one would see whether he had actually fought the Third Tsuchikage on the battlefield.

Then, all they had to do was seize upon the fact that Orochimaru had not personally entered the battlefield in the later stages, use it to hold him back, and smoothly push Namikaze Minato—whose merits were greater and who had turned the tide of battle—into becoming the Fourth Hokage.

"No. Minato still has enemies to face on the main battlefield. Besides, today, Minato's student—the son of Konoha's White Fang—has officially become a jonin..."

He left the sentence unfinished, but the meaning behind his words was obvious, making Danzo grit his teeth.

What dagger? They were clearly taking advantage of Namikaze Minato's personality, knowing he would cover for his students, just to add another achievement to his record.

"Then where will this dagger be pointed?"

Danzo's words carried another meaning. In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen pointed to Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass, his tone solemn.

"Kannabi Bridge is a vital location for ninja supplies. As long as we destroy it and leave behind chakra marks, we can completely cut off Iwagakure's transportation and supply capabilities."

The moment he said this, the two Hokage Advisors admired Sarutobi Hiruzen's shrewdness even more. Once the bridge was blown apart, even if the enemy used Earth Release Jutsu, they could detect their movements through barriers and other sensory measures.

After all, ninja with the talent for spatial summoning were rare. Moreover, compared with ordinary Summoning Jutsu, the items a scroll could store were limited.

This method could effectively cut off the enemy's supplies and hasten the end of the war.

"No, it's too much to send only Minato's students. It would be safer to have Uchiha Huayue accompany them. With his abilities, he would be more than capable..."

"No! If Ōnoki enters the battlefield, then this war truly will have no end. The Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release is simply unsolvable without a Body Flicker Technique like the Flying Thunder God Technique."

The reasoning was flawless, and the political foresight far-reaching. Sarutobi Hiruzen's eye for talent was as sharp as when he had discovered Orochimaru.

"Then it's settled. Leave what comes next to Minato's former team, soon to be reorganized as Kakashi's Team. White Fang's son will not disappoint us."

Danzo was the first to leave, though a trace of recollection flashed in his eyes. Hatake Kakashi—a young genius who was completely unlike White Fang in style, a model ninja in every sense.

Yet his talent was somewhat inferior to the other emerging geniuses. Were the Uchiha Clan's prodigies really appearing one after another during wartime?

After casting a deep glance at Danzo's departing back, Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand.

"Summon Minato's former team."