"Brothers, move out!"
"Our destination! The Land of Fire!!"
Danzo held a stack of documents and shouted in the camp. Even his cold face bore a trace of delight.
"Yeah!!"
"We're going home!"
At last, they could return to the village. Takahashi Yū took a long, leisurely stretch. Delia had already patched the red padded jacket he wore.
If they stayed any longer, Takahashi Yū dared not imagine what they would be eating tomorrow.
The troops had no surplus grain left, either. Every day, the cooks found different ways to prepare that unpalatable coarse grain. They might as well swallow soldier pills!
"I'm going stir-crazy!"
Takahashi Yū draped an arm over Sakumo's shoulders and spoke listlessly.
At the entrance to Kumogakure, A stood expressionless, his eyes vacant, as though Danzo had broken him. Both his hands were trembling.
God knew how many unequal treaties he had signed.
A sinner!
I'm a sinner against Kumogakure!
A sank weakly to his knees.
He watched Konoha's troops advance toward the Land of Fire.
They traveled at full speed across the Land of Lightning, without obstruction or worry.
Word was that Kirigakure in the Land of Water had withdrawn its troops, too.
The war was finally coming to an end!
The Konoha ninja felt utterly sure of their footing, and with that came an immense sense of accomplishment.
We're fucking amazing!
This was an honor no one in the shinobi world had ever achieved!
When they reached the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, Danzo raised his arm at the front of the column, his hand clenched into a fist, signaling a halt.
The Konoha ninja stopped as well, quietly waiting for Danzo's instructions.
"Every brother who can perform earth-attribute chakra nature transformation, step forward!"
One or two people stepped out of each squad, looking