Inside the meeting room, the air was so heavy it felt like you could wring water out of it.
In the projected image, the figure wearing a white mask floated silently, with a dense array of expeditionary forces behind him.
After a long silence, someone finally broke it.
"What exactly do they want?" Hashirama Senju's voice carried a hint of confusion. "There must be a reason for going to such great lengths and traveling so far to invade the Shinobi World."
Hoshino shook his head slightly. "I don't know."
"I don't know?" Raikage A frowned.
"Does that matter?" Hoshino countered. "The enemy's motives are irrelevant; what matters is that we must stop them."
As for the purpose, we'll find out later!
"Ha, easy for you to say." Ōnoki hovered in the air, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his cloudy eyes. "How can you fight a war if you don't even understand what the other side wants?"
Tsunade rubbed her temples and said wearily, "There's no point in worrying about these things now. The most urgent thing is how to deal with the invasion a year from now."
Hoshino nodded and said, "I suggest we take the initiative."
"Take the initiative?" Tobirama Senju raised an eyebrow. "You mean, act before the enemy arrives?"
"That's right." Hoshino's voice was calm and firm.
"The enemy's expeditionary force is moving forward through time and space; we can build fortifications along their inevitable routes, or even lay in ambush in advance."
These words caused an uproar in the meeting room.
"Are you crazy?" Raikage A suddenly stood up. "We're struggling to even defend, and you want to launch an attack?!"
"That's precisely why we must strike first," Hoshino said calmly. "If we wait for the enemy to arrive, we'll only find ourselves on the defensive."
Tobirama Senju pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "You mean, we should invade other Shinobi World like them, establishing 'bridgeheads' as our outposts?"
"Yes." Hoshino nodded. "These bridgeheads can not only be used for ambushes, but also as resource gathering points, providing the Shinobi World with more energy and materials for the creation of intelligent puppets."
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes. "It sounds feasible, but the risk is too great. Once the bridgehead falls, the enemy could use these strongholds to invade the Shinobi World even faster."
"Risk and reward go hand in hand." Hoshino's tone left no room for argument. " The Shinobi World has no way out."
Inside the meeting room, everyone fell into deep thought.
Hoshino's proposal, though radical, is indeed worth considering under the current circumstances.
"We need to assess the specific circumstances of the target spacetime first. Entering an unknown world rashly is too risky," Tobirama Senju said.
Hoshino nodded in agreement.
" The Dragon Vein Monitoring Department has already collected some data."
He pulled up a new set of projections, displaying energy fluctuation patterns from three adjacent time periods.
"The first timeline is at the end of the Warring States period, with the major ninja clans having just ended their chaotic wars. The Chakra reactions in the second timeline indicate that the Fourth Shinobi World War is underway. The third timeline..."
Hoshino paused for a moment, "The energy readings are abnormally erratic, as if some kind of event has occurred that we don't understand."
Ōnoki floated in front of the projection, his short fingers tracing the marked points of the spacetime rifts.
"Even if we can pinpoint their location, how can we ensure troop deployment? Although we have many intelligent puppets, dispersing them across multiple worlds will weaken our defenses."
Tsunade on the table and stood up. "Then let's concentrate our forces on conquering one world first! Once we've established a foothold, we can then plan our expansion!"
A brief silence fell over the meeting room.
Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha exchanged a glance, the latter's lips curling into a cold smile, "Finally, a decent suggestion."
Tobirama Senju quickly activated a new holographic projection.
"According to the Dragon Vein monitoring, the closest place to us is the Shinobi World No. 2, where the spacetime barrier is the weakest."
"According to the Dragon Vein Monitoring Department's analysis, this timeline is in the state before we established the Shinobi Alliance, making it the most ideal infiltration target."
The projected image switched to a comparison chart of the historical development of the Shinobi World No. 2 and the main world.
The two curves almost completely overlapped before the Third Shinobi World War, after which they began to diverge slightly.
"Most importantly," Hoshino added, " the Dragon Vein nodes in this world are completely undeveloped; the local powers aren't even aware of their existence."
Tsunade carefully examined the medical records. "Their technology is at least ten years behind ours, and their intelligence system is also relatively primitive."
Raikage A grinned. "Perfect prey."
"Not prey, but a strategic objective," Tobirama Senju calmly corrected. "Our action plan is divided into three phases."
"Phase one: intelligence gathering. Dispatch elite reconnaissance teams, disguised as wandering ninjas or merchants, to thoroughly understand the local political landscape and military deployments."
"The second phase, Dragon Vein Control. Once safety is confirmed, secretly activate and control the world's Dragon Vein nodes to establish a stable spacetime channel."
"The third phase involves full-scale intervention. Leveraging unprecedented military superiority, we will achieve actual control over all major ninja villages in the shortest possible time."
Ōnoki asked, "What are the specific implementation details?"
Hoshino listed the information in order of priority.
The current movements of the Akatsuki, the number and intelligence of Kage Level shinobi in various countries, the status of Tailed Beast and Jinchūriki, the distribution of military facilities, and political factional relationships.
The reconnaissance team, led by Hatake Sakumo, selected ten teammates and entered the Shinobi World No. 2 with state-of-the-art equipment to gather intelligence.
Hoshino emphasized, "Absolutely avoid direct confrontation. Withdraw immediately if exposed; it's better to abandon the mission than to alert the enemy."
Madara Uchiha sneered, "Sneaking around is no substitute for a direct crushing victory."
"A direct confrontation would result in unnecessary casualties and destruction," Hashirama Senju retorted. "Besides, what we need is a complete world, not ruins."
Inside the meeting room, the group gradually reached a consensus through discussion.
Tobirama Senju surveyed the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Since everyone agrees, the plan to invade the Shinobi World No. 2 is hereby settled."
"During these three months, we will spare no effort to integrate the resources of the Heavenly Martial Continent, making it part of the Shinobi Alliance, and laying the foundation for our next actions."
His voice was steady and powerful, and his gaze swept over every high-ranking member present, bringing the meeting to a close and marking the beginning of a new phase for the Shinobi World.
Take the initiative and fight for a chance to survive.
The meeting ended, and everyone left one after another.
Under the night sky, the lights of the Shinobi Alliance headquarters remained bright.
When Hoshino pushed open the door, the wooden door made a familiar creaking sound.
The dim light inside cast a warm silhouette on the floor through the crack in the door, and the air was filled with the sweet and sticky aroma of Anko rice balls and the savory flavor of miso soup.
Grandma Chiyo had her back to the doorway and was stirring the bubbling soup in the clay pot with a wooden spoon.
Her hunched back appeared particularly small under the lamplight, her gray hair loosely tied up, with a few strands of silver hair hanging down her neck.
Hoshino stood in the entrance hall, her long, gray hair still damp with the night dew.
That was the mark left by Grandma Chiyo when he was a child, taken every year on his birthday, when she measured his height.
Hearing the noise, Grandma Chiyo turned around, a smile appearing on her face, "I thought you weren't coming back today either!"
"But thankfully, I always prepare a portion for you. Let's eat!"
Hoshino gently traced the yellowed height markings on the wall with her fingertips.
Next to the bottommost engraving, the words 'five years old' were written crookedly, carved by Grandma Chiyo while holding his hand.
His empty eye sockets drooped slightly, as if one could see the past through these traces.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Grandma Chiyo's voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the crisp sound of a wooden spoon tapping against a clay pot. "The soup is almost boiled dry."
"It's nothing." Hoshino withdrew her finger, her long gray hair swaying gently as she shook her head.
Grandma Chiyo had her back to him and was using her wrinkled hands to ladle steaming miso soup into a bowl.
The candlelight on the stove cast a long shadow of hers, a swaying silhouette on the wall.
Hoshino noticed that her mother-in-law's wrists were thinner than when they last met, and the veins under the panel were clearly visible.
"Please sit down," Grandma Chiyo said without turning her head. "Today we're using your favorite red salmon, which I specially asked Kankuro to bring back from the frozen lake in the north."
Hoshino knelt down in front of the low table.
Grandma Chiyo turned around, holding the soup bowl, and said, "Eat more!"
Hoshino smiled slightly and took the soup bowl from her. "Thank you, Grandma."
Grandma Chiyo snorted and pushed a plate of golden rice balls in front of him, "Eat more, look how thin you've become."
She chattered on and on, gently placing a piece of grilled fish on Hoshino.
Hoshino picked up the bowl, the steaming vapor blurring his eyeless face, the aroma of miso soup filling his nostrils and awakening his long-dormant appetite.
He hadn't eaten properly in a long time.
Since his body transformed into an energy body, food has become more of a nostalgic memory than a necessity for him.
"How was the meeting today?" Grandma Chiyo asked, taking a bite of her rice ball.
Hoshino put down his bowl, carefully considering his words: "I've decided to strike first, invading a parallel universe and establishing an outpost."
Grandma Chiyo paused in her chewing for a moment, then continued eating as if nothing had happened, "Another war is brewing..."
A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the occasional crisp sound of a spoon hitting the side of a bowl.
Hoshino sensed the steady flow of Chakra within the old woman's body.
It was a calm that came after weathering many storms, a stark contrast to the restless energy in the conference room.
"Grandma," Hoshino suddenly spoke, "What would you do if one day I stopped being myself?"
Grandma Chiyo's hand froze in mid-air before she slammed it down hard on Hoshino's head, so hard that the soup in the bowl splashed out.
"What nonsense are you talking about! You'll always be my grandson!"
This slap, imbued with the stubbornness and tenderness characteristic of the elderly, reminded Hoshino of how his grandmother would slap him on the head like this every time he made a mistake as a child.
He would grimace in pain then.
Now, this energy-based body can no longer feel the pain of physical impact.
"You brat, just drink your soup properly, what are you spacing out for!"
Grandma Chiyo added another spoonful of miso soup to Hoshino's bowl, the scalding soup splashing onto the table and forming several small, round water stains.
Hoshino snapped out of her daze, her fingers lightly brushing across the table, instantly evaporating the water stains into wisps of white mist that dissipated into the air.
"I was just thinking that my mother-in-law's miso soup tastes much better than the one in the Shinobi Alliance cafeteria."
"Hmph, stop flattering me."
Grandma Chiyo said this, but the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.
This child has never been good at saying nice things, and even now when he compliments someone, he's still so blunt and straightforward.
She watched as Hoshino's gray hair fell to the edge of the bowl, and in a daze, she saw again the little one who ran home covered in sand.
Back then, Hoshino would always shout "Grandma, I'm hungry!" as soon as she walked in the door, unlike now where she's as quiet as a doll.
What a lively child he used to be...
The old woman tapped her fingertips lightly on the rim of the bowl, recalling what the medical team had told her in private: Hoshino's body had already been energized, and theoretically, he did not need to eat.
But so what?
As long as the child is willing to come home and sit at this table, she will continue to prepare his favorite meals.
So what if you can't taste it...?
She secretly observed Hoshino's posture while holding the bowl; he still habitually supported the bottom of the bowl with his left hand, just like when he was a child.
This discovery suddenly made her feel a little more at ease.
Yes, no matter how things change, some things will never change.
At least... I still remember to go home...
"Grandma, tomorrow..." Hoshino hesitated for a moment, "I'll go to the market with you tomorrow."
Grandma Chiyo paused in her actions, glanced up at him, and said, "Has the sun risen in the west? A busy man like you actually has time to go shopping with an old woman?"
Hoshino's lips curled into a slight smile, "Take tomorrow off."
"That's perfect!" Grandma Chiyo exclaimed, slapping her thigh. "I've been wanting to buy new sewing needles for ages; the eye of my current needle is too small, and I can't even thread the thread through it."
Then, squinting, he examined Hoshino's robe. "I'll make you a new outfit while I'm at it. Look at this one, it's so worn out."
Hoshino looked down at his robes, though he didn't actually need his eyesight to perceive them.
This gray and white robe is generated by energy, so there's no way it could be an old story. However, since Grandma Chiyo has said so, Hoshino doesn't intend to refute it, and simply nods slightly.
"Good."
After dinner, Grandma Chiyo insisted on washing the dishes.
Hoshino leaned against the kitchen door frame, listening to the crisp sound of porcelain bowls clinking and her grandmother humming an old folk song.
The lights in Sunagakure gradually went out.
Only the direction of the Shinobi Alliance headquarters was still shining with a blinding light.
There, Tobirama Senju and Hatake Sakumo must still be developing a detailed plan.
On the continent across the sea, the two original saviors are working with local forces to stabilize the situation and strive to facilitate cooperation with the Shinobi Alliance.
In a more distant time and space, the figure wearing a white mask is leading a large army toward this world.
Hoshino stood quietly, sensing the subtle balance of various forces within his body.
Gradually, the sound of water in the kitchen stopped. Grandma Chiyo dried her hands and turned to look at Hoshino.
"That's enough, go and rest."
Hoshino nodded, helped her mother-in-law towards the bedroom, and then went into her own room.
On the walls of the corridor, the marks that recorded his growth were faintly visible in the moonlight.
In this small home.
Time seemed to stand still, with only the old man's steady breathing and the occasional chirping of insects outside the window remaining.