Konoha's Swearing Ceremony
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood at the forefront of the assembly, calmly issuing final arrangements for the coming war.
Behind him were Konoha's senior leadership—high-ranking jōnin, advisors, and the patriarchs of the major clans.
Before him stood a sea of shinobi.
Six thousand Konoha ninja, gathered in disciplined ranks, ready to march.
The force had already been divided into four formations.
Three of them numbered one thousand each.
These units were to be dispatched to the borders of the Land of Earth, Land of Lightning, and Land of Water, respectively.
Their mission was clear—to prevent enemy forces from exploiting the war with Sunagakure and striking Konoha from behind.
The remaining force consisted of three thousand elite shinobi.
Their destination was the same.
Sunagakure.
Standing at the head of this main formation was Orochimaru, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was finalizing the deployment, a hurried voice cut through the air.
"Lord Third—emergency report from Kikyo Castle!"
A shinobi rushed forward, breathing heavily, his expression tense. He was the same messenger dispatched earlier to seek reinforcements.
Reaching Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, he immediately presented the scroll in his hands.
Hearing the words Kikyo Castle, the Third Hokage showed no hesitation. He took the report at once and opened it, scanning the contents rapidly.
The first line made his expression tighten.
Sunagakure's two-hundred-man vanguard had launched an attack.
Kikyo Castle only had a hundred defenders.
His gaze sharpened.
But as his eyes moved to the second line—
He froze.
The Sunagakure vanguard… defeated?
One hundred and seventy-three casualties?
And the ones who stopped them—
Yagami… and Kushina Uzumaki?
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued reading, his expression shifting from gravity to disbelief.
Below was a detailed battle record.
Kushina Uzumaki—twelve confirmed kills.
Yagami—one hundred and sixty-one confirmed kills.
For a brief moment, the Third Hokage fell silent.
It seemed he had still underestimated Yagami's strength.
In his understanding, there were very few in Konoha capable of such a feat—and all of them could be counted on one hand.
"Sensei… what happened at Kikyo Castle?"
Orochimaru's voice carried faint confusion.
He had heard the emergency report, but the Third Hokage's shifting expressions—solemn, doubtful, then shocked—didn't match a simple crisis.
At Orochimaru's question, the shinobi behind him all turned their attention toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Kikyo Castle was their destination.
They needed to know what awaited them.
The Third Hokage exhaled slowly.
Then, without concealment, he revealed the contents of the report.
This was not merely urgent intelligence—
It was good news.
"…Nani?!"
"Sunagakure's two hundred were defeated by just two people?"
"One hundred and seventy-three casualties?!"
"Yagami alone killed one hundred and sixty-one?!"
"That Yagami… isn't he the one who clashed with the Uchiha some time ago?"
Gasps rippled through the ranks.
Even Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in genuine shock.
He had heard Yagami's name before, during the conflict involving the Uchiha clan.
At the time, he had judged him to be an elite jōnin—perhaps someone standing at the threshold of Kage-level strength.
But one against a hundred?
That was no longer a threshold.
That was power comparable to a Sannin.
Isn't he in the same generation as Minato?
Orochimaru felt a stir in his chest.
When he himself was that age, even he hadn't possessed such overwhelming strength.
And now...
There was someone Infront of them.
The elders and clan heads behind Sarutobi Hiruzen were equally shaken.
Yet among them, one person was smiling quietly.
The Uchiha clan's Grand Elder.
The stronger Yagami proved himself to be, the less humiliating the Uchiha's previous loss appeared.
After all...
Losing to someone like that was hardly disgraceful.
Seven defeated by one…
That doesn't mean the Uchiha are weak.
It just means my future grandson-in-law is terrifyingly strong.
The old man's smile widened.
Introducing his granddaughter to Yagami truly had been a wise decision.
The report of Sunagakure's defeat spread through the ranks.
Shock soon turned into rising fervor.
No one truly wished for war.
Yet war inevitably brought opportunity.
Merit. Reputation. Glory.
Sensing the shift in morale, Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened.
Sunagakure's vanguard had already arrived.
That meant their main force wasn't far behind.
Time was short.
After reaffirming the Will of Fire, the Third Hokage raised his hand.
With a single decisive motion—
The four divisions moved out.
--
Kikyo Castle
Atop the watchtower, Yūhi Shinku gazed down calmly.
"So it's Ebizō-sama of Sunagakure…"
He smiled faintly.
"At your age, shouldn't you be enjoying peace back home? Traveling all this way to the Land of Fire seems rather troublesome."
Shinku's tone was deliberately casual.
Both sides understood why this war had begun.
Both were prepared to fight.
But if time could be bought—even a little—it was worth trying.
Ebizō snorted.
"Do you think I don't see through your intentions?"
His gaze shifted past Shinku.
It locked onto Yagami.
That one is dangerous.
He must be eliminated now.
If Konoha's reinforcements arrived...
Killing him would become nearly impossible.
With that thought, Ebizō slowly raised his arm…
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