After returning to Konoha from the mission to the Land of Artisans, Tsunade had less than three days to rest before receiving an urgent order. She had no choice but to set out once again and return to the southwestern front against Sunagakure.
She had originally hoped to remain in the village and personally watch her two disciples—Shizune and Kurenai—participate in the Chūnin Exams half a month later, witnessing their growth firsthand.
However, according to a steady stream of reports from Konoha spies embedded in the Land of Wind and reconnaissance teams operating on the front lines, Sunagakure's recent supply movements, ninja mobilizations, and border activities had all become increasingly abnormal.
Every sign pointed toward the village preparing to launch a new large-scale offensive, one far greater than any before.
Faced with such a situation—especially with Sunagakure still possessing the feared poison master Chiyo—Konoha's southwestern front needed Tsunade, a top-tier medical and antidote specialist, stationed there to stabilize morale and minimize casualties as much as possible.
As a result, Tsunade could only bid her disciples a hurried farewell before leading a group of Konoha ninja who had just completed their rotation and recovered their strength back to the southwestern front.
Originally, the Third Hokage had considered dispatching Shinichi to the southwest as well.
Given the assault capabilities, tactical brilliance, and exceptional medical ninjutsu he had displayed, Shinichi would undoubtedly have been a tremendous asset against Sunagakure.
However, the situation in the southeast had recently become increasingly unpredictable.
Kirigakure's ninja mobilizations and infiltration efforts were growing more frequent by the day, and the signs of their impending move had become difficult to conceal.
Based on all available intelligence, Kirigakure's large-scale entry into the war appeared to have entered its final countdown.
The long southeastern coastline of the Land of Fire was about to face a severe challenge from across the sea.
After weighing the matter repeatedly for three days, the Third Hokage finally made his decision.
He would keep Shinichi—his miracle-producing trump card—in reserve for the soon-to-erupt southeastern front.
He hoped that the young man who had already achieved astonishing victories against Sunagakure in the southwest and Kumogakure in the northeast would once again create a miracle in the coming war against Kirigakure.
On the very day Tsunade departed for the southwest, another force returned to the village as well—the main body of the Northeastern Army under Orochimaru.
Since Iwagakure had officially declared war on Kumogakure, the bulk of Kumogakure's forces had become firmly tied down on the northern battlefield and no longer possessed the strength to concern themselves with the south.
After fighting for more than half a year, Konoha's Northeastern Army was finally able to withdraw most of its forces back to the village for some much-needed rest and recuperation.
Only a small number of elite troops remained along the border to continue surveillance and guard duties.
The moment Orochimaru returned to the village, he attempted to contact Shimura Danzō, intending to resume the secret First Hokage Cell and Wood Release research project that had been temporarily shelved due to the war.
Instead, he received an unbelievable piece of news from one of Root's contacts.
Without any prior warning—and, more importantly, without informing Orochimaru, his most important collaborator and the project's lead researcher—Danzō had unilaterally terminated all preparations related to the Wood Release experiments.
The news left Orochimaru both irritated and puzzled.
He understood Danzō's thirst for power better than most, especially after the loss of his right arm and right eye.
Did Danzō truly not realize that uncovering the secrets of the First Hokage's cells might be the only path toward overcoming his disabilities and obtaining even greater power?
Why abandon the project so suddenly?
Had he found some other method—one faster and more reliable?
Orochimaru's irritation and confusion did not last long.
A new appointment order soon arrived in his hands.
Due to the increasing pressure on the southwestern front caused by Sunagakure's escalating activities, the village had decided to dispatch Orochimaru there to join Tsunade and Jiraiya.
The Sannin would reunite once more after many years apart, facing together an even larger and fiercer offensive from Sunagakure.
At the same time Orochimaru received his transfer orders, Shinichi—who had just finished a day of training—also received a new assignment.
"Jōnin Higashino Shinichi. In light of current strategic requirements, and following deliberation by the Hokage's Office, you are hereby ordered to depart for the southeastern front three days from now. Alongside Jōnin Namikaze Minato, Jōnin Uchiha Fugaku, and Jōnin Hyūga Hiashi, each of you will lead your respective forces and proceed with all haste to reinforce the front."
"Upon arrival, you will immediately be incorporated into the Southeastern Army under the command structure of Elder Utatane Koharu, Commander-in-Chief of the Front."
"All units will operate under her unified command. Specific defensive sectors and operational assignments will be assigned directly by Elder Utatane upon your arrival..."
The Third Hokage really was a master at smoothing things over.
After reading the document for a while, Shinichi chuckled inwardly.
In terms of military achievements earned since the outbreak of the war, Higashino Shinichi unquestionably held first place.
Although Minato's accomplishments were equally impressive—particularly in rapid-response support and tactical strike operations—he still fell slightly short when everything was considered together.
However, Minato was older, more senior, had served as a jōnin longer, and had even participated in the previous Great Ninja War.
The reputation of the Yellow Flash was equally renowned throughout the shinobi world.
As for Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi, both were the current heads of Konoha's two great noble clans.
Their status and influence alone guaranteed that neither of them could be placed beneath a peer, let alone a younger junior.
Thus, the southeastern reinforcement force ended up with four commanders.
All held equal rank.
None held overall command.
The arrangement acknowledged the achievements and abilities of both Shinichi and Minato while simultaneously respecting the prestige and influence of Konoha's two great clans.
Closing the orders, Shinichi walked to the window and gazed toward the southeast.
Even Hiashi, the head of the Hyūga main family, was being sent directly to the front lines.
The village's military manpower was clearly stretched thin.
In terms of overall national strength and ninja numbers, Kirigakure was certainly inferior to both Iwagakure and Kumogakure, and far weaker than Konoha.
However, Kirigakure possessed a characteristic that none of the other four great ninja villages shared—one that was both an advantage and a disadvantage.
It stood isolated overseas.
Because of that, unlike the villages on the mainland, Kirigakure did not need to worry about fighting one powerful enemy while constantly guarding against attacks from every other direction.
Especially now, the only mainland nations facing the Land of Water across the sea were the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
With Kumogakure firmly pinned down by Iwagakure on the northern front, if Kirigakure chose to enter the war, it could commit the vast majority of its forces against the Land of Fire's long southeastern coastline with virtually no concerns about threats from elsewhere.
Moreover, Kirigakure was currently at one of the strongest points in its history since the village's founding.
Among the older generation stood Genji, an elder who had served since the era of the First Mizukage. The middle generation was led by the Third Mizukage, while the younger generation boasted Karatachi Yagura. In addition, there were Kirigakure's three great clans, the famed Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the ever-mysterious Three-Tails and Six-Tails jinchūriki, both shrouded in secrecy.
At the thought of jinchūriki, Shinichi frowned slightly.
In the vague records of the Third Great Ninja War from the original timeline, the jinchūriki of the other four great ninja villages all had at least some documented information. Some had even been deployed directly onto the battlefield as strategic weapons.
Kirigakure alone was an exception.
Information regarding its Three-Tails and Six-Tails was almost entirely absent.
Aside from the "Three-Tails Implantation Incident" three years later—the event that led to Rin's death and Obito's fall into darkness—there was virtually no information whatsoever regarding either the Three-Tails or the Six-Tails.
After arriving in this world, Shinichi had attempted to investigate the matter himself, but the answers remained hidden behind layers of fog.
Forty years ago, when the First Hokage distributed the tailed beasts, the Three-Tails and Six-Tails had indeed been entrusted to Kirigakure.
But over the decades that followed, how exactly had Kirigakure used those two beasts?
Had they successfully sealed them into jinchūriki?
Who were those jinchūriki?
Male or female?
In fact, it was uncertain whether there were any jinchūriki at all.
Everything remained a mystery.
'Could it be that their jinchūriki are approaching their limits? Or perhaps Kirigakure has always suffered from some insurmountable flaw in its tailed beast sealing and control techniques, making its jinchūriki extremely unstable and unsuitable for deployment as regular combat forces?'
Shinichi pondered silently.
The fusion of a jinchūriki and a tailed beast was never an easy process. Given the brutality of Kirigakure's Bloody Mist policies, their treatment of jinchūriki was unlikely to be particularly humane.
If their jinchūriki were dangerously unstable and had therefore been hidden away as a final trump card, that would make sense.
It would also explain why Kirigakure had never played that card during the previous two Great Ninja Wars.
But that was only speculation.
Kirigakure might possess both a Three-Tails jinchūriki and a Six-Tails jinchūriki.
Or it might possess neither.
Like Schrödinger's cat, until the box was opened, every possibility remained on the table.
'Still, it's a shame. If only Kirigakure had waited another month.'
Putting those thoughts aside, Shinichi couldn't help feeling a tinge of regret.
Because before long, his clone, Isshin, would officially make his appearance at the great national tournament in the Land of Iron—a gathering that would bring together swordsmen from every major city and sword school across the country.
Once that tournament concluded, Shinichi would obtain a brand-new Entry—the Sword Master Entry—as well as the opportunity to draw a new purple-grade Entry.
In addition, his Lightning Release-related Entries, and perhaps others as well, could potentially advance to blue grade through his performance during the competition.
By then, his strength would undergo another significant increase.
Carrying that faint sense of regret, the three-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.
Konohagakure, Main Gate.
The first light of dawn had appeared, though the morning mist had yet to disperse.
On the broad open ground outside the village entrance, a massive ninja force was completing its final assembly.
At the very front of the formation stood four figures side by side.
They were the four commanders assigned to reinforce the southeastern front.
The four exchanged only a few brief words, quietly confirming their marching route, communication methods, and other essential arrangements.
After that, no further discussion was necessary.
Each turned toward his own troops and issued the order to depart.
At the same time, at a port somewhere along the southwestern coast of the Land of Water—
Kirigakure's enormous fleet had already completed its assembly.
The decks of the ships and the surrounding docks were packed with countless Kirigakure ninja.
On a slightly elevated rise overlooking the harbor, two figures stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing down at the silently assembled army below.
One was short in stature, with green hair, violet eyes, and a youthful face that carried none of a child's innocence.
It was none other than Karatachi Yagura, recently appointed commander-in-chief of the southwestern front.
The other was an elderly man with white hair and a weathered face.
He wore a simple Kirigakure uniform beneath a dark cloak. His back was slightly hunched, his eyelids drooped low, and he seemed utterly indifferent to everything before him.
"Senior."
Yagura turned slightly toward the old man and spoke respectfully.
"All units have completed assembly. Supplies have been loaded, and we are ready to depart at any time."
He paused briefly before asking: "What are your thoughts?"
The white-haired elder didn't even raise his eyelids. A dry, raspy voice emerged from his throat.
"Yagura, you are the general personally appointed by the Mizukage-sama, the commander of this entire army. I'm merely an old man hoping to contribute what little I can to the village during the final years of my life. How things should be done is for you to decide. There's no need to ask me."
Yagura fell silent for a moment and asked no further questions.
Turning toward the silent ranks below, he raised his voice and shouted: "People of Kirigakure! Move out! Our destination is the Land of Waves! Let Konoha—and the entire shinobi world—hear it!"
"The raging tides of the sea have arrived!"
"OHHHHH!!!"
After a brief moment of silence, a thunderous roar erupted.
The deafening cry swept through the harbor like a tsunami, and bloodthirsty light flared in the eyes of countless Kirigakure ninja.
Yagura and the white-haired elder descended the platform side by side and headed toward the fleet.
After taking a few steps, the old man suddenly spoke.
"Yagura, you once mentioned to me that you wanted to become a jinchūriki?"
Yagura's footsteps paused slightly before returning to normal.
"Yes, Senior. I do have that intention."
"Why?"
The white-haired elder finally lifted his eyelids slightly and looked at Yagura's youthful profile.
"You should know exactly what becoming a jinchūriki means. The people of the village will fear you, reject you, and treat you like a monster."
"More importantly, the Mizukage-sama holds you in very high regard. With your talent, you would normally have a chance to compete for an even higher position in the future. But once you become a jinchūriki, you may be forever cut off from that path."
"Do you understand all of that?"
Yagura remained silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
On his youthful face, the smile looked remarkably pure.
Yet it was equally resolute.
"I understand, Senior."
"Perhaps becoming a jinchūriki would mean losing many things."
"But if that power can better protect the village, then I believe it's worth it."
"Compared to the survival and prosperity of the village, an individual's honor, disgrace, gains, and losses are insignificant."
The white-haired elder listened quietly.
His expression never changed.
Only after a long while did he let out a soft chuckle.
"Is that so?"
"Then do as you wish."
Continuing forward at an unhurried pace, the old man's voice drifted back on the wind.
"If the opportunity arises afterward, I will recommend to the Mizukage-sama..."
"...that you be considered as a candidate for the next Three-Tails jinchūriki."
"As for whether the Mizukage-sama will agree, I cannot say."
Yagura offered no response.
He simply followed silently behind the old man.
...
Three days later.
Southeastern Land of Fire.
Seaside City.
Built atop coastal cliffs and guarding one of the major land routes leading into the interior of the Land of Fire, this large coastal city stood directly across the sea from the Land of Waves.
At this moment, the once-thriving trade hub had been completely transformed into a massive military stronghold—the temporary headquarters of Konoha's Southeastern Army.
Meanwhile, across the sea, the Land of Waves—a small island nation with no hidden village and no military forces of its own—had, over the past several days, effectively fallen under Kirigakure's control.
Using various pretexts such as missions, assistance agreements, and military leases, Kirigakure's advance forces had completed their occupation of the country.
Faced with this situation, the Land of Waves' authorities abandoned any thought of resistance.
Their only hope was that Konoha would drive Kirigakure's forces back out.
During this period, Konoha and Kirigakure had already fought countless covert battles around the Land of Waves and the surrounding seas under the guise of official missions.
Blood had flowed without cease.
At this moment, outside the core command center of Konoha's headquarters in Seaside City, the supreme commander of the Southeastern Army, Utatane Koharu, and fellow elder advisor Mitokado Homura, who oversaw military logistics and supply coordination, had already been waiting for some time.
An ANBU ninja appeared beside Koharu in a Body Flicker and dropped to one knee.
"Honored Elders!"
"Jōnin Higashino Shinichi, Jōnin Namikaze Minato, Jōnin Uchiha Fugaku, and Jōnin Hyūga Hiashi, along with the forces under their command, have arrived five kilometers outside the city and linked up with our reception team."
"They are expected to arrive at headquarters in approximately ten minutes."
Koharu nodded.
"Understood. Have them come directly—"
Before she could finish, she suddenly stopped.
Turning toward Homura beside her, she said: "Homura, perhaps we should go welcome them together."
Homura smiled and nodded.
"Good idea."