Konoha Village.
The Five Great Ninja Villages, together with Amegakure, had assembled an army just shy of sixty thousand.
Even many inexperienced genin were folded into the ranks. It was a cruel choice, but the villages had no alternative; every additional person meant a little more fighting power.
Once they understood the threat posed by Ye Zi, the Five Great Villages treated this battle with utmost seriousness.
Some sixty thousand troops were stationed across the Konoha ruins, flattened by Shinra Tensei, yet no conflicts broke out and there was no deafening clamor.
Beneath the silent, placid surface, what emotions were brewing... no one could say.
There was every reason to worry that old grudges would hinder cooperation. Yet for now, all seemed calm, it was an auspicious sign.
Of the divided encampments, Konoha's lay to the south, near the Hokage Rock.
"Kakashi."
Guy walked over and greeted Kakashi, who was sitting beside a tent.
Lost in thought, Kakashi lifted his head at the sound, gave Guy a slight nod, and thus returned the greeting.
Kakashi sat on a cut log long enough for three to sit with room to spare. Guy plopped down right beside him without ceremony.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked suddenly; he could tell Guy's mood was off.
Guy stared at the rows of tents and the shinobi passing between them, then sighed.
Kakashi's brow arched. In all the time he'd known Guy, it was the first time he'd seen him sigh. That almost-melancholic air didn't suit Guy at all.
"This really isn't like you," Kakashi said, turning to look at him.
Silent, Guy's hand drifted to the bulge of his trouser pocket. A moment later, he suddenly flashed his hearty grin. "Kakashi, let's have a contest."
Seeing Guy's smile, Kakashi's weary eyelids lifted a fraction. "All right," he said simply.
Guy froze. The Kakashi who usually avoided contests to focus on training had agreed so readily, before Guy had even named the contest.
"What are we competing in?" Kakashi asked evenly, gaze returning forward.
Not only had he agreed, but he had asked what the contest would be.
"Haha!" Warmth rose in Guy's chest. He smiled and said seriously, "Let's see… who reaches Teacher Ye Zi first."
Kakashi's eyes changed. After a moment he said in a low voice, "Pick another."
"Hm?" Guy blinked.
"Change 'reach'… to 'defeat,'" Kakashi said, voice firm.
Guy fell silent, then shot up a thumbs-up and laughed brightly. "All right! Kakashi, I'm not losing this one!"
"Let's hope so," Kakashi murmured, the corner of his mouth quirking beneath the mask.
Behind the tent, Obito, Rin, and Kurenai stood shoulder to shoulder, wordless.
Kurenai drew a deep breath, fists clenched, feelings tangled. She suddenly felt she'd been left behind, unable to even glimpse Ye Zi's back anymore, while Guy could still dog his heels.
Rin quietly took Kurenai's hand. Kurenai's taut body relaxed at once; she gave Rin a small smile to say she was fine.
"Hmph. A contest and they don't even count me," Obito thought to himself.
Whoosh!
A figure appeared out of thin air before Guy and Kakashi.
"ANBU?" Guy and Kakashi eyed the masked newcomer, puzzled.
"Kakashi, the Hokage wants you," came a young voice from behind the mask.
"Understood. I'll go at once," Kakashi nodded.
Having delivered the message, the ANBU vanished with the Body Flicker Technique. His next assignment was to guard Kushina.
Watching that crisp Body Flicker, Kakashi's eyes flickered. Judging by his voice, the ANBU wasn't very old, but his skills were good, a promising talent.
"Guy, I'm heading out."
With that, Kakashi sped for the building below the Hokage Rock, unaware why Lord Fourth had summoned him.
Seeing Kakashi off, Guy quietly pulled an old, earth-brown wallet from his pocket. His gaze firmed. "This time," he whispered to himself, "I won't lose."
At the same time, ANBU couriers were fanning out across Konoha.
The unit commanders had been decided. The ANBU were to notify those selected, and Kakashi was among them.
When Kakashi reached the building, he learned the Hokage had called him to assign a post.
By unanimous agreement, the commanders were confirmed one by one…
Soon, the elite of the elite from each village had gathered in the building.
With so many people, the space felt especially cramped. Those assembled here now comprised the strongest force in the ninja world.
Commander of the Medical Support Division: Tsunade.
Commander of the Intelligence & Communications Division: Haiichi Yamanaka.
The Intelligence & Communications Division would be stationed in the rear. Its role was not only liaison but also command, centralizing all intelligence and, leveraging the division's capabilities, issuing the right orders at the right time. Although Haiichi Yamanaka led the division, his primary task was establishing the communications network; command decisions would be executed by the Five Kage.
Commander of the Sensor Division: Dodai of Kumogakure. Sensor-type ninja from every village were to be divided into small teams to support the main assault forces.
Commander of the Special Operations Division: Pakura of Sunagakure. This division had the fewest members and drew together bloodline-limit users from various villages. Their task was to respond to sudden crises... wherever the fighting was toughest, they would bite down.
Commander of the Close-Range Combat Division: Kakashi. Its members specialized in taijutsu and kenjutsu, the vanguard who would charge at the front.
Commander of the Mid-Range Combat Division: Kitsuchi from Iwagakure.
Commander of the Long-Range Combat Division: Kazekage Rasa.
Lastly, commander of the Surprise Attack Division… would be Konan.
Before finalizing the roster, only Konan's position had sparked prolonged dispute.
Although she had brought Amegakure into the alliance, she had been an enemy not long ago. The loudest opponent was A, who could not let down his guard around her.
After extended debate, Konan was still appointed to lead Surprise Attack. That unit demanded exceptional mobility.
From the final slate of commanders, it was clear Kirigakure was relatively underrepresented.
Not everyone summoned to the building would be a division commander; some were top-tier elites from each village. Below the main commanders, small-unit leaders were still needed to knit the force together.
Beyond the established divisions, there was also an independent unit: the Sealing Division.
This unit's purpose was to counter Ye Zi's Impure World Reincarnation. Its commander was Harusame of Kirigakure, a shinobi steeped in sealing arts for decades.
Originally, the best candidate for this position was Kushina. But as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and a target of Ye Zi, she could not serve.
In this war, Kushina had to be protected at all times. The Five Great Villages would not lightly let her fight; she would sit in the rear with the Kage.
With the appointments set, preparations to muster the army began.
At the final moment before the march, news came from the Barrier Corps...
There was an intruder.
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