"Lord Yagami."
"Lady Kushina."
The moment Yagami and Kushina stepped out of the camp, the patrol shinobi nearby immediately greeted them.
Yagami gave a brief nod, but his expression was unusually grave.
"Gather every jōnin commander. Tell them to report to headquarters immediately."
The patrol team straightened at once.
"Yes, Lord Yagami!"
Seeing the look on his face, none of them dared to delay. They scattered at once, disappearing in different directions.
By the time Yagami and Kushina reached headquarters, the other jōnin had already begun rushing in one after another.
"Lord Yagami…"
Nara Shikaku was among the first to arrive. The moment he saw Yagami's expression, his own face tightened.
"Did something happen?"
The other jōnin also turned toward Yagami.
They could all feel it.
Something was wrong.
Until now, even though their forces were at a disadvantage, morale on the front line had been high. The army had finally stabilized its position, and the atmosphere among the shinobi was at its peak.
For Yagami to look this serious now…
It could not be good news.
Yagami did not waste time with unnecessary words.
"I just received a message from the village."
His voice was calm, but heavy.
"Kirigakure bypassed our front lines by sea, landed through the Land of Rivers, and launched a direct attack on Konoha."
For a moment, the entire command room went silent.
Then—
"What?!"
"Kirigakure attacked Konoha?!"
"How is that possible?!"
The room erupted.
Every jōnin present looked shocked.
If Konoha itself fell, then everything would collapse.
The troops fighting on the front lines relied on the village for supplies, orders, reinforcements, and morale. Once the rear was cut off, the entire war effort would crumble from within.
No matter how strong the front-line army was, without Konoha behind them, they would eventually run out of strength.
Shikaku's expression turned grim.
"How many shinobi are still defending the village?"
"How long can they hold?"
He understood the danger immediately.
This information could not be carelessly spread through the army. If the soldiers learned that Konoha had been attacked from behind, panic would tear through the ranks before Iwagakure even made a move.
Yagami shook his head.
"I didn't get the exact numbers."
His gaze darkened.
"But from what I heard, Kirigakure's forces are roughly five times larger than Konoha's current defenders."
The room became even heavier.
"Even the genin still in the village have been sent out to help hold the line."
Yagami looked around the room.
"The village wants us to send reinforcements back as quickly as possible."
No one spoke.
Everyone understood the problem.
They had to save Konoha.
But sending troops back from this battlefield was not a simple matter.
Iwagakure still had nearly eight thousand shinobi watching them from the other side. Konoha's forces were already badly outnumbered. If they split their army now, this front could collapse as well.
And if Iwagakure broke through while Kirigakure was attacking the village…
Konoha would be trapped between two enemy villages.
That would be the worst possible situation.
The silence inside the headquarters grew suffocating.
After a moment, Yagami closed his eyes.
Then he opened them again.
"All troops will remain here."
Everyone looked up.
"I'll return to Konoha alone."
"Lord Yagami—"
Several jōnin reacted at once, but Yagami raised his hand and stopped them before they could speak.
"There's no better option."
His tone left no room for argument.
"If we send a unit back, it will take more than two days at the fastest. We don't know whether the village can hold out that long."
He looked toward the direction of Konoha.
"I can fly. I'm the only one who can reach the village in time."
The jōnin fell silent again.
They wanted to object, but they could not deny his words.
Yagami turned his gaze back to the command table.
"While I'm gone, all units are to remain on standby."
His eyes moved across every commander present.
"If Iwagakure attacks during my absence, Shikaku will take command of the army."
Shikaku's expression sharpened.
"Understood."
The others also straightened.
"Yes, Lord Yagami!"
At present, Konoha's forces on this front still had around two thousand four to five hundred shinobi remaining. Iwagakure had roughly seven thousand five hundred.
The difference was severe.
But if they focused purely on defense, holding the line for a few days was still possible.
Yagami nodded.
"Then I'm heading back."
He took out the Den Den Mushi and handed it to Kushina.
"I'll leave this with you."
Kushina accepted it, her expression tense.
"If anything happens, contact the village directly."
Yagami paused for a moment.
"And while I'm gone… I'm counting on all of you."
The jōnin commanders bowed their heads.
"Leave this front to us."
"Don't worry about this place, Lord Yagami."
Yagami gave one final nod.
Then, under everyone's eyes, his body scattered into particles of light and shot out through the headquarters window.
By the time the others reacted, the commander's seat was already empty.
Outside the headquarters, Yagami's body reformed in midair.
Without hesitation, he rose higher into the sky and flew straight toward Konoha.
The wind roared past his ears.
His speed had already surpassed three hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.
But it still was not enough.
The thought of Mikoto being in danger inside Konoha made his chest tighten.
Too slow.
This is still too slow.
In the next instant, Yagami abandoned his original flight path.
If speed was what he needed, then there was no reason to hold back.
Ever since obtaining the power of the Pika Pika no Mi, he rarely used the Squid Girl bracelet anymore. Elemental movement was simply far faster than the boost it provided.
Still, the bracelet was not useless. Perhaps one day, he could give it to someone else.
But for now…
He would keep it.
Boom!
Yagami dropped sharply from the sky and landed hard on the ground. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward, scattering dust and broken stones in every direction.
He did not pause.
His body began to glow.
Brilliant light gathered around him, growing brighter and brighter until his entire figure shone like a blazing star.
Then his body broke apart into photons.
A single line of golden light flashed across the land.
And Yagami vanished.
PS: I have some bad news...
Kidding!
I've started a brand-new novel:
Naruto: Minato Died, So I Took His Wife
Ahem...
The title alone should tell my fellow men of culture exactly what to expect. Yes, you guessed it—there will be R-18 content from the earlier chapters.
But don't worry, it won't be mindless smut.
The plot is refreshing, the story has actual direction, and there's plenty more to enjoy beyond the mature content.
So, check it out if you're looking for a breath of fresh air from the usual Naruto fanfics!
Tagged below 👇