"Damn it— I forgot I was supposed to go to the battlefield!"
Seeing that the sun was already high in the sky, Aiden Sarutobi hurriedly washed up.
He had been fired up last night, fully intending to head straight to the front lines.
But after returning home, Izumi insisted on dragging him into the hot springs.
One soak led to another.
Then she suggested scrubbing his back.
And somehow—
she ended up using the same technique she'd learned from Yukiko.
Even though Aiden was only ten years old, the sensation was… indescribably comfortable.
"Aiden-sama… how does it feel?"
After asking that question, Izumi's cheeks flushed red, her body tensing slightly.
Aiden didn't answer.
He simply turned around and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Izumi's face turned even redder—but her hands didn't stop, continuing to move slowly, carefully, from top to bottom as she helped clean him.
By the time they returned to bed, Aiden's mind kept replaying the sensation over and over.
Before he realized it, he had fallen asleep.
And because the experience was far too comfortable, he slept straight through until late morning.
"Damn it! I'm only ten years old!"
"And I've already been defeated by beauty!"
"I even overslept something as important as going to war!"
"From today on— I quit hot springs!"
Izumi stared at him with a blank expression.
…You're blaming the hot springs now?
Ignoring her strange look, Aiden walked into the courtyard.
Seeing that he had finally woken up, Uchiha Itachi and the others waiting outside all let out a sigh of relief.
Finally— they could set off.
"Aiden-sama, we can—!!!"
"WHAT THE—?!"
Whoosh!
Before Itachi could even finish speaking, something unbelievable happened.
Aiden didn't say a single word.
He bent his knees slightly—
And then took off into the air.
Yes.
He flew.
Straight up into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished beyond the clouds.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Itachi and the others stood frozen in place.
"…So," someone finally muttered,
"What do we do now?"
"Do we… still protect him?"
The group exchanged blank looks.
Who the hell knew Aiden Sarutobi could fly?
With that kind of ability, who could possibly hurt him?
Protect him?
Protect what?
He literally flies.
After a brief silence, they noticed Izumi approaching with five Uchiha jōnin, clearly preparing to leave as well.
"…You're heading to the front lines too?" someone asked.
"Of course," Izumi replied calmly.
Hearing that, Itachi and the others stopped hesitating and immediately followed.
Their mission was to protect Aiden Sarutobi.
But now that he'd already disappeared, the only option was to regroup at the front.
Soon, the two groups merged into one.
The atmosphere became… indescribably awkward.
No one spoke the entire way.
Every single person was still mentally stuck on one question:
If he can fly—what the hell are we even protecting?
Fire Country Border — Front Line
Thanks to thorough preparation and supply lines moving together with the army,
the allied forces led by Uchiha Fugaku quickly arrived at the border.
At a glance, it was clear—
Kumogakure had already established a camp.
They were clearly preparing for a full-scale war.
Fugaku didn't hesitate.
He immediately ordered the allied forces to begin constructing their own camp,
while dispatching multiple reconnaissance squads to observe the Cloud camp.
To ensure safety, each squad included a Hyūga clan member.
With the Byakugan, Konoha held an absolute advantage in reconnaissance.
Under Hyūga surveillance, any Cloud ninja attempting a sneak attack would be exposed long before getting close.
With their support, Konoha's camp was completed rapidly.
Soon after, Fugaku gathered the commanders inside the main tent to discuss strategy.
"Everyone," Fugaku said calmly,
"War is about seizing the initiative."
"I propose we strike first—catch Kumogakure completely off guard."
"They won't expect us to attack immediately after setting up camp."
"What do you all think?"
As soon as he finished, the commanders voiced their agreement.
Even Shikaku Nara, usually the most cautious strategist, raised no objections.
Throughout the march, Fugaku's leadership had been flawless.
There was no reason to doubt him now.
Seeing everyone support his plan, Fugaku finally understood—
This was what it felt like to stand with the village.
Back in the clan, there were always dissenting voices.
But here?
He had earned genuine respect.
Ambition ignited in his chest.
"Good!"
"Relay the order— all units prepare for battle!"
"The moment the camp is complete, we attack!"
As everyone dispersed to make preparations, Fugaku clenched his fist.
This time, he wouldn't just win.
He would make the name Uchiha resound across the entire shinobi world once more.
"To reforge Uchiha glory—this generation bears the duty!"
Kumogakure Camp
While Konoha was making fervent preparations,
Kumogakure's main forces had not yet fully arrived.
This delayed any large-scale assault.
For now, they could only send small teams into Fire Country to harass and relieve boredom.
The first to arrive—Yugito Nii and Killer B—remained stationed in camp.
As Jinchūriki, they were essentially living weapons of mass destruction.
Unless absolutely necessary, releasing the Tailed Beasts was never the first option.
They were waiting for the Fourth Raikage to arrive before acting.
Seeing how quickly Konoha had established their camp, even they felt surprised.
"They're fast…" Yugito muttered.
"Will Raikage-sama make it in time?"
Killer B, however, remained completely relaxed.
"Idiot! Fool!" he rapped.
"Don't worry! Yo~"
"My bro never misses the beat!"
"When he arrives, we'll smash straight into Fire Country—are you OK?!"
Yugito's eye twitched.
She chose not to respond.
"…Let's go," she said flatly.
"We need to prepare for tomorrow."
After the two left—
Konoha's forces silently began advancing toward the Cloud camp under cover of darkness.
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