In the plaza of Konohagakure, the giant viewing screen remained pitch-black.
That ant the night's survival test inside the Forest of Death had gone quiet—no torches, no clashes, nothing but silence. Gradually, many shinobi drifted away from the square.
"Those teams are cautious," murmured Chiyo. "Except for the Hokage's squad earlier, no one dared to light a fire."
"Only fools light fires in that forest," snorted A (Fourth Raikage). "That's just begging to be ambushed."
Yagura Karatachi frowned.
"People are leaving the plaza. Don't you find that strange?"
Ōnoki yawned.
"It's obvious. The Hokage left the village, so the clans are on edge and tightening security."
The four Kage-level figures exchanged glances. Then the Raikage dropped a blunt question:
"If the Fourth Hokage dies outside… what will you do?"
Chiyo was first to answer.
"I'll take my Sand shinobi and leave."
But her tone carried hidden intent. The Sand had suffered badly at the hands of the Fourth, Drake. Ōnoki cut through her words imdiately.
"Leave? More like wait for us to weaken Konoha first, then strike at the end."
Yagura nodded.
"Won can be unpredictable."
"Enough dancing around," the Raikage said. "If the Fourth dies, we attack Konoha together."
The others didn't imdiately object.
But Chiyo raised one more concern.
"Don't forget. The Kurama was released last night."
The Raikage didn't flinch.
"I'll have Killer B hold it off."
That changed everything. If the Eight-Tails could stall the Nine-Tails, Konoha would have few remaining heavy hitters. Still, Chiyo warned:
"Konoha also has Wood-Style users."
The Raikage sneered.
"One's a dead-last Uchiha, the other's a six-year-old kid. Not threats."
He did acknowledge one real obstacle:
"The only real problem is Shisui Uchiha. If we remove him, the rest falls into place."
Chiyo added calmly:
"At night, his illusions are weaker."
"Even the heavens favor us," the Raikage concluded.
Yagura still hesitated.
"But this assus the Fourth dies. What if he returns?"
The Raikage answered with a grin:
"Would you, as Hokage, leave your village at night unless the situation was desperate?"
Silence answered him. That single question was enough.
The four began discussing how to read Konoha's internal security levels as a signal—if defenses spiked sharply, it ant the Hokage had likely fallen.
anwhile — In the Sky Above the Land of Fire
Three figures sped westward through the night toward Rōran.
Suddenly, Fugaku Uchiha cursed.
"Damn it!"
Drake glanced over.
"What is it?"
"I forgot to cancel the surveillance jutsu!"
Minato Namikaze stiffened.
"The screen in the village is still showing us leaving."
Drake frowned.
"So what?"
Minato explained:
"Everyone—including the other villages' leaders—now knows the Hokage left the village at night."
"And they'll assu I'm dead?" Drake scoffed.
Minato nodded.
"If you aren't back by morning, the village could fall into chaos. And the ones inciting it will be those four Kage."
Drake went quiet for a mont, then smiled faintly.
"You worry too much, sensei. You're underestimating our comrades. Have faith in them."
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