Konoha's Swearing Ceremony
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood at the forefront of the assembly, calmly issuing final arrangents for the coming war.
Behind him were Konoha's senior leadership—high-ranking jōnin, advisors, and the patriarchs of the major clans.
Before him stood a sea of shinobi.
Six thousand Konoha ninja, gathered in disciplined ranks, ready to march.
The force had already been divided into four formations.
Three of them numbered one thousand each.
These units were to be dispatched to the borders of the Land of Earth, Land of Lightning, and Land of Water, respectively.
Their mission was clear—to prevent enemy forces from exploiting the war with Sunagakure and striking Konoha from behind.
The remaining force consisted of three thousand elite shinobi.
Their destination was the sa.
Sunagakure.
Standing at the head of this main formation was Orochimaru, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was finalizing the deploynt, a hurried voice cut through the air.
"Lord Third—ergency report from Kikyo Castle!"
A shinobi rushed forward, breathing heavily, his expression tense. He was the sa ssenger dispatched earlier to seek reinforcents.
Reaching Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, he imdiately presented the scroll in his hands.
Hearing the words Kikyo Castle, the Third Hokage showed no hesitation. He took the report at once and opened it, scanning the contents rapidly.
The first line made his expression tighten.
Sunagakure's two-hundred-man vanguard had launched an attack.
Kikyo Castle only had a hundred defenders.
His gaze sharpened.
But as his eyes moved to the second line—
He froze.
The Sunagakure vanguard… defeated?
One hundred and seventy-three casualties?
And the ones who stopped them—
Yagami… and Kushina Uzumaki?
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued reading, his expression shifting from gravity to disbelief.
Below was a detailed battle record.
Kushina Uzumaki—twelve confird kills.
Yagami—one hundred and sixty-one confird kills.
For a brief mont, the Third Hokage fell silent.
It seed he had still underestimated Yagami's strength.
In his understanding, there were very few in Konoha capable of such a feat—and all of them could be counted on one hand.
"Sensei… what happened at Kikyo Castle?"
Orochimaru's voice carried faint confusion.
He had heard the ergency report, but the Third Hokage's shifting expressions—solemn, doubtful, then shocked—didn't match a simple crisis.
At Orochimaru's question, the shinobi behind him all turned their attention toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Kikyo Castle was their destination.
They needed to know what awaited them.
The Third Hokage exhaled slowly.
Then, without concealnt, he revealed the contents of the report.
This was not rely urgent intelligence—
It was good news.
"…Nani?!"
"Sunagakure's two hundred were defeated by just two people?"
"One hundred and seventy-three casualties?!"
"Yagami alone killed one hundred and sixty-one?!"
"That Yagami… isn't he the one who clashed with the Uchiha so ti ago?"
Gasps rippled through the ranks.
Even Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in genuine shock.
He had heard Yagami's na before, during the conflict involving the Uchiha clan.
At the ti, he had judged him to be an elite jōnin—perhaps soone standing at the threshold of Kage-level strength.
But one against a hundred?
That was no longer a threshold.
That was power comparable to a Sannin.
Isn't he in the sa generation as Minato?
Orochimaru felt a stir in his chest.
When he himself was that age, even he hadn't possessed such overwhelming strength.
And now...
There was soone Infront of them.
The elders and clan heads behind Sarutobi Hiruzen were equally shaken.
Yet among them, one person was smiling quietly.
The Uchiha clan's Grand Elder.
The stronger Yagami proved himself to be, the less humiliating the Uchiha's previous loss appeared.
After all...
Losing to soone like that was hardly disgraceful.
Seven defeated by one…
That doesn't an the Uchiha are weak.
It just ans my future grandson-in-law is terrifyingly strong.
The old man's smile widened.
Introducing his granddaughter to Yagami truly had been a wise decision.
The report of Sunagakure's defeat spread through the ranks.
Shock soon turned into rising fervor.
No one truly wished for war.
Yet war inevitably brought opportunity.
rit. Reputation. Glory.
Sensing the shift in morale, Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened.
Sunagakure's vanguard had already arrived.
That ant their main force wasn't far behind.
Ti was short.
After reaffirming the Will of Fire, the Third Hokage raised his hand.
With a single decisive motion—
The four divisions moved out.
--
Kikyo Castle
Atop the watchtower, Yūhi Shinku gazed down calmly.
"So it's Ebizō-sama of Sunagakure…"
He smiled faintly.
"At your age, shouldn't you be enjoying peace back ho? Traveling all this way to the Land of Fire seems rather troubleso."
Shinku's tone was deliberately casual.
Both sides understood why this war had begun.
Both were prepared to fight.
But if ti could be bought—even a little—it was worth trying.
Ebizō snorted.
"Do you think I don't see through your intentions?"
His gaze shifted past Shinku.
It locked onto Yagami.
That one is dangerous.
He must be eliminated now.
If Konoha's reinforcents arrived...
Killing him would beco nearly impossible.
With that thought, Ebizō slowly raised his arm…
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