The winter sky over Konoha was a pale, washed-out gray-blue. Sunlight fell thinly, carrying little warmth. The wind blew in from the north, sharp with a biting chill, brushing past the streets, the eaves, and the people who had begun gathering since early morning.
The plaza in front of the Hokage Building had been filled with people since dawn.
They came from every corner of Konoha, walking along familiar streets, converging upon this usually empty square.
Before long, the plaza was completely swallowed by the crowd. A dense sea of people stretched from the center all the way to the edge of sight—shoulder to shoulder, packed so tightly there wasn't an inch of space.
Those who could no longer find space climbed onto nearby rooftops, platforms, even thick tree trunks. Every place that could support a person was occupied.
Aside from those who had to remain at their posts, it seemed as if the entire village had gathered here.
Men, women, the elderly, children—shinobi and civilians alike.
There were even monks, as well as some individuals who clearly bore the bearing of shinobi despite not wearing Konoha forehead protectors.
Anyone with some knowledge would recognize the monks as ninja monks from the Fire Temple, and those without Konoha headbands as representatives of ninja clans from across the Land of Fire.
Their presence today carried a clear meaning to many.
It meant that Sarutobi Hiruzen's speech today was not merely as the Hokage of Konoha—but also as the supreme military commander of the Land of Fire.
The plaza was devoid of the usual noise and chatter of gatherings. Instead, an almost suffocating silence hung over the vast crowd. Only the wind's low wail through the streets could be heard, along with the occasional suppressed cough.
Hundreds of thousands of gazes—filled with confusion, unease, anxiety, and a faint trace of hope—were directed, uniformly and heavily, toward a single point.
The solemn platform of the Hokage Building.
At that moment, the platform was still empty. Only Konoha's banner fluttered in the cold wind, the vivid red flame emblem standing out sharply against the gray-blue sky.
On the right side of the plaza, near the front—
Uchiha Obito stood there. A gust of cold wind made him shrink his neck slightly. He looked around, then lowered his head, then looked up again. After repeating this a few times, he finally couldn't hold back and spoke in a low voice: "Minato-sensei…"
Minato, standing in front of him, slightly turned his head.
"Is the village going to war?"
He asked quietly, as if afraid others might hear him—or as if asking too directly might make the answer real.
Three days ago, the notice had been posted all over Konoha. From that moment on, Obito felt that the entire village had changed.
The air itself seemed tense. There were fewer people on the streets, and those who did appear walked quickly, no longer stopping to chat like before.
Even at his favorite dango shop, the always cheerful shopkeeper smiled less. When she spoke, she seemed distracted.
For the first time, Obito realized that the words "something big is about to happen" could truly be written on people's faces.
Minato remained silent for a few seconds before nodding gently.
"Yes."
"Then… will Team Seven be sent to the battlefield too?" Obito swallowed, lowering his voice further. His heart began to pound, and even he couldn't tell whether it was fear—or something else.
"Of course, Minato-sensei, I'm not… afraid, it's just…"
He quickly added, but halfway through, he didn't know how to finish the sentence.
Minato smiled, his expression warm—like winter sunlight.
"You're still children. Still genin. Your primary task right now is to continue training and keep growing."
"Oh…" Obito let out a drawn-out sound, somewhere between disappointment and relief.
Then he suddenly remembered something and looked up sharply. "Then Kakashi isn't going to—"
As he spoke, he glanced toward Kakashi.
And then he froze.
Kakashi wasn't looking at them at all. His head was turned slightly, his gaze passing over the crowd toward another part of the plaza, as if searching for someone.
Obito followed his line of sight.
That direction was where Team Ten stood. Tsunade was there, arms crossed, expressionless as she looked toward the platform. Shizune and Kurenai stood beside her, both girls looking tense, occasionally whispering to each other.
But Shinichi wasn't there.
Obito blinked, looked again carefully—he really wasn't there.
For some reason, a sudden flare of irritation rose in his chest, and his voice unconsciously grew louder: "Hey, Kakashi!"
"Hm?" Kakashi turned back, raising an eyebrow.
"Why are you—"
"Silence!"
At that moment, a powerful voice rang out from the platform, cutting him off.
The entire scene fell silent instantly.
No one spoke. Hundreds of thousands of eyes turned in unison toward the platform. Obito opened his mouth, but the unfinished words could only be swallowed back down.
On the platform, a formally dressed staff member stepped up to the microphone, his voice ringing out across every corner of the plaza: "Next, we invite the esteemed Third Hokage to deliver an important address!"
As his voice fell, the figure of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, slowly appeared at the front of the platform. His Hokage robe fluttered slightly in the wind as his calm gaze swept over the densely packed crowd below.
After a moment of surveying the crowd, he finally spoke: "People of Konoha! I believe that in recent days, you have all felt it—the atmosphere of the shinobi world has changed."
"In your hearts, whether more or less, you have already formed some guesses… some worries… some thoughts you do not wish to dwell on, yet cannot help but think about."
The crowd remained utterly silent. Only the wind occasionally howled through.
At this point, the Third Hokage paused, his gaze sweeping the crowd once more.
"Today, standing here, I must tell you…"
"Unfortunately, those guesses—those worries—are all true."
"The days of peace are about to leave us."
"War is coming."
"The clouds of war are about to press down upon our homeland."
The moment his words fell, a wave of suppressed gasps and sharp inhales spread through the crowd.
Some covered their mouths. Some instinctively grabbed the arm of the person beside them. Some turned pale in an instant.
But the commotion lasted only a few seconds before sinking back into an even more tense silence.
Everyone stared at the figure in the Hokage robe, waiting for what he would say next.
"I know what this news means to you."
"It means your husbands, your wives, your parents—even your children—may have to leave home and head to the battlefield."
"It means your lives will be touched by war, overshadowed by fear, and torn by an uncertain future."
"It means Konoha will once again face the trial of war."
His gaze deepened, as if piercing through time itself to glimpse the bloodshed to come.
"But!"
His voice suddenly rose, the Hokage robe snapping sharply in the wind: "People of Konoha, remember this!"
"We are not facing war for the first time."
"Since the founding of Konoha, we have endured countless storms, countless moments of life and death. And yet, every single time, we have pulled through. Why?"
His gaze swept across the crowd below—across those faces filled with fear, unease, and confusion.
"Because we are Konoha's shinobi. We are Konoha's villagers. We are Konoha's family."
"Because behind us stands this village—our home, our loved ones, the things we have spent our lives protecting."
"Because we carry the Will of Fire!"
"The belief that, to protect what is precious, one is willing to burn oneself to illuminate others—this Will of Fire has been passed down from the First Hokage, generation after generation, engraved into the very bones of every person in Konoha!"
"And the Will of Fire has never bowed before aggression!"
"Our predecessors—countless fallen heroes—held that Will of Fire in their hearts. To protect our homeland, their blood was shed upon this land."
His gaze grew incomparably deep, as if it could see into the hearts of every single person present.
"And now, the clouds of war are about to descend upon us once again."
"The enemy may be strong. The situation may be dire. But, my fellow countrymen, remember why we fight!"
The Third Hokage raised his arm, pointing toward the crowd, toward the village, toward the distant direction where the Memorial Stone could be faintly seen.
"For the flowers on our windowsills. For the sweat on our training grounds. For the laughter of children. For the warmth within our homes. For the peaceful days of our elders… for every ordinary day that we hold dear!"
He took a deep breath, then pushed his final words into the sky with all his strength: "Unite! People of Konoha! Trust your Hokage! Trust the comrades beside you! Trust the strength within your own hearts! Prepare to face the storm—no matter how strong the enemy, no matter how dire the situation! Konoha shall stand as an iron bastion no enemy can overcome! The Will of Fire will burn even brighter through this trial!"
"WOOOAH!!!"
After a brief moment of deathly silence, an enormous roar surged skyward. The Third Hokage gave a slight nod and stepped back.
"Next, we invite the esteemed advisors, Elder Utatane Koharu and Elder Mitokado Homura, to deliver their important addresses."
Utatane Koharu stepped forward. Her expression was solemn, her tone firm and clear: "War means sacrifice. It means every person in Konoha will bear responsibility."
"All active-duty shinobi are to cancel all non-essential leave effective immediately and remain on standby under wartime regulations. The mission system will shift fully toward strategic defense and logistical support! Medical, barrier, intelligence, and logistics divisions must enter maximum operational efficiency at once!"
"As for the civilian villagers, your battlefield is just as important. Remain calm, follow instructions, support the frontlines, and take care of your homes and the young and elderly—that is your greatest contribution to the village."
After finishing, Koharu stepped down. Her speech was brief and pragmatic, clearly defining the direction each person was to take.
Then Homura stepped forward, speaking in a steady tone: "Suspicion and panic are more dangerous than the enemy. In the coming war, we may face difficult times. We may hear unfavorable news. But you must trust the village's decisions and trust the efforts of your comrades on the frontlines! Do not spread unverified rumors. Do not question unified command. Maintaining order is the foundation of the rear lines."
"Konoha has endured the trials of two great shinobi wars. Our systems, our resilience—they can withstand the storm! Everyone, remain in your positions and fulfill your duties. Victory requires passion, but it also requires calm minds and steady steps."
After speaking, Homura gave a slight nod and stepped back, returning to his place.
He had not used many grand words, but every sentence struck like a nail, driving deep into the hearts of all present.
"Next, we invite the esteemed advisor elder, Shimura Danzō, to deliver an important address."
The moment those words fell, many villagers in the crowd showed confused expressions.
Who was Shimura Danzō?
Was there such an advisor elder in Konoha?
Hadn't there always been only two advisor elders?
They looked at one another, exchanging glances, trying to find answers from those around them—but most simply shook their heads, unfamiliar with the name.
Yet some, after a brief moment of surprise, revealed expressions of sudden realization.
Among the gathered shinobi—especially the older ones—many showed looks of astonishment.
This person…
An advisor elder who had never spoken in any public setting for the past twenty years.
He was going to speak this time?
Curiosity spread as many turned their gaze toward the platform, eager to see what the village's third advisor elder actually looked like.
Meanwhile, those who knew Shimura Danzō waited for the hardline elder to deliver an even more forceful declaration of war.
In the area where the Fire Temple's ninja monks stood, Chiriku—attending such a grand occasion for the first time with his master—rose on his toes curiously to look toward the platform.
A slight stir rippled through the crowd.
However, the figure who stepped onto the platform was someone extremely familiar—yet completely unexpected to everyone.
The green Konoha flak jacket. The properly worn forehead protector. A still somewhat slender, yet perfectly upright posture—
Higashino Shinichi.
A wave of shocked murmurs erupted across the plaza.
"What's going on?"
"Where's Elder Danzō?"
"Why is it Shinichi?"
"Did he go to the wrong place?"
Even some of the jōnin in the front rows showed expressions of surprise.
Obito's mouth fell open as he stared blankly at the familiar figure on the platform. Then he suddenly turned his head toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi! Th-that's Shinichi!"
Kakashi didn't respond.
His gaze remained fixed on the figure standing on the platform.
Chiriku blinked, stunned for several seconds, then turned to his master: "Master, is he Danzō? Why does he look about the same age as me?"
"Chiriku!" His master's voice carried a hint of helplessness. "Just watch quietly."
Chiriku let out an "oh" and turned his attention back to the platform, though the curiosity in his eyes only grew stronger.
Shinichi simply stood before the microphone, unmoving—just standing there quietly, facing those hundreds of thousands of astonished, confused, even skeptical gazes.
Waiting.
Waiting for them to calm down.
Gradually, the disturbance subsided.
Hundreds of thousands of eyes refocused on him.
"Due to Advisor Elder Shimura Danzō's ill health, and by his personal designation, I—Special Jōnin Higashino Shinichi—will speak here on his behalf."
Shinichi finally spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly across the entire plaza.
"I thank Elder Danzō for his trust and support, allowing me the honor of speaking before all of you, the people of Konoha, on his behalf today."
"I am still young, and my qualifications are shallow. I'm not entirely sure what I should say on behalf of Elder Danzō… so instead, let me tell you a story."
"Eighty years ago…"
Shinichi's voice rang out slowly, like a hand gently drawing everyone's thoughts back to that distant era.
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