At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, winter had tightened its grip.
With February fast approaching, the northern air had grown brutally cold. Several heavy snowfalls had already blanketed the land in a vast expanse of silver, turning the world into a frozen, silent field.
Not long ago, the forces led by Minato Namikaze had clashed multiple times with shinobi from Iwagakure who had crossed the border. Each encounter ended in decisive victory for Konoha, achieved with minimal losses. After suffering repeated setbacks, Iwagakure had grown cautious and withdrawn back into the Land of Grass.
And so, for several days, the two sides remained in an uneasy stalemate.
Inside the command tent of Konoha's forces, Minato sat quietly, focused on analyzing intelligence reports sent back by the ANBU stationed at the front lines.
Suddenly, a gust of icy northern wind swept into the tent as someone pushed their way inside.
"Brrr—absolutely freezing!" a figure clad in white exclaimed, shaking off the snow clinging to him. "It's snowing again out there."
Minato looked up and smiled. "Thank you for your hard work, Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya pulled off his red vest, brushing away the accumulated snow as he asked, "Still no movement from Iwagakure?"
"None," Minato replied calmly. "According to the ANBU reports, they haven't made any moves these past few days."
Jiraiya rested his chin on one hand, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Could it be they've been scared off by my student?"
Then, with a sudden slam, his palm struck the table as his expression shifted dramatically into exaggerated alarm. "That won't do! I haven't even made my grand appearance yet—they can't just retreat like that!"
In truth, every one of Konoha's recent victories had been led personally by Minato, who had crushed Iwagakure's forces with swift precision. Meanwhile, Jiraiya had remained in the rear, providing support in case of emergencies.
Which meant… he hadn't actually shown his face on the battlefield at all.
Minato let out a helpless smile. "Sensei, you're exaggerating… you know very well how strong Iwagakure is."
"Then they must be planning something…" Jiraiya muttered, his tone shifting as he sank back into serious thought. "I even made a full circuit through the Land of Grass, and I didn't find anything unusual."
He paused, then concluded firmly, "And that's exactly what makes it suspicious. No information is the biggest problem."
Minato nodded slightly. "Do you have any ideas, sensei?"
"Well…" Jiraiya began slowly, organizing his thoughts. "If Iwagakure refuses to act, and with this heavy snow slowing down their supply lines and restricting their movements—and with no sign of the weather clearing anytime soon—could we take advantage of this window to do something ourselves?"
Minato hesitated. "But the same conditions affect us as well…"
After all, the snow didn't favor one side over the other. Nature, in that sense, was impartial.
"Minato," Jiraiya said suddenly, his tone sharpening, "you know the full details of how Sunagakure attacked Kikyo Castle, don't you?"
"…Yes," Minato replied quietly.
If they allowed Iwagakure enough time to fully prepare, Konoha could very well find itself cornered in the same way.
They might even repeat that same disastrous outcome.
"Oh, right—Minato, have you received the latest intelligence? About Shimizu and Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"I have," Minato said. When he first heard the news, he couldn't help but feel a surge of awe.
After all, in the entire history of the shinobi world, no one had ever dared to infiltrate an enemy nation and directly attack one of its hidden villages.
That kind of courage alone was worthy of admiration.
And since the one leading the charge was Shimizu Uzuki…
There was even a chance it might actually succeed.
"If we just keep waiting like this," Jiraiya continued, "we'll end up on the back foot."
"…That makes sense," Minato admitted.
In the next moment, Jiraiya swept his arm dramatically toward the distant northwest, his voice brimming with bold resolve.
"Then we cut straight through the Land of Grass and launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure's camp at the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth!"
"…What?!" Minato blinked, convinced he had misheard.
"They'll assume the snow has locked us down, that we can't make any moves," Jiraiya declared confidently. "But if we slip in unnoticed, we can catch them completely off guard!"
His eyes gleamed with certainty. "Their defenses will be focused on the front lines—not their rear."
"And besides…" he added, a grin creeping across his face, "my trip through the Land of Grass wasn't for nothing."
Reaching into his cloak, Jiraiya pulled out a map—its surface covered in strange markings and chaotic scribbles.
A top-secret map…
One that, perhaps, only Jiraiya himself could understand.
"Follow this route," Jiraiya said, tapping the map with a confident grin, "and there's a good chance we can avoid their surveillance while reaching our destination as quickly as possible. So—what do you think?"
Minato fell silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on the chaotic markings that only his teacher seemed capable of deciphering. "…Isn't this too risky?" he finally said, unable to hide his concern. "If we push deep into enemy territory with a large force and get surrounded, we'll be completely cut off. There won't be any reinforcements coming to save us."
Jiraiya straightened, his expression turning unexpectedly serious. "Shimizu and Orochimaru have already gone straight for Sunagakure itself," he said, his tone measured but firm. "Minato… we need to step up as well."
There was a quiet weight behind his words—an unspoken resolve that brooked no hesitation.
"We can't afford to fall behind."
Minato met his teacher's eyes, the last traces of doubt fading as determination took their place. "Yes, sensei!"
This would be Konoha's first true strike of vengeance against Iwagakure.
…
......
.........
After withdrawing from Kikyo Castle, Sunagakure's army of ten thousand had begun an orderly retreat toward the Land of Wind.
According to their plan, they would reach the border within three days.
"How are things looking now?" Chiyo asked, her voice calm but sharp.
Rasa exhaled slowly, his expression heavy. "Our losses aren't actually that severe… but morale has taken a hit."
It wasn't just the ordinary shinobi—he himself felt the weight of defeat pressing down on him.
Sunagakure had spent years preparing for this battle, sacrificing countless lives along the way… and yet, in the end, this was all they had to show for it.
"If only we had—"
Chiyo cut him off immediately. "If we hadn't withdrawn when we did, what we'd have lost wouldn't be just morale."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued, her voice carrying the authority of experience. "Our opponent was the Third Hokage. Even if you haven't faced him yourself, you've certainly heard of what he's capable of."
The strongest Hokage in history.
Rasa frowned, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "As strong as the Third Kazekage…?"
The Third Kazekage had been hailed as the most powerful Kazekage of all time, possessing the unique ability to manipulate magnetic forces—wielding iron sand as both weapon and shield, shaping it into any form at will.
Rasa had witnessed that power with his own eyes. It had been overwhelming, unstoppable.
And the Third Hokage was said to stand at that same pinnacle.
"If he had personally broken through our defenses," Chiyo said flatly, "there wouldn't have been anyone in Sunagakure who could stop him."
Her gaze hardened as she spoke. "We were already fighting with our backs to the wall. If morale had collapsed, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
That was why she had chosen to retreat without hesitation—it had been the most rational decision at the time.
Rasa clenched his jaw, saying nothing.
He, too, was a Kage… and yet—
He knew all too well that if the Third Kazekage hadn't suddenly disappeared, he would never have been thrust into the role of the Fourth Kazekage so hastily.
If only he had been given a few more years to grow…
"Lady Chiyo! Lord Kazekage!" a shinobi suddenly rushed forward, panic evident in his voice. "Konoha forces are pursuing us!"
"What?!" both of them exclaimed at once.
"Numbers, distance, direction!" Rasa demanded urgently.
"Approximately two thousand men, one kilometer behind us, approaching from the five o'clock direction!"
Chiyo was not particularly surprised that Konoha had sent pursuers. Her mind remained clear as she issued orders without hesitation. "Halt the entire army. Spread out the formation—we'll establish defenses here."
Then, as if recalling something important, she added, "Who is leading them?"
The messenger swallowed before answering.
"It's the Third Hokage."
For a brief moment, even the cold air seemed to freeze.
The Third Hokage had come in person.
He had come… for revenge.
..
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