August 18, Konoha Year 46, marked a day of profound historical significance—one that later generations would hail as the turning point of the Third Great Ninja War.
Far too many momentous events unfolded on that single day.
First, Kumogakure, which had launched a surprise assault on Konoha, suddenly took the initiative to seek reconciliation. Konoha chose to let bygones be bygones and gladly accepted the offer of peace. At the same time came the shocking news that both the Fourth Raikage and the Third Hokage had been gravely wounded.
Though the ceasefire had arrived rather abruptly, the explosive report of the two Kage's severe injuries was enough for the world to infer that an exceptionally fierce battle must have erupted near Konoha.
Next, Kirigakure dispatched envoys to Konoha seeking peace. The core reason was that not long ago, a Konoha force of three thousand shinobi had conducted a daring long-range raid straight into Kirigakure itself and successfully assassinated the Third Mizukage in one decisive strike.
The greatest contributor was Uchiha Fugaku, the current head of the Uchiha clan. Word had it that his Sharingan had reached a level of mastery few could ever hope to attain, and even the Third Mizukage had been defeated by its power.
Even more astonishing was that, after achieving this feat, the Konoha expeditionary force had still managed to break through the heavy encirclement of Kirigakure's army and safely return to the Land of Fire.
It was a complete strategic victory.
Finally, the conflict later known as the "Kikyō Pass Meat Grinder"—the Second Battle of Kikyō Pass—had broken out.
An allied army of more than twenty thousand from Iwagakure and Sunagakure advanced with overwhelming momentum. Yet despite Konoha's severe numerical disadvantage, the tide was turned by Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin.
The Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence that he unleashed completely transformed the landscape of Kikyō Pass. It split the thousands-strong Iwa-Suna coalition into isolated groups, which were then systematically crushed one by one. This battle added yet another classic example of an outnumbered force securing victory in a defensive engagement to the history of the ninja world.
Thanks to Konoha's resounding opening victory in this long and grueling war, Wood Release once again became renowned throughout the ninja world. This time, however, the shinobi wielding this kekkei genkai ninjutsu was no longer from the Senju clan, but one of the Sannin—Orochimaru, known by the moniker "Calamity Wind."
The simultaneous occurrence of these major events suddenly offered a glimmer of hope to Konoha, which had previously found itself surrounded on all sides and teetering on the edge of disaster.
Reaching an understanding with Kumogakure—the ninja world's second-largest village—meant that the more than ten thousand Konoha shinobi stationed to the north of the Land of Fire could now march south to reinforce Kikyō Pass. Kirigakure's request for peace likewise freed the Konoha troops previously stationed in the southeast, allowing them to throw their full strength into supporting the mountain as well.
In just a few days, more than fifty thousand shinobi from both sides had gathered at Kikyo Pass. An unprecedented large-scale decisive battle was about to take place there.
For a time, thick dark clouds hung over the entire mountain.
However, while the front lines were filled with tension and killing intent, a grand funeral was currently underway in Konoha.
The brutal Third Great Ninja War had claimed the lives of countless unsung shinobi. Many had left this world without even having the chance to leave behind a final message, leaving only the grief and longing of their loved ones, along with their cold names engraved upon Konoha's Memorial Stone.
Standing at the very front of the funeral procession were Konoha's high-ranking officials and the clan heads of its major families.
This was the same group that had attended the Third Hokage's pre-war mobilization meeting three years earlier. Now, quite a few familiar faces were missing, replaced by several new ones.
They were currently observing a collective moment of silence for the shinobi who had fallen in battle against Kumogakure and Kirigakure.
"The ceremony is concluded," Mitokado Homura announced.
Everyone raised their heads, ending the silence.
"Dismissed!"
Uchiha Fugaku slowly lifted his gaze and let out a soft sigh. Many of the old faces had departed—some forever.
"The current head of the Hyūga clan also lost his life in the raid on Kirigakure this time," one shinobi remarked quietly.
The Hyūga clan had long been acknowledged as Konoha's foremost noble house. Even the leader of this most powerful clan had been sacrificed, which spoke volumes about the cruelty of war.
"It's said that every major clan that took part in the Kirigakure raid suffered devastating losses. The Inuzuka and Aburame clans were no exception."
"The Akimichi clan suffered the most heavily. Not only did Akimichi Yoshimaru—the rising star of the Akimichi and a disciple of Jiraiya-sama—fall in battle, but even Elder Akimichi Torifu was killed."
"Sigh... such is the nature of war."
Listening to the conversation between the two shinobi behind him, Fugaku's mood grew even heavier.
In merely three years, nearly half the faces around him had changed. Even Konoha Elder Akimichi Torifu had been lost.
The Sannin had already fractured. Tsunade, the princess of the Senju clan, had left the village on her own, her whereabouts unknown. As for Jiraiya, he had apparently forced himself to fight against Kumogakure despite still-recovering injuries, which only aggravated his condition further.
What puzzled Fugaku, however, was that he had no information whatsoever about how or when Jiraiya-senpai had sustained those original wounds.
"Hizashi, do you know anything about Jiraiya-senpai's condition?" Fugaku asked, turning to the new head of the Hyūga clan, Hyūga Hizashi.
The other man shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Clan Head Fugaku. We have very little information on the matter ourselves."
Genuine ignorance, or a deliberate pretense?
Seeing the sincere look on the man's face, Fugaku already had a fairly good idea. This matter had likely been sealed by the Third Hokage himself.
But why? And just what had actually happened?
Without knowing the full story, any further political maneuvering could unintentionally cross some invisible line…
Fugaku shook his head.
"By the way, Clan Head Fugaku," Hyūga Hizashi suddenly asked, "I heard that your Uchiha clan engaged a Kirigakure shinobi who possessed the Byakugan?"
"…Yes, that's correct," Fugaku admitted after a brief hesitation.
"Would it be possible for you to share the details of what transpired?"
"Shisui!" Fugaku called out to the Uchiha member behind him.
"Yes, sir!" An eleven-year-old boy with a still somewhat youthful and inexperienced appearance stepped forward before the two clan heads.
"This is Uchiha Shisui of our clan. He was the one who directly clashed with that Byakugan-wielding shinobi from Kirigakure," Fugaku explained briefly before turning to Shisui. "Go ahead and describe the situation at the time to Clan Head Hizashi."
Shisui promptly recounted everything that had occurred.
The Kirigakure shinobi in question was named Ao. During the earlier invasion of the Land of Fire, he had obtained a Byakugan from a fallen member of Konoha's Hyūga clan and treasured it as a valuable trophy.
"Regrettably, although my genjutsu proved superior and defeated him, the situation we faced at the time was simply too dire. In the end, he managed to escape."
"What a pity…" Hyūga Hizashi's voice carried a cold edge. "But sooner or later, I will ensure his name appears on Konoha's ANBU assassination list. No one is permitted to desecrate the honored dead of the Hyūga clan…"
Fugaku simply offered a faint smile in response. There had been a time, when he had first become the Uchiha clan head, that he too had burned with such youthful fervor.
However… reality would eventually force even the proudest heads to bow.
In the chaos of war, the loss of those eyes was simply all too common an occurrence.
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