Chapter 64: War

The dead leaves slowly fell, gently touching the ground, making a few faint and crisp sounds. These subtle sounds were like raindrops dripping into the hearts of Kushina and the others...

The cold air in the air, accompanied by the breeze, brushed across the skin like a sharp blade, bringing waves of chill.

Kushina raised her head unconsciously, and the eyes of Jiuhe beside her seemed somewhat blank at this moment.

Whether far or near, the shrill cat cries seemed particularly sharp and piercing in this silent environment, like the harsh sound of chalk scratching on a blackboard, making people feel uncomfortable.

The fallen leaves on the ground rolled a few times in the wind, as if inadvertently separating Yue Le from Shuimen and the other two.

It seemed as if they had gone on different paths without knowing when.

"why?"

"..."

Yue Le turned around and looked at the people with different expressions at this time. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth rose, revealing a gentle and bright smile. This smile was like the warm sunshine in spring, warm and kind...

Just like before, nothing seems to have changed...

However, only they themselves know that under this seemingly unchanged appearance, there are already too many changes and helplessness hidden. Their friendship has not changed,

...It's just that the path is different...

"The war is about to begin, everyone, be prepared, but... don't die!"

Turning around, he did not explain to them why he killed Grandma Midori, but out of consideration for his friends, he still revealed to them the information he got from Danzo.

Minato and the others are his very good friends, and they are also the anchor of his salvation. Even though his path is different from theirs, deep down he still doesn't want to see any of his friends encounter misfortune or accident.

After hearing Yue Le's last words, Minato's eyes flashed with a look of realization. Among the four people, he was the one who had the least contact with Miyoko. As a semi-outsider, what he could observe was naturally different from others, and he could look at the problem in a more rational way.

Patting Kushina's shoulder gently, Minato sighed.

At this moment, Yue Le had already left and disappeared into the night, leaving the three of them standing there thinking about the profound meaning of the words just now.

After Minato finished his analysis, the atmosphere became dull again. Everyone was silent, standing there motionless as if they had their own thoughts.

Kushina raised her head and looked at the yellow horned tree in front of her which had become somewhat dry in just a few days, with memories in her eyes. Grandma Midori did not have a tombstone, or rather, the yellow horned tree in front of her was her tombstone.

As night fell, the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its silver light on the earth. Accompanied by the sounds of frogs, insects, and birds, Jiujiu and the other two began to look for Ah Hua's traces...

Ah Hua, ever since she broke free from Yue Le's arms that day, has never appeared in anyone's sight again.

"did you find it?"

"No..."

"No..."

"Ahua, where are you..."

Suddenly, a nimble and agile figure jumped out from the grass in front like lightning, and climbed up the branches of Huangjiaoya at an astonishing speed. That was the direction where Midoriko's grandmother was buried.

Then, the figure lowered its head and looked down at Minato and others who noticed it.

“Meow~~”

A clear and familiar cat's cry came into people's ears.

"Ahua? Ahua!" Kushina's face was filled with surprise and worry.

At this time, Ah Hua looked a little thin, with an inexplicable wild charm. As a pet cat who has been spoiled and pampered since childhood.

After a few days of training in the wild, Ah Hua has obviously gradually adapted to this new living environment. You know, it is a noble jade-faced raccoon dog!

Under the cover of night, Ah Hua's pupils flickered with a faint green light, like two mysterious gems. The aura it exuded was no longer as gentle and kind as before, but was filled with a wild flavor.

"Ahua, come with me!"

Jiuhe opened his arms, his eyes showing endless expectation. The figure with green pupils on the yellow horn tree was clearly reflected in his pale pupils.

Ah Hua licked her hair gently, just stared at the three people below silently, and turned her head slightly to express her refusal.

Then, it rubbed its furry head gently against the yellow-horned eagle next to it, with deep attachment.

"Meow~~~"

With a mournful and gentle hum, as if it was reluctance or farewell, it leaped lightly and landed on the ground.

At this time, several wild cats with dim light in their eyes walked out from the bushes not far away.

"Meow~"

Ah Hua whimpered softly towards her companions, and finally turned her head to look at Kushina and Hisahi, and left with her companions, disappearing into the vast night...

Today is a day of farewell...

..........

As Yue Le said, the shadow of war gradually enveloped the earth, and the Iwagakure Village became the fuse that ignited this storm.

Tensions between the two sides are growing as skirmishes escalate along the border.

However, what was unexpected was that the Iwagakure Village, which had been claiming to resolve the problem peacefully, suddenly revealed its ugly face and launched an attack, wiping out more than a dozen Konoha border teams in one fell swoop.

They advanced like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, penetrating dozens of miles into the border of the Fire Nation.

Such blatant and reckless acts of aggression have undoubtedly completely angered Konoha Village. Faced with such provocation and aggression, war is inevitable!

So, the Konoha Village began to make intensive preparations.

In the Hokage's office, after careful consideration, Sarutobi Hiruzen appointed Orochimaru as the commander-in-chief and Nara Shikakyo as the chief of staff, and also sent Tsunade and Jiraiya to assist in the battle.

Thousands of ninjas quickly assembled and set out within a day, rushing to the front line of the Fire Country in a mighty force.

It is worth mentioning that Hatake Sakumo did not appear on the list of players going on the expedition.

As the White Fang of Konoha, a legendary figure that the enemies were terrified of, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew his importance. Therefore, he specially arranged for him to stay in Konoha to prevent the cunning Sand Village from taking the opportunity to make trouble and bring unnecessary trouble to Konoha.

After all, in the face of external temptations, showing military force is one thing, but necessary defensive forces are also extremely important. Any negligence may lead to catastrophic consequences.

With Hatake Sakumo guarding the rear, Sarutobi Hiruzen could lead his army out with confidence and fully deal with the life-and-death battle before him.

Konoha's enemies have never been just the Iwagakure Village...

Time flies, and several years have passed since the Second World War.

The five major countries regained their vitality and strength. At this time, a new generation of young people also grew up like mushrooms after rain and gradually became the pillars of the village.

War is always a touchstone of cruelty and ruthlessness.

But this is the role of the touchstone. Despite the large number of deaths, for the top leaders of various countries, as long as one or more elites can be cultivated, all the sacrifices are worth it.

After all, in a world where the strong prey on the weak, only those with strong power can dominate their destiny.

This war is unavoidable. As long as other countries still harbor the ambition of hegemony and want to devour the fat piece of meat of the Fire Nation, war is only a matter of time.

Many people are well aware of this, including Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo, who see it very clearly.

What they didn't expect was that the Hidden Rock Village was so eager to stir up trouble. Haha, are they afraid that the new generation of the village will really grow up?

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood on the top of the Hokage's office building, with his hands behind his back and his other hand holding a pipe, puffing away leisurely. The smoke rose up, as if carrying his thoughts far away.

He stared in the direction of the Land of Earth and the Hidden Iwagakure Village with a deep and firm look, as if there was a person there who was looking at him across the village.

"Old man... you can't help it..."

Behind him were the captains and vice-captains of the Anbu.

"Since you want to play, then come on. War can't be ended just because you want it to..."

The voice was low and powerful, as if suppressing endless determination and pride.

It seems like he hasn't been this heroic for a long time?

Ever since my teacher sacrificed himself to protect me and others from retreating, ever since I put on this robe, ever since time has carved traces on my face...

He chuckled. The peace that Konoha had worked so hard to maintain lasted only a few short years, and now it was once again drawn into the vortex of war.

But fortunately, the younger generation of Konoha has now entered a stage where their strength is rapidly improving. Let this cruel war become an opportunity for them to grow thoroughly and be baptized!

The captains of the Anbu behind him were silent, but their eyes were still firm. When the war came, it was not only Orochimaru and the frontline troops who shouldered the heavy responsibility. As the elites of the Anbu, they also had their own missions to complete.

"Yuele will also go with the Root Team."

Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind, interrupting Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts.

He turned around and saw Danzo leading several Root ninjas. Watanabe Ao and Yamanaka Kaze and other close followers followed closely behind, obviously having already prepared for this action.

As the Dark Lord of Konoha, Danzo would not stand idly by in the face of such a situation. He knew the importance of this war and understood that now was not the time to be petty.

"After this battle, the name of Yuele Fengniao will surely be feared throughout the ninja world!"

Danzo's words revealed his trust and expectations for Yuele.

"The Wind Bird... hehe... where will the other kids lag behind? Konoha will once again be famous in the ninja world"

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled, feeling a surge of pride in his heart. He believed that after this fierce battle, not only Yuele, but many young ninjas in Konoha Village would stand out and become famous.

Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, Hyuga Hisawa, Uchiha Seikaze, the children of the Ino-Shika-Chou family, and the new generation of other families...

"Seeing them is like seeing our past selves, isn't it?"

Once upon a time, the second Hokage Senju Tobirama accepted several of his disciples, including himself, Shimura Danzo, Mito Kado En, Utatane Koharu, Uchiha Kagami, Akimichi Tofu...