When I returned from border patrol. It was already beyond winter harvest. The kids had grown up considerably. I didn't even recognize some of them. It's strange how fast they grow up. Especially in this world.
My four lieutenants were giving me their report. Not much had changed since I left. And it did not change much in the following few months till my second Transmigration day. Till then, it was just missions and learning and repeating. With my Birthday serving as a celebration again. Only change was that my refinement technique now had 4 out of 5 upgrades done. I was collecting 1800SS for upgrading and the final step towards opening the special panel.
Mystical palm and Storage scroll were still a work in progress. But with the upgrade, I could feel it. I was very near to figuring out the storage scroll. Once that happened. I won't have to bother too much about tag production. One storage scroll was worth hundreds of thousands of Ryo. I had good enough control over Mystical Palm. What was lacking was my medical knowledge to use it on various parts. I had learnt the basics of medical ninjutsu from the village hospital. The hospital had been ecstatic to see a potential colleague emerge and had invited me to join them for proper studies. I politely declined, stating that years of study are not suitable for my life goals as a clan head. They weren't too happy but didn't push much.
-----
I was sitting in the courtyard when an Anbu appeared out of nowhere, his porcelain mask glinting in the light.
"Lord Hokage has urgently summoned your team."
Huh? Why?
The question rose to my lips but died there. No point asking — Anbu never explained more than they had to.
I called out to Sayo, who was just returning from basic shinobi drills, and left immediately for the tower.
The summons wasn't for a small debriefing room. We were herded into one of the largest briefing halls I had ever seen — a space that seemed to swallow light and echo every footstep. The chamber was vast, lined with polished wood and engraved stone, with high windows letting in slivers of sunlight that did little to warm the cold air. Rows upon rows of shinobi filled the space: jonin with sharp, calculating eyes; chunin standing rigid as if carved from stone; and dozens of genin shifting nervously, whispering to each other in low, uncertain tones.
Four elite jonin stood at the front, a silent, immovable wall of authority. Their faces were unreadable, but the weight they carried pressed down on everyone in the room. Even from where I stood, I could feel the gravity of their presence.
I located my squad amidst the crowd — our Rina and Souta grimly huddled behind our Sensei, trying to gauge the situation. The air between us was thick, heavy with an unspoken understanding. No one needed to say it aloud: you didn't call this many shinobi unless something was gravely wrong.
A cold unease crept up my spine, crawling beneath my skin. The murmurs around me were quiet, almost reverent, but every glance toward the front of the hall reinforced the same thought. This wasn't a routine assembly. Not a training update, not a mission briefing for border patrol. This was an emergency deployment, something serious enough to mobilize a force that could fill the hall twice over.
And yet… where? And why now?
Questions bounced from shinobi to shinobi, unanswered, as we waited. Even the normally chatty genin fell silent under the collective weight of anticipation. My fingers itched near the straps of my pack, but I didn't move. I didn't dare. Something about the sheer scale of the gathering made every second stretch, every heartbeat a drum of warning.
From what I remembered of history, Konoha wasn't supposed to see another major conflict for years.
The heavy doors creaked open.
All chatter stopped as the Hokage entered, flanked by his entourage — the crisp swish of robes, the muted thud of sandals on wood. Behind him, I recognized a few of the Leaf's top brass… and one face that stood out instantly. Not for her golden hair or her eyes — but, well, let's just say her chest's reputation preceded her.
Tsunade Senju.
The Slug Princess. The legend. The woman I had only ever seen on screen.
Seeing her here, alive and vibrant, sent an odd thrill through me — until the mood of the room pulled me back.
The Hokage took his place at the front. Hiruzen's presence had a gravity that silenced even the fidgety genin. When he finally spoke, his voice carried across the hall like the crack of a staff on stone.
"I know you are all tense and curious," he began, tone grim. "So let us not waste time with pleasantries. Time is of the essence."
"Word has just come through Anbu Foundation. Our allies — the Uzumaki Clan, of the Land of Whirlpools — are under attack. Multiple nations have launched a coordinated strike."
A murmur rippled through the ranks. The Uzumaki? Our sealing masters. Konoha's closest kin. I, on the other hand, focused on an entirely different part. The demise of the clan had nothing to do with me. The Anbu Foundation. That was a problem I will have to face, eventually. I was right, Root hadn't been established yet. It was still called Anbu Foundation, like it had been called after its establishment during the war. But the news coming from them means that Danzo was already strong enough to do operations away from Hiruzen's eyes. Everyone knew Danzo had a hand in the fall of that great clan.
"You have been called here as an emergency dispatch force," the Hokage continued, cutting through the whispers. "Your task is to reinforce our allies and secure their evacuation if possible. You will move within the hour."
That was all it took for the tension to break.
The room erupted into disciplined chaos — captains checking gear, orders shouted, runners dispatched.
I just stood there, cold realization sinking in.
The fall of Uzushiogakure — the event that changed everything — was happening now.
And I was standing in the middle of it.
-----
The Village Gates — Reinforcement Force Briefing
The afternoon sun hung heavy and low, painting the horizon in hues of fire and smoke. Rows upon rows of shinobi stood ready — flak jackets gleaming, headbands tightened, scrolls and weapons secured. The air was thick with unspoken tension.
Tsunade stood at the front beside a few elite jonin and Hiruzen's ANBU guard. Her arms were crossed, her expression grim — gone was the easy arrogance of youth. The woman before them was every inch the granddaughter of the First Hokage, her voice steady, sharp, and commanding.
Tsunade:
"Listen up, all of you!"
The murmuring died instantly.
"The situation in Uzushiogakure is worse than you've heard. The village is under siege from multiple fronts — the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and even elements from the Mist have joined in. They're not after territory. They're after what the Uzumaki guard — their sealing arts, their knowledge, their bloodline."
She paused, scanning the crowd — there was a flicker of something softer in her eyes before her tone hardened again.
"They stood beside us when this village was still nothing but wooden palisades and dreams. They helped us seal our greatest threat — the Nine-Tails itself. Many of you wouldn't even be alive today without their work and their sacrifice."
A ripple of recognition moved through the ranks. Some older shinobi bow their heads.
"We owe them."
Her voice rose.
"You are not going there to play hero. You are going there to hold the line. To evacuate civilians, to protect scrolls, to get every last Uzumaki you can out of there. If you die, you die doing your duty — not throwing yourself away."
She steps forward, lowering her tone slightly — more personal, almost weary.
"I've lost enough comrades in this war. Don't make me bury more because you wanted to be remembered as brave. Be smart. Be ruthless. Be shinobis of Konoha."
The wind picked up; her blonde hair whipped across her shoulders as she turned toward the road ahead — Towards the Land of Whirlpools
"Move out!"
The squads leaped into motion, the thunder of sandals against stone echoing through the gates — and for a moment, Konoha breathed as one.
They were all tense. All except me. And why won't they be? After all, they were preparing for battle. A battle I knew they'll show up too late for.