High above the clouds, Anna Uzumaki clutched her daughter's hand, her steps unsteady on the soft surface. Though the cloud beneath her feet felt secure, her heart pounded at the thought of falling from such a height.
By contrast, little Karin showed none of her mother's fear. With the boldness of a child untouched by danger, she lay flat on her stomach and peered down at the patchwork of mountains and rivers far below, her ruby eyes sparkling with wonder.
"Karin! That's rude... and dangerous!" Anna scolded sharply, her voice edged with panic.
Gen chuckled at the contrast. "It's fine. Children are supposed to be lively. And besides there's no danger here. Even if she fell, Kyouki would catch her."
Karin stuck her tongue out at her mother, then chirped brightly, "See? Lord Gen is so nice. Almost as nice as Mom!"
Anna sighed, half exasperated, half helpless, while Gen only smiled, letting the moment pass without further comment.
Kyouki glided forward swiftly, its speed far surpassing any horse or cart. The Land of Grass was small, and soon the sprawling Konoha encampment came into view beneath them.
Gen guided the cloud down to the outskirts, stepping lightly onto the ground and leading the mother and daughter toward the fortified gates.
The atmosphere changed instantly. The air around the camp was heavy, saturated with the cold steel of killing intent. Soldiers sharpened kunai, repaired armor, and moved with a grim focus that spoke of recent battles and the expectation of more.
Anna and Karin instinctively fell silent, keeping close to Gen's side.
With the deputy commander himself escorting them, no one dared question their passage. Gen arranged for the Uzumaki mother and child to stay at the front-line hospital, personally teaching Anna the method of chakra refinement along with a few fundamentals of medical ninjutsu before leaving them in the care of the staff.
On the surface, he returned to his tent to rest. In truth, he slipped away via Flying Thunder God Technique, reappearing in Gangmen Town for leisure and distraction.
To him, the war might be unrelenting, but it didn't mean one should abandon the things that kept the spirit sharp.
Anna and Karin quickly settled into their new lives. With Gen's endorsement, everyone in the hospital treated them warmly. Anna spent her days practicing chakra control and learning basic healing techniques while lending a hand with whatever simple tasks she could manage. Their bellies were full, their clothes were clean, and for the first time in years, they slept without fear of bandits or starvation.
The hospital itself sat behind the camp's core defenses, well-protected unless the entire Konoha army were to collapse, a scenario few thought likely.
Days passed peacefully. A week later, far to the east, the envoy from Iwagakure finally succeeded in persuading Kirigakure to send forces. Their arrangements had been handled with such secrecy that Konoha and Sunagakure's spies detected nothing until Mist-nin sailed from their docks.
When the information reached Sunagakure, their scouts barely reacted, reporting it routinely. In fact, some of them smirked in private, amused at the misfortune they believed Konoha was about to suffer.
Even Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, allowed himself a flash of schadenfreude. To him, the Land of Wind was far from Konoha's struggles, and the idea of the Leaf bleeding further resources suited him fine.
But Konoha's spies didn't shrug it off. The moment they confirmed the reports, they rushed word back to the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply at the news. "Kirigakure again? They were defeated not long ago, yet they still want another war. Do they truly not fear extinction?"
He could not fathom the Hidden Mist's motives. Konoha's struggles would only worsen their own. Still, orders were issued: border troops were to keep watch along the shores of the Whirlpool Country and prepare for enemy landings.
Yet days of vigilance yielded nothing. Not a single Mist-nin appeared on those coasts.
Instead, the Kirigakure forces crossed the seas and mountains westward, launching a surprise raid against Sunagakure's border outposts.
The strike force numbered only a thousand, too small for large-scale war, but enough to harry Suna's defenses. It wasn't that Obito lacked ambition; he simply couldn't push the Mist elders further.
They had agreed to only a limited war, and this was the most he could manage.
Thus, all Five Great Nations were now drawn into conflict. Though the scale was modest compared to past wars, the tension had the distinct flavor of another Shinobi World War in the making.
The nobles remained detached, war rarely touched their palaces directly. At worst, they lost some revenue or prestige. The true burden, as always, fell on the civilians and merchants.
To them, war meant chaos, danger, and death.
…
When Rasa and the Suna Council received reports of the surprise attack, they were dumbfounded.
"Not striking Konoha, but striking us? Have they lost their minds?"
But realization soon dawned; Iwagakure was behind this maneuver.
Enraged, they dispatched Chiyo to lead their response and quickly informed the Konoha envoy of their intention to pull some troops back from the joint front.
The envoy firmly rejected the idea, reminding them of the binding terms of their alliance.
Pressed, the Suna elders shifted tactics, avoiding mention of the agreement. Instead, they pleaded poverty, claiming their treasury could not sustain two simultaneous campaigns. If Konoha wanted their continued support, they would need financial concessions.
The envoy recognized the ploy but could only relay it to the village.
Back in Konoha, Hiruzen gathered his old comrades.
Danzo snarled at the idea of giving Sunagakure more support. "They're opportunists. Feeding them only makes them hungrier."
Koharu countered, "They are allies on the front. A small price is worth the stability."
Homura shrugged, seeing merit in both positions. Hiruzen himself hesitated, unable to decide, and the matter was tabled.
Two days later, the true bombshell dropped; Iwagakure formally announced its alliance with Kirigakure.
The entire Shinobi World reeled.
Sunagakure was livid, finally realizing the trap they had walked into. Their hatred for Iwa burned hotter than ever, but there was nothing they could do except adjust.
After furious debate, Rasa and his council resolved to lean further into their alliance with Konoha, demanding more concessions but without breaking ties.
Konoha's envoy, squeezed by mounting pressure, relayed the demands once more.
The leadership in the Leaf now faced an impossible balance; extend the war too long, and their coffers would bleed dry; withdraw too soon, and they risked enemies unpunished and prestige lost. What they truly needed was recovery time, years to restore their strength before the inevitable Fourth Great Ninja War.
The scars of the last war were still raw. Even then, it hadn't been the whole world united against Konoha but it had felt like it.
After much debate, consensus was reached.
Better to yield. Give Sunagakure enough benefits to keep them strong against Iwa and Kiri, and make sure the bargain was enticing enough that they could not refuse.
When the decision reached Rasa, the Kazekage could scarcely believe it. Konoha was willing to return a portion of its mission shares.
That offer alone transformed the mood in Suna. Mission contracts were the lifeblood of any Hidden Village, their primary and most stable source of income. It wasn't just money, it was security, long-term and renewable.
The Suna council pressed eagerly for negotiations, only to hear from Konoha's envoy that the final terms were not his to settle. That authority lay with the commanders on the front lines.
The official explanation was diplomatic; only those fighting the war firsthand could gauge its true value in missions and blood.
But the truth was simpler. Konoha's elders knew Suna's young leaders, Baki and Pakura, lacked the standing to bargain hard against the likes of Gen and the other senior Konoha commanders.
If Suna wanted their share, they would have to accept it on Konoha's terms.