While others marched in formation, Alaric took to the skies—and the battlefield moved one step closer to chaos.
"Damn it—how did I forget I was going to war?!"
Seeing the sun already high overhead, Alaric shot upright in bed.
He hurried through his wash, irritation written all over his face.
Last night, he'd been fired up, fully prepared to head straight to the battlefield.
But after getting home…
Izumi had insisted they soak in the hot springs together.
Then soaking turned into her offering to scrub his back.
And somehow—
She'd started copying that Yukiko-style technique she'd learned.
Even though Alaric was only ten years old, the comfort had been… unreal.
"Alaric-sama," Izumi had asked softly back then,
"Does it feel… good?"
Her cheeks had been faintly red, her body tense,
yet her hands hadn't stopped—slowly, carefully, moving from top to bottom.
By the time they returned to bed,
Alaric's mind kept replaying the sensation again and again—
And without realizing it, he'd fallen asleep.
Which was exactly why he'd slept all the way until late morning.
"Unacceptable!"
"I'm only ten!"
"And I've already been wounded by beauty!"
"I actually slept through something as important as going to war?!"
He clenched his fists.
"From today onward—"
"I swear off hot springs!"
Izumi stared at him in silence.
…That's it?
You're not going to mention the beauty part at all?
Ignoring her look, Alaric strode into the courtyard.
The moment he appeared, Uchiha Itachi and the others—who'd been waiting for ages—finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He's up.
We can finally leave.
"Alaric-sama, we can—"
"WHAT THE—?!"
Before Itachi could finish his sentence, the world flipped upside down.
Alaric didn't say a single word.
He bent his knees—
And shot straight into the sky.
Yes.
He flew.
Straight up.
A sonic boom cracked the air as his figure vanished into the clouds in the blink of an eye.
The courtyard fell dead silent.
"…Uh."
"…So what now?"
"Do we… still protect him?"
No one answered.
What were they supposed to protect?
The man just flew.
With that kind of ability, who in the battlefield could even touch him?
Protect him my ass—
He didn't need protection. He had air superiority.
After a long, awkward pause, they noticed Izumi approaching with five Uchiha jōnin, clearly preparing to depart as well.
"You're… heading to the front lines too?" someone asked.
"Of course," Izumi replied calmly.
That settled it.
Itachi and the others stopped hesitating and followed along.
Their mission was to protect Alaric—
Even if the person they were supposed to protect had already left them behind.
The two groups merged, traveling at full speed.
Yet the atmosphere along the way was indescribably strange.
No one spoke.
Every single shinobi wore the same expression:
What the hell did we just see?
Fire Country Border — Front Line
Thanks to thorough preparation and fully mobilized supplies,
Uchiha Fugaku led Konoha's allied forces to the border at remarkable speed.
In the distance—
Kumogakure's camp was already fully established.
It was obvious they were gearing up for a real war.
Fugaku didn't hesitate.
He immediately ordered Konoha's forces to begin constructing their own camp,
while dispatching multiple reconnaissance squads toward the Cloud encampment.
To be safe, he embedded Hyūga clan members into every scouting team.
With the Byakugan watching over the battlefield, Konoha held an overwhelming advantage in intelligence.
And more importantly—
It made sneak attacks virtually impossible.
You couldn't even get close before being spotted.
With the Hyūga's support, Konoha's camp took shape rapidly.
Soon after, Fugaku gathered the commanders inside the main tent.
"Everyone," he said, voice steady,
"War is about seizing the initiative."
"I propose we strike first—"
"Hit Kumogakure before they're ready."
"They won't expect us to attack the moment our camp is complete."
"What do you think?"
The tent erupted with nods of agreement.
Even Nara Shikaku, ever the strategist, raised no objections.
Fugaku's actions since arriving at the front had been flawless.
There was no reason to doubt his judgment now.
Seeing unanimous support, Fugaku felt something ignite in his chest.
This—
This was what it meant to stand with the village.
In the clan, there were always dissenting voices.
But here?
Here, he was trusted.
Respected.
A fierce ambition burned in his heart.
"Good!" Fugaku declared.
"Relay the order to all divisions!"
"The moment the camp is fully established—"
"We launch the offensive!"
The commanders dispersed to prepare.
As Uchiha Fugaku stood alone for a moment, his gaze hardened.
This war wasn't just about victory.
It was about something more.
About proving—
That the Uchiha name still carried weight.
That its glory would resound across the ninja world once more.
"Reforge Uchiha glory," he whispered.
"We cannot fail."
Kumogakure Camp
While Konoha bustled with preparation, Kumogakure's side was still waiting.
Although squads continued to arrive, the main force hadn't fully assembled yet.
As a result, they couldn't launch a proper assault.
For now, they were limited to small harassment teams crossing into Fire Country.
The first to arrive—
Yugito Nii and Killer B—
Remained stationed in the camp.
As jinchūriki, they were essentially living nuclear weapons.
Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't unleash their tailed beasts.
They were waiting for the Fourth Raikage to arrive.
Watching Konoha's camp rise so quickly, even they felt a hint of surprise.
"Looks like a large-scale battle's coming tomorrow," Yugito said quietly.
"Will Raikage-sama make it in time?"
Killer B grinned, utterly relaxed.
"Idiot! Fool!"
"Of course he will! Yo!"
"Big bro never misses his cue!"
"Tomorrow we break through Fire Country—are you okay?!"
Listening to his bizarre rap, Yugito's eye twitched.
She decided it was better not to respond.
"…Let's go," she said.
"We should prepare for tomorrow."
The two jinchūriki turned and left.
And not long after—
In the darkness beyond the camp—
Konoha's forces began to move.
Silently.
Relentlessly.
Closing in on Kumogakure's position.
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