Naruto Birdcage

The wind on the winter night was very cold.

Makoto stood outside Ayari's door for just a moment before the door opened.

Ayari was holding Spi in her arms, wearing only a nightgown.

Her long hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and she appeared to have just gotten out of bed, her expression showing a hint of fragility that made one instinctively feel a sense of tenderness.

Makoto had come later than usual today, and Ayari had already planned to go to sleep.

"It's really cold outside," Makoto said as he walked over to the sofa and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"It's so late, why are you still coming here?" Ayari couldn't help but ask.

"Only at night do I especially want to see you," Makoto replied.

Ayari sat down opposite him and, upon hearing that, averted her gaze.

"Can't you be a little more serious?"

Makoto drank a few sips of hot tea, feeling the chill on his body fade away.

He made a content sound.

He then asked, "Do you know about the war?"

Ayari froze for a moment. "With who?"

"Kumogakure. They're probably still unwilling to accept defeat from the Third Shinobi World War and have now returned again."

Upon hearing this, Ayari suddenly had an ominous thought.

"You won't..."

"I'm going to the battlefield tomorrow."

"…"

Ayari's heart tightened, and she stared at Makoto, her eyes flickering restlessly.

"But... aren't you supposed to be helping Lord Orochimaru with official duties? Why are you going to the battlefield?"

"Someone has to go," Makoto said casually.

He looked at Ayari and smiled again. "What, are you going to miss me?"

For such a frivolous comment, Ayari, this time, remained silent and lowered her head.

"Mm..."

Makoto suddenly heard her soft response and couldn't help but pause in surprise.

Ayari gently lifted her head to glance at him, then quickly lowered it again, her face flushed.

The barrier between them had long been gone, and Ayari wasn't sure what she was holding back.

She didn't resist Makoto in her heart, but she feared that being with him might lead to some unpredictable situations she wasn't ready to face.

"I... don't want anything to happen to you."

The teacup on the table was still steaming, and the living room was quiet, only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.

Ayari sat there quietly, a few strands of hair falling down.

The warm light from the lamp illuminated both of their faces, and in that hazy glow, Makoto felt a breathtaking beauty that left him stunned.

She had awakened Spi, who had been resting in her arms.

Spi looked up at the two of them, sensing something, and then hurriedly left the scene.

Makoto slowly stood up from the sofa and walked over to Ayari.

Ayari's body stiffened, not daring to look at him, but she mustered the courage to meet his eyes, trying to convey her emotions with her gaze, as soft and fiery as water and fire combined.

She wanted him to understand, to know.

She was waiting, and also inviting.

The lights in the room were turned off, and the sky was very dark.

Now and then, one or two stars pierced the Milky Way, either sliding into the darkness or leaving behind a red or white tail of light, bringing a touch of turbulence to the sky and flickering bursts to the darkness.

.........

In the morning, Makoto arrived on time outside the gates of Konoha, where many ninjas had already gathered.

Konoha's current military strength was very small, with no more than 2,000 people in total.

In history, Konoha had never been weakened to this extent, and now, it was about to face one of the Five Great Nations—Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning, which was equally powerful.

"Makoto-kun." Fugaku, who had arrived early, greeted Makoto as he saw him.

Behind Makoto were Hakumen, Kakashi, Guy, and others.

In addition to the ninjas waiting here, there were also many carts carrying war supplies, weapons, rations, medical supplies, and more.

Makoto met with some of the mid-level leaders in the group and thoroughly inspected the entire formation before officially departing from the village.

On the main street inside the village, many villagers had come out on their own to see them off.

Makoto scanned the crowd and saw a familiar figure—Anko.

"Let's depart."

The large army set off toward the distant horizon, with the carts kicking up dust.

The silhouettes of the ninjas disappeared into the dust.

The village was not far from the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, and even without stopping, it only took half a day's journey for Makoto and the others.

The main reason for the slow pace was the limited speed of the carts in the convoy.

Otherwise, if they were all ninjas, the time could have been halved.

Makoto and Fugaku arrived in the afternoon, and the advance team from the previous day had already prepared the camp for them.

The army was stationed within the Land of Fire's borders, and the Konoha ninjas who had come to greet them led them into the camp.

What arrived earlier than them were the supplies from the Daimyo.

"It seems troublesome," Makoto muttered quietly.

Fugaku nodded gravely in agreement.

Guy and Kakashi, who were beside them, were puzzled.

Guy quietly asked Kakashi what was going on, and Kakashi shook his head.

"Kumogakure has already breached the border defenses and infiltrated our territory. It seems Minato and the others couldn't make it in time yesterday."

The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning were not neighboring countries, with many smaller nations lying between them.

Konoha's camp within the Land of Fire's borders meant that the enemy had already entered the country.

Makoto and Fugaku's troops gradually entered the camp, which had only been set up temporarily for the night.

It was expected that the camp would need to be expanded soon.

Makoto saw Shikaku, while Minato was leading a team outside on a mission, as diligent as ever.

"Thank you both for your hard work," Shikaku said to Makoto and Fugaku.

Makoto exchanged pleasantries with him before entering the main tent.

Inside, many eyes turned toward him.

All those present were adults, and Makoto, a mere teenager, seemed out of place.

Moreover, Makoto held a significant status: the head of the Hyuga clan, as well as Orochimaru's right-hand man.

Earlier, he had been in charge of all the administrative affairs in the village, and many people had interacted with him and were aware of his competence in handling matters.

But this was the battlefield.

Why was this young man here? It was said that he was still just a Chunin.

Although many thoughts lingered in their minds, everyone still wore smiles on their faces and respectfully addressed him as "Makoto-dono" or "Makoto-kun."

A few people remained silent, but Makoto didn't pay them any mind.

Makoto asked, "Shikaku-senpai, could you tell us about the current situation?"

Shikaku paused for a moment before replying, "When we arrived yesterday, the border ninjas had all been fallen. A Kumo ninja squad has likely entered our territory, but we don't know where they went. We've contacted various cities and towns, and once we receive any intelligence, they'll notify us immediately. Minato has also led a team to search for the whereabouts of this Kumo ninja squad."

Shikaku motioned for everyone to gather around the map placed on the table, pointing out several locations marked on it as potential hiding spots.

"What about the enemy outside the border?" Makoto asked again.

"How many troops did the Kumo send?"

Shikaku shook his head.

"We sent out reconnaissance ninjas this morning, but they haven't returned yet."

Makoto thought to himself.

Even if the number was on the lower end, there were likely over 5,000 ninjas.

The Konoha front had only around 1,000 ninjas...

The most important point was that Kumogakure had a perfect jinchuriki, unlike the two "mascots" of Konoha.

If Konoha deployed its jinchuriki to the battlefield, there would be too many unstable factors.

Makoto couldn't help but sigh, realizing just how difficult the situation was.

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