45. Imminent

Uzumaki Kushina, nestled in Sora's arms, dozed off again, her head resting against his chest.

Feeling the steady rhythm of her breathing, Sora felt a surge of energy course through him as if he had been rejuvenated. His steps grew lighter, and a profound sense of happiness filled him, an emotion he couldn't fully describe.

By the time Sora returned to Konoha, the journey felt as though it had passed in the blink of an eye. A part of him sighed inwardly, lamenting how fleeting the moments seemed.

However, the warmth in his expression vanished as he approached the village gates. His demeanour became cold and distant, a clear signal for others to stay away.

The Konoha gate guards noticed Sora carrying Uzumaki Kushina in his arms and quickly surrounded him.

"Sora, what's going on? Why are you returning from outside the village with Uzumaki Kushina?" one of them demanded.

Given the increasing tensions in the village, Konoha had recently implemented stricter protocols requiring all shinobi to register their comings and goings.

Sora's icy gaze swept over the group. His voice was calm but cutting: "Kushina was kidnapped by Kumogakure shinobi inside Konoha. And you're just now noticing?"

"What?!"

The guards were stunned, their eyes widening in disbelief.

It wasn't just the kidnapping itself that shocked them; it was the fact that such a breach had occurred within the village. One of the shinobi immediately broke away from the group, rushing toward the Hokage Residence to report the incident to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The remaining guards tried to question Sora further, but he ignored them, continuing forward without pause.

"Hey, Sora!" one of the guards called out angrily. "We're asking you a question! What's the meaning of just walking away like that?"

Without turning back, Sora replied coldly, "And what would answering you accomplish? As gatekeepers of Konoha, you were completely unaware of what happened. Whether it's incompetence or negligence on your part doesn't matter. Either way, I have no obligation to explain myself—because you're not my superior."

The guards' faces darkened with frustration, but Sora didn't spare them another glance. He walked away, his focus already elsewhere.

Before long, Sora arrived at Uzumaki Mito's mansion.

By this time, Uzumaki Mito had already returned. Having noticed that Kushina, who should have returned from her mission long ago, was missing, she immediately informed Sarutobi Hiruzen of the situation.

Realizing the gravity of the matter, Sarutobi Hiruzen dispatched several Anbu teams to investigate. After questioning Kushina's mission teammates and learning she had left ahead of them, he deduced something was amiss and ordered nearly the entire Anbu unit to search for her.

In the meantime, Uzumaki Mito had stayed at the mansion, anxiously awaiting any news.

When she heard movement at the door, Mito hurried to open it.

The sight of Uzumaki Kushina soundly sleeping in Sora's arms immediately brought relief to her heart. The heavy weight of worry she had been carrying lifted as she exhaled deeply.

Sora stood at the doorway, his expression unreadable. "Lady Mito," he said evenly, "I've brought Kushina back. She's exhausted. Please take her to her room to rest."

Mito stepped forward, carefully taking Kushina into her arms. As she shifted her focus from Kushina to Sora, her sharp eyes took in his dishevelled state. His clothes were torn and burned in several places, clear signs of a fierce battle.

Her expression softened with concern. "Sora, are you injured?" she asked gently.

"I'm not injured," Sora replied calmly. "I must report this matter to Lord Hokage. I'll take my leave now."

He bowed respectfully to Uzumaki Mito and turned to leave.

As Sora's figure disappeared into the distance, Uzumaki Mito's sharp gaze lingered on him, her eyes flickering with an unspoken thought.

Shortly after Sora left the mansion, an Anbu appeared in front of him, emerging silently from the shadows. "Sora, Lord Hokage requests your immediate presence."

Without hesitation, Sora followed the Anbu to the Hokage Building.

Upon entering the Hokage's office, Sora found Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru waiting inside.

Sora bowed respectfully. "Lord Hokage. Sensei Orochimaru."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, his expression grave. "Sora, explain what happened."

Without omitting any details, Sora recounted the events: Kushina's kidnapping, the battle with the Kumogakure shinobi, and her eventual rescue.

As Sora spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened. Beside him, Orochimaru's normally calm demeanour grew serious.

After Sora finished, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, what do you make of this?"

Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed as he spoke in his distinct, gravelly tone. "One thing is certain—enemy shinobi have already infiltrated Konoha. Without someone on the inside, they couldn't have kidnapped Kushina so easily."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face grew more sombre. "It seems they're growing bolder. We can't afford to ignore this."

Sora then added, "Lord Hokage, I've brought back the heads of the three Kumogakure ninjas."

He retrieved a scroll from his pouch and handed it to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Sarutobi's eyes lit up slightly, a flicker of approval crossing his face. "Well done, Sora. With their heads, our Sensing Unit can analyze the memories stored in their brains and uncover valuable information."

Without delay, Sarutobi summoned an Anbu and ordered them to deliver the scroll to the Sensing Unit for analysis.

Sora then continued his report. "Hokage-sama, there's another matter I need to address. While carrying out a mission to eliminate pirates, I encountered three ninjas in their ranks.

"Though their identities were unclear, I suspected they intended to infiltrate the Land of Fire. Instead of killing them, I captured them alive."

Sora formed a hand seal, summoning the White Snake with the Summoning Technique.

The snake appeared in a puff of smoke, its body coiling before Sora.

"White Snake, spit out the three ninjas," Sora ordered.

"Of course, Master Sora," the snake replied.

Its belly squirmed unnaturally as it opened its mouth and expelled the three captured ninjas. Unfortunately, the one whose spine Sora had severed was crushed to death within the confined space of the snake's body.

The other two, however, were alive and conscious.

The moment the two survivors saw Sora, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Orochimaru staring at them, terror swept over their faces. They instinctively retreated, their fear evident.

Sarutobi summoned another Anbu, who immediately took custody of the three ninjas. The deceased one was sent to the Sensing Unit for memory analysis, while the two survivors were handed over to the Torture and Interrogation Department.

Sarutobi Hiruzen then turned toward the large map on his desk. "Sora," he said, "show me where you encountered these pirates."

Sora stepped forward and pointed to a specific location.

The moment Sarutobi saw where Sora indicated, his eyes narrowed.

Orochimaru's voice broke the silence, smooth but laced with tension. "It seems… Kirigakure is making its move as well."

The spot Sora had marked was near the Land of Waves, which bordered the Land of Water to the east.

While there was no direct connection between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves, the latter shared a strong alliance with the Land of Water. Kirigakure's ninjas would almost certainly pass through the Land of Waves to reach the Fire Country's coastline.

Sarutobi's expression darkened further, his worry etched into his features. The prospect of Kirigakure joining the fray was grim news.

"If Kirigakure is involved, it means four of the five major ninja villages—Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and now Kirigakure—are moving against Konoha," Sarutobi muttered, his voice heavy with the weight of the realization.

Orochimaru's smirk was faint but bitter. "If war breaks out, Konoha will find itself facing an alliance of enemies that could engulf the entire Land of Fire."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded grimly. "This would be no ordinary conflict. It would threaten not just Konoha but the entire Fire Country. We must prepare for the worst."

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