11 - Prelude to the Kannabi Bridge
"Lord Third, all the intelligence from the Stone Village is here."
Konoha, the Hokage Building.
The heart of the village, its most vital stronghold.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wore a grave expression as he pored over the scroll, determined not to miss a single word.
This was critical intel from the front lines, bought with the lives of countless Konoha spies…
The Stone Village had made their move.
And not just them—ninja villages from the other three great nations were mobilizing troops as well.
War… was looming once again.
Hiruzen instinctively took a drag from his pipe. After a swirl of smoke, the room filled with a hazy cloud.
"White Fang, what's your take?"
After a long pause, Hiruzen suddenly addressed the other person in the room.
A imposing man stood there, sharp as a honed blade. His silver hair was tied back in a ponytail, a short sword strapped to his back. On his left sleeve, half an embroidery matched the pattern on the Hokage's robe.
Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, current captain of the village's covert assassination squad.
"War is inevitable, Lord Hokage," Sakumo replied with a slight bow, his voice steady and deep.
"White Fang is at your command."
The man's gaze was calm as still water.
His blade had tasted war before.
He knew that life, had adapted to it. He didn't exactly miss it, but at the very least, he feared it not.
He was Konoha's weapon.
Protect the village, eliminate the enemy—that was all…
"War… inevitable, huh."
"That's my failure, White Fang."
Hiruzen's tone carried a trace of regret.
War… a familiar word.
Ever since he'd succeeded the Second Hokage, his tenure had been inseparable from that word.
It was indeed his failure.
He couldn't embody peace through sheer presence like the First, nor could he cultivate Konoha into the thriving haven the Second had envisioned.
All he'd managed were war after war…
"It's not your fault, Lord Hokage."
"This war stems from the enemy's ambition."
Sakumo's voice was filled with respect.
Hiruzen didn't respond.
He just smoked more frequently.
One puff after another…
After a long while.
The old man seemed to reach a decision, a glint flashing through his eyes!
"White Fang, how confident are you in repelling the Stone Village?"
Hiruzen's voice was low, laced with a hint of killing intent!
Sakumo's eyes narrowed.
That question… was a bit beyond the scope.
The enemy had marched a thousand miles to attack—how could they be repelled so easily?
Sakumo squinted, deep in thought.
He'd lived through wars and left his mark as White Fang in enemy lands.
Based on his experience…
"Lord Hokage, quashing the Stone Village's ambitions is likely impossible."
"But if it's just about effectively halting their advance, the Kannabi Bridge… might be worth considering."
The Kannabi Bridge, a marvel of engineering.
Spanning two nations, it stretched over a massive river below.
Eight hundred meters wide, with raging currents, it served as a natural barrier between the two lands.
Even a jonin with impeccable chakra control would find crossing it no simple feat.
In a way, the bridge's very existence was a miracle.
"The Kannabi Bridge, huh…" Hiruzen took a long drag, sinking into thought.
But this time, his deliberation didn't last long. Soon, he had his answer.
"White Fang, prepare yourself. I may need you to handle this one personally."
"Yes, sir!"
Receiving the order without a shred of hesitation, Sakumo vanished from the Hokage Building in a flicker of movement.
A little while after he'd gone…
The spacious office was completely engulfed in smoke.
The one accepting the order had been decisive, but the one giving it… clearly wasn't.
"Hokage's half-sleeve…"
"Such a pity."
War was indeed the failing of those in power.
War demanded sacrifice, and power, no less so…
The next morning.
Back by that same small stream.
Only today, the number of trainees had grown to three.
It was a sort of unspoken pact among men…
After all, last night they'd been forcibly stuck in those pits until dark, and not one of them had backed down.
"One-on-one, or both at once?"
Kakashi Hatake, now in fresh clothes, kept his usual cool tone.
Obito Uchiha, for once, didn't explode at the provocation. Instead, he shot Kakashi a mocking glare.
"Yesterday, with just 1% of our strength left, we still beat you that bad. And you're still acting tough?"
"Tch…" Kakashi rolled his eyes as always.
"One-on-one, or both at once?"
The same question, asked again.
Kakashi clearly didn't buy Obito's bravado.
In his eyes, yesterday had been a fluke—carelessness and mistakes on his part. Even then, it'd ended in a draw with no clear loser.
And throughout it all, Obito's threat level to him remained near zero…
"Souta, step aside." Obito tilted his head, cracking his knuckles with a snap.
"I'll show him what it means to be an Uchiha!"
Five minutes later.
Kakashi sheathed the short blade he'd held at Obito's neck, turning his gaze to Yuto Souta.
"Your turn."