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Half a month later, the news of Akano's sacrifice reached Konohagakure, coinciding with Sunagakure's declaration of war and Hanzō's betrayal.
Inside the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage stood, his gaze fixed on the two pieces of intelligence laid out on his desk, a thoughtful expression clouding his features.
Both letters had arrived yesterday. One was a formal declaration of war from the Land of Wind, and the other was a desperate plea for assistance from Danzō.
"Alas! Danzō, that fool, allowed himself to be manipulated by Hanzō. He actually sent our ninja to attack the Sand Ninja's logistics line. Wasn't that just poking a hornet's nest? He didn't even realize that the Land of Rain and Sunagakure had formed an alliance. It seems the leadership in the Land of Rain needs to be replaced!"
But then he considered the Sand Ninja forces massing at the Land of Wind's border, requiring immediate defensive deployments. Moreover, with Hanzō's treachery, no one in the Land of Rain could effectively oppose him, necessitating further reinforcements there to prevent a two-pronged attack from the Rain and Sand Ninja.
These considerations gave the Third Hokage another splitting headache.
After a period of contemplation before the map on the wall, the Third Hokage suddenly turned around.
"Order! Have Hatake Sakumo relinquish command of his troops as soon as possible and proceed to the Land of Wind's border as the commander responsible for defense against the Sand Ninja.
At the same time, order Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to immediately proceed to the Land of Rain to relieve Elder Danzō and assume command of the war effort there. Also, order Elder Danzō to return to the village immediately after handing over his troops and await further instructions."
"Yes!"
"Swoosh!" An Anbu operative on standby vanished.
Having issued a series of rapid commands, the Third Hokage's thoughts returned to the grim battle reports and the Konohagakure ninja who had perished due to Danzō's foolish actions. A pang of heartache gripped him.
Of the 1,500 ninja deployed, only 300 remained. The majority had suffered debilitating injuries in a short span, and their recovery would take considerable time.
Tsunade's deployment was crucial for providing immediate medical attention to these ninja, preventing further escalation of casualties.
He then carefully considered the village's current military strength. The Uchiha clan had to remain in Konohagakure, and he dared not deploy them to the battlefield unless absolutely necessary, fearing the potential consequences of agitating the clan.
Most of his Anbu operatives were already deployed. The Hyūga, Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, along with his own Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan, had all sent significant numbers of their members to the front lines. The Third Hokage suddenly realized that the once mighty Konohagakure was alarmingly short of fighting personnel.
Therefore, after painstakingly gathering a thousand ninja for his three former students, the Third Hokage turned his attention to the students nearing graduation from the Ninja Academy.
There was no time to wait for them to mature gradually; they needed to be forced to grow rapidly and contribute to the village's defense as soon as possible. And what better training ground than the battlefield itself?
Thus, with still one or two months remaining before their scheduled graduation, the Academy suddenly received an official notice ordering an early graduation for the entire graduating class.
…
In the east, the sun had just crested the horizon, casting a soft, golden light.
In a residence within the Senju clan territory, Mito sat on the wooden floor, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she watched Kushina diligently learn the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques from her mother, occasionally offering guidance.
At that moment, Nawaki burst into the room, playfully ruffling Kushina's vibrant red hair, nearly bringing the little girl to tears. He then ran to Mito, laughing, and plopped down on the floor beside her.
Looking at Nawaki sitting there, Mito couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you at the Academy yet? You're going to be late."
"Today's the graduation exam. All the teachers are proctoring, so we have the day off."
Hearing his grandson's words, Mito fell silent, a wave of concern washing over her.
Of course, she was aware of Hanzō's betrayal and Sunagakure's declaration of war against Konohagakure, but she hadn't realized the situation had become so dire that they were actually sending newly graduated children to the battlefield.
This was not the future Hashirama had envisioned. Yet, considering the current circumstances,
"Oh! There's nothing I can do about it!" She couldn't help but sigh, a sense of helplessness settling upon her.
…
Upon receiving the news of Akano's sacrifice at the Yuta household, Kiko couldn't contain her sorrow, tears streaming down her face.
After all, Akano was the first person she knew well to perish on the battlefield. Her own parents had died before her memory formed, leaving no deep impression.
Yuta was also deeply saddened by the news. Although such losses were an inevitable consequence of war, hearing of Akano's death still brought a sharp pang of grief.
The companion who had once been carefree and spirited, the very qualities Yuta had envied, was now gone.
The following morning, the Yuta family donned black funeral attire and went to the cemetery early to represent Akano's absent relatives and friends at the funeral.
The weather was clear and bright. Due to Hanzō's betrayal and the Sand Ninja's sudden aggression, Konohagakure had been caught unprepared. Consequently, many lives had been lost, and a large number of bereaved family members and friends attended the somber occasion.
"I don't think Akano ever imagined his funeral would be this grand."
Looking at the throngs of people making their way towards the cemetery, Yuta remarked with a hint of melancholy.
The crowd comprised ordinary villagers and a significant number of ninja. Everyone wore expressions of deep sorrow.
Those walking together on the road rarely spoke, and even familiar faces exchanged only brief nods as greetings.
This time, the sheer number of fallen comrades and the devastating impact of the war were laid bare for the public, casting a heavy shadow over everyone's hearts.
To Yuta's right walked Kiko. As the family's nanny also had to attend the collective funeral, they each carried one of their one-year-old twins – Shingo in Yuta's arms and Kyoko in Kiko's. Ganta and his two brothers followed quietly behind them.
They arrived at the Martyrs' Monument, the designated site for the funeral. They didn't have to wait long before the area surrounding the monument was filled with people, resembling a vast, dark tide from a distance.
Under the watchful eyes of the assembled crowd, the Third Hokage slowly approached the Martyrs' Monument and began to offer a solemn eulogy for the fallen heroes who had died in the Land of Rain.
Many of the attendees had lost relatives and friends in this conflict. Hearing the Third Hokage's emotionally charged speech, many couldn't help but sob openly, some even rising to their feet in their grief. The entire memorial service was permeated with the sound of weeping.
The Third Hokage then attempted to rally the spirits of the mourners, redirecting their grief and anger towards the treacherous Hanzō and the insidious Sand Ninja, assuring everyone that Konohagakure would ultimately prevail and avenge their loved ones.
At the same time, he called upon everyone to unite and contribute to securing victory in the war.
'This must be pre-war mobilization.' Yuta mused. 'Politicians are indeed adept at exploiting such moments.'
Yuta looked at Kiko, who stood sadly before Akano's makeshift grave, and offered a comforting, albeit uncertain, suggestion. "Didn't they say they couldn't find the body? Akano might still be alive."
Kiko knew Yuta was worried about her. She turned her head to look at Yuta and the concerned faces of their children beside him, forcing a weak smile.
"It's alright. I was just thinking about our Academy days, and I couldn't help but feel nostalgic… Ugh…! Ugh…!"
Before Kiko could finish her sentence, a wave of nausea washed over her, and she quickly turned away, dry heaving.
Yuta hurried forward and gently patted her back, a look of surprise dawning on his face.
"Could it be happening again? These two little ones are less than a year old; how is this possible?"
Having gone through this twice before, Yuta recognized Kiko's condition immediately.
Kiko finally recovered, and hearing Yuta's surprised question, she momentarily forgot her grief, playfully rolling her eyes at him.
"Are you blaming me for this? It's your fault!"
"Yes! Yes! Blame me, it's all my fault! Hehe!" Yuta could only offer a foolish grin.
He then took the twins held by his three sons and said to Kiko with concern, "Why don't we head back first? The atmosphere here isn't good for the baby in your belly."
"Yeah," Kiko nodded slightly, reaching to take a child from Yuta's arms, but Yuta gently refused, citing her pregnancy.
Thanks to the constant benefits of the beads, Kiko's physical health was continuously improving, and hidden injuries were being repaired.
Therefore, Yuta wasn't overly concerned about the effects of frequent pregnancies on her body. However, given that she had just conceived, he felt it was still prudent to exercise caution.