Nightfall blanketed the war-torn camp in silence.
After a long and exhausting day tending to countless injured shinobi, Ino finally lay down inside her tent. Her limbs ached, and her eyelids felt like lead. She stared blankly at the canvas roof above her, lost in thought. Though her body was still, her heart was anything but.
She had always known, deep down, that someone like Morkel—a prodigy of the ninja world, a child blessed by fate—would inevitably attract admiration and affection from many. His calm confidence, unwavering kindness, and natural charisma had that effect on people. She had believed herself prepared for this reality, but when she came face to face with another of Morkel's admirers, a silent wave of sadness overtook her heart.
Just then, the curtain at the entrance to her tent rustled.
"Ino," came a gentle voice. It was Sakura. She stepped in and sat beside Ino's bed, her presence soft and familiar. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Ino replied absentmindedly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sakura gave a quiet chuckle. "Come on, we've known each other since we were kids. Even if we've had our share of differences, I can still tell when something's bothering you."
She leaned forward, eyes full of concern. "Are you worried about you and Morkel's future?"
That name instantly brought clarity to Ino's swirling emotions. She turned to face Sakura, her expression serious. "Sakura, do you… do you really think Morkel and I have a future together?"
Sakura gave a small, understanding smile and shook her head. "I don't know. No one can predict something like that."
"But," she added after a pause, "at least you get to see him. You can talk to him, hear about him. Unlike me… Sasuke hasn't shown up in a long time. I don't even know if he's still alive."
The pain in Sakura's voice was raw.
Ino softened. "You still like him?"
Without hesitation, Sakura nodded. "Yes. No matter what happens, Haruno Sakura will always wait for Sasuke to come back."
Ino smiled faintly and said, "Thanks for talking with me. It means a lot."
Sakura returned the smile, then stood up, waving goodbye before quietly stepping out of the tent and leaving Ino alone with her thoughts.
The night outside was as black as ink, still and quiet.
Suddenly, a male voice called from outside her tent, "Excuse me, does Miss Ino live here?"
Startled, Ino sat up. "Yes. What is it? Come in."
The tent flap opened, and in stepped a Cloud Shinobi. He looked young, maybe early twenties, with dark hair and a bandage wrapped around his forehead. His posture was nervous, and his hands fumbled at his pockets.
Ino tilted her head, noting the injury. "What's wrong? Is your wound acting up again?"
The ninja shook his head quickly. "No, no. That's not why I'm here."
Then, with some hesitation, he pulled a folded paper from his pocket and extended it toward her. "I… I came to give you something."
Ino frowned, puzzled. "At this hour? What is it?"
The shinobi flushed red and stammered, "It's… it's a love letter."
Ino blinked, stunned. "A love letter? Are you asking me to deliver it to someone in the medical corps? Tell me who it's for."
He waved his hands frantically. "No! It's for you!"
"My injuries got better so quickly thanks to your care. You're amazing, and you looked so beautiful every time you treated someone. I—I just had to tell you how I feel."
Before he could finish, Ino raised her hand, smiling politely but firmly. "I'm sorry. I don't feel the same way."
The young ninja looked crestfallen. "Is it… because I'm not good enough?"
"I'm 22 years old, a Jōnin of the Cloud Village, and… I mean, people say I'm pretty good-looking too."
Ino shook her head gently. "It's not about looks or ranks. The truth is, someone else already occupies my heart."
The shinobi lowered his head. "Oh… I see."
He hesitated a moment longer, then asked, "May I ask who it is? Not to pry—I'm just curious. Whoever it is must be incredible to capture the heart of someone like you."
Ino looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled again. "Yes. He is incredible."
"I can't tell you his name, but I can tell you this much—he's confident, determined, and incredibly kind… though, a little slow when it comes to feelings."
The ninja bowed slightly. "Thank you for being honest. I wish you happiness."
And with that, he quietly left the tent, leaving Ino to the silence once more.
She chuckled to herself, her smile tinged with both joy and longing. "Morkel… I will always love you."
Meanwhile, in Konoha Village—
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"
Morkel, who had just returned from capturing Kisame, sneezed three times in a row.
He rubbed his nose and mumbled to himself, "Is someone talking about me?"
---
The Land of Thunder — Cloud Shinobi Village
Ninja Alliance Headquarters
In the heavily fortified command center, the mood was tense yet hopeful. After days and nights of intense effort, the headquarters' sealing team had finally completed several precious sealing scrolls capable of sealing enemies resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
Raikage examined the scrolls with a grave expression. "There are several scrolls, but the number of enemies using that technique is huge. We'll have to use these only on the most dangerous ones."
Hokage nodded in agreement. "With these scrolls, it'll be much easier to subdue Kage-level enemies on the battlefield of the Iron Kingdom. I've received word that the Second Division led by Tsuchikage and Kurotsuchi is struggling to hold the line."
Without wasting time, the Raikage summoned his secretary and gave the order to deliver the scrolls to the front lines in the Iron Kingdom desert battlefield.
Moments later, Morkel appeared before Tsunade in a flash of yellow light, using the Flying Thunder God Technique. In one hand, he carried a restrained Kisame.
Raikage raised an eyebrow. "Was Turtle Island's location compromised again?"
Morkel shook his head. "No. I caught this guy on my way back to Konoha."
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. "Is the village okay? Did anything happen?"
"It's fine," Morkel assured her. "I just happened to cross paths with him. Thought I'd bring him here for questioning."
Tsunade let out a long sigh of relief, then clenched her fists in frustration. "The Akatsuki… they're taking advantage of the chaos. Attacking when the village's defenses are weak. How shameless!"
Morkel clapped his hands and smiled. "Anyway, I've handed him over. I'll be heading back now—planning to take a break."
But Tsunade reached out to stop him. "Wait! Why not just stay on Turtle Island for now? Why run around when it's so dangerous? The Akatsuki are still active, and the Great Toad Sage already warned us not to participate directly in the war."
Morkel shrugged. "I only went back to Konoha to do some research."
Raikage looked puzzled. "We have labs here with advanced equipment. Why not do your research here?"
Morkel answered seriously. "Because the Fourth Hokage used the Shiki Fujin and had his soul sealed away. I returned to the village to retrieve some of his relics. I'm trying to see if there's a way to retrieve his soul from the Shinigami."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"Wait… you're making deals with ghosts and gods?" Raikage asked, dumbfounded.
Morkel nodded. "I traded a few chickens and rabbits from the village. In exchange, I got the soul of the Fourth Hokage back."
A squad of sealing ninjas had just entered the room. Hearing this, they erupted in disbelief.
"Trading animal souls for human ones?!"
"With ghosts?!"
"That's insane!"
"But… if it's Morkel, maybe it's possible…"
Tsunade, ever the pragmatist, sighed. "Alright. Just don't run off again. The Akatsuki are too unpredictable right now."
Just then, Yamanaka Haiyi entered with an urgent report. "We've received news from the daimyo's guards. Zetsu and Konan have launched an assassination attempt. They're currently engaging our forces."
Tsunade frowned. "The guards at the daimyo's mansion are elites from every village. Just two of them shouldn't pose a major threat."
Haiyi added, "They reported that Zetsu is using Wood Style."
Raikage's expression darkened. "Wood Style…"
Tsunade remained calm. "Not all who use Wood Style are strong. Unless we get a distress signal, let's not panic. Jiraiya and the others are stationed there. Just ensure communication remains open."