When Sakura and her team returned to Konoha, three days had already passed. Unlike the light and swift departure, the return trip had to consider the wounded, and with carriages involved, their speed naturally slowed down.
Seeing the gates of Konoha before them, Kakashi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
They had finally returned safely.
The moment Sakura stepped into Konoha, she immediately sensed that the atmosphere in the village was different from usual.
It wasn't just that the streets were noticeably less crowded. Even the street vendors, who used to greet customers with cheerful smiles, now wore expressions tinged with anxiety.
Kakashi seemed to have expected this. Without changing his expression, he quickly arranged for the wounded to be taken care of. Then he and Sakura headed straight for the Hokage Tower to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Sakura, did you notice it?"
On the way there, Kakashi spoke up, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed forward.
"Yes."
"The village's troops have already moved out to the battlefield."
Sakura responded calmly to his words.
The changes in Konoha were too obvious. Even someone as thick-headed as Naruto would have noticed by now.
Kakashi glanced at the girl beside him. He remembered the first time he saw her—an eight-year-old who had already become a Genin. Even back then, he felt that this girl was not someone who would live a quiet, ordinary life.
And the events that followed had confirmed that feeling.
The Land of Fire—and even the entire shinobi world—was changing because of her actions.
It was hard for Kakashi to believe that this war had nothing to do with Sakura.
"Sakura, to change something—whether it's a situation or a state—you need more than intelligence."
"You need power. The power to solve everything."
Kakashi continued walking as he spoke. The words, which should have sounded solemn and serious, came out of his mouth lazily.
The pink-haired girl raised her hand and stared at her palm. Then she looked ahead at the Hokage Tower they were approaching.
"Sometimes, things don't happen the way you want them to."
"If everything followed our desires, there wouldn't be so many regrets in this world."
When she first arrived in this world, Sakura already knew what her ending would be if she didn't solve the problem of the Yin Seal.
At best, she would be imprisoned somewhere, unable to move freely.
A little worse, the Yamanaka clan might dig through her mind…
And if things got even worse…
Sakura didn't want to accept any of those outcomes. She didn't want to live through such experiences. That's why she had gone all out to set up a huge scheme against that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Back then, she had to bite the bullet and keep pushing forward.
What she didn't expect was how far things would eventually escalate.
Hearing her words, Kakashi paused for a moment.
He had gotten used to playing the role of a teacher, and he had intended to use this opportunity to lecture her a little. But in the end, it felt like he was the one being taught.
If the world truly operated according to one's will, then…
At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through Kakashi's mind—his father, his comrades, his teacher…
"Kakashi, what are you doing spacing out?"
Sakura turned and looked back at the white-haired man, who was standing there silently.
"It's nothing. Let's go."
"There won't be much time for rest in the near future."
—
Hokage Tower
Hokage's Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the battle report in his hands. His brows, which had been tightly furrowed, finally relaxed a bit.
Although he had anticipated the outcome, reading the actual report still gave him a sense of relief.
"Well done, Kakashi, Sakura."
He praised the two standing before him. But then, his tone shifted as he continued:
"As much as I'd like to give you both some time to rest, the situation is too urgent."
"The Sand Shinobi from the Land of Wind have already reached the Land of Rivers. The village's elder, Danzo Shimura, has led troops to intercept them."
At this point, Hiruzen paused.
He hadn't wanted Danzo to be the one to face the Sand forces. But Danzo had insisted, and with the sudden aggression from Kumogakure, Hiruzen had no choice but to let Danzo hold off Sunagakure.
He hoped that the man once known as the "Darkness of the Shinobi," who had shone during the First Great Ninja War, could swiftly resolve the Sand threat with support from Iwagakure. That way, Hiruzen could redirect forces to confront the real problem—Kumogakure.
Unlike Sunagakure, Kumo was no pushover.
As a village that revered strength above all, their standing forces were nearly equal to Konoha's.
Considering the difference in resources between the two nations, Kumo's ability to maintain such numbers made them a truly militarized and war-hungry shinobi village.
And that was no exaggeration. Even among the Five Great Nations, their combat strength was among the best.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the Third Raikage faced an ambush from Iwagakure and held off ten thousand ninja for three days and nights, preserving a large part of Kumo's fighting force.
Now, over a decade later, Kumogakure had every reason to challenge Konoha for dominance in the shinobi world.
Hiruzen looked at the pink-haired girl beside Kakashi and spoke with a hint of caution:
"Sakura, um… would you be willing to go to the front lines against the Sand?"
"No."
Her reply was immediate.
She refused Hiruzen's offer without hesitation.
Sunagakure may have been the easier target, but there was always a risk of being stabbed in the back.
Sakura had always viewed Danzo with extreme suspicion.
And ever since that mysterious late-night visit years ago, when members of Root had knocked on her window out of nowhere, she had even less goodwill toward the old man.
Seeing her response, Hiruzen sighed.
As expected.
"In that case, Sakura, I'll have you head to the battlefield in the Land of Frost."
"The commander there is Jiraiya."
"Try to get along well."
Hearing this, Sakura nodded in agreement.
She didn't bother asking about Tsunade.
In any war, no one would throw all their cards on the table at once. While doing so might yield an initial advantage, if the enemy managed to endure the attack…
Then they could take advantage of your depleted resources and strike at your vulnerable rear.
"Kakashi."
Hiruzen turned to the white-haired man.
"You'll accompany Sakura to the Frost front."
"As Jiraiya's support."
"Jiraiya is dependable, but he still needs someone to keep him grounded at times."
"Shikaku is currently stationed at the Sand front."
"So I'll entrust the Frost front to the two of you."
At that moment, Hiruzen seemed like a worried father, concerned for his children. His voice carried a trace of melancholy.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi had no objections.
Due to certain matters involving the Anbu, he had no desire to be anywhere near Danzo's forces.
To work with Jiraiya was, in fact, a preferable option.
(End of Chapter)