A massive north-south mountain range spanning more than ten miles now lay blanketed under fresh-fallen snow. An icy solemnity pervaded the entire world, with the air seeming to freeze in silent stillness.
At the mountain's base, the once-standing Konoha camp had vanished without trace.
Yet faint traces of lingering smoke still drifted through the cold air. Even for ninja, bonfires had become necessary to ward off the cold.
This was the day—the long-anticipated decisive battle.
More than a thousand Konoha ninja formed highly disciplined ranks. Each ninja wore a serious expression on their face.
At the front, several commanding officers faced the assembled forces with equally grave expressions.
Yet behind those solemn expressions, many ninja still held quiet hopes in their eyes.
Because once this battle ended in victory, they would return home—to the Hidden Leaf Village.
In that bustling village lay everything each of them cherished.
Standing at the very forefront, Minato shared these thoughts. His blue eyes swirled with deep emotion.
Instinctively, he slowly clenched his fist before gradually relaxing it, glancing down at the palm of his hand.
Suddenly, a snowflake fluttered down before him and landed softly on his palm.
Minato's eyes widened slightly before he raised his gaze. Above the clear blue sky, snowflakes began to fall.
Snow had started to fall...
The flake resting in his palm quickly melted under the warmth of his body.
His palm felt slightly damp.
The snowfall thickened rapidly, blurring vision until sight became hazy and unclear. Yet the resolve shining in the eyes of the Konoha ninja did not waver even slightly.
"It's time to move out."
Sakumo Hatake declared before them all. This decisive battle placed him as the supreme commander leading Konoha's forces into action.
Tsunade and Orochimaru stood behind the assembled ninja. Though their complexions weren't terrible, neither were they operating at full strength.
Their injuries from the earlier fight against Chiyo had clearly not yet fully healed.
His words were softly spoken, yet everyone could sense the firm determination in his voice.
This time, he was determined to lead Konoha's shinobi to defeat the Sand Ninja unit and claim victory in [The Second Great Ninja War].
He wanted to show the world that the Land of Fire, acknowledged as supreme among the Five Great Ninja Nations, bore a prestige that none could dare challenge—including its Hidden Leaf Village.
Even if today's Konoha no longer counted First Hokage or Madara Uchiha among its ranks—those legendary figures from the past.
Konoha's new generation of ninja could still accomplish feats no different from those of their predecessors.
As Sakumo finished speaking, his gaze met Minato's briefly.
Minato gave a slight nod, offering a small smile on his still-youthful face.
Sakumo responded with a similar expression. When he turned his gaze away, his eyes met directly with Junko Watanabe's.
She gave him a soft smile and nodded gently.
Sakumo Hatake, for reasons unknown even to himself, felt warmth flowing through his chest—a sensation of unprecedented comfort.
The deepest worries in his heart melted away under Junko Watanabe's smile—just like the last bits of snow vanishing beneath the spring sun.
"Let's go!"
With a cheerful laugh, Sakumo Hatake turned sharply on his heel. Beside him, Hiashi Hyuga and Fumiro Aburame did likewise.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, over a thousand ninja burst forth from below the mountains, leaving deep imprints across the snowy expanse.
...
At that very moment, the Suna forces on the opposite side were already in battle formation.
Behind them stretched a vast desert, now blanketed in snow.
Matching Konoha in numbers, the Sand ninja stood in neat formation. At the front hovered Kouhi and Liufei.
Standing at the far rear was Chiyo, her injuries still not fully healed. Even now, a Suna ninja beside her held an umbrella against the increasingly heavy snowfall.
Chiyo kept her eyes closed, seemingly resting.
Then, suddenly, faint yet complex sounds reached her ears.
Her eyes flew open. Gazing past the assembled Sand ninja, she spotted the Konoha forces finally appearing on the horizon.
"They're here."
Kouhi and Liufei announced in unison. At this moment, every member of the Sand Ninja unit tensed with anticipation.
Shhhshhhshhh!
With footsteps growing ever louder, two great Hidden Villages—longtime battlefield rivals—stood face-to-face once more.
Just tens of meters apart, both sides halted at once. As Konoha halted its advance, gazes locked across both sides. The atmosphere grew instantly thick with tension.
Of course, Hiashi Hyuga and Sakumo Hatake met eyes with the couple Kouhi and Liufei.
And at the very back of both lines stood Tsunade and Orochimaru on one side—and Chiyo on the other. Yet neither side showed surprise—each had expected the other's presence.
"You actually had the nerve to come here!"
Kouhi snorted coldly. Several days prior, everything Tsunade had said had been from Konoha's perspective—accusing the Sand of unprovoked attacks and ruthless tactics that nearly wiped out Konoha more than once.
Yet from the viewpoint of Sunagakure, these Konoha ninja were aggressors who equally deserved hatred.
In this world, there's no such thing as pure good or pure evil—only different points of view.
"I have already said," Sakumo Hatake declared, his voice colder than the biting wind around them, "We may not be able to wipe out Sunagakure entirely... but make no mistake—we will claim your lives for Konoha!"
In his hand, the Chakra Tanto flared with brilliant light, melting every snowflake before it could touch the ground.
"What arrogance!"
Kouhi roared furiously, unfurling a scroll as seven puppets sprang into motion around him, readying for combat.
As the two opponents faced off, Liufei's gaze quietly shifted toward a petite figure standing at the forefront of the Konoha ranks.
Minato too noticed her gaze and furrowed his brow slightly.
He always had a feeling that something wasn't quite right.
"Kill!"
At this moment, both Konoha and Suna ninja roared in unison, then within the span of ten meters, their clan leaders dashed toward each other.
Todoroki!
The Metallic Puppet once again fell like a descending meteor, its impact scattering snow across several meters.
Liufei's figure vanished, but at this time, multiple sounds rang out from the puppet.
Sakumo struck repeatedly, but failed to deal any real damage.
Kouhi and Hiashi Hyuga were locked in battle once more.
The ninjas on both sides also targeted each other and engaged in fierce combat.
In the middle of the chaotic battlefield, Minato didn't make a move. However, he caught countless murderous stares aimed at him from the surrounding Suna ninjas.
...
...
Checking the comment section, I just feel compelled to say: May all loving couples eventually become siblings (a Chinese sarcastic saying implying lovers should break up).
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