(To Be Adapted into the Beginning of the Third Great Ninja War)
Two days had passed since the Chūnin Exam results were posted.
"Oh Bitto, Oh Bitto!"
At Obito's doorstep, Rin and Kakashi stood knocking. They had just returned from the village bulletin board, where the final list of promoted Chūnin had been released.
After a short pause, the door creaked open to reveal a gloomy-looking Obito.
"You both passed, huh? Congratulations," he said, trying to force a smile as he stared at their new Chūnin vests.
"Wrong!" Rin corrected cheerfully. "It's not just us—you should be saying congratulations to the three of us!"
With a bright grin, she pulled out a third vest from behind her back and held it out.
"This one's yours!"
"W-What?! Mine?!"
Obito's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ever since his loss in the exam, he'd been convinced that he had no chance of promotion. For two days, he sulked alone, too ashamed even to check the results. He had even declined Rin's invitation to come along.
But now…
"You passed! Kakashi and I saw it with our own eyes. You just barely made it—hahaha!" Rin teased.
Obito was stunned, speechless for a moment. Then joy overtook him. He grabbed the vest from Rin and eagerly pulled it on.
"Look at me now! Handsome, right?"
"Not bad," Kakashi replied coolly. "Just not as good as me."
Pfft~
Rin couldn't hold in her laughter.
"Tch~" Obito clicked his tongue but didn't argue. He was in too good a mood to care.
"Oh! Does Minato-sensei know yet? We have to tell him!"
"He was at the bulletin board earlier," Rin replied, "but he got called away suddenly by the Anbu."
---
Hokage Building – Conference Hall
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage building, a large and serious meeting was underway.
In the grand conference room, dozens of Konoha's most powerful shinobi were gathered. At the head of the long table sat the Third Hokage, his Hokage hat perched on his head and a pipe resting in his mouth.
Apart from the advisory council, everyone present was either a clan head or a high-ranking elite ninja. Among them were Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyūga Hiashi, and several other notable figures.
Tsunade and Jiraiya, however, were not present. After Shizune was promoted to Chūnin, Tsunade had left the village again. Before departing, she told Kakashi and Rin that if they ever faced serious trouble, they could summon her through Katsuyu. Jiraiya had also gone wandering once more, continuing his journey around the shinobi world.
The Third Hokage exhaled a slow puff of smoke, then pulled out a document from in front of him and handed it to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's serpentine eyes skimmed through the report. A curious smile tugged at his lips.
"Interesting," he said. "Can we verify the authenticity of this intelligence?"
His comment drew immediate attention from everyone around the table.
One by one, the document passed through the hands of those present. The room grew increasingly quiet as the weight of the contents settled in.
"Some of you may find this information hard to believe," the Third Hokage began. "But our Anbu operatives stationed in Sunagakure have confirmed it multiple times. The intelligence is real."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Additionally, Kumogakure has already begun moving troops. It seems they intend to take advantage of the situation."
Gasps and murmurs filled the room.
"What kind of situation are we talking about?" Fugaku asked, narrowing his eyes.
The Third Hokage's gaze hardened.
"The Third Kazekage… has vanished."
Silence fell over the room.
"Vanished?" Hiashi repeated, frowning. "How does a village Kage disappear from his own village without a trace?"
"Is this a joke?" someone whispered.
The disappearance of a Kage—especially one as powerful as the Third Kazekage—was unthinkable.
He was hailed as the strongest Kazekage in Sunagakure's history and ranked among the top ten shinobi alive. Even Hiruzen, the Third Hokage himself—renowned as the most powerful of all the Hokage—could not claim with certainty that he could defeat him in a one-on-one duel, let alone kill him silently.
If the Kazekage had been assassinated, how had no one seen or heard anything?
But if it wasn't an assassination, then why had the entirety of Sunagakure launched a massive search operation?
Now, to make matters worse, the Third Raikage had mobilized his forces, seeking to exploit the chaos in the Land of Wind.
Some in the room shook their heads in disbelief.
"A village shadow doesn't just run away," Orochimaru muttered with amusement.
"There was also mention of a missing puppet master named Sasori," another voice noted. "But surely that's irrelevant."
"Sasori?" Minato repeated silently, memorizing the name.
Just a boy of fifteen or sixteen, Sasori's name didn't seem significant to most. Few would dare suggest he could be connected to the Kazekage's disappearance—not unless they wanted to be laughed out of the room.
---
A Risky Proposal
The Third Hokage set his pipe aside and leaned forward.
"Sunagakure is leaderless, and the Third Raikage has already begun an invasion. If they fall, we—trapped between the Land of Wind and the Land of Lightning—will be the next target."
The room tensed.
"That's why I propose an alliance," the Hokage continued. "We must support Sunagakure, help them defend against the Cloud forces, and secure our shared borders."
This bold strategy—resist lightning, aid the wind—was the theme of today's emergency session.
If the leaders present didn't fully understand the stakes, Konoha would face enemies on two fronts. That would mark the true beginning of another great war.
"Understood!"
Everyone responded in unison.
With consensus reached, the Hokage began issuing directives. Orders were handed out swiftly, and logistics for cooperation with Sunagakure were planned down to the last supply route.
Finally, he turned to Minato.
"You'll lead the envoy team to Sunagakure."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Minato said, bowing his head. But then he hesitated. "Forgive me, but… why take Kakashi and the others? This mission could spark open war. They've only just become Chūnin."
His concern was valid. Traveling to a destabilized village on the verge of conflict with another nation was dangerous—perhaps even suicidal.
The Third Hokage smiled slightly, but his tone was firm.
"As Konoha's diplomatic envoys, having younger shinobi present will help lower the other side's guard. It shows sincerity. It shows that we don't intend to threaten them."
He paused, then added, "Besides, the strength Kakashi and his teammates displayed during the Chūnin Exams is far beyond what is expected at their level. In them, I see the shadows of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru when they were young."
Minato fell silent.
The Hokage's eyes grew serious.
"Time is not on our side, Minato. Peace was always fleeting, and we no longer have the luxury of letting our younger generation grow slowly. War is coming."
Minato understood. He had seen enough bloodshed to recognize what was approaching. If this was the Hokage's call, he would trust it—and act.
"I understand, Hokage-sama."
He bowed once more, then turned to leave.
---
Departure
A few hours later, the team was ready.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin stood at the gate, their bags packed and weapons secured. Their faces were a mix of nervousness and anticipation. This would be their first real mission outside the village as official Chūnin.
Minato approached them, his expression calm but determined.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yes, sensei!" they replied in unison.
Kushina, who had arrived to see them off, gave them a warm smile—and a firm warning.
"Don't do anything reckless out there. If things go wrong, listen to Minato and stay together!"
Obito grinned. "We'll be fine! I've got this now!"
Kakashi just nodded quietly, adjusting his forehead protector.
With that, the four of them set off, heading toward the Wind Country—toward a hidden village with no Kazekage, and toward a dangerous future that might just mark the beginning of the Third Great Ninja War.