---
Unexpected Orders
The ANBU's presence meant one thing—this mission had escalated.
"Direct envoy?" I repeated. "The Hokage wants me to talk after they attacked us?"
The masked operative nodded. "Yes. And he said… you'll know what to do."
---
Night Talk
That evening, Hana sat beside me at the campfire.
"Arashi… you're handling all this too calmly."
"Maybe because panicking never helped anyone," I said with a faint smile. "Or maybe I'm too stubborn to care."
She looked at me quietly, then said, "You weren't this confident a few months ago. You've changed."
Her gaze softened. "I like this version of you."
For the first time since reincarnating, I almost forgot this wasn't my original life. Someone… actually believed in me.
---
Cloud Village Arrival
When we reached the border outpost, Cloud guards eyed us with thinly veiled hostility.
"Konoha envoy?" one said coldly. "Follow us."
The Raikage wasn't present, but his representative, a sharp-eyed jonin, met us.
"State your purpose, Leaf shinobi."
I took a step forward, storm chakra humming faintly behind my calm demeanor. "To stop misunderstandings before they become war."
The room went silent. The Cloud jonin stared, then smirked faintly. "You're either stupid or brave. I'm not sure which yet."
---
Private Moment
That night, after the tense meeting, Hana found me leaning on a balcony.
"Hey…" she said softly, standing beside me. "You did good back there."
"Not sure about that," I said. "But thanks."
Then she surprised me by resting her head briefly on my shoulder. "You don't always have to carry everything alone, you know."
I froze, unsure how to react—but I didn't move away. For the first time in this world, it felt… like home.
---
Cliffhanger:
The next morning, a messenger hawk from Konoha arrived:
"Arashi, return at once. Urgent Hokage summons."
Whatever waited back home… was bigger than politics.