"How do you people from Iwagakure know about this Fujiwara Lock?"
Chiyo's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp. "You speak as if you've met him yourselves."
Everyone from Sunagakure turned their attention toward Lietu and the Iwa-nin. None of them had ever heard the name Fujiwara Lock before, but Iwa's officers seemed to know him well — too well to be guessing.
The Iwa-nin's expressions darkened. Lock had once infiltrated Iwagakure itself and escaped under heavy pursuit — a humiliation they'd buried deep and sworn never to speak of.
"There were… incidents," Lietu admitted at last. "He's killed many of our people before. That's how we learned his abilities. I'll offer you a warning — underestimate him, and even a jōnin could die before realizing what happened."
He wasn't trying to protect Konoha's secret; rather, he wanted Suna to understand what kind of opponent they faced. If the Sand were careless, they'd drag Iwa down with them.
"This boy's stealth is formidable," Lietu continued gravely. "I recommend deploying sensory-nin immediately and establishing a wide detection perimeter. If he enters our camp, you'll know — otherwise, he'll strike unseen."
Rasa frowned slightly. "Is such a measure really necessary?"
"It is," Lietu said firmly. "Don't underestimate that boy from Konoha. His power isn't something you can measure by his age. He may not change the war alone, but he can disrupt it — and that's just as dangerous."
As the right hand of the Third Tsuchikage, Lietu knew how much Ōnoki valued caution regarding this one boy. Even the Tsuchikage himself had marked Fujiwara Lock as a threat on par with the legendary Sannin. Lietu wasn't about to ignore that judgment.
Rasa finally nodded. "Very well. If you regard him so highly, we'll take precautions. Better to be prepared than regret it later."
Though barely thirty, Rasa already commanded strong authority within Sunagakure. Even the elders, Chiyo and Ebizō, recognized his potential as the Fourth Kazekage. His word carried weight.
Lietu inclined his head. "Just remember — Lock is dangerous, but our true problem isn't him. It's the woman leading Konoha's western forces."
"Princess Tsunade," Rasa said. "One of the Sannin."
"Exactly." Lietu's expression hardened. "Her strength aside, her medical ninjutsu is unmatched. I've fought her before — the advantage Konoha's medical teams provide is overwhelming."
He sighed, recalling the earlier clashes. "Every Konoha squad has at least one medical-nin. Even if they take losses, they recover fast. It's no wonder we've been forced to stall our offensive."
The commanders nodded grimly. They had experienced this firsthand. Konoha's medics were not frontline fighters, but they made every squad fight longer, smarter, and harder to kill.
One Iwa-nin spoke up. "The first two battles were probes. But now, we hold the advantage in numbers — Konoha's being attacked from three fronts. They can't have many troops here. We should press the attack and crush them outright."
Another disagreed immediately. "Numbers don't win wars alone. Charging recklessly will only waste lives. Our shinobi aren't expendable."
"Expendable or not, sitting here is worse," a Suna captain said. "We've been stalled too long. Supplies drain by the hour. If we don't strike soon, we'll bleed ourselves dry."
"Agreed," another chimed in. "We're deep in enemy territory — the longer we wait, the more the Land of Fire rallies against us."
The command tent filled with debate. Some argued for caution, others demanded aggression, while a few veterans sat silent, weighing both sides.
The Iwa and Suna commanders exchanged looks, then began serious deliberation. They all knew — one decision here could determine the next stage of the war.
Meanwhile, Lock and his group had reached the Konoha encampment.
Lady Tsunade had chosen not to base her forces within any captured town. Instead, she had established a vast open camp along the forest's edge — refusing to let the invaders occupy even an inch more of the Fire Country's soil.
Lock followed Nara Shikaku and the others straight to her command tent. Tsunade was already waiting, but her expression wasn't welcoming.
"So, Jiraiya sends you?" she said dryly. "Does that fool think I can't handle myself?"
The group exchanged uneasy looks. No one dared respond. It was common knowledge that when it came to Jiraiya and Tsunade, no one else interfered in their arguments.
After a pause, Shikaku stepped forward. "Lord Jiraiya said the situation at the Grass border is stable, so he sent us to reinforce your position."
Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "You're that boy from the Nara clan, aren't you? Clever one. Already a jōnin, I see."
The corners of Shikaku's mouth twitched. Boy? He was already in his twenties, but compared to the Sannin, the title wasn't exactly wrong.
Tsunade's gaze swept over the others — Hyūga Hiashi, Yamanaka Inoichi — giving each a curt nod. Then her eyes landed on Lock.
"Fujiwara Lock," she said. "Didn't you go with Jiraiya? What are you doing here?"
Lock smiled faintly. "Jiraiya-sensei asked me to assist you, Lady Tsunade. As his student, I couldn't refuse. And… there are more enemies to hunt here."
Tsunade gave a small snort. "Already thinking about glory, huh? I heard you were the one who saved the supply convoy and drove off the Iwa–Suna ambush."
"Just luck," Lock said modestly. "I happened to be nearby."
"Luck, huh?" Tsunade's tone softened slightly. "Well, it was a good thing. Those supplies were critical. If they'd fallen into enemy hands, we'd be in real trouble."
She sighed. "I planned that route myself, thought it was safe. I didn't expect Iwa and Suna to sniff it out so quickly. If you hadn't passed by when you did, even my reinforcements wouldn't have made it in time."
Her words carried no praise — only a strategist's grim awareness of how close they'd come to disaster.
Finally, she waved her hand. "Enough talk. You're here now, that's what matters. I'll have someone assign you quarters and a unit to operate with. Get some rest — you'll need it."
Lock bowed slightly. "Understood, Lady Tsunade."
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