Three days later, twenty-three figures stood neatly arranged in three rows at the foot of the Hokage Rock early in the morning.
No one whispered among themselves, and no one spoke quietly anymore. Even Obito, who was usually unable to stand still for more than a few seconds, now wore a tense expression while staring directly toward the high platform ahead.
Above them towered the enormous stone faces of the three Hokage.
The morning breeze swept gently through the area, carrying several fallen leaves across the open ground.
Standing atop the platform was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
A pipe rested between his fingers while the Hokage robes fluttered lightly behind him. His expression was at least ten times more serious than usual.
Several Anbu stood silently behind him.
Umino Iruka also stood nearby.
The entire area remained completely silent.
Only the occasional trail of smoke rising from the Hokage's pipe moved within the still atmosphere.
The Third Hokage slowly swept his gaze across the faces below him.
Twenty-three students.
Not a single one missing.
He nodded slowly afterward.
"You all came back alive."
His voice was not loud, yet every single word reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Good."
Then he paused briefly before taking another deep drag from his pipe.
"Originally, after graduation, all of you should have received a half-month vacation period."
"But now…"
He slowly lowered the pipe from his mouth.
"There will be no vacation."
The atmosphere beneath the platform instantly became even heavier.
Then the Third Hokage continued speaking calmly.
"Yesterday at dawn, a force of ten thousand Iwagakure Ninja crossed the border of the Land of Grass and advanced toward the Land of Fire."
"At the same time, Kumogakure assembled a force of twenty thousand inside the Land of Rice Fields, with their target directly aimed at the Land of Hot Springs."
"The Hidden Mist's naval forces have already appeared near the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire and begun probing landing operations."
The Third Hokage's tone remained flat throughout.
Yet every single sentence landed like a heavy stone smashing directly into everyone's hearts.
Then finally, he spoke the final sentence.
"The Third Shinobi World War has officially begun."
The silence below the platform became suffocating.
Someone swallowed nervously.
Someone unconsciously clenched their fists tighter.
The Third Hokage quietly looked toward these children who had only recently turned eight or nine years old.
Then after several seconds of silence, he slowly spoke again.
"You should have been given more time to grow."
"But war does not wait for anyone."
He raised one hand lightly.
An Anbu immediately stepped forward carrying a tray.
Twenty-three brand-new Konoha forehead protectors rested neatly upon it.
The Third Hokage picked one up slowly before raising it toward the sunlight overhead.
The polished metal reflected a sharp gleam of light.
"From this moment onward, all of you are no longer students of the Ninja Academy."
"You are now official Genin of Konoha."
Then he paused briefly before continuing.
"You are now Ninja of Konoha."
He returned the forehead protector onto the tray afterward.
"Umino Iruka."
Iruka immediately stepped forward.
"Yes."
"You will announce the assignments."
Iruka nodded before walking toward the very front of the platform.
A list rested in his hand.
He lowered his gaze toward the students below.
Those twenty-three children all stared directly toward the paper in his hands.
Because everyone understood what that list represented.
It would decide where they went.
Who they fought beside.
What battlefield they entered.
And whether they survived.
Iruka quietly inhaled deeply before finally beginning.
"Rin Nohara."
"Uchiha Obito."
The moment his name was called first, Obito's entire body jerked slightly.
Beside him, Rin also froze briefly.
The two exchanged quick glances before looking back toward the platform.
Iruka continued reading calmly.
"You are assigned to Team Seven under Captain Minato Namikaze."
"You will proceed immediately toward the Land of Grass border and report directly to Captain Minato."
Then Iruka glanced specifically toward Obito.
"Kakashi Hatake is already waiting there for both of you."
Obito's eyes instantly widened.
Rin's expression also lit up immediately.
"Kakashi?!"
Obito nearly shouted aloud before Rin quickly tugged his sleeve secretly.
Only then did he hurriedly shut his mouth.
However, the excitement across his face remained completely impossible to hide.
Kakashi!
That bastard!
They had not seen him for nearly an entire year already!
Iruka looked toward Obito's glowing expression before the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Stand properly."
Obito immediately straightened himself again.
Yet his eyes still shone brightly.
Iruka continued reading from the list.
"Kurenai Yuhi."
"Asuma Sarutobi."
"Shikuro Aburame."
Kurenai froze briefly after hearing the names.
A trace of disappointment flickered across her face momentarily before she quickly stepped forward calmly.
"You are assigned to the Intelligence Unit under Captain Inoichi Yamanaka."
"You will report immediately to the intelligence station located near the Land of Rice Fields border."
"Your primary duties will include reconnaissance, infiltration, intelligence gathering, and sabotage operations behind enemy lines."
Iruka paused briefly afterward.
"Your mission assignments will be extremely dangerous."
"But they are also extremely important."
Kurenai inhaled deeply afterward.
Then she instinctively glanced back toward Guy standing farther behind.
Guy was already looking directly at her.
Their eyes met silently.
Kurenai pressed her lips together briefly before smiling softly.
It was not a smile saying she was afraid.
It was a smile saying:
"Don't worry."
Guy smiled back naturally.
Then he raised a thumbs-up toward her.
Kurenai's smile widened slightly before she finally turned back toward the platform again.
Iruka continued announcing names afterward.
One by one.
One after another.
Each student stepped forward after hearing their assignment before silently returning to their position afterward.
Meanwhile, Guy quietly waited for his own name to appear.
Inside his memories, he only knew one thing clearly.
Might Guy ultimately survived the war.
However, as for the actual process itself…
He knew almost nothing.
Then suddenly, Iruka paused slightly.
He lowered his gaze toward the list once more before finally speaking.
"Might Guy."
Guy's body jolted slightly.
Finally.
His turn had arrived.
Iruka raised his head before looking directly toward him.
"Might Guy."
"Ebisu."
"Shiranui Genma."
"You are assigned to Team Nine under Captain Akimichi Choza."
"You will immediately proceed toward Mount Kikyo and report directly to Captain Choza."
The instant those words entered his ears, Guy's mind buzzed violently.
Mount Kikyo.
In the Third Shinobi World War, that place would eventually become one of the bloodiest battlefields between Konoha and Sunagakure.
Although Konoha ultimately achieved victory there in the original story…
The number of dead was horrifying.
Countless people died.
Beside Guy, Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses awkwardly before muttering softly:
"Mount Kikyo? Where exactly is that?"
Genma calmly answered while chewing his toothpick.
"It sits near the borders between the Land of Fire, Land of Wind, and Land of Earth."
"Technically, it's still considered Land of Fire territory."
Ebisu visibly relaxed slightly.
"If it's inside our territory, then it should be safer, right?"
Genma did not bother answering him directly.
Instead, he quietly glanced toward Guy.
Some thoughts did not need to be spoken aloud.
Where they were going honestly did not matter very much.
Who they were going together with mattered far more.
And unexpectedly enough, being assigned together with Might Guy felt extremely reassuring.
Iruka continued announcing the remaining names afterward.
One after another.
One assignment after another.
Some students were sent directly toward the front lines.
Some remained in rear support divisions.
Some joined garrison units.
Some entered logistics and supply operations.
Eventually, all twenty-three students received their assignments.
After announcing the final name, Iruka slowly closed the notebook in his hands.
Then he looked toward the students below.
"Does everyone understand their assignments?"
"Yes!"
"Does anyone have questions?"
Nobody spoke.
Iruka nodded quietly afterward.
Then the Third Hokage stepped forward once more.
His gaze slowly swept across the young faces below him.
Finally, he spoke again.
"There is one final thing all of you must understand before departing."
The atmosphere instantly became silent again.
The Third Hokage slowly spoke.
"War kills people."
"Some of you standing here today will die on the battlefield."
"Some of you will never return home."
"This is not meant to frighten you."
"It is simply the truth."
Then he paused briefly before continuing.
"But the reason Konoha exists today is not because the Hokage is strong."
"And it is not because the Anbu are powerful."
"Konoha exists because generation after generation of Ninja willingly stood on the battlefield to protect those behind them."
"That…"
"…is the Will of Fire."
The Third Hokage slowly placed the pipe back into his mouth afterward.
"Remember why you fight."
"Now go."
Silence lingered below the platform for several seconds afterward.
Then finally, someone moved.
Obito inhaled deeply before turning around.
Rin quietly followed beside him.
The two began walking away together.
After several steps, however, Obito suddenly turned back around again.
"Guy!"
Guy looked up instinctively.
Before he could even answer, Obito suddenly raised a massive thumbs-up toward him.
The exact same familiar gesture as always.
"See you on the battlefield!"
Guy froze briefly.
Then he suddenly smiled.
He also raised his own thumbs-up high into the air.
"See you on the battlefield!"
Obito grinned before turning around again and striding away proudly.
Rin waved gently toward Guy before following behind Obito quietly.
Soon afterward, Kurenai slowly walked over until she stood directly in front of Guy.
She raised her head slightly while looking toward him.
Those wine-red eyes of hers remained large and bright as ever.
"Guy."
"Hm?"
"You…"
"You have to stay alive."
Guy lowered his gaze toward Kurenai, who remained half a head shorter than himself now.
Then naturally, he reached out and rested one hand gently atop her head.
He lightly ruffled her soft black hair.
"You too."
Kurenai froze briefly afterward.
Then her face gradually flushed bright red.
Yet despite that, she still did not move away.
Instead, she simply stood there quietly while allowing him to continue ruffling her hair.
Several seconds later, she finally spoke softly.
"I'll stay alive."
"So you have to stay alive too."
"When we meet again next time…"
Guy nodded naturally.
"Okay."
Kurenai pressed her lips together before smiling warmly again.
Then she finally turned around and ran toward Asuma's group.
However, after only several steps, she suddenly turned back again.
"Guy!"
"Hm?"
"Don't forget our promise!"
Then she turned around once more before finally disappearing into the crowd moving farther away.
Guy quietly watched her retreating figure.
The promise.
Of course he remembered it.
The promise they made together on the cliff.
He would become her strongest shield.
And she would become his Genjutsu support.
Soon afterward, Shikuro Aburame also walked over quietly to say goodbye.
However, just as he prepared to leave, Guy suddenly leaned closer toward him slightly.
"Help me with something."
Shikuro froze briefly.
"A favor?"
"What favor?"
Guy casually tilted his chin toward Asuma nearby.
"Help keep an eye on that guy for me."
Shikuro blinked once.
Then he looked toward Asuma.
Then toward Kurenai.
Then finally back toward Guy.
An immediate expression of realization appeared across his face.
Then secretly, he raised a thumbs-up toward Guy.
"Leave it to me!"
"Heh, good brother."
Guy grinned brightly.
The instant Shikuro heard the word "brother," his expression visibly became even more excited.
It was the very first time someone had ever addressed him like that.
"Alright, hurry up and go."
"They're waiting for you."
"Mm!"
"Then I'm leaving first!"
"You take care of yourself too, brother!"
Shikuro nodded firmly before finally turning around and hurrying away.
Guy withdrew his gaze quietly afterward before lowering his eyes toward the forehead protector now resting in his hands.
Brand new.
Never worn before.
He slowly raised it afterward before tying it securely around his forehead.
The metal felt slightly cold.
Yet the instant it touched his skin, Guy suddenly felt something inside himself settle completely.
"Guy."
Ebisu walked over nearby.
Genma followed behind him naturally.
Both had already put on their own forehead protectors.
Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses afterward.
"Let's go."
"Captain Akimichi Choza should already be waiting for us near Mount Kikyo."
Genma quietly nodded while chewing on his toothpick.
Guy inhaled deeply.
Mount Kikyo.
Within less than half a year, it would become one of the bloodiest battlefields of the entire war.
He knew exactly what kind of future awaited there.
Yet despite that—
He neither retreated.
Nor could he retreat.
The time remaining before the battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was less than three years away now.
Which also meant that his father, Might Duy, likely had less than three years left to live.
Within those three years, he had to become strong enough to defeat seven Jonin-level opponents.
Otherwise, he still would not be able to change Might Duy's fate.
He had to become stronger.
And war itself was the greatest catalyst for growth.
Guy finally turned around.
Then together, the three of them began walking toward the direction of Mount Kikyo.
Everyone had already said goodbye to their families three days earlier.
Today was the day they officially departed.
Behind them, the enormous faces carved into the Hokage Rock silently overlooked everything.
The wind continued blowing softly.
Several fallen leaves drifted across the ground.
In the distance, countless voices and hurried footsteps echoed continuously.
Some people had already departed.
Some were still on the road.
War…
Had officially begun.
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