The next day, before dawn had fully broken, a shrill whistle suddenly tore through the camp as someone outside roared for an emergency assembly with a voice so loud that the tent fabric itself vibrated.
Might Guy instantly sprang up from his bed so quickly that his head nearly smashed into the tent ceiling while Ebisu and Genma were also jolted awake at the same time, and without exchanging even a single word, the three of them immediately threw on their clothes and rushed outside.
Might Guy's body trembled slightly, though it was not from the cold but from excitement because the first thought that appeared in his mind was the letter he had written.
"The letter must have worked."
A delighted expression appeared on Might Guy's face because last night he had tossed and turned in bed for a very long time without being able to sleep, his thoughts filled entirely with whether Konoha's White Fang would receive the letter, what kind of reaction he would have after reading it, whether he would immediately go to the Third Hokage, whether the Third Hokage would urgently dispatch reinforcements overnight, and whether Hatake Sakumo himself might even personally come to Mount Kikyo.
Might Guy had continued thinking about these possibilities until he unknowingly fell asleep sometime during the night, and now, before sunrise had even fully arrived, the emergency whistle had already sounded across the camp.
The only explanation was that the letter had already caused a reaction, and although this speed was far faster than Might Guy originally expected, after thinking carefully about the timing, he quickly realized something important.
The letter had not even officially been sent out yet.
So how could Konoha possibly respond this quickly?
The answer was obvious because the letter had already been intercepted and read beforehand.
During wartime, every letter sent from the front lines underwent layers of inspection before it was permitted to leave camp, and Might Guy had already known this from the very beginning, which was why he had deliberately prepared for the possibility that the camp commander himself might personally read the contents.
That was also the reason why, while writing the letter, he intentionally changed the phrase "the camp defenses are lax" into "the camp forces are insufficient," because otherwise, with wording like that, the letter would never have been allowed to leave the camp in the first place.
From the current situation, Sarutobi Sosuke had undoubtedly already seen the contents of the letter.
"Is he finally going to strengthen the defenses?"
Might Guy's lips curved upward slightly as anticipation filled his heart while the three of them quickly crossed through the camp, where shinobi were already pouring out from every direction, some emerging from tents while others rushed over from the direction of the mess hall.
A faint white glow had only just begun appearing at the edge of the horizon, yet most of the camp's shinobi had already gathered in the central plaza.
Might Guy stood in Team 9's usual position and carefully glanced around until everyone eventually arrived, including even the wounded capable of moving, some leaning on crutches while others still had thick bandages wrapped around their shoulders and arms.
Those injured shinobi stood at the very back of the formation with bewildered expressions while nearly one thousand people remained gathered silently inside the plaza, the atmosphere tense and unnaturally quiet because everyone could sense that something was wrong.
Might Guy stood motionless while his heartbeat gradually accelerated, then lifted his head toward the raised platform at the front only to discover that it was still empty because Sarutobi Sosuke had not yet appeared.
"What's going on?" Ebisu leaned closer and whispered quietly before adding, "Could it be another attack from Iwagakure?"
Might Guy did not answer while Genma also remained silent with the usual toothpick between his lips, though his expression had already become unusually serious.
After several more moments passed, the tent curtain beside the platform was finally lifted and Sarutobi Sosuke slowly walked out while dressed in an entirely new Jonin vest, his forehead protector polished until it gleamed brightly and even his hair clearly combed with meticulous care.
Two guards followed closely behind him, one on each side, both maintaining stern expressions as Sarutobi Sosuke calmly stepped onto the high platform and stopped at the center before his gaze slowly swept across the crowd below.
Might Guy noticed that the man's eyes paused briefly on him for only an instant, but that moment alone was enough to make him even more certain that this gathering was absolutely related to the letter.
Sarutobi Sosuke lightly cleared his throat before speaking in a calm voice that carried clearly through the silent plaza as he announced that he had gathered everyone there because there was something important that needed to be addressed.
Nobody below spoke while Sarutobi Sosuke paused briefly before continuing by saying that he would first explain the current situation on the front lines.
He slowly and methodically began talking about how the borders remained stable after Iwagakure's retreat, how Konoha's higher command was actively mobilizing troops, how supply routes had already been restored, and how the overall situation was continuing to progress in a favorable direction.
Every sentence sounded unbearably dry and empty, and as Might Guy listened, a strange feeling gradually emerged in his heart while his brows slowly furrowed because Sarutobi Sosuke continued speaking for a very long time without getting to the point.
He praised the wisdom of the Third Hokage's decisions, praised Konoha's military strength, and praised the stability and impregnability of Mount Kikyo's defenses before his tone suddenly shifted.
"However," he deliberately dragged out the word while the silence below instantly deepened.
"There is someone within this camp who secretly sent a letter."
Might Guy's heartbeat suddenly accelerated while Sarutobi Sosuke continued speaking in the same unhurried tone, almost as if casually reading an ordinary report, explaining that a letter had been sent directly from Mount Kikyo back to Konoha claiming that the camp was lax, that their forces were insufficient, and that the enemy was preparing to attack.
The crowd below immediately stirred with whispers while Might Guy stood frozen where he was as his expression completely changed.
"A nine-year-old child wrote this letter directly to Konoha's White Fang."
Sarutobi Sosuke's gaze finally landed directly on Might Guy while he slowly added that the child had requested reinforcements, though the way he spoke those words carried a tone that was neither anger nor concern but rather pure mockery hidden beneath false amusement.
"What reinforcements are you asking for?" Sarutobi Sosuke suddenly raised his voice sharply while staring directly at Might Guy before demanding to know whether he believed the Third Hokage had failed to consider such matters, whether he believed Konoha's higher command had failed to consider them, or whether he believed that he alone was the only smart person present.
Might Guy remained perfectly still, but in that instant he suddenly understood everything because Sarutobi Sosuke belonged to the Sarutobi clan, a direct relative of the Third Hokage, and every arrangement currently made at Mount Kikyo had personally come from the Third Hokage himself.
Whether it was withdrawing troops, transferring Shikaku Nara away, or evacuating the wounded, every single order had originated from the Third Hokage.
So in Sarutobi Sosuke's eyes, Might Guy's letter was not a warning but open criticism toward the Third Hokage himself and direct defiance toward the Sarutobi clan.
Sarutobi Sosuke slowly stepped forward until he stood at the edge of the platform while looking down coldly at Might Guy and accusing him of questioning the Hokage's decisions, shaking morale, and spreading panic before declaring that such behavior belonged to deserters and cowards.
Several people below inhaled sharply while Might Guy stood silently as blood rushed upward into his face from sheer frustration and suppression.
"I did not," he replied while staring directly at Sarutobi Sosuke and speaking each word clearly.
"You did not?" Sarutobi Sosuke immediately interrupted as his voice sharply rose again while demanding to know whether Might Guy had questioned the Third Hokage's troop deployments, whether he had written that the camp lacked sufficient forces, and whether he had sent a letter requesting aid.
Then he narrowed his eyes and demanded that Might Guy explain to everyone exactly what the letter contained.
Might Guy opened his mouth but no words came out because although he remembered every single line of the letter perfectly, the meaning of those words had already been completely twisted by Sarutobi Sosuke.
He had warned that Sunagakure might launch a surprise attack, warned that Mount Kikyo's manpower had become dangerously depleted, and asked Hatake Sakumo to help convey the danger, but now those warnings had been transformed into accusations against the Third Hokage himself.
Sarutobi Sosuke sneered coldly before turning around to face the entire crowd and loudly declaring that someone had written in a letter that Sunagakure was preparing a surprise attack and that Mount Kikyo could no longer be defended, that someone had claimed Konoha's higher command made the wrong decision, and that someone had implied the Third Hokage should not have transferred away the wounded who fought for Konoha.
Then, with obvious sarcasm in his voice, he declared that someone apparently believed themselves smarter than the Third Hokage before calling the entire thing a ridiculous joke.
The whispers below instantly became louder as some people quietly discussed among themselves while others turned to look toward Might Guy, their gazes feeling like countless needles stabbing into his body.
"That isn't what I meant," Might Guy forced out through clenched teeth.
"Then what exactly did you mean?" Sarutobi Sosuke immediately turned back and stared at him sharply before asking what kind of confidence a mere nine-year-old child who had only recently become a Chunin possessed that allowed him to believe he understood war better than the Third Hokage himself.
He demanded to know how many wars Might Guy had fought, how many soldiers he had commanded, and what gave him the confidence to think his judgment surpassed Konoha's leadership.
Might Guy fell silent not because he lacked answers but because he already understood that nothing he said right now would matter.
Sarutobi Sosuke did not want explanations.
He wanted submission.
He wanted Might Guy to lower his head publicly and admit that he was wrong in front of everyone present.
Beside him, Ebisu nervously twisted his hands repeatedly while wanting several times to speak up, but Genma quietly grabbed him and warned him not to say anything because doing so would only make the situation worse.
Sarutobi Sosuke continued speaking from the platform while saying that although some people viewed Might Guy as a hero because he killed Iwagakure shinobi, saved comrades, and became a Chunin at nine years old, everyone needed to understand that the distance between a hero and a coward was often only a single step.
Then he looked directly at Might Guy again before saying that since he believed the camp lacked defenses, believed their manpower was insufficient, and believed the enemy could attack at any moment, then he should personally stand at the front lines instead of secretly writing letters asking for help.
Finally, Sarutobi Sosuke coldly declared that since Might Guy was so convinced the enemy might launch a surprise attack, then from that day onward he would personally guard the mountain ridge by himself, and if the enemy never came, then neither would he.
The entire plaza instantly fell silent because everyone immediately understood the true meaning behind those words.
This was not a normal assignment.
It was exile.
The mountain ridge was the outermost edge of Mount Kikyo's defensive perimeter, but after the previous battle against Iwagakure, the terrain there had already been devastated while Konoha's actual defensive line had long since retreated far backward.
Nothing remained there anymore.
There were no supplies, no support, and not even proper shelter.
Sending one person there alone was no different from exile, and if he encountered an enemy patrol by himself, then it would practically be a death sentence.
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