Naruto Birdcage

Evening.

When Haruka returned home, she found her younger sister still awake, lying on the living room sofa engrossed in a book.

She was wearing a thin nightgown, her fair and delicate feet swaying back and forth as if thoroughly enjoying her reading.

Hearing the sound from the doorway, Natsu sat up on the sofa.

"You're back, sister."

"Mm."

Haruka's face was marked with deep exhaustion as she replied weakly.

"Have you eaten? I left some food for you in the kitchen," Natsu said, noticing her sister's weary state.

"Alright, I got it."

Haruka moved to the sofa and sank into it, not making another move.

Natsu promptly closed her book and went into the kitchen, bringing out the food she had saved.

"Natsu."

Natsu was setting the table when she suddenly heard Haruka's voice.

She turned her head to see her sister still lying motionless on the sofa.

"Huh?"

"Did you go out with Iroha today?"

Natsu froze for a moment, surprised that her sister would ask her such a question, then replied.

"No, he didn't come looking for me today."

"Oh."

She thought that was the end of the conversation, but after a while, Haruka spoke again.

"Iroha seems pretty straightforward, no hidden motives at all."

"Mm, I guess so."

Natsu responded indifferently, as if uninterested in the topic.

"Hakumen, on the other hand, is much more composed—thoughtful and calm even at a young age.

Lord Hizashi often praises him.

Among his peers in the clan, he's probably the most outstanding."

"Maybe." Natsu replied with the same indifferent tone.

"Natsu."

"…"

"Do you have someone you like?"

"No."

Haruka sat up from the sofa, her gaze flickering slightly as she watched Natsu serve her meal.

"You and them are childhood friends, right? Don't you feel anything for them?"

Natsu frowned slightly.

"Does being childhood friends mean we have to end up together?

Can't we just stay good friends?"

Haruka let out an awkward laugh. "…Of course, that's fine."

Natsu glanced at her sister, noticing something unusual.

Normally, Haruka would occasionally tease her about these things, but her tone and expression today didn't seem like she was joking.

Haruka didn't let the topic drop and, after hesitating, spoke again.

"That Makoto… you've been in contact with him recently, haven't you?"

At this point, Natsu couldn't hold back anymore.

With a sigh of exasperation, she said.

"Are you that eager to set me up with someone?

You're single yourself—why don't you focus on finding me a brother-in-law first?"

Haruka fell silent.

Natsu spoke again, "Hurry up and eat while it's still warm."

She finished setting up the meal and walked back to the sofa, picking up her book.

"You should… try spending more time with that Makoto."

"No."

"I'm not saying you have to be with him…"

Natsu suddenly froze.

Haruka kept her head lowered and continued, "Just… spend more time together, that's all."

Hyuga Natsu was very perceptive.

Observing her sister's behavior, she quickly pieced together all the causes and effects behind this.

Why her sister had suddenly and inexplicably started saying such things to her.

Natsu's expression grew calm. "I understand."

"Natsu, you..."

"I understand. I'll do it."

"...I'm sorry, Natsu."

Natsu's expression remained calm.

"Didn't you say it's not about dating him?

As long as I get a bit closer to him, that should be enough, right?"

.......

The day after Hizashi returned to the village, another wounded soldier was sent back from the front lines, and yet another Konoha camp was overrun by the enemy.

Konoha Hospital.

Looking at Jiraiya lying on the hospital bed, wrapped in bandages, Hiruzen's face was expressionless.

"How many were evacuated?"

"Half."

"I see..." Jiraiya muttered, his tone heavy.

"It was to be expected. If Minato hadn't arrived in time, I would've died there."

They had been attacked by several thousand Iwa-nin, led by the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.

In just an instant, Jiraiya had seen a blinding white light sweep through the center of their camp, leaving nothing but dust in its wake.

The enemy's numbers were more than triple their own.

Jiraiya had chosen to stay behind and buy time for his comrades to retreat, but he was overwhelmed.

Fortunately, Minato had arrived just in time.

Jiraiya asked, "How many people do we still have on the front lines?"

Hiruzen replied, "Four thousand... less than that."

This statement led to a long silence between the two.

Once the strongest shinobi village in the world, Konoha had fallen to such a state.

Even Jiraiya couldn't help but ask, "Can we still win?"

Hiruzen didn't answer.

A letter from the daimyo had just arrived, hinting that if the war could no longer be won, surrendering to Iwagakure might be considered.

As long as it could bring an end to the bloodshed, the Land of Fire was willing to compensate with supplies, money, and even land.

But Hiruzen understood Onoki's temperament.

If this had been right after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Iwagakure might have agreed to negotiate peace.

But now, with victory within their grasp, how could Onoki possibly stop?

They were at the end of the road...

Jiraiya noticed the layered armor beneath Hiruzen's Hokage robe and asked, "What's the village like now?"

Hiruzen looked out the window and replied, "... a bit chaotic."

The chaos was both visible and invisible...

The villagers were panicking, and the great clans were plotting their escape routes...

The once unbreakable bonds established by the First Hokage were now finally loosening in the face of life and death.

"I heard Orochimaru went to Sunagakure to ask for reinforcements."

"In Konoha's current state, there won't be any allies left."

"...That's true."

"When I head to the front lines, the village will be in your hands."

"I'm no good at handling those administrative matters."

"There won't be any administration, only the news of our victory or death."

Jiraiya let out a bitter laugh and didn't respond further.

Hiruzen said indifferently, "If you think it's a hopeless situation, then quickly heal and come to the front lines to die."

A dead-end.

After Hiruzen left, Jiraiya leaned against the bed, silently gazing out of the window.

The leaves were falling, it was already late autumn.

He absentmindedly thought back to the time when he, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were not yet famous.

Back then, there were only endless missions, and there were no concerns like there were now.

After becoming the Legendary Sannin, their status in the village grew higher and higher, and the things they were involved in increased.

They understood more, but the distance between the three of them seemed to grow wider.

Jiraiya felt that Orochimaru's hidden ambition was too great, while his own student was a natural-born Hokage.

When Sarutobi-sensei told him that he would treat this war as a stage for Minato and seal away Orochimaru, Jiraiya agreed.

After the battle at the Kannabi Bridge, Minato's reputation reached its peak, his brilliance overshadowing Jiraiya's past achievements, and Jiraiya believed that things would smoothly progress from there...

Looking back now, if Orochimaru had been on the front lines at that time, perhaps the war would have already been won.

With Minato's strength and character, there would have been no need for him and Sarutobi-sensei to take such unnecessary actions, which ultimately led to the tragedy now unfolding.

Orochimaru must have been deeply disappointed in both him and Sarutobi-sensei.

End of chapter

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