The corner of Ayanami Kaito's mouth twitched. He already knew who the culprit was without needing confirmation. Only one person would dare—Uchiha Sasuke. That boy must have led his team to take revenge against the two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
If his guess was right, Sasuke now wielded the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, having merged Itachi's eyes with his own, gaining power comparable to Madara himself.
"Who attacked?" Tsunade demanded.
The intelligence officer's report confirmed Kaito's thoughts.
"The Konoha rear lines were assaulted by Uchiha Sasuke. Elders Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura have been killed! He… he intends to destroy what remains of their faction!"
"What?" Tsunade's face darkened, her voice trembling with fury. "That bastard Sasuke! I should have eliminated him earlier instead of giving him chance after chance, especially at a time like this!"
Though Tsunade had little love for the two elders, their deaths weren't what infuriated her. What enraged her was Sasuke's timing—striking at the village when it was already weakened.
Most of Konoha's Chūnin were deployed to the front lines. Only Genin and academy youths remained in the village, powerless against Sasuke's strength.
A pang of regret struck her heart. If only she had ignored Naruto's pleas and brought Sasuke back by force, this wouldn't be happening now.
Konoha had already suffered too much: Pain's assault, the return of past Kage through forbidden jutsu, and now Sasuke's rampage. How much more could the village endure?
She turned desperately to Kaito.
"Kaito! Use your space ninjutsu. Take Kushina with you and return to Konoha at once. You must stop that Uchiha brat!" Tsunade's words were sharp, but beneath them was desperation.
Kaito shook his head calmly. "No. If I'm right, Naruto should be heading there already. This is their fight—it's time for them to settle everything between them."
Tsunade's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Remember what I told you about Indra and Ashura?"
"Of course," Tsunade replied, confused. Why bring that up now?
Kaito's eyes glinted. "Naruto and Sasuke are their reincarnations. Their paths are destined to collide. This battle was inevitable."
Tsunade froze, realization dawning. "You don't mean… this generation's Indra and Ashura are truly them?"
"That's right. No matter what we do, those two will fight. If you doubt me, just wait. News of Naruto and Sasuke's clash will reach us soon enough."
"Impossible!" Tsunade shook her head, unwilling to believe. "Naruto's still at Mount Myōboku with Jiraiya. He couldn't possibly—"
At that moment, another urgent messenger burst in.
"Hokage-sama! Uzumaki Naruto and Jiraiya-sama have returned to Konoha. Naruto is already engaged in battle with Uchiha Sasuke! Jiraiya-sama remains on standby, watching."
Tsunade was stunned. Slowly, her gaze turned toward Kaito, eyes full of suspicion and awe.
"…Can you see the future?" she asked gravely.
Kaito let out a bitter smile. "If I could truly predict the future, do you think I'd still be standing here?" His tone was light, but his words carried weight.
Tsunade huffed, folding her arms. "Fine. Keep your secrets." She waved him off, though her expression lingered with unease.
Frontline Camp
Dozens of neatly arranged tents filled the encampment, shinobi moving in and out, some chatting, others preparing gear.
Although the Allied Shinobi Forces had been established, each village naturally grouped with their own comrades when resting.
In a medium-sized tent, Hinata and Ino shared a space. Though either could easily claim a tent for herself, they preferred each other's company.
"Ino, how are you holding up today?" Hinata asked softly as she set aside her flak jacket.
"Great!" Ino replied with a grin, pulling off her vest to reveal her shirt beneath. "Those White Zetsu are such pushovers. It feels like swatting flies! I've lost count of how many I've dropped."
Hinata frowned gently. "Even so, don't push yourself too hard. Remember to conserve your chakra. If you rush in recklessly, you'll end up in danger."
"Relax!" Ino thumped her chest with mock confidence. "I can handle it."
Just then, the air above their tent rippled like disturbed water. Both women instantly brightened, recognizing that technique. Only one person traveled this way.
A moment later, Ayanami Kaito stepped out of the distortion.
The two women's faces lit up as he immediately drew them into a warm embrace. He inhaled the faint fragrance of their hair, his voice low and affectionate. "You both fought well today. I saw everything. But Ino—you were too far ahead again."
"Ehh! Got it!" Ino pouted playfully. "First it was Hinata scolding me, and now you. I was just a little excited, okay?"
Hinata blushed faintly, lowering her eyes. "Why did you come here, Kaito?" she asked softly.
"I have things to take care of," he admitted, "but more importantly, I worry about you both. Tonight will be dangerous. The enemy may try to infiltrate our camps disguised as allies. I want to make sure you're safe."
He remembered all too well what happened in the original course of events—White Zetsu clones disguised themselves as comrades, slaughtering unsuspecting shinobi in the dark.
The tent flap opened suddenly. Sakura stepped inside, surprise flashing in her eyes when she saw Kaito.
"Kaito? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be—" Her words faltered, her cheeks flushing red as thoughts she quickly suppressed rushed into her head.
Hinata, flustered, pulled free from Kaito's arms. "It's not what you think, Sakura-san!" she stammered.
Sakura groaned, exasperated. "Seriously? Even here I can't escape watching you two flaunt your relationship. It's like being force-fed every time I turn around! Forget it, I'll leave before I choke on all this 'sweetness.'"
She turned to storm out, but Kaito placed a hand on her shoulder, a half-smile tugging at his lips.
"Are you sure you want to leave, Sakura-san?" he teased.
Sakura stiffened, spinning to glare at him. "What, you want me to stay and get oppressed with your lovie dovie?"
Ino and Hinata exchanged puzzled glances. They remembered that Kaito and Sakura hadn't always gotten along so easily. Why was he suddenly teasing her so casually now?
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