Two weeks had passed since Jiraiya's arrival at the border camp.
After the confrontation between him and Toyoma inside the command tent, no further major incidents occurred.
At least on the surface.
The atmosphere inside the camp had gradually calmed, but the earlier tension had never truly disappeared. It simply settled deeper, hidden beneath daily routines, patrol reports, and the constant movement of shinobi preparing for possible conflict.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi and Might Duy had both remained under treatment during these past weeks.
Duy's condition had stabilised after continuous care from the medical team, though everyone understood some injuries would never fully heal. Even walking now required support.
As for Shinnosuke—
His physical injuries had mostly recovered long ago.
But the humiliation he suffered in front of the entire camp had left behind something far harder to treat.
Because after his identity became known, several civilian-born shinobi had slowly started approaching him during recovery.
Some brought food.
Others helped with daily tasks.
A few simply lingered nearby, trying to curry favour with the Hokage's son.
The behaviour disgusted many shinobi privately, but nobody openly spoke about it.
Meanwhile, Shinnosuke himself rarely left the medical quarters anymore.
And whenever he did—
He avoided Toyoma and the other Uchiha as much as possible.
The earlier arrogance in his behaviour had noticeably weakened.
Though whether that came from fear, humiliation, or resentment—
Nobody could say for certain.
As for Jiraiya—
He remained stationed at the border camp alongside the Hyuga forces and several other shinobi units.
Although the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had retreated after their defeat, the Mist Village continued making small probing attacks near certain border areas.
Nothing major.
Just enough to remain irritating.
Small ambushes.
Sudden disappearances.
Scattered infiltration attempts.
The kind of behaviour the Mist shinobi were infamous for.
And more importantly—
Kirigakure still had not officially responded regarding peace negotiations.
That alone kept Jiraiya cautious.
Nobody knew whether the Mist truly intended to end the war peacefully—
or whether they were simply waiting for another opportunity.
Cold wind moved across the training field.
The sound of footsteps and wooden weapons echoed through the open area as groups of shinobi continued mock drills under Jiraiya's supervision.
"Again."
Jiraiya folded his arms while watching two chunin clash in close combat.
"Your reaction speed is too slow."
The two shinobi immediately straightened nervously.
Sweat covered their faces despite the cold air.
Before Jiraiya could continue—
A voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Jiraiya-sama."
Jiraiya turned slightly after hearing the familiar voice.
And the moment he saw who had arrived—
Surprise briefly appeared on his face.
Fugaku Uchiha slowly approached across the training ground.
Several elite Uchiha shinobi followed behind him at a distance.
Beside Fugaku walked a very small child.
Dark hair.
Calm eyes.
And a quietness unusual for someone his age.
Jiraiya's gaze lingered on the boy briefly before returning toward Fugaku.
The Uchiha Clan Head stopped a few steps away before lowering his head respectfully.
"Jiraiya-sama."
His voice remained calm and formal.
"Thank you for protecting the border."
The nearby shinobi gradually slowed their movements after noticing the arrival of the Uchiha Clan Head.
A subtle silence spread through the training field.
Fugaku slowly raised his head again.
"I was not aware that the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist would attack after my departure."
A faint heaviness appeared in his expression.
"If you had not arrived in time..."
He paused briefly.
"...then this may have become the greatest failure of my life."
Even now, remembering the report Hiruzen had shown him two weeks ago still left a lingering chill inside him.
At the time of his departure from the border, the Mist forces had already been pushed back repeatedly.
Nobody expected them to launch such a dangerous counterattack so suddenly.
Especially not with the Seven Swordsmen themselves.
After hearing the full situation from Hiruzen, Fugaku immediately gathered several elite Uchiha and headed toward the border camp without wasting time.
The first thing he found upon arriving was Jiraiya personally supervising shinobi training in the middle of the camp.
Jiraiya looked at Fugaku for a moment before giving a faint smile.
"Don't worry too much about it."
His tone remained casual.
"I only did what needed to be done."
Then he shook his head slightly.
"Honestly, nobody expected the Mist to pull something like that after suffering losses."
Fugaku still lowered his head slightly once more.
"Even so... you have my gratitude."
Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively before his gaze shifted toward the small child standing beside Fugaku.
Only now did the boy step forward slightly.
Fugaku placed a hand lightly on his son's shoulder.
"Itachi."
His tone softened a little.
"This is Jiraiya-sama, who handled the situation here during our absence."
The young boy immediately looked toward Jiraiya with visible curiosity.
Unlike most children his age, his eyes carried unusual focus.
Clearly—
He already understood who stood in front of him.
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama."
His voice was small, but respectful.
Jiraiya blinked once.
Then looked toward Fugaku with visible confusion.
"...Fugaku, this is—?"
He glanced back at the child.
"Your son?"
Fugaku nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Jiraiya stared at the boy again.
The child looked no older than four.
Which only made his confusion grow further.
"...Why did you bring him to the border?"
The cold wind passed quietly through the training field.
For a moment, Fugaku's expression became more serious.
"The war is already nearing its end."
His gaze slowly moved toward the distant walls of the camp.
"So I brought Itachi here to see it with his own eyes."
Then he looked back toward Jiraiya.
"As the future Clan Head of the Uchiha, he should understand how much sacrifice the village paid to obtain peace."
The surrounding air felt strangely quiet after those words.
Jiraiya understood the meaning behind them.
But at the same time—
something about it still felt wrong to him.
A child this young standing at a battlefield camp...
Even if the fighting had mostly calmed down.
The thought alone felt uncomfortable.
Fugaku seemed to notice the hesitation in Jiraiya's expression.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Jiraiya-sama, you don't need to worry too much."
There was unmistakable pride hidden in his tone now.
"Itachi is already capable of using basic ninjutsu."
Then he added calmly,
"And his talent is exceptional. He could already handle some genin-level opponents."
Several nearby shinobi looked toward the child again after hearing that.
Jiraiya himself stared at Itachi with clear surprise.
The boy remained quiet beneath everyone's attention.
'...Another monster genius?'
Jiraiya thought silently.
And almost immediately—
Another face appeared in his mind.
Toyoma Uchiha.
A faint sigh escaped him internally.
'Seriously... what kind of bloodline does this clan even have?'
At the same time—
inside another section of the camp, far away from the training grounds—
Toyoma sat quietly beneath the shade of a large tree.
Several scrolls lay open beside him while the cold evening wind moved lightly through the camp.
Suki sat nearby, sorting through reports collected from patrol units stationed near the border.
In front of them rested a strange snail-like creature nearly the size of a human head.
Its body resembled an ordinary communication snail—
But its face looked disturbingly human.
The creature's skin shifted slightly as it spoke using Koji's voice from far away.
"Toyoma."
The snail's mouth moved unnaturally.
"The situation here has calmed down somewhat... but Daimyo-sama remains worried about the Great Nations."
Toyoma quietly listened while resting one arm over his knee.
The dim light of the setting sun reflected faintly across his eyes.
"Uncle Koji."
His voice remained calm.
"Let me speak with Daimyo-sama directly for a while."
The snail remained silent briefly before Koji answered again.
"...Alright."
"I'll arrange a meeting tonight."
Then he added,
"You can discuss things with him personally then."
The communication immediately ended afterwards.
The strange creature slowly lowered its head before becoming motionless once more.
For a few seconds—
Only the distant sounds of the camp could be heard.
Footsteps.
Clashing metal.
Faint voices carried by the wind.
Toyoma quietly stared at the communication snail.
"The situation in the Land of Snow is still too unstable."
His voice was low.
"Getting full support from the Daimyo is important for us."
Suki looked toward him after hearing that.
A faint frown appeared on her face.
"Toyoma..."
She hesitated briefly.
"If their Daimyo is really that afraid of the Great Nations..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"...then how much help can he truly give us?"
The evening wind passed quietly between them.
Toyoma remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Sister Suki..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Fear is not always a bad thing."
His gaze slowly shifted toward the darkening sky above the camp.
"At the very least, it means he understands his own position."
Then he continued calmly,
"And it shows that he actually cares about his people."
Suki quietly listened without interrupting.
Toyoma's fingers lightly tapped against one of the scrolls beside him.
"The Land of Snow doesn't possess the same resources as the Five Great Nations."
His voice remained steady.
"No fertile lands."
"No large population."
"Their military is incapable of standing against the larger countries directly."
The campfire light flickered faintly nearby.
"So every decision their Daimyo makes has to be made carefully."
His eyes darkened slightly afterwards.
"That alone already makes him different from many rulers."
From the reports Koji had gathered over the years, Toyoma already understood quite a bit about the current Daimyo of the Land of Snow.
The man lacked courage in some areas—
But he genuinely tried improving the lives of his people, however he could.
Even the technological development inside the Land of Snow had advanced further than many smaller nations because of those efforts.
On one side—
The Daimyo wanted to strengthen his country.
But on the other—
He remained deeply afraid of drawing attention from the surrounding great powers.
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Author Note
Hello everyone, hear_tteeth here.
This chapter was intentionally quieter compared to the previous few chapters.
After so much tension, confrontation, and emotional conflict, I wanted the story to slow down a little and show the lingering atmosphere after everything that happened at the border.
Even when battles stop, the effects of war don't disappear immediately. Resentment, fear, politics, and personal humiliation continue to exist quietly beneath daily life.
I also wanted to use this chapter to expand the world outside Konoha a little more. Smaller nations like the Land of Snow often exist under constant pressure from the Five Great Nations, and their rulers have to survive through caution rather than power.
And finally, this chapter introduces young Itachi into the border atmosphere for the first time.
Not as a genius making speeches...
but simply as a child beginning to witness the reality of war and the burdens carried by adults around him.
Thank you all for reading and supporting the story.
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