"Hiruzen, reinforcements need to be sent to the border at once. No matter how capable Kizaru is, he can't hold them off forever."
Homura's tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
Koharu, seated beside him, gave a small nod.
"I agree. We can't just sit here and wait."
Hiruzen said nothing right away.
He sat there in silence, pipe in hand, the faint glow at its tip flickering as he took a slow drag.
Unlike the two of them, he did not look particularly shaken.
He trusted his student.
That silence only made the room heavier.
Danzō was not present. Not because he had no interest in Kizaru's situation, but because Hiruzen had already sent him to the Land of Rain to oversee matters there personally.
He had even granted Danzō authority to make decisions on the spot, including whether war should be declared.
At the same time, Hiruzen had also sent his three students to the front alongside him.
Part of it was to keep the Land of Rain and Hanzo from becoming a greater threat.
The other part was simpler.
This war was also meant to temper Konoha's next generation.
After a while, Hiruzen finally let out the smoke he had been holding in and lowered the pipe.
"We wait," he said. "No one moves until we receive further word from the border."
Homura's eyes narrowed at once.
"Hiruzen, don't let personal feelings cloud your judgment."
"Homura," Koharu cut in, "that's enough."
Even she was uneasy with Hiruzen's decision, but she still knew better than to let the conversation turn into an argument.
Hiruzen looked at Homura calmly.
"As his teacher, I know exactly what kind of shinobi Kizaru is."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
"I have faith in him."
Homura frowned, clearly dissatisfied.
"You'll regret being this stubborn."
Still, he knew that once Hiruzen made up his mind, pushing further would change nothing. He clicked his tongue softly and sat back down.
Knock. Knock.
A sharp knock broke the silence.
"Come in," Koharu said.
The door slid open, and an ANBU operative stepped inside, dropping to one knee.
"Hokage-sama. A report has arrived from the border."
Something in the man's voice made all three of them focus instantly.
"Speak," Hiruzen said.
The ANBU lifted his head.
"Shimura Kizaru engaged Kumogakure's forces alone… defeated them… and captured the Third Raikage."
"Cough—!"
Homura nearly choked on air and turned aside, coughing hard.
Koharu's eyes widened.
Even she had not expected something that absurd.
Only Hiruzen still looked composed on the surface.
But beneath the table, the hand resting against his robe tightened sharply.
That fool...
He really did it.
Hiruzen's first question came immediately.
"Kizaru. Is he injured?"
The ANBU blinked, clearly caught off guard for a moment. Then he quickly replied,
"His uniform was damaged, but according to the report, he sustained no serious injuries."
Hiruzen quietly reached for his pipe again and took a slow breath, as though steadying himself.
Homura and Koharu were already on their feet.
"Are you absolutely certain?" Homura demanded. "This isn't some mistake?"
"We confirmed it several times," the ANBU answered without hesitation. "The information is accurate. The Third Raikage has already been transferred to Rakuyō Town near the border."
Even now, the ANBU sounded like he still found the report hard to believe himself.
Hiruzen exhaled and asked,
"Anything else?"
"No, Hokage-sama."
"Very well. You may go."
"Yes, sir."
The ANBU bowed once more, then withdrew, sliding the door shut behind him.
Silence filled the room again.
Then Homura slowly let out a breath.
"What a terrifying child…"
Koharu's expression eased, though the shock still lingered in her eyes.
"Kizaru has accomplished something extraordinary, Hiruzen."
She turned toward him with the faintest smile.
"You've raised quite the student."
"Hahahaha!"
That finally got a laugh out of Hiruzen.
But just as the mood in the room shifted—
"Ooh~ sounds like everyone's having fun in here."
A lazy voice drifted in from behind him.
All three turned at once.
The curtains fluttered as a breeze came in through the open window, and there sat Kizaru, perched casually on the frame like he had simply stopped by on a whim.
"Kizaru!" Hiruzen rose to his feet immediately, relief flashing across his face.
Then he saw what was resting on Kizaru's shoulder.
His eyes widened.
"Ahem—!"
He almost breathed in smoke the wrong way.
Homura and Koharu also froze a moment later.
On Kizaru's shoulder sat a cat with two tails swaying behind it.
Homura's hand shot up instinctively.
"T-That…!"
Kizaru glanced sideways at the small figure on his shoulder, then smiled in that same unbothered way of his.
"This one? She's Matatabi. My partner."
The Two-Tails lifted her chin with clear satisfaction at the introduction.
Hiruzen's expression sharpened.
"Kizaru… that's Kumogakure's Two-Tails."
He had fought Kumogakure often enough in the past to recognize it immediately.
Kizaru gave him that same easy look.
"As expected of sensei. You noticed right away… how impressive."
Homura and Koharu exchanged looks, both of them visibly tense now.
The Hokage Building stood in the very center of the village.
If a tailed beast rampaged here, the damage would be immeasurable.
But Hiruzen stayed calmer than either of them.
He studied Matatabi for another brief moment, then said,
"Kizaru. Make sure she stays under control. We cannot have trouble inside the village."
"No need to worry."
Kizaru casually reached up and rubbed Matatabi on the head, like she was no more dangerous than an ordinary pet.
The sight did absolutely nothing to calm Homura.
Hiruzen, however, moved on.
"I heard you captured the Third Raikage."
"Mm~ I did," Kizaru said. "I left Hyūga Nagayasu in charge of escorting him back with a squad."
Homura's expression darkened again.
"You left the escort to someone else? The Third Raikage is too valuable a prisoner. You should have gone with them yourself."
Kizaru gave him a sidelong glance.
"Eh? Escort duty sounds like a pain."
Homura's eye twitched.
"You—"
"That's enough, Homura," Hiruzen said, cutting in before the argument could start.
Then he looked toward the two elders.
"You may leave us now."
Homura clearly still had things he wanted to say, but Hiruzen's tone left no room for protest.
Koharu gave Kizaru one more look, then turned for the door.
Homura followed after a brief pause, displeasure written all over his face.
Once the two of them were gone, the room finally quieted.
Hiruzen looked at Kizaru for a long moment.
Then a warm, proud smile spread across his face.
"You did well, Kizaru."
Kizaru hopped down from the window and stretched lazily.
"Since I worked this hard," he said, hands in his pockets, "a long vacation would be nice, don't you think, sensei?"
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