The moment the news sank in, Minato's usually calm expression shifted.
Not far away, Ren and the others—who had been waiting while secretly listening—also froze, their faces tightening with shock.
"Sunagakure and Konoha signed an alliance treaty not long ago," Minato said, frowning slightly. "A unilateral invasion like this… is essentially a declaration of war, isn't it?"
"Correct."
The jonin's voice was heavy.
"And there's more. Based on recent evidence, it seems Konoha's defensive deployment in this region may have been leaked. That's why patrol squads have been ambushed so frequently."
His gaze hardened.
"I will immediately reorganize the defensive line. Please, Minato—send this intelligence back to the village and request reinforcements as soon as possible."
Minato nodded without hesitation.
"I understand."
---
War.
For most people, the realization didn't come all at once.
Even seasoned shinobi often needed time to understand what was truly happening. Was this just another border clash? A localized skirmish? Or something far worse?
Only Ren, with knowledge from another life, understood immediately.
This was not a minor conflict.
This was the beginning of something far larger.
The Third Great Ninja War had begun.
But no one else could see that far yet.
To them, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Villages. Even if it was considered weaker compared to the others, a betrayal of alliance and a sudden invasion was no small matter. It had to be treated with the utmost seriousness.
The rest of the conversation between Minato and the jonin was too quiet for Ren and the others to hear clearly.
When Minato finally returned, Obito was the first to raise his hand, unable to hold himself back.
"Minato-sensei! Are we going to war? Do we have to go to the battlefield too? When?!"
Minato blinked, then smiled gently.
"What are you saying? You're still children."
His tone was soft, but firm.
"The situation hasn't reached the point where children under ten are sent to the front lines."
Obito paused.
"As the next generation of Konoha," Minato continued, "your duty right now is to return to the village and focus on improving yourselves. That is how you support those already fighting."
He looked at them one by one.
"As for the battlefield… it would be better if that day comes as late as possible."
The words were calm.
But the meaning behind them was heavy.
Then, after a brief pause, Minato's gaze shifted toward Ren.
There was hesitation in his eyes.
"Ren… there's something else."
Ren looked up.
"Your father was stationed in this region, wasn't he?"
"…Yes."
"I asked the officer in charge just now." Minato's voice softened slightly. "He said your father was supposed to rotate back a month ago. But due to manpower shortages, he volunteered to stay."
Ren's heart sank.
Minato continued quietly.
"Not long ago, he went missing during a patrol mission."
"…His current whereabouts are unknown."
---
Silence.
Ren didn't speak.
Earlier this year, his father had written to him and his mother, saying he would return in two months.
That time had already passed.
It was now nearly April.
And yet… there had been no news.
Ren had already begun to suspect something was wrong.
He just hadn't known where to confirm it.
Now, the answer had arrived.
Missing.
In wartime, that word often meant only one thing.
Dead.
It was common.
Too common.
But even so…
Rin lowered her gaze, unable to say anything.
Obito scratched his head awkwardly, unusually quiet.
Minato let out a faint sigh.
"I've already asked them to investigate further," he added. "If there's any information, they will notify you."
Ren nodded slowly.
"…Thank you, Minato-sensei."
There was nothing else to say.
They were not sensory-type shinobi.
They did not understand the full situation on the border.
And now, with war about to erupt in the region, it was impossible for them to stay behind and search.
The only thing they could do…
Was leave.
---
The journey back to Konoha felt heavier than before.
Rin tried several times to comfort Ren, her voice gentle and careful.
Obito, for once, didn't act noisy or competitive. When they stopped to rest, he even rushed ahead to set up the pot and boil water, trying to help in his own awkward way.
Ren accepted it all without comment.
Since someone else was handling the chores, he used the time to practice his swordsmanship.
At the same time, his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
He was already thinking ahead.
Thinking about how to tell his mother.
How to explain.
How to help her accept the worst outcome.
In his mind, he was already preparing the words for mourning.
---
A few days later, they finally returned to Konoha.
And not long after—
Ren received a piece of news that completely overturned everything.
"Huh…?"
His voice cracked in disbelief.
"Dad… you're not dead?!"
---
The location—
Konoha Hospital.
The inpatient ward was filled with noise—voices, footsteps, the faint scent of medicine lingering in the air.
Ren stood beside his mother, staring at the figure lying on the hospital bed.
Bandages wrapped around nearly his entire body.
His right leg encased in a thick cast.
His face pale, but unmistakably alive.
It was his father.
---
On the very day they returned to the village, Minato had already reported Sunagakure's invasion to the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But Hiruzen had already received the information earlier through the Anbu.
Soon after, a high-level meeting was urgently convened.
No one knew the exact details of what was discussed.
But the results were clear.
A hundred-man force was assembled almost immediately.
And leading it—
Jiraiya.
Their mission was straightforward.
Reinforce the western and southern borders.
Block Sunagakure's invasion.
And retrieve injured frontline shinobi who could no longer fight.
---
Then, like wildfire—
The news spread.
The entire village erupted.
"Damn Sunagakure! What nonsense about the Third Kazekage going missing? Who are they fooling?!"
"Exactly! If that's the case, I can say my son got lost in the Land of Wind too!"
"Why are we going to war again?! It's only been a few years of peace!"
"Fight back! Crush those sand bastards!"
"If only the White Fang were still alive…"
"My parents are on the southwestern border… several outposts have already fallen… they must be…"
"Father! Mother… your son is unfilial! Waaaah!"
The streets buzzed with tension.
Shinobi moved in large numbers.
Supplies were transported constantly.
Even civilians could feel it.
Even children.
The atmosphere had changed.
Something heavy had settled over Konoha.
When the first batch of severely wounded shinobi returned from the front lines—
It only got worse.
The reality of war was no longer distant.
It was here.
Right in front of them.
Hiruzen personally stepped forward and gave a speech, trying to calm the village.
It worked.
A little.
But fear still lingered.
Of course, not everyone was afraid.
There were always a few young shinobi, eager and reckless, dreaming of glory. They talked about going to the battlefield, earning merit, becoming heroes.
But for most—
Especially newly graduated genin like Ren and Rin—
War was not something exciting.
It was something terrifying.
---
Ren had already prepared himself for the worst.
In his mind, the most "reasonable" outcome had been simple.
His father would be returned…
In a small wooden box.
That was how most stories ended in times like this.
But reality—
Had taken a different turn.
---
"Kiri… Ren…"
The man on the bed forced a smile.
His face was honest and weathered, but the strain showed clearly at the corners of his mouth.
"It's good to see you both… alive."
Ren's throat tightened.
His mother stood beside him, her hands trembling slightly.
Mikami Tajima spoke slowly, his voice weak but steady.
"The border has been unstable lately… our squad was ambushed during a patrol mission."
His gaze dimmed.
"The other three… didn't make it."
A pause.
"I was the only one who survived."
Ren clenched his fists.
"But…"
Tajima's expression twisted slightly.
"My right leg was blown off by an explosive tag."
The words hung in the air.
"I managed to survive… but…"
He looked down at the cast.
"…I'll never be able to be a shinobi again."
---
Silence filled the room.
It wasn't death.
But it wasn't victory either.
For a shinobi—
Losing the ability to fight…
Was almost the same as losing everything.
Ren stood there, staring at his father.
Alive.
But broken.
And for the first time since the war began—
He truly understood something.
War didn't just take lives.
Sometimes…
It left people behind to live with what remained.
And that—
Was often even crueler.
--------------------------------
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