Uzumaki Kushina, led in Sora's arms, dozed off again, her head resting against his chest.

  Feeling the steady rhythm of her breathing, Sora felt a surge of energy course through him as if he had been rejuvenated. His steps grew lighter, and a profound sense of happiness filled him, aion he couldn't fully describe.

  By the time Sora returo Konoha, the journey felt as though it had passed in the blink of an eye. A part of him sighed inwardly, menting how fleeting the moments seemed.

  However, the warmth in his expression vanished as he approached the vilge gates. His demeanour became cold and distant, a clear signal for others to stay away.

  The Konoha gate guards noticed Sora carrying Uzumaki Kushina in his arms and quickly surrounded him.

  "Sora, what's going on? Why are you returning from outside the vilge with Uzumaki Kushina?" one of them demanded.

  Given the increasing tensions in the vilge, Konoha had retly implemericter protocols requiring all shinobi tister their ings and goings.

  Sora's icy gaze swept over the group. His voice was calm but cutting: "Kushina was kidnapped by Kumogakure shinobi inside Konoha. And you're just now notig?"

  "What?!"

  The guards were stuheir eyes widening in disbelief.

  It wasn't just the kidnapping itself that shocked them; it was the fact that such a breach had occurred within the vilge. One of the shinobi immediately broke away from the group, rushing toward the Hokage Resideo report the io Sarutobi Hiruzen.

  The remaining guards tried to question Sora further, but he ighem, tinuing forward without pause.

  "Hey, Sora!" one of the guards called out angrily. "We're asking you a question! What's the meaning of just walking away like that?"

  Without turning back, Sora replied coldly, "And what would answering you aplish? As gatekeepers of Konoha, you were pletely unaware of what happened. Whether it's inpetence ligen your part doesn't matter. Either way, I have no obligation to expin myself—because you're not my superior."

  The guards' faces darkened with frustration, but Sora didn't spare them annce. He walked away, his focus already elsewhere.

  Before long, Sora arrived at Uzumaki Mito's mansion.

  By this time, Uzumaki Mito had already returned. Having noticed that Kushina, who should have returned from her mission long ago, was missing, she immediately informed Sarutobi Hiruzen of the situation.

  Realizing the gravity of the matter, Sarutobi Hiruzen dispatched several Anbu teams to iigate. After questioning Kushina's mission teammates and learning she had left ahead of them, he deduced something was amiss and ordered nearly the entire Anbu unit to search for her.

  In the meantime, Uzumaki Mito had stayed at the mansion, anxiously awaiting any news.

  When she heard movement at the door, Mito hurried to open it.

  The sight of Uzumaki Kushina soundly sleeping in Sora's arms immediately brought relief to her heart. The heavy weight of worry she had been carrying lifted as she exhaled deeply.

  Sora stood at the doorway, his expression unreadable. "Lady Mito," he said evenly, "I've brought Kushina back. She's exhausted. Please take her to her room to rest."

  Mito stepped forward, carefully taking Kushina into her arms. As she shifted her focus from Kushina to Sora, her sharp eyes took in his dishevelled state. His clothes were torn and burned in several pces, clear signs of a fierce battle.

  Her expression softened with . "Sora, are you injured?" she asked gently.

  "I'm not injured," Sora replied calmly. "I must report this matter to Lord Hokage. I'll take my leave now."

  He bowed respectfully to Uzumaki Mito and turo leave.

  As Sora's figure disappeared into the distance, Uzumaki Mito's sharp gaze lingered on him, her eyes flickering with an unspoken thought.

  Shortly after Sora left the mansion, an Anbu appeared in front of him, emerging silently from the shadows. "Sora, Lord Hokage requests your immediate presence."

  Without hesitation, Sora followed the Anbu to the Hokage Building.

  Upoering the Hokage's office, Sora found Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru waiting inside.

  Sora bowed respectfully. "Lord Hokage. Sensei Orochimaru."

  Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, his expression grave. "Sora, expin what happened."

  Without omitting aails, Sora reted the events: Kushina's kidnapping, the battle with the Kumogakure shinobi, and her eventual rescue.

  As Sora spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened. Beside him, Orochimaru's normally calm demeanrew serious.

  After Sora finished, Sarutobi Hiruzen turo Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, what do you make of this?"

  Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed as he spoke in his distinct, gravelly tone. "Ohing is certain—enemy shinobi have already infiltrated Konoha. Without someone on the ihey couldn't have kidnapped Kushina so easily."

  Sarutobi Hiruzen's face grew more sombre. "It seems they're growing bolder. We 't afford to ighis."

  Sora then added, "Lord Hokage, I've brought back the heads of the three Kumogakure ninjas."

  He retrieved a scroll from his poud ha to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

  Sarutobi's eyes lit up slightly, a flicker of approval crossing his face. "Well done, Sora. With their heads, our Sensing Unit analyze the memories stored in their brains and uncover valuable information."

  Without dey, Sarutobi summoned an Anbu and ordered them to deliver the scroll to the Sensing Unit for analysis.

  Sora then tinued his report. "Hokage-sama, there's another matter I o address. While carrying out a mission to eliminate pirates, I entered three ninjas in their ranks.

  "Though their identities were unclear, I suspected they inteo infiltrate the Land of Fire. Instead of killing them, I captured them alive."

  Sora formed a hand seal, summoning the White Sh the Summoning Teique.

  The snake appeared in a puff of smoke, its body coiling before Sora.

  "White Snake, spit out the three ninjas," Sora ordered.

  "Of course, Master Sora," the snake replied.

  Its belly squirmed unnaturally as it opes mouth and expelled the three captured ninjas. Unfortunately, the one whose spine Sora had severed was crushed to death within the fined space of the snake's body.

  The other two, however, were alive and scious.

  The moment the two survivors saw Sora, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Orochimaru staring at them, terror swept over their faces. They instinctively retreated, their fear evident.

  Sarutobi summoned another Anbu, who immediately took custody of the three ninjas. The deceased one was sent to the Sensing Unit for memory analysis, while the two survivors were handed over to the Torture and Interrogatioment.

  Sarutobi Hiruzeuroward the rge map on his desk. "Sora," he said, "show me where you entered these pirates."

  Sora stepped forward and poio a specific location.

  The moment Sarutobi saw where Sora indicated, his eyes narrowed.

  Orochimaru's voice broke the silence, smooth but ced with tension. "It seems… Kirigakure is making its move as well."

  The spot Sora had marked was he Land of Waves, which bordered the Land of Water to the east.

  While there was no direct e between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves, the tter shared a strong alliah the Land of Water. Kirigakure's ninjas would almost certainly pass through the Land of Waves to reach the Fire try's coastline.

  Sarutobi's expression darkened further, his worry etched into his features. The prospect of Kirigakure joining the fray was grim news.

  "If Kirigakure is involved, it means four of the five major ninja vilges—Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and now Kirigakure—are moving against Konoha," Sarutobi muttered, his voice heavy with the weight of the realization.

  Orochimaru's smirk was faint but bitter. "If war breaks out, Konoha will find itself fag an alliance of ehat could engulf the entire Land of Fire."

  Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded grimly. "This would be no ordinary flict. It would threaten not just Konoha but the entire Fire try. We must prepare for the worst."

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