Evening.
Hyuga Harucha returned home to find her sister still awake, lying on the living room sofa reading a book.
Wearing a thin nightgown, her fair, delicate feet were propped up, swinging back and forth as she seemed engrossed in her reading.
Hearing noise at the door, Natsu sat up.
"Sister, you're back."
"Mm."
Harucha's face showed deep exhaustion as she responded weakly.
"Have you eaten? I left some food for you in the kitchen," Natsu said, noticing her sister's exhaustion.
Harucha nodded, walked over to the sofa and collapsed into it, sinking in without moving further.
Natsu immediately closed her book and went to the kitchen to bring out the food she had saved.
"Natsu."
Natsu was setting out the dishes when she suddenly heard Harucha's voice. Looking over, she saw her sister still lying motionless.
"Yes?"
"Did you go out with Iroha today?"
Natsu paused, surprised by the question, then replied: "No, he didn't come looking for me today."
"Oh."
Thinking the conversation was over, Natsu was surprised when Harucha continued after a moment: "Iroha seems quite straightforward to me, without any scheming mind."
"Yes, I suppose so," Natsu replied flatly, seemingly uninterested in the topic.
"Kaito is much more composed, thoughtful and calm despite his young age. Lord Hiashi often praises him. He's probably the most outstanding among the clan's youth."
"Maybe."
"Natsu."
"..."
"Do you have someone you like?"
"No."
Harucha sat up on the sofa, watching Natsu serve rice, her eyes flickering slightly.
"You've all grown up together. Don't you have any feelings for any of them?"
Natsu frowned slightly: "Just because we grew up together doesn't mean we have to be together. Can't we just be good friends?"
Harucha gave a dry laugh: "...Of course."
Natsu gave her sister an extra look, sensing something was off about her today.
Occasionally her sister would joke about such matters, but her tone and demeanor now didn't suggest she was joking.
Haruno didn't end the conversation there but hesitantly continued: "That Shinji... you've been in contact with him recently, right?"
Natsu finally couldn't hold back and said with resignation: "Are you that eager to find me a boyfriend? You're still single yourself, why not find me a brother-in-law first?"
Harucha fell silent.
Natsu then said: "Eat while it's still hot."
She finished preparing the meal and walked back to the sofa to pick up her book.
"Won't you... try to spend more time with that Shinji?"
"No."
"I'm not asking you to be with him..."
Natsu suddenly froze.
Harucha continued with her head lowered: "Just... spend more time with him, that's all."
Hyuga Natsu was highly intelligent for her age. Looking at her sister's expression, she quickly understood.
She now understood why her sister would suddenly say these things to her.
Natsu's face grew calm: "I understand."
"Natsu, you..."
"I understand. I'll do it."
"...I'm sorry, Natsu."
Natsu's expression remained neutral: "You already said I don't need to date him.
"Just being closer to him will be enough, right?"
...
The day after Hizashi returned to the village, another wounded ninja was sent back from the front lines, and yet another Konoha camp had fallen to enemy forces.
At Konoha Hospital.
Looking at Jiraiya covered in bandages on the hospital bed, Sarutobi's face showed neither grief nor joy.
"How many people did we manage to evacuate?"
"Half."
"I see..." Jiraiya muttered, his voice heavy, "It was expected. If Minato hadn't arrived in time, I would have died there as well."
They had been attacked by thousands of Iwa ninjas, led by the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
In just a moment, Jiraiya saw a brilliant white light pierce through the center of their camp, reducing everything in its path to dust.
The enemy outnumbered them more than three to one. Jiraiya chose to cover his comrades' retreat, but he was overwhelmed.
Fortunately, Minato arrived in time.
Jiraiya asked: "How many do we still have at the front?"
Sarutobi replied: "Four thousand... not quite."
This response led to a long silence between them. The once greatest hidden village in the ninja world had been reduced to this state.
Even Jiraiya couldn't help but ask: "Can we still win?"
Sarutobi didn't answer.
The Daimyo had just sent a letter hinting that if they couldn't win this war, they should consider surrendering to Iwagakure.
The Land of Fire was willing to pay reparations in resources, money, even territory, just to end the conflict.
But Sarutobi knew Onoki's character well. If they had sought peace right after the Kannabi Bridge battle, Iwa might have agreed.
But now, with victory in sight, Iwagakure wouldn't stop.
They were at a dead end...
Jiraiya noticed the armor beneath Sarutobi's Hokage robe and asked: "How is the village now?"
Sarutobi looked out the window: "...Somewhat chaotic."
This chaos was both visible and invisible...
Villagers in panic, major clans secretly planning escape routes...
The unbreakable bonds established by the First Hokage were finally weakening in the face of life and death.
"I heard Orochimaru went to Sunagakure to request reinforcements."
"In Konoha's current situation, we won't have any allies left."
"...That's true."
"After I go to the front, the village will be in your hands."
"I'm not one to handle administrative duties."
"There won't be any administration works, only news of our victory or defeat."
Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh, saying nothing more.
Sarutobi said dispassionately: "If you think it's a mess, hurry and recover, then come to the front to die with us."
A dead end indeed.
After Sarutobi left, Jiraiya sat up in bed, looking silently at the scenery outside the window.
The leaves were falling. It was late autumn.
He found himself thinking of the days before he, Tsunade, and Orochimaru became famous.
Back then, they only had to canary out endless missions, without the many burdens and concerns they had to carry now.
After becoming the Three Legendary Sannin, their positions in the village grew higher, they encountered more situations, learned more, and the distance between the three seemed to grow.
Jiraiya felt that Orochimaru's hidden ambitions were too great, while his own student was born to be Hokage.
When Sarutobi told him that he would use this war as a stage for Minato while keeping Orochimaru in reserve, he had agreed.
After the Kannabi Bridge operation, Minato's reputation reached its peak, his brilliance overshadowing Jiraiya's former glory.
Jiraiya had thought things would continue to develop smoothly...
Thinking about it now, if Orochimaru had been at the front lines back then, perhaps the war would have been won already.
Given Minato's strength and character, he and Sarutobi-sensei hadn't needed to interfere unnecessarily, leading to the current tragedy.
In Orochimaru's heart, he must be thoroughly disappointed in both him and their teacher.