Deep in the night, under a canopy of stars and branches, six Konoha shinobi dashed through the dense forest at high speed.
"How far are we from the border of the Land of Lightning?" asked a young Sarutobi Hiruzen, his voice steady but tense.
Utatane Koharu pulled out the map, glancing at it under the moonlight. "About ten kilometers. We're close."
"There's bound to be Kumo scouts patrolling the border," said Mitokado Homura. "If they've been informed, we're walking into a trap."
"Or maybe they're still in the dark," offered Akimichi Toukaze. "The alliance meeting just went south—we might be able to pass through unnoticed."
Koharu frowned. "But what if the message reached them already?"
Homura's tone sharpened. "Then we fight."
Sarutobi looked toward the quiet figure running beside him.
"Danzo," he said, "what do you think?"
Danzo blinked, clearly startled. "What?"
"You've been out of it," Hiruzen said. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Then speak your mind. Should we push through the border or go around?"
Danzo's reply was edged with bitterness. "You're the Hokage now, aren't you? Make the call yourself."
The others looked away awkwardly.
Danzo's jealousy wasn't subtle. In his eyes, he'd lost the title of Hokage by a single hesitation—a single second of doubt.
And that loss had festered into something dark.
Hiruzen didn't press further. He understood. Danzo had always fought for the village—but also for recognition. And losing the mantle of Hokage had left a scar.
"I'll talk to him later," Hiruzen thought. "Once we're back home."
Instead, he turned to another teammate.
"Kagami. Thoughts?"
Uchiha Kagami hesitated, his gaze troubled. "If Hokage-sama were still with us… we wouldn't be in this position."
The mood turned somber.
Tobirama was likely dead.
Everyone knew it. No one wanted to say it.
"He's not dead," Hiruzen said, clenching his fists. "Tobirama-sensei is stronger than anyone. Maybe he slipped the trap. Maybe he's already on our trail."
No one responded. Not because they disagreed—because they knew he was trying to hold them together.
After a pause, Kagami stepped forward. "I'll scout ahead. If the border's clear, I'll signal. If I run into Kumo forces, use the distraction to break through."
Hiruzen shook his head. "Too risky. We're not sacrificing anyone else."
"There's no time to hesitate," Kagami said firmly. "You're Hokage now. You need to survive. If we all die here, everything Tobirama fought for ends."
Hiruzen opened his mouth—then closed it.
Kagami gave a confident smile. "Don't worry. My Sharingan isn't just for show."
Everyone knew Kagami wasn't just brave. He was loyal—more loyal to the village than to his own clan. Tobirama had trusted him for a reason.
"…I'll go with you."
Everyone turned to see Danzo step forward.
"You?" Hiruzen asked, surprised.
Danzo didn't look at him. "You stay alive, Monkey. That's all I care about. We'll handle the front."
"Kagami," he added, "let's move."
As they disappeared into the trees, Hiruzen watched silently.
He understood Danzo too well.
Was he doing this out of guilt? Pride? Or simply to prove that he could be Hokage material?
Maybe all of the above.
Kagami kept pace easily as they approached the border, his eyes scanning ahead.
"You surprised me, Danzo," he said. "Didn't expect you to come."
"I'm not doing this for you," Danzo snapped. "I just didn't want Monkey to hog the spotlight."
Kagami chuckled. "So you admit it. You want to be Hokage too."
Danzo grunted. "Who doesn't?"
Kagami's smile faded slightly. "I almost stayed behind earlier. But I hesitated. Thought too much about my clan. If I'd acted faster…"
"…You'd be the one leading now," Danzo finished.
The two men shared a moment of understanding.
Both wanted to lead. Both had hesitated. Now, both were walking toward possible death—not for recognition, but for the village.
At that same moment, the Kumo border unit—alerted in advance—had already laid their trap.
Kagami and Danzo emerged from the brush.
They were immediately surrounded.
"Enemy spotted!"
"It's Konoha!"
"Only two? Eliminate them quickly!"
"So much for slipping through," Kagami muttered, activating his Sharingan. "Here they come."
Danzo grunted. "Only about twenty. Mostly Chūnin."
"Still too many in our condition."
The two launched forward, chakra flaring.
Even exhausted, they were veterans. The first wave of Cloud-nin fell almost instantly under a flurry of shuriken, Fire Release, and genjutsu.
But neither Kagami nor Danzo was at full strength.
They had expended too much chakra during their escape from Kumo.
Unlike legends like Hashirama and Madara, who could fight for days, ordinary jōnin could only sustain intense battle for minutes. Every technique drained more than they could afford.
In the first few minutes, they carved through half the Kumo squad.
But their movements slowed.
Wounds opened on their limbs. Kagami's Sharingan flickered, his vision blurred. Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes.
Still, he fought.
The goal wasn't survival. It was delay.
If Hiruzen and the others made it past the border—if even one of them reached the Land of Fire—then it was worth it.
Kagami staggered, panting.
Danzo caught him.
"You still alive?" Danzo muttered.
"Barely." Kagami grinned weakly. "Danzo… if I fall… take my Sharingan back to Konoha. Don't let Kumo get it."
Danzo froze.
"…I will."
The remaining Cloud-nin regrouped. They had taken casualties—but Kagami and Danzo were clearly faltering.
They wouldn't last much longer.
But then, a subtle signal echoed from the woods.
A faint, high-pitched bird call.
Danzo smirked.
"They made it."
Kagami nodded. "Good."
That was all that mattered.
The border had been held. The mission was complete.
The rest was up to fate.
Far behind them, Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura, and Toukaze crossed the border into the Land of Fire.
They didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
They couldn't.
Because they knew what Danzo and Kagami had bought them.
A future.
And if they didn't make it back to Konoha—if even one of them failed—the sacrifice would've been for nothing.
So they ran.
Ran with everything they had.