Tragic Situation At the Border.

**Dongdongdong!**

The door to Chiyo's room was knocked loudly.

A Sand Village ninja on night patrol, who had witnessed the earlier attack, rushed to inform Chiyo.

"Elder, it's bad. Konoha Village just attacked our Sand Village."

Chiyo's eyes narrowed in alarm, her brows furrowing deeply.

"Ring the alarm bell in the village."

"Take me to the place where the attack occurred."

The lights of Sand Village, which had been dark in the dead of night, began flickering to life. Countless ninjas emerged from their homes, assembling in haste.

Soon, a group of Sand Village ninjas led by Chiyo gathered at the site of the attack, where Kisame and his companions had struck. The battlefield was strewn with bodies.

Every fallen ninja was a key member of Sand Village's forces. Some were missing limbs, others had fatal wounds. The scene was one of utter carnage.

Chiyo slowly approached, her eyes burning with rage. She picked up a handful of Sand Village forehead protectors, gripping them tightly in her fist as the murderous intent within her grew stronger.

A deep, calm voice broke the silence. "Who did this?"

A ninja who had barely escaped the carnage rushed to her side.

"Elder, it was… a ninja from Konoha Village."

"They said that in three days, they will launch a full-scale attack on us."

"They want our village to bleed, to be crushed underfoot…"

Chiyo's gaze darkened as the words hit her. Her once-placid face grew tense with fury.

With a sharp glint in her eyes, she muttered, "We, the Sand Village, cannot let this pass."

Maki, her trusted ally, stepped forward with a determined look. "If Konoha wishes to annex us, why not take the fight to them first? Let's strike them preemptively. We won't sit idle while they destroy us."

Chiyo's eyes flashed with cold calculation. A ruthless light burned in her gaze.

"All Sand Village ninjas, prepare for battle tonight. Tomorrow, with Gaara leading the charge, we march on Konoha."

At her command, the spirits of the Sand Village ninjas were ignited. The air was thick with anticipation.

"Crush Konoha Village!"

"Crush Konoha Village!"

"Crush Konoha Village!"

The chants echoed in the night, a rallying cry for vengeance.

Meanwhile, outside the Sand Village, Uchiha Obito, along with Kisame and Itachi, had returned to their original forms. They watched the chaos unfold, observing the Sand Village's reaction to the events they had set into motion.

Kisame sneered. "Looks like they've taken the bait."

Without further words, they departed, retreating from the area as the Sand Village's forces prepared for war.

Early the next morning, Gaara, donned in his Sand Village armor with the iconic gourd strapped to his back, led the charge with a battalion of Sand Village ninjas, advancing toward Konoha.

His mission was clear: to serve as the vanguard of Sand Village's assault.

Chiyo, observing from afar, felt a sense of unease. Her initial plan had been to keep a cold distance from Konoha, allowing time for tensions to cool before mending relations. After all, the Sand Village's involvement with Orochimaru's plot to destroy Konoha had been a terrible misunderstanding. Chiyo had trusted that Sarutobi Hiruzen would understand, especially since it was Orochimaru who had masqueraded as their late Kazekage, Rasa, to deceive them.

But the actions of Konoha Village—attacking them so suddenly—had forced her hand. They had made their intentions clear. The Sand Village could not back down now.

Gaara's presence on the battlefield would also serve to solidify his authority as the Kazekage's successor, something Chiyo had always hoped for.

Chiyo's thoughts were interrupted as she watched Gaara's army march onward. Her heart remained heavy with the burden of what was about to unfold.

The tension between Konoha and Sand was no longer a matter of mere misunderstandings. Now, it was personal.

By the time the Sand ninja army reached the border of the Land of Fire, the people of the Land of Fire were in a state of panic.

Konoha spies had already reported the development, and the news reached Konoha's elders quickly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had long since retired from his position as Hokage, sat at home when an Anbu ninja knocked at his door. Despite his retirement, he still had the respect of Konoha's shinobi, who continued to follow his orders.

The ninja handed over a document detailing the invasion of Sand Village's forces.

Hiruzen's eyes widened as he read the document, his hands trembling.

The document clearly stated that Sand Village, led by Gaara, was preparing for a full-scale assault on Konoha.

The once serene face of the old Hokage contorted in frustration as he quickly donned his coat and rushed out the door.

At the Hokage Building, the three elders were gathered in the meeting room. Koharu Utatane, her lavender hair tied tightly, rested with her eyes closed. Mizutomon Yan, wearing glasses, was sorting through documents.

Suddenly, a rapid series of knocks interrupted the silence.

It was Sarutobi Hiruzen, the former Hokage, storming in with the news of the Sand Village's impending attack.

Koharu opened her eyes lazily, her expression unfazed. "Why the rush?"

Mizutomon Yan looked up from his papers. "What's the matter, Hiruzen?"

Without a word, Hiruzen threw the documents onto the table.

The two elders read the contents quickly, their faces turning pale with shock.

"How... how is this possible?" Mizutomon Yan gasped. "Is Sand Village really this reckless?"

Hiruzen remained silent, his face grim. His mind raced to piece together how things had gone so wrong. Konoha's past actions with Orochimaru and the Sand Village should have cleared the air, but now, the situation had spiraled out of control.

"We can't afford hesitation," Koharu said, her voice steady but serious. "Prepare for defense. The army is at the gates."

The three elders wasted no time, beginning to prepare Konoha for the war that was now unavoidable.