Chapter 33

"And indeed to war, troublesome," Nara grimaced, "our team and a few others are being sent to the front lines to relieve those currently fighting."

"To which front exactly? I hope not in Ame?" I asked anxiously, rummaging through drawers and pulling out wrapped bundles of seals.

"No, to the front with Iwa," he waved off, "it's quiet there now, so we might not even get to participate in a large-scale battle."

"I'll hope for that. I really don't want to bury you either," I said, laying out sixteen sets. I folded them together and wrapped them in paper, neatly tying them with a string. "Here, sixteen, just as you asked."

"By the way, heard that Suna finally admitted defeat," Shikaku asked, counting money.

"Isn't that just rumors circulating for the past two months?" I chuckled.

"No, it's not rumors anymore, it's a done deal—Sarutobi-sensei confirmed it personally."

"Really? It took them so long! Did Sakumo finally crush them completely?"

"I have no idea, but half of Suna's army is heading home for rest, and the Hokage and advisors are expected to be in Konoha for a while."

"Maybe now they'll finally rein in those fat cats. It's been exhausting pulling the wounded solely on our own skills," I complained to my cousin, "medical supplies are dwindling, and the council just shrugs and says 'everything's going to the front'. Yeah, and how are we supposed to treat them? If it weren't for our clan and the Akimichi and Yamanaka, hospital logistics would have been a disaster."

"Give power to the fat cats, and the mice will have a field day," Shikaku smirked, "they shouldn't have let those fat cats into power in the first place."

"Yeah, the first Hokage made a big mistake in that regard, now we're reaping the fruits."

"Alright, take care, I'm off to get ready—I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Be careful out there, and don't forget the standard Iwa tactics."

Watching my cousin wave goodbye, I sighed—now I had to worry about this trio too. I hoped this war would end soon; otherwise, I myself had solid chances of fighting in the next couple of years. Ma would definitely go crazy with worry.

***

Not hurrying, I strolled along the deserted streets of Konoha, occasionally noticing ANBU patrols leaping across rooftops and early birds from the common folk beginning their work at such an early hour. Six in the morning was even too early for me, but Sensei's order to appear at the Hokage Tower at this time was unmistakable.

Knowing she doesn't tolerate tardiness, I had to leave with some extra time just in case. So, I walked leisurely, enjoying the dawn silence, a rare pleasure for me. The closer I got to the tower, the more shinobi activity I observed— the entire administrative apparatus was under the Hokage's command for better village management and simplified security.

Given that teams return at any time of day or night, the acceptance of completed contracts is conducted round the clock. Stepping out from a small alley onto the central square, I immediately noticed familiar figures propping against the wall not far from the entrance to the administrative building.

"Hey folks, been here long?" I waved amiably, within earshot.

"We just got here a couple of minutes ago," Rotaro yawned widely, "why do we have to gather so early?"

"Any guesses?"

"Maybe it's a mission with a time limit," my partner shrugged, also fighting off a yawn. "Or we'll be doing work inside the walls, so the sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back."

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