Days had passed since their return from the Fire Capital. Enji, after his usual training session, was about to head home when a masked ANBU appeared before him.
"Badger. You're called in. Urgent meeting,"
The ninja said, his tone clipped.
Without a word, Enji donned his ANBU gear and followed.
When he entered the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was heavy .
The room was filled with clan heads, senior jōnin, ANBU captains, and elders. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable.
Even among all the serious faces, one stood out - Hyuga Hiashi. His eyes, cold and unblinking, burned with fury restrained only by discipline.
And then Enji remembered.
The Hyuga affair.
The kidnapping attempt. The death of Hizashi. The stain on Konoha's pride, and the whispers of weakness that followed.
The Hokage's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Effective immediately, all patrols will be doubled. ANBU will monitor the borders and the main roads. Kumo's movements are… are to be monitored."
There was no need to elaborate. Everyone knew what it meant.
Kumo had made its move again.
For the next few days, Enji and his squad rotated shifts, patrolling the village, every sense alert. The air itself felt tense , like the calm before a storm.
---
After his shift one night, Enji walked through the streets of Konoha. Lanterns flickered faintly in the chill wind.
When he looked up, he noticed the lights at the Hokage's office still lit up.
A part of him hesitated. But another part , the one that never ignored instinct ,pushed him forward.
He entered quietly, only to be stopped at the desk by a chūnin guard.
"The Hokage-sama is busy, ANBU-san. Is there anything urgent?" the man said politely.
Enji was about to turn back when the door to the office opened.
Hiruzen stepped out, pipe in hand, tired.
When he noticed Enji, his lips curled into a faint, weary smile.
"You're still up, Badger?"
Enji shrugged.
"My shift just got over, saw the lights in your office. Thought I'll just check on you,Grandpa."
" Aah, Cheeky kid, what do you need from me?" Hiruzen asked with a sceptical expression,even though he felt happy.
The boy tilted his head, voice soft but sharp.
"You look… burnt out,Grandpa."
"That's what happens when you're my age," Hiruzen said, glancing at him.
Enji tilted his head, his tone light, but the question underneath was sharp.
"Or when something's gone wrong?"
Hiruzen watched him quietly for a moment, and then exhaled. The boy was fishing,but with care, the kind that made you want to answer.
The Hokage sighed. There was no hiding from this one.
He turned his gaze toward village outside the window.
"Kumo's envoy is dead. They're calling it an assassination. They want the Hyuga clan head as payment."
Enji's brow twitched. "They're threatening war?"
"Or pretending to," Hiruzen said. "Either way, we can't afford it right now."
Enji was silent for a beat, thinking.
Then he said flatly, "You're not seriously considering giving them Hiashi Hyuga."
Hiruzen didn't answer. The silence said enough.
"That's absurd.If Kumo had kidnapped a child from the Shimura clan, would they demand Danzo-sama's head too?"
That made Hiruzen look up. The question hung heavy in the air.
He exhaled slowly, eyes closing.
"War isn't an assassination, Enji. It's not something you can win with a blade and stealth. The cost… will be beyond measure. And Konoha…"
He hesitated, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"…Konoha isn't ready."
Enji was quiet for a long time, staring out the window at the faint glow of the village below.
Then he spoke, voice calm ,yet edged with something older than his years.
"No nation is ever ready for war. But Grandpa,weakness invites war faster than strength prevents it."
He turned back to Hiruzen.
"Konoha looks weaker than in your prime, yes. But we are still The Strongest."
He started counting on his fingers, voice firm.
"Ino-Shika-Cho, all in their prime. Danzo sama and his Root. Shisui the Teleporter and Fugaku sama with the Uchiha clan, Hyuga clan - now all angry and fired up. We may have lost Minato sama and the Snake sannin, but we have Princess Tsunade and The Toad Sage - Lord Jiraya, and finally,if it comes to it, wouldn't you fight Grandpa?"
He continued -
"And i don't think Kumo is not without their own problems, their Third Raikage is gone. The new one seems to be brash, impatient and arrogant. Iwa is watching them. Suna is recovering. They won't risk a full-scale war."
Hiruzen looked at him, surprised by the clarity and confidence in the boy's tone.
Enji met his gaze.
"Give an inch, and they'll take a mile. You know that better than anyone."
Hiruzen stayed silent, thinking about Enji's words.
' Even though, the situation is not ideal as the kid described, he has some good points. Sigh, we have been too passive, give an inch, take a mile , it's indeed like that.'
After a moment, Hiruzen smiled, a trace of warmth breaking through the weariness.
"You speak like an old man, Enji."
The boy grinned faintly.
"Maybe I just learned from one."
.....
The door closed behind Enji, as he left and silence filled the room once more.
Hiruzen stood still for a moment, pipe forgotten in his hand. The night air that drifted through the window felt clearer than before- sharp, alive.
He straightened, a decision hardening behind his calm eyes.
"Summon the council," he said to the ANBU in the shadows.
The masked shinobi vanished without a sound.
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
Koharu, Homura, and Danzo entered, the weight of fatigue and worry still etched on their faces.
They found not the weary old Hokage they had left hours earlier, but Hiruzen Sarutobi , the man who had once led through three wars.
Danzo's visible eye narrowed slightly. "You called for us?"
Hiruzen set the pipe aside, his tone brisk. "Yes. We're done being cornered."
That sentence alone froze them in place.
He looked to Danzo first. "Ready Root. Begin spreading word that Kumo attempted to kidnap a jinchuriki under the guise of diplomacy. Quietly, of course. I want the story to reach the Land of Earth."
Danzo's expression didn't shift, but the faintest trace of satisfaction touched his lips.
Hiruzen turned next to Koharu. "You will halt all nonessential spending. No construction, no public projects. Redirect everything to emergency reserves and medical stockpiles."
Koharu blinked. "Hiruzen—are you declaring—"
"Preparation," he cut in sharply. "No need to panic."
His gaze moved to Homura. "You'll gather retired shinobi. Reassign them to administrative posts so active shinobi can be moved to combat readiness. I want the village functional if war breaks out."
Homura studied him quietly, then nodded once. "Understood."
Koharu stepped forward, voice rising. "This is madness. You'd risk war? Over a single man—"
"We are not sacrificing anyone," Hiruzen said evenly. "If Kumo wants a war, then that's what they'll get."
The room went silent.
For the first time in years, there was no hesitation in his tone. Only conviction.
Danzo's single eye gleamed in the dim light. "At last," he murmured. "The Hiruzen I remember."
Koharu stared between them, appalled. "You're both insane."
Homura exhaled softly. "No. Just… late to remember who we used to be."
Hiruzen finally sat, reaching for his pipe again. His movements were steady now, the tremor gone.
"An ANBU boy came to see me tonight," he said quietly. "Asked why I looked tired. I thought he was just being cheeky. But he… reminded me that no nation is ever ready for war."
He looked up, meeting their eyes one by one.
"He mentioned something about the Shimura clan. That if it had been your child taken, Danzo, would I have offered you instead?"
Danzo didn't flinch. A slow smirk curved on Homura's lips. "A fair question."
"And his answer," Hiruzen said. "We protect our own. All of them."
Homura gave a small nod, approval hidden beneath his habitual restraint.
"Then I'll see to Root. I'll have the rumors spread before dawn." Danzo chimed in.
Koharu muttered something about recklessness and left, still shaking her head.
When the room finally emptied, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, a thin wisp of smoke curling upward.
"Perhaps," he murmured to himself, "the Will of Fire just burns differently in every generation."
He exhaled, and for the first time in weeks, his pipe smoke didn't taste of defeat ,but of resolve.