"Hikaru, are you sure they'll be okay?" Mito couldn't help but confirm with him again.

Hearing this, Uchiha Hikaru turned to her and replied calmly,

"Grandma Mito, please rest assured. They're not just my cherished comrades—

They are the people I love. I would never let them walk into danger."

Each word landed heavily, like a vow, hammering against Mito's heart.

She gazed into Hikaru's eyes and saw nothing but confidence.

"…I believe in you, Hikaru," she said at last.

Though worry still lingered deep within her, she chose to believe him, just as she always had.

Hikaru gave a faint smile. He knew that at a time like this, words alone meant little.

So instead, he picked up the crystal ball beside him. After the girls channeled a bit of chakra into it, he said:

"I've recorded their chakra signatures. Once they arrive on the battlefield, we can use this to monitor them. If anything happens, I'll be there immediately."

Mito stared at the shimmering light within the crystal ball. The tension in her chest began to ease, slowly replaced by a strange, gentle peace.

She watched the swirling light inside it, and it was as though the anxiety within her was swept away by a warm breeze.

Deep in her heart, she sighed softly:

'Little Hikaru… always so reliable.'

At the same time, the kunoichi involved felt the depth of Hikaru's concern and affection. A warm current flowed through their hearts.

Tsunade, now ready and steady, spoke firmly,

"It's time. The shinobi on the borders are probably waiting desperately for our support."

Hikaru gave a light nod. With a wave of his hand, four teleportation portals suddenly appeared in front of them.

He said, "These lead directly to the current positions of the ninja forces from each of the four nations. We can head straight into battle."

Seeing the portals materialize, Tsunade's eyes gleamed with excitement.

She strode toward one of them but stopped just before stepping through. Turning to Nonō, Chiri, and Hinata, she called out with a grin:

"How about we make this a little competition?

Let's see who finishes their fight the fastest this year!"

The challenge in her tone was obvious, her eyes flashing with playful fire.

The other women glanced at each other and couldn't help but smile with interest.

They nodded together, accepting Tsunade's bold wager.

Under Hikaru's influence, they had each grown more decisive and resilient.

The experiences of the past few years had shown them the dark, brutal nature of the shinobi world. But they had never let it break them.

On the contrary, those experiences taught them a lesson: never hesitate against the enemy.

So even when facing a battle where they might have to kill thousands, they remained calm and composed—

Calm enough to entertain a bet.

Yet upon hearing Tsunade's declaration, Hikaru's expression shifted strangely.

'Did she already forget how terrible her luck is?' he thought silently.

Unfortunately, Tsunade had already stepped into the portal, missing the subtle twitch of Hikaru's face.

Otherwise, she might've recalled the childhood nightmares Hikaru inflicted on her and that peculiar gambling streak she never managed to shake...

At the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, deep within a tunnel carved by ninjutsu, several Konoha-nin huddled in exhaustion.

They had depleted their chakra reserves and could barely move. Still, compared to their comrades who had died in the Sunagakure ambush, they were the lucky ones.

"Damn it!"

One ninja slammed his fist against the tunnel wall, his voice trembling with fury and grief.

"If it weren't for those damn Suna-nin…

Minghui would still be alive!

He told me—he told me this would be his last mission before going back to marry his fiancée!"

His voice cracked with pain, and he collapsed to the ground, letting his tears fall freely.

The raw outburst stirred another ninja beside him.

"You're right. I don't know what the Fifth Hokage was thinking—why force them into this—"

Crack!

Before he could finish, the first ninja punched him square in the face.

"The Fifth Hokage is not at fault!" he shouted hoarsely.

"My comrade died at the hands of Sunagakure!

If you don't have the guts to avenge him, then I'll do it for you!"

The other ninja, knocked back, flushed with shame and rage—but in the end, he lowered his head, silent.

The air in the tunnel grew tense and heavy, thick with anger and sorrow.

They all knew their true enemy wasn't each other—it was Sunagakure.

"O little rats Did you think we wouldn't notice you hiding here?

You're making so much noise down here, it's like you want to be found~"

A cold voice echoed through the darkness, making everyone's heart skip a beat.

The Konoha-nin scanned their surroundings in panic, but saw nothing but black.

The tension spiked. Every muscle tensed. No one dared to breathe too loud.

They knew what this meant: the enemy had found them.

And now, life and death would be decided in the next moment.

But despite waiting in agonizing silence, the voice didn't come again. The enemy didn't reveal themselves.

"Where's the Hyūga?!" someone cried out.

"Is your chakra back? Activate your Byakugan!"

A Hyūga ninja clenched his teeth. He had nearly no chakra left, but…

Still, for the sake of his comrades, he forced it out.

Even if it meant death.

His Byakugan flared—

And in that instant, his face went ghostly pale. He dropped to the ground with a thud.

"It's too late," he muttered numbly.

The others rushed to him, lifting him up.

"What do you mean, too late?!"

The Hyūga gave a bitter smile.

"The Suna army… they're right above us.

There's no way out."

His voice carried hopelessness. The others froze. They understood now—they were trapped.

Then, the cold voice returned—this time laced with mockery.

"He's right. You're completely surrounded.

So what's it going to be? Surrender with a little dignity?

Or should we help you with that?"

The taunt didn't shake them—it lit a fire.

"To hell with surrender!" one ninja shouted.

"Yeah!" another joined in.

"Take one down, it's worth it! Take two—hell, that's profit! We're not dying here without a fight!"

As their war cries rang out, a thunderous explosion shook the tunnel.

Then came a scream.

A Suna-nin's scream.

"...Nice."

"Now that's the spirit of Konoha."

Every head turned upward.

The tunnel ceiling had been completely blown open—

And sunlight poured through the breach.

Standing tall in the light was Tsunade—her golden hair gleaming, arms crossed.

She looked down at the stunned Konoha-nin with pride in her eyes.

In that moment, their despair vanished like mist.

In its place: overwhelming joy.

And hope.