Whether it was to avenge the villagers, or the shocking impact of the bloody heads, or a combination of both, the faces of the hundreds of villagers of Shirakawa Village were invigorated. They flocked to the river to help, embodying a sense of great unity among the suffering people.
There was a warehouse by the riverbank, long stocked with pontoon bridge materials. At that time, Hiashi Hyuga's attack was too sudden, and the Iwa-ninja (Hidden Stone) didn't have time to destroy them before retreating. Now, with sufficient manpower, the construction of the pontoon bridge was proceeding at a good pace.
The autumn water was slow, and hundreds of people worked day and night. In just three days, they were close to the opposite side. Otonashi sat on the embankment, his face calm.
Things were going as smoothly as he had envisioned. Using the heads of Iwa-nin as motivation could in no way be considered enslaving the people of the Land of Fire. Even if the ANBU really wanted to cause trouble, they could just say that a newly promoted Chunin didn't understand the rules, and that would be the end of it.
Therefore, on that day, he bypassed Hiashi Hyuga and took the lead himself.
'It's also considered repaying a favor.'
Otonashi didn't like owing anyone. This time, the credit was great, and most of it would likely be attributed to Hiashi. Perhaps, at a critical moment, he would help this branch family head of the Hyuga clan once.
The price, however, was that he, Otanashi would stick out like a sore thumb, it remains to be seen wheather the Third Hokage will look out of old affection.
As he was thinking, a large number of carriages appeared on the opposite bank of the river. They stopped on the opposite embankment, looking somewhat stunned as the pontoon bridge was nearly completed. These carters and laborers had been urgently conscripted from the Land of Fire, never expecting that someone else would have finished the job just as they arrived.
Nearly a hundred ninjas came wading across the water, their footsteps creating continuous ripples on the river's surface. The leader rode a mount that looked like a cross between a wolf and a dog. It was clear at a glance that they were elites who had come from Konoha (Hidden Leaf). They stepped onto the embankment, and Hiashi Hyuga also went to meet them. It seemed that there was much work to be coordinated between the Jonin.
"There's nothing left for us to do here," Otonashi said, stretching and slowly standing up.
Shisui, who was also on guard duty, asked with a gentle smile, "Don't we need to stay and guard the pontoon bridge?"
"If over a hundred Konoha elites can't even guard a pontoon bridge, they might as well commit suicide. Let's go back and pack our bags. It's been almost half a year since we left, and our homes are probably growing mold."
Otonashi had been living alone for several years. Fortunately, in his previous life, besides "taking care" of health, he basically slept alone, so he didn't feel lonely. But when Shisui heard this, a few traces of unbearableness appeared on his face.
"Why don't you come to my house as a guest? Anyway, I have a cousin who often comes over."
"Cousin?"
"Yes, his name is Uchiha Itachi. He's a very cute and kind child."
Itachi?
Otonashi had heard this name. It seemed that those people in his hazy memories were slowly taking the stage. The nearly thirteen-year-old boy shook his head with an air of old age. Without realizing it, he had become an elder to the protagonist group.
It was a pity that they were still in their infancy or not yet born when he was rushing to the battlefield, experiencing the warmth and coldness of the world. It was still uncertain who would be relying on whom in the future.
The two set off on their return journey, chatting occasionally. Otonashi heard another story from Shisui.
It turned out that the Fuma clan was also a famous and powerful family a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, they failed to keep up with the times when the ninja village system was established. They relied on the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields as their ninja army, and as a result, they were led into a ditch.
The Uchiha clan's Fuma Shuriken originated from them. The continuous wars caused this family to decline rapidly, like the Senju. By the Third Great Ninja War, they could only make a living as mercenaries.
The Fuma Nobusuke, who had 'committed suicide' a few days ago, must have been an important figure. Unfortunately, he died alone in the forest, and all his inheritance was lost with him. It was easy to imagine that this family would fall into a life-or-death crisis.
Prosperity and decline are impermanent. How many of the vast ninja clans can be passed down? Even the powerful Senju of the Forest, who founded Konoha, were drowned in the dust of history.
Thinking of this, Otonashi secretly glanced at Shisui beside him. Now, the strongest and most prosperous clan in the ninja world was the Uchiha clan. Their numbers and strength were enough to establish a ninja village on their own.
But how long could this prosperity last?
Uchiha Shisui was such a genius. Otonashi was five years older, yet he wasn't certain of victory. However, he had never heard of his name.
Pitiful and lamentable.
......
"Well done!"
With a slap, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the battle report on the table. He took several puffs from his pipe, but he couldn't hide the smugness at the corner of his mouth.
When he first learned that the Shirakawa Bridge had been blown up, he was scared out of his wits. Fortunately, he didn't listen to Danzo's words and rush headlong into the Land of Wind. If that had happened, they wouldn't have taken down Sunagakure (Hidden Sand), and Iwagakure would have attacked from behind and encircled them. Things would have been very serious.
At that time, perhaps the elites could have retreated, but the army of thousands of ninjas would likely have been left behind.
However, not falling for the trap was also troublesome. The disruption of logistics, with thousands of people and horses to feed, was enough to make one's head ache. Perhaps they would have had to suspend the negotiations and go to the Land of Wind to "forage." The situation would have been very unfavorable.
"Well done, really well done. In this way, not only did the Iwa-nin fail to prevent the negotiations between the two countries, but they also gave me a hand." The Hokage's smile became even more profound and unpredictable.
The situation was excellent. The restless hawks were forced to quiet down. Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had lost his courage, instantly became the Hokage-sama who had foreseen everything. His prestige rose again, and his chances of a smooth transition of power increased by a few points.
"Hokage-sama, Namikaze Minato has arrived," an ANBU member reported from outside the tent.
"Let him in."
"Yes."
After a while, the curtain was lifted, and a young man with short blond hair stepped into the tent. He had a handsome appearance and a calm aura. He looked at the Hokage and smiled gently, "What are you so happy about, Third Hokage-sama?"
"Minato, see for yourself." Sarutobi tossed the battle report over. A page of white paper landed lightly in the newcomer's hands.
Namikaze Minato scanned it, and a sincere joy appeared on his face.
"Great! The supply line is open, and the peace talks will no longer be disturbed."
"Yes, first we'll make peace with the Land of Wind, then turn around and deal with the Land of Earth. By defeating our opponents one by one, Konoha will ultimately win the Third Great Ninja War!" The Hokage stood up with his hands behind his back and said with satisfaction, "You and Hyuga Hiashi have brought out the future of Konoha!"
Hyuga Hiashi was upright and serious by nature. The entire battle report was written truthfully, without making himself the protagonist of the event. Instead, he praised the students extensively.
However, Namikaze Minato's character was no less than his. After reading it carefully, he let out a long sigh and said solemnly, "Kakashi and the others were only supporting roles. Hanyu Otonashi was the key to the operation. Lord Hiashi's initial arrangements were indeed sound, but they couldn't solve the problem in a short time."
"I've also met this Hanyu Otonashi. He's indeed different from ordinary people."
"How is he different?" Hiruzen suddenly became interested.
"In terms of talent, he's not bad, but he's not as good as Shisui, who's in the same class. In terms of strength, he's probably only capable of fighting ordinary Jonin, but it's not exaggerated for his age." Minato thought for a moment and suddenly understood. "It's a kind of maturity. Sometimes I even feel like he's my peer. Only in this respect does he far surpass Kakashi."
"Precocious? He is indeed the direct descendant of the Second Hokage. The Senju clan is the foundation of Konoha. Even if they disperse, they cannot hide their brilliance." The Hokage pondered, a few glimmers of light flashing in his eyes.
Fortunately, his surname is Hanyu, not Senju!
Minato listened quietly to Sarutobi Hiruzen's mumbling. He had extremely high emotional intelligence and would never presumptuously touch on the secrets of his predecessors. He just said slowly, "Since he is a direct descendant of the Second Hokage-sama, he is absolutely trustworthy."
"Yes, I'm also very happy that a promising talent has appeared among the descendants of my teacher." Hiruzen remembered the serious research otaku, the teacher who had stepped forward without hesitation to cover the retreat.
And his descendants must be trustworthy.
"Minato, erase Hanyu Otonashi's achievements from the battle report that's being sent out. I don't want him to die too early."
"Yes." Minato nodded. With Otonashi's achievements, he could already be promoted to Jonin, which also meant that the probability of death in battle would increase rapidly.
As he was leaving, he thought of what he had seen and heard as a child. When the Second Hokage died, the Senju family was still barely able to hold on, but after only a few decades, they completely fell apart.
The waters of Konoha run deep.