The two followed the other guards and the diplomatic envoy as they ascended the staircase.
Shimizu Uchiha occasionally cast his gaze toward Yakura.
The time when Sunagakure would betray Yakura was drawing near.
When that moment arrived, would Yakura still carry herself with the same pride as she did today?
The Third Great Ninja War was now approaching its end.
Nations would soon begin signing peace treaties, entering a temporary period of recovery and respite.
Sunagakure's leadership, in order to secure peace with Kirigakure, would use Yakura's life as a bargaining chip, betraying one of their own to demonstrate their commitment to the ceasefire.
Who could blame them? Yakura, wielder of Scorch Release, was simply too renowned. Her illustrious achievements had earned her commendations in the Kazekage's office.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was no saint. He would do anything to achieve his goals.
Even his own son, Gaara, was treated as a mere tool, resulting in Gaara becoming a cold-blooded and violently volatile figure from the moment he appeared.
"Honored guests from Sunagakure, welcome to Konohagakure," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, rising to his feet with solemnity.
There are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies—only eternal interests.
In these turbulent times, the mutual support between Sunagakure and Konohagakure would significantly reduce the pressure on both villages, deterring other ninja villages.
Teiichi removed his white cloth-wrapped hat and offered a formal bow.
"Esteemed Hokage, I come bearing Sunagakure's friendship."
"Please, take a seat."
Sarutobi Hiruzen led the Sunagakure delegation to a lounge, where a large table and several chairs were arranged.
Teiichi and Sarutobi Hiruzen, as representatives of their respective villages, sat across from each other.
Shimizu, Hatake Kakashi, and other Konoha ninjas stood behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.
On the Sunagakure side, Yakura and Maki stood behind Teiichi.
While the two leaders conversed, Shimizu took the opportunity to carefully observe the Sunagakure delegation.
Teiichi, the leader, was a trusted confidant of the Fourth Kazekage. His role as an envoy, tasked with facilitating communication between the two villages, spoke to his competence. Though he received little attention in the original story, known only as a senior to Maki and Yura, his presence exuded a strength that suggested he was no ordinary ninja.
Maki's left face was still covered with a white cloth, and two red markings adorned his right cheek.
His strength hadn't grown much, and Shimizu found him uninteresting.
His focus was on Yakura.
When the Sunagakure delegation arrived that morning, Shimizu and Kakashi had gone to greet them, but he hadn't had the chance to observe Yakura closely.
Her black, form-fitting outfit accentuated her graceful figure.
Her sleeveless ninja attire revealed her fair, delicate arms, her skin glowing with a healthy sheen under the sunlight.
A dark belt cinched her waist, highlighting her slender midsection and rounded hips.
Scorch Release was indeed remarkable.
Despite years apart and Yakura enduring the harsh winds and sand of Sunagakure, her skin remained as fair and radiant as it had been before.
Yakura seemed to sense Shimizu's gaze and furrowed her brow slightly.
Out of respect for Teiichi's ongoing conversation with Sarutobi Hiruzen, she said nothing.
But Shimizu's scrutiny grew bolder, his eyes lingering on her tight combat outfit.
Yakura maintained her composure, though her irritation was mounting.
Kakashi noticed something amiss, glancing between Shimizu and Yakura.
Hadn't he heard that Shimizu and Yakura had sparred during the Chunin Exams?
"Hahaha, we've received the Fourth Kazekage's sincere intent to form an alliance. Konohagakure is willing to sign a treaty of alliance with Sunagakure."
Sarutobi Hiruzen called for several freshly printed copies of the treaty and signed them first.
Seeing Hiruzen's decisiveness, Teiichi quickly followed suit, and the two shook hands with smiles.
"Envoy Teiichi, why not stay in Konoha for a few days? It's late, and it wouldn't be convenient to travel back now," Hiruzen offered.
"No need. We must return to report to the Kazekage. We appreciate your kindness, Lord Hokage," Teiichi replied, waving off the suggestion with a few polite words.
With that, he led the Sunagakure delegation away.
As they departed, Yakura shot Shimizu a fierce glare, warning him not to be so brazen.
Shimizu's expression remained unchanged, his eyes fixed on her.
Taking Yakura as a subordinate wouldn't be a bad idea.
She also had a beautiful disciple named Maki.
"I look forward to our next meeting, Yakura," Shimizu said suddenly.
"Hmph. Once I'm done with my duties, do you dare accept my challenge?" Yakura replied, pausing briefly.
"Of course—if you can find the time."
Yakura nodded and followed the others as they left.
Unbeknownst to her, the village she so cherished would soon become the blade that betrayed her.
"Shimizu, do you have some history with Yakura?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
"No. She's just nice to look at, so I stared a bit," Shimizu replied.
Kakashi was at a loss for words, his expression one of exasperation.
Shimizu shook his head.
Kakashi, acting all proper, was just a closet pervert.
Always reading those little orange books.
Was anyone who obsessed over those books truly pure?
The two bid farewell to Sarutobi Hiruzen and left the Hokage's office together.
"It's my turn to monitor Rin today," Kakashi said, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes as he donned his cat-shaped mask.
Learning that Rin was a surveillance target had caused him immense distress.
But for the sake of protecting the village, he had no choice.
"Alright."
Shimizu patted Kakashi's shoulder and walked away.
Monitoring Nohara Rin was an order from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
It was standard procedure—even Uzumaki Kushina was under constant Anbu surveillance.
Now that Shimizu and Kakashi were part of the Anbu, such tasks were unavoidable.
They were required to track the movements of those on the surveillance list.
The Anbu operated in the shadows.
Aside from their fellow Anbu, members went to great lengths to conceal their identities, which was why they wore masks.
All Anbu ninjas were required to wear masks during missions and strictly prohibited from revealing their identities.
Of course, surveillance wasn't overly invasive—private moments like bathing or using the restroom were exempt.
The goal was to ensure the target wasn't passing information through covert means.
Otherwise, constant, privacy-free surveillance would drive the target mad.
Time passed swiftly.
Days during wartime always seemed to fly by.
The Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Onoki, had taken note of the alliance between Konohagakure and Sunagakure.
Iwagakure had deployed most of its ninjas to various battlefronts, leaving their homeland critically short of forces.
The Yellow Flash alone had killed numerous Iwagakure ninjas. If the two allied villages launched a counteroffensive, it would be disastrous for Iwagakure.
The alliance between Sunagakure and Konohagakure effectively meant a ceasefire between the two.
In the end, Onoki, recognizing the inevitable trend, decided to follow the tide. Ceasefires among the major ninja villages were the natural outcome, as seen in the resolutions of the first two Great Ninja Wars.
Having experienced three great wars, Onoki's seasoned perspective allowed him to quickly convince Iwagakure's leadership to propose a peace treaty with Konohagakure.
This news spread across the ninja world.
On the streets of Konohagakure, many ninjas were elated by the announcement.
Two villages had declared a ceasefire with Konoha—the dawn of peace was in sight!
"I heard we're about to sign a peace treaty with Iwagakure," one ninja said.
"A piece of paper doesn't hold much weight," Shiranui Genma replied, flicking the senbon in his mouth, skeptical of his companion's optimism.
"Well said," Might Guy added, swallowing a dango and nodding in agreement.
Tempered by the war, Might Guy was no longer the naive youth he once was.
Treaties were the flimsiest of things.
The major ninja villages could tear them up at will, with no one truly adhering to them.
So-called peace was merely a temporary restraint.
Might Guy held no expectations for the leaders of those villages.
"Either way, this long war is finally over," another companion said.
Listening to the conversation, Sarutobi Asuma raised his stick of tricolor dango.
Why worry so much? If the war was over, it was over. Peace, even for a day, was worth celebrating.
Asuma had already made plans for what to do after the war ended.
He would travel outside the village, achieve something great, and return in triumph.
With that thought, he glanced at Yuhi Kurenai beside him.
If he did that, Kurenai would surely be proud of him, right?
Kurenai remained silent.
To her, it didn't make much difference.
"Hey, Kakashi!" Might Guy called out, leaning against the doorframe of the dango shop, spotting Kakashi passing by on the street.
"Wanna join us for some dango?" Guy held up a stick with only one dango left.
Kakashi gave him a fleeting glance, hands in his pockets, and walked away without a word.
He had been monitoring Rin again today.
The guilt in his heart was growing heavier by the day.
Poor Rin likely had no idea she was being watched.
Kakashi felt utterly despicable.
"That guy's been really distant lately," Might Guy remarked, sensing a change in his close friend.
"Is something bothering him?"
The group at the dango shop began speculating.
"By the way, Guy, you're not actually Kakashi's best friend, are you? I've seen him get along pretty well with Shimizu," someone teased.
"It's just a phase of youthful aloofness. Youth is a complicated thing," Guy replied.
"Are you sure you're not just deluding yourself?"
Kakashi overheard the chatter from the dango shop but didn't stop.
He arrived at a bookstore in Konoha.
The shop had set up a display with the latest bestselling books.
On either side were his favorite little orange books.
But Kakashi had no interest in them today.
His attention was drawn to a book in the center, its cover reading How a Ninja Should Die.
The title resonated with his mood, and Kakashi instinctively reached for it.
Thud!
The book slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
Kakashi glanced around, shaken.
In his mind's eye, he saw himself failing to stop his Chidori from piercing Rin.
Rin, coughing up blood, still smiled at him.
Cold sweat poured down Kakashi's face.
"An illusion?" he murmured.
He felt like he was falling apart.
Unfortunately, no medicine could cure a wounded heart, and Konoha's hospital didn't treat such ailments.
If Kirigakure came for Rin, would her fate be like the one in his vision?
Kakashi's eyes darkened, consumed by turmoil and hesitation.
At the Hokage's office…
"Hiruzen, is it safe to attend this treaty signing?" Koharu Utatane asked, her voice laced with concern.
Iwagakure had proposed that Sunagakure, Konohagakure, and their ninjas meet at a neutral location for negotiations.
The chosen location was the Land of Rain, bordering all three great nations.
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