Jiraiya lowered his voice as he introduced the two new arrivals.
The man and woman who had just entered were none other than the son and daughter-in-law of the Third Hokage himself.
Lock blinked in surprise. "Sarutobi Shinnosuke… so he's real?"
He had heard the name in old stories and fan discussions — the supposed father of Konohamaru, sometimes mentioned among the legendary "Eight Colors of Konoha." But Lock knew that title was nothing but a rumor. Most of those figures didn't even live in the same era.
Still, to see Shinnosuke here, in the flesh, was a shock. So the rumors about Konohamaru's family weren't entirely wrong after all.
Curious, Lock studied the couple. Both were jōnin, which was rare even among Konoha's shinobi families. Their chakra presence alone made it clear — these two were elite. As expected of the Hokage's bloodline.
Before Lock could think further, Koharu Utatane — sharp and impatient as ever — spoke first.
"Jiraiya, you summoned us all so suddenly. What's going on?"
Her tone carried the edge of irritation. Moments earlier, she and Homura had been inspecting the troops when messengers interrupted them, demanding they report to the command room immediately.
Jiraiya didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Something urgent. The Iwa-nin forces stationed in the Land of Grass have begun to move. If my information is right, their target is this border."
"What?" Koharu's eyes narrowed. "And where did you get that information? You were with us not long ago."
Jiraiya gestured toward the young man standing beside him. "From my disciple — Lock. He's been monitoring Iwagakure's troop movements for days. He just reported large-scale activity near their forward stronghold."
Everyone turned toward Lock. Some of them — like Homura and Koharu — looked skeptical. The boy barely looked out of his teens, but there was something focused and unreadable in his gaze.
"So you're Lock," Koharu said, her tone cool. "The Third spoke highly of you."
Lock inclined his head politely but kept his composure.
"How exactly did you gather this information?" she pressed.
Lock answered evenly, "I've been tracking Iwa-nin's encampment for several days. At first, it seemed like only a few hundred shinobi. But just now, I detected large-scale mobilization — easily over a thousand, possibly two or three thousand."
Homura frowned. "And how did you 'detect' this from here?"
"I left one of my sensory familiars near their stronghold," Lock explained. "It shares its vision with me, so I can observe their movements remotely. But before I could confirm their exact numbers, it was discovered and taken down. I lost the link."
Koharu raised an eyebrow. "A summoning beast that can share vision? I've never heard of such a thing."
Jiraiya's patience snapped. "Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist! I trust my student's word — and if he says Iwa-nin are on the move, then we prepare for an attack. Shikaku, your thoughts?"
All eyes turned toward Nara Shikaku, who had remained silent until now, arms folded, expression thoughtful.
"I agree with Jiraiya-sama," Shikaku said calmly. "Even if there's a chance Lock's observation was compromised, the risk is too great to ignore. We should assume an attack is coming and prepare accordingly."
He paused, glancing at Lock. "However… there's one concern. If your familiar was discovered, then Iwa knows they're being watched. If they know that, will they really still attack? Or was this movement meant to mislead us?"
Jiraiya frowned, exchanging a look with Lock. That possibility hadn't escaped him either.
"So, you think this could be a feint?" he asked.
Shikaku nodded slightly. "It's possible. Normally, if an enemy realizes their surveillance has been exposed, they'd halt their real operation immediately. But then again… we're not dealing with ordinary shinobi. It's Iwagakure. They've used deception before."
Koharu folded her arms. "Exactly. That's what I've been saying. If they wanted to strike by surprise, they wouldn't do it after being spotted. They'd only be exposing themselves."
Homura added, "I agree. Before our reinforcements arrived, they had every advantage to attack — yet they didn't. Why wait until now, when our numbers have doubled? Attacking now would make no sense."
Jiraiya crossed his arms, unimpressed. "So, according to you two, everything we do is perfectly predictable, and the enemy just… gave up? Does that sound like Iwa-nin to you?"
Neither advisor replied.
Jiraiya's gaze hardened. "If Iwa really wanted to surprise us, they'd launch the attack when we least expect it — like right now, when everyone's busy arguing about what makes sense."
The room fell silent.
Shikaku let out a slow breath. "Either way, we should move the outer defenses into position. Even if this is only a bluff, it's safer to assume the worst."
Lock nodded quietly beside Jiraiya. His instincts told him the same — this wasn't over.
And if Iwa was truly preparing to strike… this battle would decide the border's fate.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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