Part 7 — The Alarm
But even he knew that was obviously false.
Then suddenly—
WOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM—
A deep alarm echoed across the village.
Everything stopped instantly.
The sound vibrated through buildings, streets, and rooftops alike.
Haruto froze.
Ayame immediately looked upward.
Around them—
civilians stopped walking.
Several adults' expressions changed instantly.
Then—
BOOOOM.
A distant explosion shook faintly somewhere far beyond the outer district.
Students nearby gasped.
People immediately began looking toward the direction of the sound.
And within seconds—
multiple shinobi rushed across nearby rooftops at high speed.
The atmosphere changed completely.
From uneasy—
to emergency.
Kaito's eyes widened immediately.
Without even realizing—
he grabbed Haruto's sleeve tightly.
Haruto looked toward him in surprise.
Kaito quickly looked toward Ayame too.
Checking.
Making sure both were there.
Another alarm echoed across the village.
Far louder this time.
Nearby civilians had already started moving faster now.
Some panicked.
Others pulled children closer immediately.
Haruto stared toward the distant smoke barely visible beyond part of the village.
"…What was that…?"
Ayame's expression had completely changed now.
Focused.
Alert.
Before either could answer—
another shinobi landed near the academy gates alongside several others.
"Academy students return home immediately!"
"Stay away from outer sectors!"
"Do not wander!"
The tension around the area intensified instantly afterward.
And for the first time—
the triplets no longer felt like they were hearing stories about conflict anymore.
The war had finally reached the village itself.