Late at night, a group of six moved quickly through the dense jungle.
"Koharu, how far are we from the Lightning Country border?" asked young Sarutobi Hiruzen, his tone deep.
Koharu, who had just taken out the map after setting up camp, looked over it and replied, "We're close—probably about ten kilometers away."
"There should be Kumo ninja keeping watch at the border. How are we going to break through?" Mito Kadenen reminded them.
"Maybe they don't know about the sudden change at the alliance meeting yet? We could try going through directly," Akamichi suggested.
"But what if Kumogakure Village has already informed them?" Koharu questioned, raising a cautious eyebrow.
"Then we just kill them!" Yan declared.
Sarutobi frowned, thinking, and looked at Danzo. "Danzo, what's your take?"
"Huh?" Danzo responded, snapping out of a daze, his face showing hesitation.
"Why do you look so drained all the time, Danzo? Are you too tired?"
"It's nothing; don't worry about me."
"Then what do you think? Should we force our way through?"
"You're the Hokage now! Make your own decisions," Danzo replied, an edge of resentment in his tone. There was a touch of jealousy mixed in—he knew he had been one step behind Sarutobi and had missed his chance at the title of Hokage. It was a bitter reality he couldn't easily accept, one that haunted him with regret.
Sarutobi didn't push him further. He knew Danzo's ambition and rivalry, which had been intense. He could sense the disappointment in his friend and knew that, given time, he would help him make peace with it once they returned to the village.
Turning to Uchiha Kagami, Sarutobi asked, "What do you think?"
Kagami sighed, brow furrowed. "Can we really leave Hokage-sama behind? If he were here..."
At the mention of Tobirama, who had remained behind, a silence fell over them all. Sarutobi clenched his fists but managed to keep a cheerful expression. "Don't worry. Believe in the Nidaime. He's not one to die easily! Who knows, maybe he's escaped the encirclement and is catching up to us as we speak..."
The others said nothing. They knew Sarutobi was just trying to comfort them. Tobirama had stayed behind to buy them time, which meant he was likely locked in a death match with the Golden Horn forces. With his serious injuries, his chances were slim...
After a while, Kagami spoke up, "Let me scout the border first."
"If I can pass safely, it means the Kumo ninja haven't been informed. You all can follow. But if I'm attacked, you can use that opportunity to break through the defenses!"
"No, it's too dangerous," Sarutobi said quickly.
"There's no time to hesitate, Hiruzen. You're the Hokage now, and you have to make choices. If you don't make it back, all of Hokage-sama's efforts will be in vain."
"I know, but..."
"Don't worry. My Sharingan is not just for show. Even if there's a fight, I can hold my own."
Kagami flashed a confident smile, having already made up his mind. He had been handpicked by Tobirama and was fiercely loyal to the village. He wasn't afraid to sacrifice himself for his teammates or for the village's future.
Koharu looked at Kagami with concern but didn't try to stop him. They all understood that some choices were painful but necessary.
"I'll go with you!" Danzo said suddenly.
"Danzo, you..."
"Sarutobi, I'll help Kagami hold them off. You need to survive. Don't let Hokage-sama's hope die with us!"
Kagami gave a grateful nod. "Let's go!"
With that, Danzo and Kagami turned and headed for the border, leaving Sarutobi deep in thought. Maybe Danzo was proving himself, or maybe he just needed some distance from Sarutobi.
...
As they dashed through the jungle, Kagami looked at Danzo, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. "Danzo."
"Hm?"
"I didn't think you'd join me."
"Hmph! I just don't want that monkey to hog the spotlight," Danzo muttered, still miffed over Sarutobi's new title of Hokage.
"Do you want to be Hokage too?"
"Who wouldn't? But it went to that monkey instead."
"I wanted it too, but...family obligations held me back."
Kagami sighed. Like Danzo, he had yearned for the title, but he'd hesitated, tied down by the expectations of the Uchiha clan. Now, stepping into danger felt like a way to make amends.
Danzo glanced at him, feeling both admiration and sorrow.
...
Meanwhile, the Kumo border guards had received notice of their approach and had prepared traps. As Kagami and Danzo neared the border, they found themselves surrounded by Kumo ninjas.
"The enemy's here!" Kagami shouted, readying himself.
"There's definitely an ambush."
"We can hold them. As long as we keep them busy, Sarutobi and the others can break through the border."
"My chakra is running low."
"Same here..."
"Hmph! Then I'll die with you if I must."
"Danzo, if I fall, please take my Sharingan back to the village!"
"Kagami, you..."
"You know these eyes can't fall into Yunyin's hands. This is my last request. Promise me."
Danzo's eyes blazed with fierce determination as he met Kagami's gaze.
"Alright, I promise!"
...
There weren't many Kumo ninja stationed at this part of the border—around twenty, and most were Chūnin. Under normal circumstances, Kagami and Danzo could handle them. But both were far from being at their peak. They had expended massive amounts of chakra escaping from the [Cloud Hidden Village], and their conditions were deteriorating fast.
Unlike legends like Hashirama and Madara, who could fight endlessly, most shinobi, even Jōnin, had limits. Sustained high-intensity combat was grueling, and constant use of ninjutsu drained chakra faster.
In the opening minutes of the battle, Kagami and Danzo fought fiercely, cutting down nearly half the Kumo ninja with swift, brutal precision. But their energy flagged, and their movements slowed. Their bodies bore more and more wounds. Kagami's Sharingan was nearly drained, and blood trickled from his eyes. At this rate, both of them would likely die in battle, though there was a slim chance that one might escape.
The one relief was that their efforts had drawn enough Kumo attention to give Sarutobi and the others a clear path.
Once they reached the Land of Thunder's border, the danger would decrease significantly. Beyond that lay the safety of Konoha territory, where friendly forces could assist.
As long as Sarutobi could make it to Fire Country, he would likely return safely to Konoha.