Bright fire torches illuminated the dim, snow forest as around two thousand soldiers aligned their horses in five columns. A snow blizzard prevailed not too long ago, the vehement and unceasing gust of wind resulting to the evanescence of the flames. Mifune stood beside his horse, holding up the world map as a lingering silence occurred out of respect towards the army's leader. The howling wind was rather unrelenting, the sole noise ringing into the ears of the Rakurai clan's lone survivor, her waist-length hair floating along with the strong breeze.

Hiruda was by the sidelines as she took the time to scrutinize the samurais who refused to move a single inch from their spots. Her strong gaze held determination and eagerness, an emotion which was rarely expressed by the young girl. Her fists clenched and unclenched constantly, her eyes wide with desire as she stared at one of the soldier's katana. Her small frame trembled with pure rage and resentment, pupils dilated as she desperately tried to find the cue to approach the General.

The old man then finished his surveying process as he rolled the map. "As I've mentioned earlier, there will be a split division of attacking forces in order to ambush both the Leaf and the Sand simultaneously. No matter what happens, winning is our only option in this war. Since we are in demand of their answers regarding the invasion, we must place them into capitulation and gain dominance over the ninjas." He paused, turning his attention to a man mounted on a black horse beside him. 

His colorless, chalky hair blended in with the pristine, powdery surroundings, his eyes a shade of magnificent blue yet expressed no emotion, its dullness displaying an almost blackish hue. With pale and impassive features, one could easily portray his cold and calculating attitude. He sported a black haori and dark gray hakama over the white kimono, a white cord called a tasuki crossed over his chest and tied in the back. A white headband with the given term, hachigane, wrapped around his head, bearing a rectangular metallic piece on the forehead. Strapped on both sides of his waist were the katana and the wakizashi. A dual wielder. This fascinated Hiruda.

Behind the man is his own army as they wore similar uniforms, equally displaying their cold, emotionless demeanor. The young girl could tell the massive difference between them and the regular forces.

"Commander Kaito," Mifune addressed the man with a slight bow of his head. "My proposal in mind is for you and the Shinsengumi army to lead the other half of my forces to the Hidden Sand Village. Do you approve of this?" He inquired.

A prolonged silence followed by as the man didn't bother to spare the general a glance. However, Mifune seemed accustomed with this as his expression remained stern.

"As long as victory will be rewarded to us, then I have no objections with your decision, General." He stated bluntly.

"Very well." Dismissing the commander with a nod, Mifune hopped onto his horse. "Then we shall depart to the front gates."

Before Hiruda's mind could process everything, her body had moved on its own, scurrying timidly until she was in front of the general's horse. "Wait!" She exclaimed, stretching her arms outwards.

Startled at the abrupt occurence, concern replaced Mifune's grim features. "Lady Hiruda, what is the matter that could be more important than our retaliation?"

The young girl found herself gasping for breath as she had a weak immune system, something that she had always despised. She shuddered at the overwhelming frigid wind. It took her a minute to steady her breathing as she looked up at the leader of the military. "Please let me come with you, General!" She pleaded.

Not only that her words surprised the General, but it peaked the Commander's interest as well as he regarded her with curiosity. Mifune's gaze softened, his lips formed into a thin line. "My child, I know that out of all the residents and warriors here in our land, you are the one who had the heaviest burden resting upon your shoulders." Dismounting from his horse, he crouched down in front of her.

"But let me tell you this, going to the battlefield unprepared is like a fool swimming in a sea of sharks. You are still an Academy student, but you will be significant in battle when the time comes." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Hiruda shook her head vigorously. "B-But now is the time that I should fight! It's my fault why all of this happened so the least that I could do is to pay the price!" Falling on her knees, her head and hands touched the snow, ignoring the freezing sensation of the cold ground.

"Please let me fight! I beg of you, General!" Her voice trembled and her hands gripped at the handful of snow, a silent prayer ringing in her mind.

A long exhale escaped from Mifune's lips. For a moment, she thought it was a sigh of defeat. It wasn't before long she heard him mutter under his breath. "Guards."

In an instant, she heard quick footsteps behind her before she was suddenly hoisted up by her arms. It was one of the royal guards belonging to the Iron Feudal Lord. His uniform had a similar style to those of the regular forces, only the armor had a shade of dark gray. She squirmed violently in his grip when he began pulling her away from Mifune.

"Let me go! I want to fight!" Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes when the royal guard continued dragging her away effortlessly. Her teeth gritted upon witnessing the look of pity from the general, it made her blood boil. It made her feel like a weak, fragile child who always needed to be protected.

"I have to avenge my parents! If I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life!" She screamed from the top of her lungs, struggling to break free from the guard's iron grip on her.

Mifune turned his head away, his eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't help but have commiseration towards the last survivor of the Rakurai clan. With the worst scenario that had transpired on the day of her birthday, no other day is more miserable and unfortunate than the one from a gratifying ocassion to a ruthless, haunting incident. It seemed undeserving for one's happiness to be taken away, the cruelity of such a deed is just way too autocratic and imperious.

"We must head out now." He uttered, ignoring Hiruda's loud pleads.

Slamming the reins against the horse's back, the horse neighed as it stood on its rear hooves before galloping ahead. The armies mirrored the gesture as their horses followed after Mifune's, chanting out battle cries. Hiruda felt the ground rumbling beneath her feet at the simultaneous sound of the horses darting towards the opening of the forest.

As she struggled helplessly against the guard's restraints, she knew that she had to come up with a plan.  

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

A blur of silver hair whooshed past through the trees as a pitter-pattering noise against a wood broke through the silent night. A certain ninja hopped from branch to branch, his visible onyx eye staring blankly into the distance. His forehead protector had a Leaf symbol on it which was slanted down to cover his left eye for some reason. A black mask reached up until his nose, nearly concealing the whole of his face. His dark clothing underneath the green jōnin vest had a red swirl logo on the left shoulder as well as on the back of the jacket.

Kakashi Hatake had just completed his solo mission and is on the way back to his home village. Despite his body screaming for a time out, he knew he had to get back as soon as possible. The S-rank mission he was assigned to by the Fifth Hokage had a limitation of three days. However, five days had passed and it won't be long before someone would declare him as a ninja killed in action.

"Just a little bit more." He mused, releasing short pants as he had been travelling for countless hours.

He was an absolute mess. His uniform was all coated with dirt and sweat, blood seeping out from the right side of his stomach. After his arduous battle against one of the rogue ninjas who was officially listed as an S-ranked criminal in the bingo book, Kakashi was utterly exhausted and fatigue at the moment. Clutching at his injury, he mentally cursed for not bringing extra medical supplies as he hissed in pain.

The faint sound of horses galloping in unison caught the man's attention as he landed on one of the branches, his narrowed gaze focused on the direction of the noise. For a split second, his initial cogitation was that there were merchants on the run. However, he pushed the thought away upon the absence of a wagon being dragged along and the series of running hooves. Not to mention that he was able to perceive a multitude of yellowish orange light orbits moving along with the sporadic sprinting.

Judging by the large mass of spherule-like lights, an army of soldiers were setting out for war. Those loud battle cries were unmistakable. Yet, a lingering question left him uneasy.

Why were they crossing to the path towards the Leaf?

Kakashi felt like he shouldn't create any more assumptions, but the thought of the possibility made his heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

He wanted to believe that it's just a hunch. The problem is that his hunches are usually right.

As his thoughts concluded, the jōnin ninja resumed leaping from the trees, chasing after the hooves clicking against the dirt pavement. He slowed down eventually when he heard the horses coming to a halt at a leisure pace. Kakashi descended from a branch and crouched down behind the bushes soundlessly when he heard someone mumbling.

"Why did we stop, General?" One soldier asked.

"I apologize, I was fretting over the signal. Has the Commander discharge the flare yet?" Mifune asked.

Kakashi's eyes widened in realization at the mere mention of a general.  If his hunch were correct, then the samurais were indeed planning to ambush the Leaf. Despite being in a state of confusion, he knew he had to move fast or it'll be too late for his questions to be answered.

"I believe he hasn't yet, General. But as of now, they're getting closer to the Sand."

"Another army is heading to the Sand?" He definitely didn't see that coming. Having heard enough, the ninja sprang away from the bushes in a blink of an eye, traversing through the forest in a rather hasty manner.

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

Tsunade had been restless all night. She would feel an eerie sensation creeping up onto her spine everytime she closes her eyes. Regardless of the temptation to succumb into the slumber, she couldn't bring herself to ignore the unsettling feeling. She draped her blanket over her head, rolling over to the other side of the futon with her eyes squeezed shut. Sweat beads gathered at her neck despite cold climate as she jerked her head. She groaned, breathing erratically as she tossed and turned.

She was abruptly snapped out of her inner disturbance when the door slid open aggressively, revealing a panting woman with black hair styled in a bob cut.

"Lady Fifth! We have a problem!" She exclaimed frantically.

Tsunade shot up from her futon, equally alarmed. "What's with the urgency, Shizune?" She demanded, fixing her long dirty blonde hair into twin ponytails.

"Well, according to Kakashi--"

"Kakashi's back?!" The Hokage interjected.

Shizune shook her head vigorously. "Let's just put that aside first. What's more urgent is the fact that an invasion might occur in our village!"

As if a swtich has been turned on, a grim expression fixed upon Tsunade's features drastically. She grabbed her grass-green haori resting on top of the nightstand, slipping it on. A kanji inscription of 'gamble' was printed on the back, inside a red circle. She puts on her black sandals with high heels before marching out of the room.

"Any details?" She inquired, not bothering to spare her assistant glance.

Shizune scurried next to her. "Well, Kakashi didn't specify the details other than the fact that we're going to be attacked in approximately two hours, at least that's what he said."

"Ha," The Hokage smirked, amused. "That man is something else. He really isn't famous for nothing."

By the time they arrive at the office, Kakashi was already standing in front of Tsunade's desk, an expectant look on his face.

"Kakashi," Tsunade began, sauntering towards her desk before settling on an office chair. "State the situation. Oh, and while you do so, Shizune, heal his wound."

The male jōnin waved his hands in front of him. "I'm fine, Lady Fifth."

The Hokage frowned. "You're injured, and I'm sure you gave your all in the mission."

He sighed in defeat, unzipping his vest before lifting up his shirt, exposing his wounded midriff. "If you insist."

Kakashi sat on a chair that was offered to him before Shizune began the healing process as green light emitted from her hands.

He cleared his throat. "As I was on my way back, I heard the sound of horses heading towards our village."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Horses? Most likely, merchants were off transportating goods and commodities..." She trailed off, lost in thought with a hand on her chin.

Her eyes widened momentarily. "But shipping services are up until dinner time." She mumbled.

The silver-haired man nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Not to mention they seem to have brought an army."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are they, exactly?"

Tsunade thought she was prepared for anything. Little did she know, his next words hit her hard like a tsunami wave washing over her. "They were samurais, Lady Fifth."

She jerked up from her seat. "Impossible! There was an agreement among ninjas that interference with the Land of Iron is forbbiden! Is there even someone who is foolish enough to rebel against that rule?!" She exclaimed in utter disbelief.

"Trust me. I am as confused as you." Kakashi admitted.

Tsunade paced back and forth across the room, biting on her thumbnail anxiously. "I just don't get it, since their target is our village, why would one of our fellow ninjas commit something as imprudent as that? We bear no grude against the samurais."

Shizune pulled her hands away from Kakashi's midsection, the glowing light disappearing. "We may have been heedless than we thought. Someone must've planned this carefully, knowing that the samurais aren't just a military we can mess with."

Kakashi braced himself in revealing his next news. "They're also after the Sand for some reason. It seems that their objective is to invade both villages at the same time."

The Fifth Hokage leaned back against the glass windows behind her desk, rubbing her temples as she felt a migraine coming in. "Things are already getting complicated earlier than I expected." She exhaled, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment of concentration.

An idea came to mind, yet she was uncertain about proposing it. After all, the Leaf had no means of alliance with other villages except for the Sand, which is in danger as well. Tsunade racked her brain desperately, but was unable to get any sort of purchase to restrain the samurais' assault. As her options were limited, she settled with a strategy for the operation of her plan.

She swallowed back her uneasiness. Being in her shoes is extremely burdensome. The number of Leaf ninjas and residents relying on her is like an immovable boulder resting on her back. One wrong move will result to getting her body crushed, just like how her reputation would result to a tragic downfall. And in addition to that is the village's catastrophe.

Pushing her doubtful thoughts away, she voiced out her proposition. "I have a plan, but this may be the one and only resort to withhold the ambush."

When she received a nod from Kakashi and Shizune, she continued. "I know that we haven't formed an alliance with most of the villages yet, but this could be our only chance to save the Leaf from its crisis. We lost many of our ninjas during the invasion of Orochimaru and the Sound, so backup is necessary."

Her assistant looked worried. "Are you sure about this, Lady Fifth? Forming an alliance with them in a sticky situation is very risky. Besides, I don't think they'll find us trustworthy and it could buy us some time in gathering reinforcements."

Tsunade managed to conceal her apprehension underneath the veil of confidence. "I shall propose an A-ranked mission to all the highly skilled jōnin. In a span of two hours, they will advance to the main villages of each land; to the Hidden Cloud, the Hidden Stone, and the Hidden Mist respectively to inquire for their cooperation. Even if they keep rejecting our request, we'll have to bring them into affirmation no matter what the cost may be."

"But Lady Fifth, what if they'll take it as an advantage into acquiring their wishes? Such as a demand for budget in exchange or even something way worse that would compromise the Leaf's morals and beliefs!" Shizune pointed out.

"At this moment, we have to do whatever it takes for the village's safety. That's the most important thing right now." Tsunade said.

"But--"

"The most important aspect of an assistant is to have faith in their leader. Shizune, do you trust me and my decisions?" Upon regarding the dark-haired woman with a solemn gaze, Shizune sighed.

"Of course, Lady Fifth."

"Very well, then I shall list down whoever is qualified for the mission." The Hokage said.

"Lady Fifth, please assign me in this mission." Kakashi said, narrowing his visible eye at her.

"No. You're exhausted from the mission, Kakashi. What you need right now is to get some rest."

The jōnin shook his head. "I'm sure that you know that I'm one of the talented ninjas left, so you have to rely on me for this one."

Tsunade shot him a knowing glance. "You're not gonna give up, are you?

"I'm afraid not, Lady Fifth."

She propped her elbows up on the desk, eyeing him sternly. "Then do me a favor of telling Asuma and Kurenai about the mission, we don't have much time left. I'll tell Gai to gather all the ninjas at the front gates to suppress the attack."

"Does this include all the genin as well?" Shizune asked.

"Their job is to evacuate the residents to safety. The samurais are far too dangerous for them to take on. Any clarifications, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked.

"Everything is crystal clear, Lady Fifth."

o==[]::::::::::::::::>

"I say this is the least thing I've expected to happen." Kurenai commented, placing a hand on her hip. She was regarded as one of the prettiest ninjas in the Leaf, with her slender build, fair skin, long, black untamed hair, and red eyes. She wore light make-up consisting of red lipstick and purple eye shadow. Her outfit is a red mesh armour blouse with only the right sleeve visible, a broad material which resembles bandages with a pattern on it, similar to those rose thorns. Her hands and upper thighs were also wrapped in bandages for protection.

"Well after all, unforeseen things happen under normal circumstances. Might as well get use to it." Asuma spoke up, fishing out a lighter from his pouch. With a quick snap of his thumb, he placed the ignited flame on the tip of his cigarette. He was rather a tall man, his figure towering over both Kurenai and Kakashi. His skin tone had a shade of olive, with brown eyes, short, black spiky hair and a beard that reached up to his side burns. His outfit was also similar to Kakashi's.

Kurenai frowned in response, turning her attention to the silver-haired male. "Any commands, Kakashi? We're waiting."

Kakashi stood ahead of his fellow comrades, staring blankly into the dirt path in front of them. The trio were at the front gates of the village, preparing for their mission.

"Asuma, you'll be in charge to the Stone and Kurenai, I'm relying on you to convince the Mist. I will summon some of my ninja hounds to track down the scents of the Mizukage, Tsuchikage, and the Raikage."

"Roger." Kurenai and Asuma replied in unison.

"Hold on a second."  A deep voice interjected as a figure came out of the shadows, revealing a man by the name of Hiashi Hyūga. His brown hair was long as it reached down to his waist. His eyes were pupiless and white with a tinge of lavender which possesses a formidable eye prowess, the byakugan.

Kakashi was fairly surprised. "Lord Hiashi, what brings you here?"

"I heard from Hinata about your mission," He said, his gaze holding an intimidating aura. "It may be inappropriate to ask this but are you certain that the Cloud are willing to help us?"

"What is your point, Lord Hiashi?" Kurenai inquired.

Hiashi's gaze hardened. "My point is that a group of ninja belonging to their village attempted to kidnap my eldest daughter years ago. And personally, I do not see them as dependable."

Kakashi released a sigh. He had forgotten all about the matter of the Hyūga affair which resulted to the death of Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi.

"Lord Hiashi, I know that it's difficult to get behind the past. However, I think we shouldn't allow those hindrances to stop us from protecting that is important right now." Kakashi was stunned at his own words.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I apologize." He added.

Hiashi shook his head, his features softening. "No, you're right. I should be the one to apologize, it's foolish of me to focus on the past rather than the present. However I have a request for you, do whatever it takes to convince them. I'm counting on all of you."

Asuma nodded. "We won't let you down, Lord Hiashi."

With that said, the trio vanished in a blink of an eye, a pitter-pattering sound echoing from the forest.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Word Count: 3,760