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That night.
The combined forces of the Land of Lightning, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Iron had halted their march on a vast plain to rest and recuperate.
The relentless rain continued its ceaseless descent, drenching the countless tents that had been erected across the camp.
Despite the cold downpour, the shinobi assigned to patrol and guard duty remained vigilant, moving tirelessly through the storm.
Inside the largest tent at the center of the camp, dozens of shinobi and samurai from the three nations had gathered, led by the Raikage, the Hokage, and General Mifune.
The interior of the tent was brightly lit, with A, the supre commander of the Allied Forces, seated at the head. The others stood in orderly rows on either side.
"According to the latest intelligence, we have confird the positions of all four divisions of our forces."
Acting as the chief strategist, Shikaku Nara stood beside a hanging map, pointing out four marked locations on the Land of Drizzle.
"Based on their current pace, all divisions should arrive near Agakure by noon tomorrow."
"I see." A withdrew his gaze from the map and swept it across the assembled leaders. "Among the four divisions, our combined forces from Lightning, Fire, and Iron are the largest and strongest. We should reach the destination first, set up camp, and provide cover for the other three divisions."
"The Raikage makes a valid point." Shikaku nodded. "However, we must remain on high alert tonight as well."
"Then ensure that patrols and defenses are properly arranged." A glanced at Tsunade and Mifune in turn.
"Understood."
"No problem."
Tsunade and Mifune both nodded in agreent.
Afterward, the group began studying the terrain around Agakure, searching for the most strategic location to establish their base.
Once the discussion had settled, Shikaku presented his ticulously prepared plan, which earned unanimous approval from the others.
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Under the cover of darkness and the relentless rain, Kiba and Shino trudged along the edge of the camp, clad in raincoats, with Akamaru silently trailing behind them.
"Seriously, at such a critical ti in the war, our team’s sensei, Kurenai, suddenly gets pregnant, and Hinata just disappears sowhere," Kiba grumbled, wiping rainwater from his face and tightening the hood of his raincoat.
"Complaining won’t change anything, Kiba," Shino replied calmly. "Right now, focusing on completing our patrol is more important. Our shift is almost over."
"Tch! Rain like this sses with both my and Akamaru’s sense of sll, and your bugs don’t fare much better either. In conditions like these, the Byakugan would be way more useful. If only Hinata were here..." Kiba rubbed his nose irritably.
"Woof, woof." Akamaru let out a couple of quiet barks, as if agreeing with him.
Soon, their shift ended, and Kiba and Shino handed over their duties to another scouting team before hurrying back toward their own tents in the camp.
As they passed by one of the tents, a familiar, energetic voice reached their ears.
"Two thousand three hundred and sixty-four, two thousand three hundred and sixty-five..."
"Lee?"
Curious, Kiba lifted the tent flap and peeked inside.
Within, Rock Lee was performing push-ups at an astonishing speed, while Tenten sat nearby, organizing her weapons.
"Kiba?" Lee didn’t pause in his exercise, rely glancing up. "What’s up?"
"Nothing, just heard you and thought I’d check in." Kiba grinned.
"Is that so? Has my youthful passion inspired you as well? Then join in training!" Lee switched to one-handed push-ups, raising his free hand to flash his signature thumbs-up and gleaming grin.
"Nah, we just got back from patrol duty." Kiba hastily waved him off, slightly embarrassed.
"Co in," Tenten suddenly stood up. "Shikamaru was here earlier. He said all of us from the sa Chūnin Exam year should gather here. He went to find Sakura and you two."
"Oh, got it."
Kiba stepped inside, followed by Shino and Akamaru.
The two shed their raincoats and sat on the ground, while Akamaru shook the water from his fur in a corner before settling beside Kiba.
Before long, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio arrived with Sakura in tow.
"So you two were already here. That’s why we couldn’t find you earlier," Shikamaru remarked as he removed his raincoat.
"We passed by after finishing patrol," Kiba said, running a hand through Akamaru’s damp fur. "Did you call everyone together for a reason?"
"Yeah."
Shikamaru and the others sat down as well.
"Out of our four teams from back then, only your Team 10 is still complete," Kiba suddenly comnted.
"Hey!" Ino elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
Kiba glanced at Tenten and Sakura, who had visibly deflated, and quickly covered his mouth.
A heavy silence filled the tent, and even Lee, who had been relentlessly exercising, suddenly collapsed onto the ground.
"Tch." Shikamaru frowned, feeling the weight of the mont.
’But this was exactly why you wanted to gather everyone, wasn’t it, Shikamaru?’ Chōji’s silent gaze conveyed his support.
Clearing his throat, Shikamaru spoke. "Listen, even though Naruto’s situation is special and he has to stay away from the battlefield, there’s a chance Sasuke and Neji might show up in this war."
"Really?!" Lee imdiately sprang up, his eyes blazing alongside Tenten and Sakura’s.
"Yeah, but this is just my personal speculation." Shikamaru scratched his head, lowering his voice. "Based on my dad’s reactions and so things I’ve noticed in the village, I’ve got a theory about this war."
The others remained silent, waiting attentively.
After all, Shikamaru’s intellect was sothing they all respected.
"It’s pretty straightforward." Shikamaru didn’t drag it out. "Sasuke’s uncle likely has so kind of agreent with the village."
"Huh? Didn’t he just make a deal with the Hokage to remove the Hyūga’s Cursed Seal in exchange for coming to the village?" Kiba asked.
"It’s probably more complicated than that," Sakura said hesitantly. "Actually, he also helped during the Akatsuki’s invasion of Konoha."
Shikamaru nodded. "Exactly. I don’t know the full details, but I trust my instincts on this."
"Are you saying Sasuke’s uncle might send Sasuke and Neji to join this war?" Lee exclaid excitedly.
"You could say that." Shikamaru’s gaze swept over them. "Especially since the enemy this ti is the Akatsuki, who want to control the world. I doubt any of us would object to stopping them."
"That’s right!" Sakura brightened.
"So, all of you, stay sharp." Shikamaru stood up first. "Don’t go dying before our comrades return to fight alongside us."
"Got it!"
"Thank you, Shikamaru."
Sakura, Tenten, and Lee looked at him gratefully.
"Well, everyone should get so proper rest tonight." Shikamaru turned toward the tent entrance, slightly awkward. "Good night."
"Good night."
With smiles, they bid each other farewell and dispersed to their own tents.
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