Mei Terumī walked out of Yoru's tent in a daze. Not long after, Yukiko, Hiromi, and several others came to see him as well—each staying a long while before leaving in silence.
The next day.
The flap of Yoru's tent was pulled open again.
A masked ANBU from Kirigakure bowed and spoke respectfully,
"Lord Yoru, Lord Yagura has called for a pre-battle strategy meeting. He requests your presence."
"Understood."
Yoru gave a calm nod, straightened his uniform, and made his way to the command tent.
Yagura, seated at the head of the table, greeted him with a satisfied expression.
But... some seats were noticeably empty—Mei Terumī, Mangetsu Hōzuki, and a few others were absent.
Still, Yagura didn't seem to care. Once enough people had gathered, he rose and began,
"Everyone's here. Based on Lord Mizukage's orders and our analysis of the current situation, we've finalized a new battle strategy."
"In the next phase of the war, we'll launch a series of coordinated attacks on Konoha's front lines. The offensive is divided into three main phases…"
As Yagura laid out the plan, the room remained silent. Yet many eyes drifted toward Yoru.
The new strategy was the exact opposite of what Yoru had proposed days before. Still, he sat there, calm and unmoved, without the slightest change in expression. Everyone present was sharp enough to pick up on the implications—but no one said a word. They simply listened as Yagura outlined the plan.
The plan was simple:
Since no one could confirm whether the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki would appear alongside Minato Namikaze, Yoru would lead a squad of Kirigakure elites and strike at Konoha's stronghold—Misawa Bridge. If Minato or the jinchūriki showed up, Yoru would engage and neutralize them.
Meanwhile, the bulk of Kirigakure's army would march toward Higashimatsuyama, pushing deeper into the Land of Fire.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Yoru made no objection.
"The key to this mission lies with you, Yoru," Yagura said, his eyes locked onto him.
"I trust you can hold back either Minato or the Nine-Tails. But if they avoid you—then turn Misawa Bridge into another Jinnan Town. Another Higashimatsuyama. Freeze it over."
Yoru gave a mild reply,
"I'll do what I can—"
"BOOM!!!"
Yoru's words were cut short.
A deafening explosion tore through the sky, shaking the very ground.
An overwhelming surge of energy erupted in the distance—its sheer force consuming half of Kirigakure's entire camp.
The light from the blast outshone the sun itself. For a moment, the world fell utterly silent. The very air grew heavy with dread. Across the base, Kirigakure shinobi turned toward the source in stunned disbelief.
They had never imagined something like this—not once.
Tents, fortifications, supplies—everything in the blast zone was wiped out in an instant. The ground cratered inward from the impact. It was as if divine punishment had descended upon them.
Most of the shinobi didn't even have time to scream. They were vaporized on the spot.
When the light faded…
Half the camp was gone.
The air was thick with ash and debris. The few survivors staggered to their feet, their expressions blank and haunted.
"No way…"
"This… can't be real…"
"What just happened… Is this an enemy attack? Why…?"
And then, they all saw it.
The battlefield stretched before them—empty, barren, desolate. Tents, defenses, weapons, food—everything had vanished.
It looked just like what had happened at Jinnan Town.
The attack had come too fast. They hadn't even had time to react.
This was the very same frontline that had brought Kirigakure multiple victories… the very ground where they'd once felt sure of their dominance.
And now it was a graveyard.
"How could this…"
Several high-ranking shinobi arrived on the scene. Among them, Yagura stood with clenched fists, his face contorted in rage—but his eyes betrayed a deeper truth:
Shock. And fear.
"It was a Tailed Beast Bomb," said one of the barrier corps shinobi grimly.
"Our sensory seals did detect an intruder—but the bomb detonated before we could even react."
"Those bastards… How dare they?! How DARE they?!"
Yagura roared.
He never imagined Minato would actually go through with it. That he'd do exactly as Yoru had warned—and bring the Nine-Tails right into their base to unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb.
This wasn't the Konoha they knew.
This… wasn't Konoha at all.
Yagura searched the horizon for signs of the enemy.
But there was no trace. They were already gone.
Everyone turned to look at Yoru.
They remembered what he'd said in the strategy meeting days ago.
Under the pressure of mounting losses… the fall of Higashimatsuyama… the death of Hiruzen's eldest son…
Konoha might snap.
And when they did… they would retaliate without restraint.
Yoru had wanted to avoid this—he'd urged them to abandon their current positions and redirect their strategy.
But no one had listened.
And now Konoha had snapped.
In the center of their gazes, Yoru stood silently.
Expressionless. Cold. There was not a flicker of surprise on his face.
After a moment, he turned to leave.
"Yoru."
Yagura's voice trembled, but Yoru didn't stop.
"Yoru, wait!"
"You're the commander, Yagura."
Yoru halted for just a breath.
"Instead of shouting in helpless rage, you should be treating the wounded. Reinforce the camp defenses immediately."
He turned his head slightly, his voice calm but razor-sharp.
"Because now that Konoha has lost control… the second strike won't be far behind."
"We got lucky this time. They didn't know the location of our main tent—so the Tailed Beast Bomb missed.
Next time… we might not be so lucky."
"Then what about you?!" Yagura shouted. "Where are you going?!"
Yoru placed a hand on the hilt of Hyorinmaru.
His voice was cold.
"I can't stop you from throwing away Kirigakure's future."
"But I can make sure Konoha pays the same price."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin