Chapter 9: Whispers of War

  The winds of war blew harder with each passing day. Rumors became reality—skirmishes at the borders turned into full-blown battles.

  The Land of Wind had stirred. The Sand Village had begun its push, and Konoha’s forces were being stretched thin. Every day, news arrived of ambushes, missing shinobi, and shifting frontlines.

  Danzo Shimura, the ever-watchful shadow of Konoha, was dispatched to oversee the Sand Village frontlines. Whispers in the village suggested it wasn’t just to aid the war effort—but to eliminate political threats and assert his brand of order through Root operatives.

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  Ren watched from the shadows. He kept his head low, kept training, and kept his emotions in check. The Sharingan’s awakening remained hidden—shared only between him and Mikoto.

  Despite the surrounding chaos, the Konoha Military Police Force was still tasked with internal order. With war approaching, discipline within the village became more critical than ever. Ren and Mikoto worked more shifts, patrolled more districts.

  Meanwhile, news from Ame-no-Kuni sent shockwaves across the continent. Hanzo the Salamander had named three Leaf shinobi—Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—as the ‘Legendary Sannin.’ Their battle against Hanzo was already spreading in hushed awe across camps and borders.

  The Sannin had become living legends overnight.

  Ren’s grip tightened around the practice kunai in his hand. The world was moving quickly, faster than any academy lesson could teach.

  He was no longer a student. He was a ninja now.

  And Konoha... was no longer at peace.