With the destruction of the Nagawa Bridge, the Cloud Shinobi's supply line was completely severed.
After all, it was impossible for them to rely on ninja alone to transport such a vast amount of supplies across the river.
Even if they tried, the efficiency would be drastically reduced, and the amount delivered wouldn't even be enough to cover the daily consumption of war.
The Land of Lightning was located on a peninsula, and if they wanted to enter the mainland's center, they had to cross that massive river.
Otherwise, they'd have to take a long detour through other sea routes to reach the Land of Fire.
This was also why the Land of Lightning was so fixated on taking Kikyo Mountain.
If they could conquer it, they could dominate the border and store all their supplies in the neighboring Land of Hot Water.
There would be no need to expend massive resources guarding the bridge.
Unfortunately, the Land of Lightning lacked skilled Earth Style users.
They had no way of constructing a large bridge capable of supporting troop movement in such a short amount of time.
On the other hand, thanks to the AB duo being forced to retreat for defense,
Jiraiya pushed forward and defeated the Cloud Shinobi army to the north.
Eventually, under cover from the AB duo, they were forced to retreat across the river.
Even so, Cloud Shinobi paid a terrible price.
Over 2,000 corpses were left behind on the Kikyo Mountain battlefield and in the Land of Hot Water.
"Thanks to you this time, Rei."
Simu sat atop Matatabi's head, hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked across the river at the AB duo.
Konoha's ninjas looked at Simu with admiration in their eyes.
He was the key to this great victory.
Even the Two-Tails beneath him was met with reverence.
While most people usually harbored a deep fear or hatred of tailed beasts, considering them dangerous weapons,
the battlefield never lied.
If Matatabi hadn't held back the Eight-Tails, Konoha would have lost hundreds more shinobi.
Because of this, many ninjas' opinions of the tailed beasts had begun to shift.
Sensing the gazes around her, Matatabi unconsciously raised her head slightly—just a little proud, but not overly smug.
"That means... we should be able to return to Konoha now, right?"
Jiraiya looked at the ravaged Land of Hot Water and felt somewhat uneasy.
He finally spoke up:
"Alright, let's go. As for Anbu and the Foundation, they'll handle the rest.
Even if we can't garrison this place with a large force, we must replace the higher-ups of the Land of Hot Water with those loyal to Konoha."
The Land of Hot Water might still face retaliation from Konoha in the future.
Such was the tragedy of a small nation caught between giants.
Next time Cloud Shinobi tried to attack Konoha through that river, it wouldn't be so easy.
With Kikyo Mountain re-secured, Konoha had reestablished its strategic foothold.
Simu returned with the main forces to Konoha, while Jiraiya stayed behind on Kikyo Mountain for a while, just in case the Land of Lightning made any sudden moves.
When the main force returned to Konoha, nearly all of the village's residents poured into the streets.
They erupted into joyous cheers to celebrate the victory.
But the moment a white cloak appeared in the crowd's view, the atmosphere exploded completely.
"That's the Cloak of Justice! Lord Simu is back!"
"The Golden Flash is invincible!"
"Lord Simu! I'll give you a monkey!!"
"I want to become a great ninja like Lord Simu one day!"
Cheers echoed endlessly through the streets.
The loudest were the girls of Konoha and the young aspiring shinobi—especially the children at the Ninja Academy.
To them, Simu had already become a living legend.
Simu rarely pulled his hands out of his pockets, but now he raised them and waved to both sides.
"Tch… hard to believe I'd ever see a day like this," he muttered.
Beside him, Shikaku stood with a toothpick in his mouth.
"With how you've been performing, it'd be strange if you didn't get a reception like this."
"Fair point."
Simu tucked his hands back into his pockets with a smirk.
Far away, a silver-haired boy with a black mask covering his face silently watched the scene.
His gloomy eyes reflected a mix of emotions.
He remembered the past clearly—how his own father had once been hailed as a hero of Konoha…
That boy was none other than Kakashi.
Up in the Hokage building at the center of the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage—watched Simu's young face from afar.
No one knew what was going through the old man's mind.
The cheers lasted until a new procession approached—one transporting the bodies of fallen comrades.
Only then did silence fall.
People lowered their heads and prayed quietly for the brave shinobi who had given their lives.
Soon, those heroes were buried at the memorial cemetery.
The Third Hokage arrived and stood before the people.
"These shinobi burned their lives like flames to become the fire that protects Konoha's future.
We must not let their sacrifice be in vain. We must carry on their Will of Fire!"
His words stirred something deep in everyone's hearts.
Simu, however, let out a few yawns in succession.
By the time the ceremony ended, the sky had gone completely dark.
Simu turned and ran straight toward Kushina's house.
What surprised him was that Rei wasn't there.
"I'm back!" he shouted as he kicked the door open and walked in casually.
Kushina quickly shoved the book she was reading under her pillow.
She glared at him, pretending to be angry.
"Who told you to come in without knocking?!"
Simu scratched his head.
"Didn't I always come in without knocking?"
"It's you! Were you secretly reading Jiraiya-sensei's Make-Out Paradise again?!"
Simu glanced toward the pillow Kushina had just tried to cover.
All of her little movements were easily seen through by Simu's Observation Haki.
"I was not!"
Kushina's face turned red in an instant.
She tried to cover the pillow again, but Simu had already appeared beside it.
He casually pulled out the book hidden underneath.
"Make-Out Paradise – Revised Edition?"
Simu looked at Kushina with a teasing grin.
Kushina roared in embarrassment:
"Give it back, you idiot!"
She pounced at Simu.
Simu didn't dodge. Instead, he let her tackle him onto the bed, still holding the book.
That's when Kushina realized—she was now being held in a strong embrace.
"W-What are you doing...?"
Her face burned as she looked away, heart pounding with guilt.
Simu leaned close and whispered in her ear:
"I just want to... discuss the writing style of Jiraiya-sensei with you."
Around the yard, the Anbu guards wisely retreated tens of meters away.
Even so, they were kept up all night by the noise.
After the Land of Fire successfully repelled the invasions from both the Land of Thunder and the Land of Wind, a strange atmosphere settled over the shinobi world.
All the great nations wanted to take a bite out of the Fire Nation.
But none of them dared make the first move.
This tense stalemate lasted for two full years.
In those two years, Simu completed 48 S-rank missions.
The name Golden Flash became famous throughout the entire shinobi world.
Of course, Minato also performed exceptionally well, completing 23 S-rank missions.
He became known as the Yellow Flash.
Together, they were regarded as Konoha's Golden Duo—comparable to the AB combo of the Cloud Village.
But it wasn't just on missions that Simu made progress.
He also accomplished a personal "great feat."
After persistent effort, both Rei and Kushina finally accepted his "proposal to sleep under the same blanket."
As for Mikoto... at some point, she started spending time with Kushina and Rei too.
All in all, things seemed unusually harmonious.
This beautiful daily life was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of an Anbu ninja.
"What's the matter?"
"Lord Hokage has summoned you."
Simu rubbed his nose.
"Got it. I'll head over in a bit."
The Anbu nodded and disappeared instantly.
Nowadays, Simu was not someone ordinary Anbu dared to pressure.
He had killed the Kazekage, fought the AB combo, destroyed the Nagawa Bridge...
Not to mention the dozens of S-rank missions over the past two years.
Any single feat of his would be a legendary achievement for others.
Moments later, a streak of golden light appeared by the window of the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Come in."
He looked at Simu—who had just jumped in through the window—and sighed helplessly.
"You're already such a well-known figure in Konoha. Can't you act a little more seriously?"
Simu flopped casually onto the chair.
"Wasn't Jiraiya-sensei also a famous figure? He still goes peeping at the women's bath every day."
"And you, Uncle Third... don't you stare at that crystal ball of yours all the time?"
"Cough! Cough cough!"
The Third Hokage's rapid coughing cut him off.
"Ahem! Let's not talk about that."
"I called you here today for a new mission."
Simu stuffed his hands into his pockets, his expression unchanged.
After all this time, he was used to being a worker ninja.
As long as the pay was good, he didn't mind.
Of course, he still preferred not to go on long-distance missions if he could help it.
Seeing Simu's casual attitude, the Third Hokage chuckled and reassured him:
"Don't worry. This time, it doesn't involve any travel."
"Huh?"
Simu raised an eyebrow.
The old man actually noticed his preferences?
Wait... is he about to hand over the Hokage's position?
But being Hokage sounds kinda tiring...
His thoughts started to wander.
Seeing his blank stare, the Third Hokage coughed again to bring him back to reality.
"Hey, what's the mission? Just tell me already," Simu said while scratching his head.
The Third Hokage tossed a folder onto the table.
"It's nothing major. I want you to lead a team of students."
Simu immediately pulled a face.
"Students? That sounds like way too much trouble!"
A laid-back guy like him had no interest in such responsibilities.
The Third Hokage calmly made an offer Simu couldn't refuse:
"If you lead a team, you'll get 50% of their mission rewards."
"Which means... you can basically earn money lying down."
Simu's eyes sparkled.
"I'll take them!"
He picked up the folder with enthusiasm.
"Uncle Third, can I take more than one team?"
The Third Hokage kicked him out of the office before he could say another word.
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