At the same time...
Northern Border of the Land of Fire
The biting winter wind stung the skin of the Konoha reconnaissance team, who blew into their hands to ward off the cold.
They had departed in haste the previous day and marched without rest to this remote frontier.
The reason? Kumo, their former enemy, had suddenly extended an olive branch.
The Hidden Cloud claimed to want to sign an alliance pact with Konoha.
News that had shaken the upper ranks of the village.
And oddly enough, it coincided with the arson attack on the mask shop.
Was it a ruse by Kumo?
Or a scheme from another nation to sabotage this potential alliance?
Whatever the case, Konoha had to respond with utmost sincerity.
Thus, a special unit was dispatched.
At its head: Shiranui Genma, the rising star of the reconnaissance corps.
Thanks to his Kekkei Genkai, the Permeable Dōjutsu, he excelled at infiltration missions.
A gift so unique it had earned him medal after medal...
But every light casts a shadow.
His power came at a price: Blood Disease.
The more he used it, the more his body deteriorated.
Like the legendary white-haired Kaguya clan, his life would be brilliant… but brief.
That's why his childhood friend, Yūgao, always watched over him.
---
At the borderline, Genma scanned the horizon, his face solemn.
Beyond the borderstone lay enemy territory.
After tense negotiations, the Kumo shinobi handed him a decree signed by the Fourth Raikage himself.
An official delegation would soon visit Konoha.
This meeting was just a preliminary, a test of each side's intentions.
At last, Genma extended his hand, suppressing his excitement.
Yesterday's enemy took it.
The ice was broken.
Genma murmured, his voice thick with emotion:
"Peace… is finally within reach."
Kumo, the most technologically advanced village in the shinobi world, as an ally?
It promised decades of stability for Konoha.
Once the Cloud ninjas had left, the Konoha team could finally rest.
One good night's sleep, and they would head home.
"Get some rest. I'll deliver the decree right away."
Genma didn't want to lose a single moment.
"Genma, missing Yūgao already?"
"Two days apart and you're cracking? Kids these days..."
Beneath his comrades' good-natured teasing, Genma smiled, warmed by their friendship.
Then he departed, cutting through the icy wind.
A thought crossed his mind:
"Yūgao… what are you doing right now?"