Under Sakiya's cover, Asuma and the team moved forward nearly unimpeded.
They crossed the border zone smoothly, only encountering Konoha's vanguard reconnaissance unit along the way.
After exchanging information, they continued their journey back to Konoha without rest.
However, on the way, Sakiya's clone finally ran out of power and disappeared.
Ino barely had time to react.
One moment, Sakiya was there. The next, she was gone.
For some reason, Ino felt… disappointed?
That version of Sakiya had been quiet, serious—different from usual. But in her presence, Ino had felt completely safe.
After all, she had saved their lives and escorted them back.
---
Back in Konoha, Asuma and the others immediately reported to Tsunade.
It was clear now—war was coming.
Iwa's forces had pushed deep into enemy territory without warning.
This was just the beginning.
---
After their debriefing, the team split up, each heading home.
But before they parted, Asuma made a suggestion.
"Let's go thank Sakiya together later."
Everyone agreed.
---
Meanwhile, Sakiya sat idly at a training ground, watching a small group practicing.
Sasuke was sparring against Tsukigami and another shinobi.
Sakiya hadn't planned to be here, but Tsukigami had insisted she come to "supervise" their training.
Left with no choice, she tagged along.
A notification from her badge let her know what had happened with Ino's mission.
The moment her shadow clone dispelled, she had gained all its memories.
She could already imagine Ino's reaction upon returning.
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Heh… time to prepare."
She began pulling out small supplies and setting them up around the training ground.
A bit of powder here.
A faint light source there.
Just a few harmless little adjustments.
---
On the other side of the field, Sasuke fought fiercely against Tsukigami and his teammate.
His hair was slightly singed from overusing his lightning chakra, but he remained focused.
Though it was a simple spar, his opponents were tricky—one was intelligent, the other fought unpredictably.
At first, they overwhelmed him.
But after adjusting his swordplay, he managed to hold his ground.
Again!
Tsukigami attacked from the right.
His teammate struck low from the center.
A pincer attack.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
There was only one way out.
He swung his blade, deflecting Tsukigami's kunai before facing the next strike.
The second attacker hesitated, breaking his offensive.
Sasuke moved to counter—
But before he could strike—
Two small hands suddenly flicked between them.
Bang! Bang!
Their weapons were knocked aside.
Sasuke and Tsukigami stumbled apart, eyes wide in shock.
They looked up to see Sakiya casually walking past, still busy setting up her strange markings on the ground.
She paused, glancing up with a thoughtful expression.
"Hm~ I feel like I just did something…"
Then she continued her work.
Sasuke and Tsukigami exchanged stunned looks.
"Did she just—flick our weapons away mid-fight?"
Tsukigami nodded stiffly.
"...I think we just witnessed something terrifying."
Sasuke took a deep breath, his expression returning to its usual coldness.
"It's Sakiya. Nothing she does surprises me anymore."
Tsukigami sighed.
"Yeah… she's always been ridiculously strong."
Their other teammate, Sakuragi, adjusted his glasses and added,
"Actually, what we saw might only be the tip of the iceberg."
After that brief moment, Sasuke lost all motivation to continue training.
And as he glanced around, his eye twitched.
The entire training ground looked different.
Patterns, markings, odd formations—things only Sakiya could possibly understand.
Sasuke sighed.
"...Only she knows what any of this means. No one else could learn it."
Sakuragi and Tsukigami turned to him.
"Wait. Sasuke, do you want to learn it?"
Sasuke's eyes widened for a split second before he masked his reaction.
"I'm just curious about the patterns," he said flatly. "Not interested in learning them."
The other two looked disappointed.
"But we want to learn," Tsukigami admitted. "We tried, but they don't make any sense. It's like they're not meant for humans."
They both turned back to Sasuke.
"If anyone could copy them with the Sharingan, it'd be you."
Sasuke hesitated.
Even he wasn't sure if he could replicate something like this.
And yet… they wanted to try?
He shook his head.
"They're just meaningless symbols."
"You just don't understand them," Tsukigami countered.
Sasuke didn't react, but internally, he was slightly shaken.
"...Maybe."
The conversation ended there.
The three of them stood in silence, watching as Sakiya continued her strange preparations, completely in her own world.
At the same time, Ino finished tidying up and was ready to join Shikamaru and the others to thank Sakiya.
The four of them quickly got ready and set off together.
When they arrived at Sakiya's home, they learned she had gone to train.
So, they headed toward the training ground.
---
Meanwhile, Sakiya had just finished setting up.
She stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the massive formation that stretched across the field.
Satisfied, she nodded to herself.
"Ino will definitely be surprised!"
Sasuke, who had been watching, sighed inwardly.
[More like just shocked, not pleasantly surprised...]
Then, Sakiya swiftly formed hand seals and pressed her hands to the ground.
With a soft whoosh, the entire training ground returned to its normal state, hiding any traces of her setup.
Sasuke and the others stared, dumbfounded.
"Was that… an illusion?"
"Probably," one of them muttered.
---
Not far away, Ino was already approaching the training ground.
As she walked, she spotted a small figure in a red robe standing there.
Excitedly, she called out, "Over there!"
She and the others rushed forward, only to find Sakiya standing in the middle of the field with her arms crossed.
A bad feeling crept over Ino.
But as she looked around, there were no obvious traps or formations.
Feeling more at ease, she let her guard down.
Asuma, completely unworried, walked ahead with a friendly grin.
"Yo, Sakiya! Did you know we were looking for you?"
Hearing this, Ino suddenly remembered Sakiya's use of clones.
If she knew they were coming… that meant something weird was about to happen!
Sakiya lifted her head, a faint smile on her lips.
"Of course! My all-seeing eye knew the Dark Emperor had returned. Naturally, a grand welcome ceremony is in order!"
Asuma blinked.
"The… Dark Emperor? Welcome ceremony?"
Shikamaru and Chōji exchanged wary glances, already expecting trouble.
Ino panicked.
"Sakiya—DON'T!"
But Sakiya had already covered one eye with her hand, dramatically pointing forward with the other.
"The eulogy of the abyss! The dark ritual! This is the grandest welcome in all dimensions! Let the world sing its maddening hymn—Sidi Blasto!"
A glowing halo spread beneath her feet.
Suddenly, the environment shifted as the glowing pattern expanded, altering the surroundings or perhaps restoring them to their original state.
It revealed a massive array of intricate symbols, with embedded colored lights flickering and shifting, constantly reshaping the formation's patterns.
It looked spectacular.
Tsuchiya Tsukigami and Sakuragi had unknowingly positioned themselves perfectly within the formation.
Shikamaru and Chōji found it fascinating—after all, such a grand display of effects was impressive.
Asuma, on the other hand, was experiencing this for the first time and was completely bewildered.
The dramatic visuals, the cryptic incantations—it was all too much.
All Asuma could think was:
"What the hell? I don't get this at all."
Meanwhile, Sakiya extended her hands toward Ino, inviting her forward.
Ino didn't say a word—she simply stepped into the formation.
As soon as she did, the array shifted once more.
Flames ignited along the intricate patterns, following her every step.
With each movement, the formation transformed, glowing with an eerie brilliance.
Shikamaru and Chōji watched with interest, while Asuma remained speechless.
"Wait… Is Ino really this 'Dark Emperor' she's been going on about?"
Eventually, Ino reached Sakiya.
Sakiya grinned proudly.
"Well? My best friend! My lifelong rival! How's this for a welcome ceremony?"
Ino abruptly raised a hand—straight toward Sakiya's head.
Sakiya flinched, instinctively shielding herself.
But the strike never came.
Instead, she saw the shimmer of unshed tears in Ino's eyes.
She froze.
If she remembered correctly… this was the first time Ino had ever cried in front of her.
Then, without warning, Ino pulled her into a tight embrace.
Her voice trembled.
"Sakiya… I thought I'd never see you again! Do you even understand that?"
Sakiya blinked, caught off guard. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Ino as well.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Even Ino wasn't sure why. On the way here, she had imagined playfully scolding Sakiya, waking her up from one of her usual absurd antics.
But when she finally stood in front of her, the emotions she had suppressed for so long surged all at once.
She couldn't hold back anymore—she just needed to hold Sakiya close.
After a long pause, Sakiya let out a small smile and gently patted Ino's back.
"Don't worry, you're my best friend. The best friend of the all-seeing eye. Not even fate, not even the gods can defy the strongest eye of all!"
Ino, finally calming down, let out a breath—then, she suddenly snorted.
"Yeah, yeah. The strongest 'eye of death' or whatever."
At that moment, Asuma and the others finally dared to step forward.
Asuma grinned.
"Ino, I have to say—'Dark Emperor' has quite a ring to it!"
"! ! !"
Ino's eyes widened in horror.
The next moment, her entire face turned red—like a kettle about to burst.
She spun toward Sakiya, grabbed her by the cheeks, and started squeezing.
"Sakiya! I told you to stop giving me those weird titles!!"
Sakiya, her face being aggressively pinched, struggled to speak.
"Hnghh—I merely—ghh—bestowed you the grr-greatest name in—muhff—"
"Hahahaha!"
Asuma, Shikamaru, and Chōji burst into laughter at the scene—Ino flustered, Sakiya's face being squished into all kinds of ridiculous expressions.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of the training ground, Sasuke stood alone, watching the scene unfold.
His expression remained unreadable.
Then, a realization hit him.
"Wait… did she forget to dispel the technique on me?"
_______
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