Mokuton Phantom in Naruto

The stone gates of Hoshigakure appeared on the horizon just as the sun began to rise.

After three days of traveling with barely any rest, the three arrived quickly, and utterly exhausted.

Crossing the gates, no one spoke.

The village's atmosphere seemed unchanged. But for Ryuusei and Misaki, they were no longer the same.

No welcoming ceremony. No warm reception. Just the natural silence of the Hidden Star Village.

"Straight to the Hoshikage's tower," Kousei ordered, not bothering to look back.

They knelt in the office of the Second Hoshikage, Eizen.

The man listened to everything without interruption, his analytical gaze absorbing each detail of the report.

When Kousei finished, Eizen laced his fingers together in front of his face.

"So that's how it is." His voice was calm but heavy with meaning.

Silence hung in the room.

Then his eyes shifted to the two genin.

"Congratulations. You completed your first mission successfully."

The words meant nothing.

Ryuusei felt no pride.

Misaki remained expressionless.

They'd completed the mission. But… did it really matter?

"You're dismissed," Eizen said, waving them away.

Ryuusei and Misaki bowed and exited the room.

The village was quiet as they walked through the streets in silence.

For a moment, Ryuusei considered just going home and collapsing into bed.

But something gnawed at him.

He glanced at Misaki.

She looked the same as always.

But after everything they'd been through… he had to ask.

"Misaki…" His voice came out more serious than he expected.

She stopped walking and looked at him.

"What do you think of the ninja world?"

She remained silent for a moment.

Then she let out a soft sigh.

"The ninja world has always been like this."

"What do you mean?" Ryuusei frowned.

Misaki looked up at the sky.

"The strongest villages do anything for power. They go to war and drag everyone else into it."

Ryuusei felt a weight settle on his chest.

"But before the village system, the Warring States Era was the same. There's always been war."

She turned to face him, her gaze cold and empty.

"Maybe humans just can't understand each other as long as strength exists."

Ryuusei shivered.

"My parents died on a mission," Misaki continued. "And this time, we could've died too."

Ryuusei didn't know what to say.

He had always dreamed of becoming a ninja.

As a child, he'd imagined traveling the world, completing missions alongside his father, discovering new villages.

But now…

He looked down at his own hands.

Now he understood what being a ninja truly meant.

Now he realized that his childhood dream might never have been real.

He sighed.

"Maybe you're right."

Misaki didn't respond.

They just kept walking in silence.

After Ryuusei and Misaki left…

The office remained silent for a few moments.

Then Eizen leaned back in his chair, exhaling heavily.

"So, Kousei…" His voice broke the quiet. "What's the real situation?"

The jounin stood firm, hands clasped behind his back.

"The war has already begun."

Eizen didn't look surprised.

"Since when?"

"Months." Kousei answered without hesitation. "But no village wants to be blamed for officially starting it."

The Hoshikage remained silent.

"The smaller villages are the first to pay the price," Kousei continued, his tone dry and direct. "And by the time the major powers get fully involved, there'll already be too many dead for anyone to care who threw the first kunai."

Eizen rubbed his temples slowly.

"The battlefield at the border," he murmured. "That was exactly it, wasn't it?"

Kousei pulled out a scroll and placed it on the desk.

"Konoha was returning with intel about alliances with smaller villages. Iwagakure already knew and set up an ambush. Even so, Konoha's shinobi managed to retreat without complete annihilation."

Eizen picked up the scroll, turning it between his fingers.

"So, Konoha is making the first move?"

Kousei crossed his arms.

"Or Iwagakure. In the end, it doesn't matter. They're both playing the same game."

Eizen studied the scroll, thoughtful.

"And the bodies?"

Kousei retrieved three more sealed scrolls and placed them on the desk.

"I recovered several intact."

The Second Hoshikage took the scrolls, examining them briefly.

"For study?"

"We need to understand combat patterns. If Hoshigakure is forced to get involved, we can't be caught off guard."

Eizen remained silent, eyes fixed on the scrolls.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Hoshigakure has never been directly involved in a Great War."

Kousei didn't respond.

"We're small," the Hoshikage continued. "If we become a target, we won't stand a chance."

Kousei simply listened.

Finally, Eizen opened his eyes.

"And you, Kousei? What do you think?"

The jounin met his gaze directly.

"The war will reach us, sooner or later."

Eizen didn't reply immediately.

The sound of wind rattling against the tower filled the silence.

Then, he smiled faintly.

"I think so too."

Great or small, every village eventually suffered the consequences of war.

For now, the battlefield was far from Hoshigakure.

One week after the mission…

Konoha officially declared war against Iwagakure and Sunagakure.

With that, Amegakure, led by Hanzou, joined the conflict to defend its territory, knowing full well that its land would become a battleground.

On the morning of that day, messengers began crossing the ninja nations.

Konoha had finally broken the silence and declared war.

It was no longer a secret.

It was official.

In a matter of hours, the world changed.

The Hoshikage's office was silent.

Eizen stared at the official scroll from Konoha.

Kousei stood with his arms crossed, waiting for the leader's response.

After long seconds, Eizen sighed heavily.

"So… it's begun."

He tossed the scroll onto the desk.

"There's no turning back now."

Kousei remained expressionless.

"The question now is…" Eizen laced his fingers. "Should Hoshigakure get involved?"

Silence filled the room.

Kousei finally spoke.

"If we get involved, we're annihilated."

Eizen smiled faintly.

"And if we stay neutral, we might get annihilated anyway."

Ryuusei heard the rumors spreading through the village.

He knew something had happened.

But he wasn't prepared for what Misaki told him when they met.

"Konoha declared war on Iwagakure and Sunagakure."

The words hit like a punch to the chest.

"The war…" Ryuusei murmured.

He glanced around. The streets looked normal.

People were going about their lives.

But something felt different.

Misaki crossed her arms.

"Hanzou got involved. Amegakure is entering the war."

Ryuusei shivered.

Just a week ago, he'd been there.

And now, Amegakure was officially a battlefield.

"That means…" He hesitated. "It'll spread."

Misaki nodded slowly.

"Yes."

The silence between them was heavy.

The war was no longer some distant concept.

Now, it was real.