The wind blew gently over the rocky heights surrounding the Hidden Cloud Village. The mountains encircling Kumo seemed even more imposing today, as if they had risen a little higher to ward off any intruders.
On a winding path, a group of four shinobi approached the fortified entrance of the village. Leading them was a man with a mask recognizable from miles away: Kakashi Hatake. Behind him walked Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sai.
They still bore the marks of their last mission. Their clothes, though clean, showed signs of wear from travel, and their faces were tense. There was a silent urgency in every one of their steps.
Naruto squinted as he spotted Kumo's massive gate, topped with watchtowers. About a dozen heavily armed ninjas stood in formation, all dressed in black and wearing the headband of the Village of Lightning.
Kakashi raised his hand to signal a halt, then stepped forward with open palms in a peaceful gesture.
"We come on behalf of the Hokage, Lady Tsunade," he said calmly. "I have an official authorization for urgent audience with the Raikage."
The head of the guards, a broad-shouldered man with a face as hard as stone, stepped forward. He cast a disdainful glance at the document Kakashi unfolded before him, then sneered.
"Konoha still thinks it can make the rules around here, huh?"
That was the problem with Kumo—they thought they were above everything, and the other villages let them get away with it without lifting a finger.
Naruto frowned, his hand slowly clenching into a fist.
"These are direct orders from the Hokage," Kakashi insisted, unmoved. "We're not here to stir up conflict. We want to resolve a delicate situation before it escalates."
"Escalate?" the guard laughed dryly, his men chuckling around him. "The only thing escalating here are Konoha's excuses. Two of your shinobi are wreaking havoc in our territory. And you have the nerve to show up with diplomatic smiles?"
He wasn't entirely wrong—except that now, only Takeshi remained in the city. Since the last attack, he had gone quiet. Despite Kumo's extensive efforts to track him down, it was as if he had vanished.
"Listen," Sakura intervened politely but firmly, "we're not here to cover for anyone. We want to bring them back."
"We don't give a damn." The guard's tone turned icy. "None of you are getting in. Go back to where you came from."
Naruto stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"You bastard—!" he growled. "You think we're here to play games?! Lives are at stake! If Takeshi is here, I'll bring him back myself!"
"Naruto."
Kakashi hadn't raised his voice, but his hand rested firmly on the blond's shoulder.
"Calm down."
Naruto trembled slightly, the urge to retaliate burning inside him.
The guard smirked at the tension in Naruto's eyes.
"This brat should learn to keep quiet. The Raikage has no time to waste on kids."
Sai stepped forward, his face as neutral as ever.
"An official refusal of entry—even diplomatic—will be documented and sent to the Hokage."
"And?" the guard replied with a shrug. "Go ahead. Tell her that if one more Konoha ninja sets foot on our territory without permission, they'll be treated as enemies."
The tension spiked. Sakura's hand moved near her kunai, an unconscious reflex.
But Kakashi remained composed.
He slowly rolled up the official scroll and tucked it away.
"Very well. We won't force our way in."
The guard signaled his men, who moved in a tight formation. One of them pulled a rusted lever on the side of the gate. The heavy steel doors slammed shut with a deep rumble, cutting off access to the village like a slap in the face.
Kumo had just slammed the door in their faces.
Silence fell. Team Seven stood still, their eyes fixed on the imposing closed gate.
Naruto exhaled loudly, rage bubbling in his chest.
"They won't even let us try..." he muttered. "And they dare talk about diplomacy."
Kakashi, ever calm, scanned the surroundings.
"This was to be expected. The situation is far more tense than Tsunade anticipated."
"So what now?" Sakura asked, worried. "We can't just turn back."
Kakashi remained thoughtful for a moment, then turned his head toward the rocky ridge overlooking the path.
"We won't go through the front gate. But there are other paths."
Naruto turned to him sharply.
"You mean… we're going to infiltrate the village?"
"No," Kakashi corrected. "We're going to observe. Approach from the heights, and try to gather information. We won't take any risks until we have a better understanding of the situation."
Sai nodded.
"I can send my ink birds to map out the guard positions."
Kakashi nodded in approval.
"Do it. And stay hidden. We're not here to start a war."
Naruto growled, but this time said nothing. He cast one last glance at Kumo's gate, his fist still clenched.
"I'll find you, Takeshi. No matter what they think."