Inside a ruined house in a broken village, an area roughly dozens of square meters had been transformed into a temporary war room.
The room was simply tidied—containing nothing more than a wooden table and several wooden chairs.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, Sakumo, and Jiraiya gathered here to exchange intelligence. Surrounding this house were at least dozens of guarding ninja, their shadows visible on rooftops, beneath eaves, and near windows.
No one could approach; even passersby had to detour around the place.
"What's the current situation at the frontlines?"
A flickering lamp cast a soft glow over Tsunade's face. Before her was a parchment map marked with a tangle of lines and dots.
Each line represented the paths Leaf Ninja had taken through the Land of Rain since the start of The Second Great Ninja World War. Each dot marked locations where battles had occurred against ninja from other countries.
"Two days ago—actually the day after I sent my mission report back to Konoha—Iwa launched an attack on us," said Jiraiya. "But we repelled them."
Sakumo nodded in agreement, while Tsunade added, "Earlier today, we came across a high-ranking Jonin from Iwa."
"You encountered Rock Ninja gathering intelligence?"
Jiraiya showed no surprise upon hearing this. Earth Release jutsu were Iwa's specialty, and certain earth-style techniques could penetrate defensive lines. Even establishing barriers would be meaningless along such an extended frontline.
"I took care of them," Sakumo replied coolly, treating it as trivial.
"Your report mentioned encountering small groups of Cloud Ninja besides those from Iwa and Suna?" Tsunade asked Jiraiya.
"That's right. But they didn't seem to target us directly. The last time I met Cloud Ninja was about a month ago—they appeared to be fleeing after fighting shinobi from another hidden village, so I just happened to bump into them and eliminated them."
"I see…" Tsunade seemed lost in thought for a moment before looking toward Sakumo. "Speaking of Cloud Ninja, I heard you once fought against Ryo Yagura from Kumogakure—and defeated him multiple times."
There was a hint of admiration in Tsunade's voice. Although she'd never personally faced Ryo Yagura, he already held considerable fame across the Ninja World as one of Kumo's top elites.
"He's a pain," Sakumo said flatly.
Orochimaru, who had remained silent until now, narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. "Come to think of it, all three people who went on that mission with you are here now."
Because the Hot Springs Country mission involved massive stakes, these details were already known among Jiraiya and the others present.
Those three mission members—Junko Watanabe, Minato Namikaze, and Yan Uchiha—had all arrived as reinforcements at the frontlines in the Land of Rain.
"Yeah, without them on that mission, I might've been in real trouble," Sakumo chuckled before turning toward Jiraiya again. "Thanks to you training such a great apprentice…"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya also smiled faintly, clearly feeling proud.
"This guy's never around the village. He claims to be a teacher, but I've never actually seen him teach anything." Tsunade rolled her eyes as she looked at the smug Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's face immediately darkened.
"As a mentor," she continued, "you actually allowed your ten-year-old student to participate in this war? How very dedicated of you..."
Her face twisted in clear disapproval. If not for her bond with Minato, she might have kept Nawaki safely within the village.
The battlefield was too dangerous—his strength simply wasn't strong enough yet.
Of course, Jiraiya had no idea where this intense resentment came from. He let out an awkward chuckle and said, "Because I'm his teacher, I know Minato. Right now, regular training isn't enough to push his limits anymore."
"It's only through the crucible of life-and-death situations that he can truly grow!"
"So you're saying that just because Kai Uchiha wants to compete with you, he requested Yan Uchiha's deployment to the battlefield too?" Tsunade asked. Kai Uchiha was the current head of the Uchiha clan, a figure whose influence rivaled even Jiraiya's.
Minato's participation had been requested by Jiraiya himself from the Third.
In the same way, Yan Uchiha had been requested by Kai Uchiha.
"Those two kids have been competing ever since they entered the Ninja Academy," Jiraiya replied. "I believe Kai Uchiha knows this well. I've known Yan Uchiha for a while now—he has remarkable talent, perhaps even surpassing that of Fugaku Uchiha's son."
Back when Minato and Yan Uchiha first clashed at the Ninja Academy, it was Jiraiya who had intervened to stop them.
"So while war brings tragedy to many, for Minato and Yan Uchiha, it might become an opportunity..."
Sakumo Hatake added, sharing Jiraiya's perspective.
...
For Konoha's gifted youths, war meant both danger and growth. But for countless families in Amegakure, it marked a turning point that would change their fates forever.
In one of the villages belonging to Amegakure,
The ground was littered with corpses. Blood mixed with rainwater, dyeing the ground a dark crimson.
Inside a civilian home, two Konoha ninja stood facing each other, exchanging uneasy glances.
Near their feet lay two bodies—a man and a woman. Their expressions frozen in terror, mouths left gaping.
In life, they seemed to have been screaming something desperately—but whatever it was, death arrived before they could finish.
In the corner of the room, a frail figure crouched silently. His body trembled uncontrollably.
Red hair covered his face, hiding his expression from view. Yet from the tremors running through his frame alone, one could imagine the deep sorrow and fury burning within this child.
"We didn't mean to..." one of the Konoha ninja muttered.
They'd gotten separated from the main group during the fight and came to the village looking for something to eat. When they arrived, the whole village was already empty.
Finally finding a house with people inside, the moment they entered, a man had charged at them wildly like a madman.
They thought it was a ninja from an enemy village who hadn't gone far, but they realized their mistake after easily killing him.
The man wasn't a ninja at all. He was just a villager from the village.
He and his wife had only wanted to protect their child...
One of the Konoha ninja stepped forward to comfort the child.
"Ahhh!"
At that moment, the child who had previously been trembling in the corner suddenly stood up, screaming wildly.
Just as the child seemed about to charge madly toward the two Konoha ninjas, suddenly, from the ground near the wall's corner, a massive plant—resembling a pitcher plant—burst forth.
The pitcher plant opened its mouth, releasing a pink gas that immediately spread out and enveloped the child.
After being covered by the gas, the red-haired boy collapsed to the ground.
The two Konoha ninjas reacted quickly, covering their mouths and noses.
"Ssssh! Ssssh!"
However, vines sprouted from beneath their feet, rapidly wrapping around the two men tightly.
In front of them, the pitcher plant slowly rose from the ground, finally opening up to reveal a person completely clad in white.
"Who are...?"
Before either ninja could speak, the vines binding them grew thorns that slashed across their throats.
As life quickly faded from their eyes, the pale figure showed no emotion, instead looking down at the red-haired boy lying on the ground and speaking in an ancient and obscure tongue.
"The... descendant of the Uzumaki clan...?"
...
(...to be continued.)
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>