"Boom! Boom!"
The moment Sakumo Hatake issued a firm and powerful command, earth-shattering explosions erupted one after another, as if thunderclaps tore across the sky.
Pre-planted explosive tags detonated all at once after the Rain ninja launched their assault, delivering a crushing counterstrike against their surging offensive.
"This feels off."
Hatake Sakumo, observing the formation and momentum of the Rain ninja's attack, felt slightly surprised.
Frankly speaking, the casualties from this round of explosions were unexpectedly severe. The front line of the Rain ninja forces had staggered significantly, and even from the distant command post, Sakumo could faintly hear their piercing screams of agony.
That was highly unusual.
Although the improved explosive tag traps had greatly enhanced concealment, logically, their damage shouldn't have been so shocking. Normally, any ninja with at least chunin-level skill and rich combat experience should be able to immediately execute the Body Flicker Technique upon detecting the smoke from an explosion, swiftly escaping the blast zone to avoid direct impact.
"Rain ninjas' strength seems to have dropped significantly," one Jonin officer muttered beside Hatake Sakumo.
His words suddenly clicked something in Sakumo—perhaps today's Rain ninjas were vastly different from those at the very beginning of the Second Great Ninja World War. Otherwise, their clumsy reaction would be inexplicable.
Yet despite this, the Rain ninja formation quickly regrouped and resumed their attack.
At the forefront of their ranks stood a towering, imposing figure riding atop a colossal summoned beast—the mighty Sanshouo!
Sanshouo Hanzo remained completely unaffected, still driving his summoned beast straight toward the Konoha defenses!
Just then, a surging tide of chakra rose from behind the Rain ninja formation, as mighty as rolling ocean waves!
[Earth Release: Earth Pellet Technique!]
A sky-darkening volley of earthen projectiles rained down!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The remaining untriggered explosive traps finally detonated under the relentless bombardment of earth-style attacks, creating thunderous chain reactions that shook the heavens!
It also brought the Rain ninja vanguard, led by Sanshouo Hanzo, to a temporary halt, giving the Konoha forces a crucial moment to regroup and reinforce their defenses.
Under Sakumo's orders, Leaf ninja rapidly withdrew from their outer-city positions. Large groups of ninja began retreating toward the border of the Land of Fire, leaving only a few behind within the city to manage the traps and continue striking at the advancing enemy.
But for Iwagakure—one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—itself, this Konoha tactic was no mystery to them.
After all, having fought through numerous battles during the Great Ninja World War, Konoha and Iwagakure had long understood each other's tactical tendencies. So trying to pull a fast one on them again wouldn't be easy.
[Earth Release: Rock Cudgel Technique!]
Immediately afterward, under Onoki's command, Iwagakure launched their second wave of jutsu attacks.
This time, the combined technique conjured countless sharp stick-like constructs made of chakra, raining them mercilessly over the battered frontline positions.
The sharp rock spike didn't detonate the moment it hit the ground. Instead, it burrowed beneath the surface before unleashing its full chakra power at the urging of the ninja who cast it.
A second catastrophic chain-reaction chakra explosion erupted—so powerful it formed a massive, wall-like plume of smoke!
The explosive tag traps set by Konoha Ninja deep beneath the earth were fully triggered—obliterated in an instant!
"Hiss..."
Even Sanshouo Hanzo couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath at this sight.
The ruthlessness of Konoha's preparations far exceeded his expectations. If someone assumed all traps had been cleared after the first strike and proceeded with an attack accordingly, such a situation wouldn't greatly affect him personally—but the Rain Ninja under his command would have suffered grave consequences.
But what struck him even more was the level of tactical discipline displayed by Iwagakure—it completely changed Sanshouo Hanzo's understanding of warfare. Unlike the torrential rains and complex terrain in Rain Country's interior that made large-scale operations difficult, the border region offered relatively open and flat land. For Iwagakure shinobi trained in large-scale warfare, this terrain provided the perfect battlefield to unleash their full combined strength!
Hatake Sakumo also felt his scalp tingling.
All those carefully laid traps and defensive positions had been effortlessly yet mercilessly wiped out in Iwa's bombardment, delivering a crushing blow to Konoha forces already heavily outnumbered—a worsening predicament indeed.
"All Ninja within the city must retreat immediately!" Sakumo Hatake clenched his teeth tightly, making an extremely difficult decision: "Everyone will withdraw to the second line of defense right away. We will carry out successive rear-guard actions—not to kill many enemies, but to delay their advance as much as possible!"
"Yes sir!"
The Jonin surrounding him responded promptly, quickly scattering in different directions using Body Flicker techniques to execute orders. Meanwhile, as evacuation signal flares rose from headquarters, practically every Konoha combatant swiftly evacuated the battlefield—leaving behind only a few shadow clones to trigger the final traps designed to destroy the city itself.
Although Sakumo Hatake's decision stemmed entirely from necessity in an extremely grim situation, the actual impact on Konoha morale was undeniably severe.
Though they said nothing during the retreat, Sakumo could still see in their downcast eyes just how deeply disheartened they truly were.
But there was no alternative.
Sakumo's available manpower was already extremely limited. Facing formidable adversaries like Sanshouo Hanzo combined with overwhelming numbers of Iwagakure forces waiting to crush any resistance, even if Sakumo was willing to fight to the death, he simply couldn't find even the slightest possibility of turning the tide or achieving victory.
In the nearby Lightning Daimyo's court headquarters,
After the formal signing of the peace treaty, Soushu Hyuga voluntarily selected five hundred volunteers from among the remaining thirteen hundred shinobi to reinforce the Northern Border Defense Force. He also chose to grant this newly formed unit a special title:
"The Shinsengumi!"
Meanwhile, after redeploying five hundred Shinsengumi ninja, Hyuga Soushu completely lifted the state of emergency at the Daimyo's court and handed defense operations back to the Daimyo's direct samurai forces.
Yet the eight hundred Konoha ninja who had not been selected remained camped inside the Nearby Headquarters, supposedly to maintain security.
Although these Konoha ninja clamored for an immediate withdrawal, Hyuga Soushu pressured them to remain on site by claiming lack of authorization from the Hokage. At the same time, he ordered back the two thousand ninja under the command of Orochimaru and his two companions.
Then, he prepared to return directly to the Hakone Prefecture headquarters with the Shinsengumi ninja in order to continue his peaceful routine of breadmaking, farming, mining, and profiteering.
Just then, a message arrived at Hyuga Soushu's camp—a communication hawk from the Rain Country headquarters.
"Sakumo Hatake is calling for urgent help!"
After reading the letter, Hyuga Soushu summoned every Jonin from the Northern Ninja Force to an emergency Military Council meeting. "The Rain Ninja Village has allied with Iwagakure and launched a fierce attack against our expeditionary forces!"
Inside the war tent, the senior Jonin were stunned into silence as the news hit them like a thunderclap.
Though these battle-hardened Jonin secretly harbored weariness and resentment toward war, and would rather return home to enjoy the brief peace before the next storm, this sudden announcement brutally shattered their dreams of tranquility.
Now receiving such an urgent report so suddenly further destroyed whatever hopes they had for peaceful days ahead.
True enough, Hyuga Soushu's next words confirmed exactly what the Jonin assembly was thinking.
"Now a great storm approaches—our expeditionary forces at the Land of Rain headquarters stand on the verge of collapse."
Hyuga Soushu scanned the room, observing carefully the changing expressions among the Jonin assembly with unwavering gaze. "If we keep waiting for the village's decision, the expeditionary force in the Land of Rain will likely be utterly destroyed."
The assembly of Jonin remained silent.
While they might inwardly resist the idea somewhat, they couldn't really come up with any reasonable grounds for refusal.
Faced with Hyuga Soushu's blunt honesty, none of the Jonin dared to speak out against it.
Despite the inner reluctance toward this mission, confronted with reality, they found little valid reason to evade responsibility.
After all, Sakumo Hatake was a hero idolized by countless Konoha ninjas, and many among the endangered troops stationed in the Land of Rain were their friends or comrades. Besides, bound by the belief in the Will of Fire, they couldn't bring themselves to turn away from the duty of lending aid.
"Time waits for no one,"
Hyuga Soushu sighed deeply once more.
A shared somber feeling settled among the Jonin.
"What do you think, Jonin Orochimaru?"
Soushu turned his attention toward the Sannin.
The Northern Border Defense Force under his direct command was spread across fifteen prefectures in the southern territories of the Land of Lightning, unable to assemble quickly for now. So the most convenient option available would be mobilizing the Konoha Ninja Force still deployed in the Kinki region of the Land of Lightning.
And Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya each controlled approximately two thousand elite ninja directly loyal to the Hokage; getting assistance from them would be essential when organizing long-range reinforcements.
But the problem was that Orochimaru wasn't some aloof Jonin who kept himself isolated from worldly affairs. He was the most favored disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and had an extremely clear understanding of Konoha's current power dynamics and factional standoffs.
That was why Hyūga Soushu needed to corner him immediately, giving him no room to dodge the issue.
"I—"
Orochimaru opened his mouth to speak.
"When you fall, stand up right where you fell. Don't you agree?" Soushu cut in.
Orochimaru's words were instantly stifled.
For proud Orochimaru, being defeated by Sanshouo Hanzo and handed the Sannin title with such arrogant condescension was a humiliation he'd never forget.
Even so, Orochimaru still couldn't bring himself to commit to leading the Hokage's direct Ninja Force into battle for Soushu's benefit.
Because regardless of the final outcome, it would bring nothing but trouble to the Hokage's faction.
"What's your opinion, Princess Tsunade?"
Soushu didn't press further but turned his gaze toward Tsunade, whose anxiety was clearly visible on her face.
Her beloved Dan Kato was currently in the Rain Country's camp under enemy control. When she heard of the approaching crisis, Tsunade wished more than anything that she could fly straight to her lover's side!
Orochimaru froze at those words, but quickly pulled himself together.
After thinking through the implications, he couldn't help cursing inwardly: "Underhanded!"
Still, there was nothing he could do about it.
In rank, all three were equal as the Hokage's prized pupils. But when it came to heritage, Tsunade was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Both her bloodline and popularity far surpassed Orochimaru, who had always maintained a cold exterior. If Tsunade made a decision outright, there would be no room for Orochimaru to refuse.
"But shouldn't the Hokage—that is, the village's supreme leader—authorize the use of the Ninja Force?"
Fortunately, although Tsunade was anxious, she still retained enough clarity to ask this question.
Ironically, this very question removed the obstacles for Soushu to mobilize the Ninja Force.
"Sakumo Hatake has already relayed the report to the village leadership at the same time," Soushu shrugged and said frankly. "To be honest, I don't trust the village's efficiency, so we need to make an accurate judgment right away."
Everyone present—including Orochimaru—felt a chill run through them.
Soushu no longer tried to hide his intention to act unilaterally. Truthfully, even if he wanted to, he couldn't. These Jonin weren't fools—they saw through his plan clearly enough, but chose not to call him out on it.
Now that Soushu had openly declared his intentions, the psychological burden upon these Jonin eased somewhat—even if the village questioned their actions afterward, they could always claim they were following Commander Hyūga Soushu's strict orders and had no choice as subordinates.
Orochimaru's lips twitched a few times, but he said nothing more.
Although he could roughly deduce the causes behind Kakashi Sakumo's current predicament based on who would ultimately benefit, this didn't necessarily mean he fully approved of such methods.
In Orochimaru's eyes, who prided himself on superior intellect, using such methods to eliminate dissenters was an extremely despicable tactic.
"My teacher has grown old."
Orochimaru heaved a silent sigh, feeling a deep sense of loss, as if the very foundation that had guided his journey had suddenly crumbled beneath his feet.
Therefore, he took a neutral stance—neither opposing nor showing full support—and quietly obeyed Hyūga Sōshu's command.
As for Jiraiya, he was Tsunade's long-time hopeless admirer. Upon noticing her current anxious demeanor, he swallowed his hesitation and resolved to do whatever he could to assist the camp in the Land of Rain. Aside from that, he didn't think much further, since among the ninja stationed at the Rain Country base were also many friends who, like him, hailed from commoner families. Jiraiya couldn't bear to watch them fight desperately to their deaths, so he had no objection to offering additional support when possible.
As for those Jonin belonging to the Hokage's faction, although they inwardly disagreed with rushing westward so hastily, upon seeing how ambiguous the Sannin's attitudes were, each one kept their heads down and stayed silent, too afraid to speak out lest they be seen as troublemakers and executed on the spot by Hyūga Sōshu.
"Since there are no objections, let's prepare for action!"
Hyūga Sōshu wasted no time and immediately issued orders: "Jonin Orochimaru, you will mobilize fifteen hundred ninja as reinforcement forces and depart within one hour!"
"Only us?"
A Nara Jonin couldn't help blurting out.
"I myself shall also lead fifteen hundred ninja into battle!" Hyūga Sōshu coldly declared. "All participating Jonin shall not retreat under any external commands until final victory is achieved!"
"Violators shall be executed on the spot!"
"We accept your command!"
The Shinsengumi Jonin immediately stood up and loudly pledged compliance.
"Hearkening!"
The civilian Jonin followed suit, expressing their obedience to Hyūga Sōshu's will.
"For our Konoha brethren!"
Orochimaru raised an apt battle cry.
The Jonin from the Hokage's faction also let out a collective breath, half-heartedly standing up and voicing their determination to fight.
An hour later, the emergency-deployed three thousand Konoha ninja, hastily summoned from the Nearby Headquarters near the Land of Lightning, marched fully armed and filed out one by one under Hyūga Sōshu's command, galloping swiftly toward the Land of Rain!
At this very moment, Sakumo Hatake had already completely abandoned the strategically insignificant border town, commencing bloody ambushes and skirmishes against the steadily advancing Rain and Iwagakure alliance forces upon open fields beyond the outskirts!
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