In the Land of Rain, at Konoha's base camp.
Haseo was inside his small tent. Right now he was kneeling with palms pressed together, attempting something... What a joy that his left arm, slung around his neck, could actually help with this.
However, after three continuous hours of effort, he let out a long sigh... This training had produced some results.
To put it nicely—practically non-existent results.
"How does it feel?"
Tsunade was helping Haseo pack his belongings beside him. She neatly packed all his items into a backpack—her own, which already contained her personal items.
Since Haseo couldn't carry anything easily right now, it made sense to let her handle everything—he didn't even have that many personal possessions anyway.
"It's still a failure." Haseo shook his head helplessly.
"That's a pity... But don't be discouraged. I heard from Katsuyu that it's naturally a very difficult thing to do." Tsunade quietly encouraged him.
"I think Katsuyu definitely didn't phrase it like that. But... I'm not discouraged either. After all, if we succeed once, it means there's no organic damage. The rest is just endless trial and error. It's kind of like those things—you can struggle forever, then all it takes is one tiny adjustment and suddenly you've got it."
Haseo thought it was normal. As someone without inherited chakra advantages, he had no choice but to advance gradually when training in Sage Art.
"You... You're talking nonsense again?" At first, Tsunade nodded along; indeed, Haseo was a persistent person. However, as she listened further, the more something felt off.
"Sage Art, I mean... Don't daydream so much."
Haseo stood up and ruffled Tsunade's hair messily. "All packed? Let's go."
He pushed aside the tent flap. Outside, rain was falling continuously as always across the Land of Rain.
"Actually, I don't dislike the weather here. Even though it never changes, continual gloom makes everything smell damp and decaying, sour and rotten."
"I *did* take a shower yesterday, okay…?"
"I know, I didn't say it was you..."
The Sunagakure forces withdrawing from the Land of Rain had happened two weeks ago already. After reporting and discussing matters with the Third Hokage, Konoha finally made the same decision—since Sand had retreated, continuing warfare in the Land of Rain no longer made sense.
Currently, only Konoha and Amegakure remained in the Land of Rain. When Sand withdrew, Ame helped cover shifts temporarily, but with current circumstances clarified, Amegakure wouldn't treat Konoha as before...
Quite the contrary, Hanzō of Amegakure would most likely bite back hard against Konoha now, proving that his Land of Rain wasn't somewhere intruders could freely enter or casually leave whenever they pleased.
Konoha's retreat was a predetermined strategy. After all, they couldn't simply restart the war with Amegakure just because serious losses had occurred during the withdrawal. The Hokage's orders and the nation's will were never things that could be changed overnight. More importantly, the current war environment and international situation had long since shifted; Konoha wouldn't make decisions that would lead to continuous depletion of its forces.
Therefore, Konoha had no choice but to withdraw gradually in batches, with rearguard units covering the front. Other than the Reconnaissance Units still remaining in the Land of Rain, Haseo's unit was among the last batch to withdraw.
When Haseo and Tsunade walked out of the tent, roughly three hundred remaining ninja had already assembled.
To ensure safety, the non-combat Medical Support and Logistics units evacuated first, while the final group consisted of those particularly strong fighters. If Hanzo wanted to launch an attack, he'd be facing some seriously tough opposition.
After assembly, some people gathered various supplies unsuitable for transport, doused them with oil, and set everything ablaze.
Light travel only—Konoha's got more than enough resources. Who needs a few pots and pans anyway? Left behind with pride.
Despite the damp ground and steady drizzle, the flames spread rapidly. When everything was ablaze, the camp's Defensive Barrier was lowered, and large numbers of Konoha ninjas began returning home in formation.
The term "Ninja Cluster" sounded stiff already, but seeing it in person was even stiffer—like watching a line of students doing mindless warm-up exercises?
But that's just how Danzo did things—what else could you expect? His style was simply like that—he, Shimura Danzo himself, naturally led the final batch as the highest commander, meaning he could only evacuate last.
This was merely the "Central Cluster," though. While the marching squad looked rigid, there was no way Shimura Danzo could possibly be foolish. Naturally, the main force had reconnaissance ahead, guards behind, and protection on both flanks.
Numerous reconnaissance units had been dispatched outward.
Haseo and the Sannin trio brought up the rear. This temporary team reunited after many years, once again in the Land of Rain. Unfortunately, things were completely different now compared to back then… How cute the Sannin trio used to be—and what about now?
Except for Tsunade growing even cuter, the other two unavoidably gave Haseo a sense of visual repulsion… Jiraiya's sunny charm and Orochi's adorable baby face—both ruined beyond recognition.
Now look at *those* two—their younger versions were charming, but now? One had grown tall and muscular, like someone capable of crashing through locker room doors; the other was pale and gaunt enough to fit right into a zombie movie without any makeup.
"Haseo, why hasn't your injury healed yet?"
Even more annoying was that it was Jiraiya asking the question this time around.
Tsunade glanced sideways at Haseo, clearly curious about how he intended to answer.
"Cough! Well, it's mostly healed actually, but I wish to keep pretending I'm unwell—it allows me to receive certain people's attention longer."
What Haseo said was great—it was a confession, an attempt to make amends, and also a desperate bid to survive.
Answer... acceptable enough. Tsunade silently withdrew her gaze.
Haseo let out a silent sigh of relief, thinking to himself, Now I can finally get my arm fixed up, right?
"You..." Jiraiya felt the cold dog paw slapping randomly across his face, but just as he was about to speak again, Orochimaru cut him off.
"Haseo, do you think Hanzo of the Rain Village will show up?"
You see? Orochimaru's the real pro at shifting topics. Haseo's good friend... upon closer inspection, his zombie-like face wasn't too bad.
"Actually, whether or not Hanzo will pursue us isn't the issue," said Haseo. "As Amegakure's leader, he certainly can't just let Konoha leave without even going through the motions. Remember, Konoha has been invaders in the Land of Rain.
"The real question is whether Hanzo knows when enough is enough."
The scale of the force makes swift movement impossible, so Haseo estimated it would take roughly one day for everyone to exit the Land of Rain. In that time, Hanzo could observe Konoha's movements eight hundred times and plan eighty attacks... as Amegakure's leader, he couldn't stay silent forever.
Chasing Konoha wasn't about war—it was about politics. For Hanzo, pursuing them was politically correct; not chasing them was a misstep that would raise serious questions about where his loyalties lay.
As if on cue, confirming Haseo's prediction, two hours after the group had set off, a Hyuga ninja approached from the flanking forces, arriving beside Haseo and the others.
"Lord Haseo, comrades, there are movements behind Konoha's forces—probably the Amegakure pursuit forces have arrived."
Haseo asked only one question: "Is Hanzo present?"
"Yes. The chakra signature perfectly matches." The Hyuga ninja answered.
"I see."
Haseo slightly tilted his head toward the trio. Immediately, their pace slowed down... they wouldn't make the first move unless Hanzo did. Now that Hanzo had appeared, they were about to go to work.
...
Hanzo led approximately two hundred Amegakure ninjas swiftly along Konoha's path. Such a large-scale movement left clear signs, making it easy for them to follow exactly... yet merely the number 'two hundred' already revealed many things.
Hanzo wasn't arrogant enough to believe this was all strength.
When this group reached a certain area, an unexpectedly massive chakra reaction suddenly erupted—something no one could possibly ignore.
"Stop!"
Hanzo loudly ordered the squad to halt.
"Truly unexpected... such an impressive arrangement."
When the faint smoke was quickly washed away by the continuous rain, it was as though a huge stage curtain had just lifted, announcing the start of a vivid performance—but the Amegakure forces probably wouldn't enjoy this kind of opening act.
Everyone looked around, and then a terrifying sight unfolded: standing before them was Katsuyu, a massive slug easily over two hundred meters long.
Beside it, the twenty-meter-tall toad looked almost "tiny."
But these weren't the most terrifying part. The truly horrifying thing was the hissing sounds coming from all around the Amegakure ninja—their entire group had already been surrounded by giant snakes.
Orochimaru is currently the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, so he wouldn't understand what it's like to suffer from chakra deficiency. If he wished, he could summon every serpent from Ryuchi Cave just to show off.
This place was paradise for enormous beasts—humans were nothing more than mere morsels.
Few could keep their composure like Hanzo of the Rain Village. This scene caused many Rain Village ninja to shriek in terror and collapse onto the muddy ground... The elite forces of Amegakure weren't the same as Konoha's. Even Konoha's best would have struggled to remain composed in this terrifying display.
The massive slug [Katsuyu] summoned jointly by Haseo and Tsunade shifted forward slightly, flattening the forest's huge trees as easily as one would crush spring grass.
A snake flicked its tongue out, slowly slithering toward Hanzo of the Rain Village.
"S-S-Sir Hanzo..."
Some Rain Village ninja trembled while attempting an attack, but Hanzo of the Rain Village raised his hand to stop them.
Just as expected, when the snake approached, it didn't attack. Instead, it lowered its head toward Hanzo of the Rain Village.
Without hesitation, Hanzo of the Rain Village stepped onto the snake.
The great serpent slowly rose upward, eventually bringing Hanzo of the Rain Village up to Haseo's level.
"You forced Iwagakure to retreat first, then Sunagakure, and finally Konoha. Hanzo of the Rain Village, your achievements have already become legendary for the Land of Rain and Amegakure. Your reputation has begun shaking the entire Ninja World. But... everything must have its limits. If you continue pursuing us, we four will combine our strength—even if it costs one life and injures two others—we'll eliminate you."
Haseo's voice spread through the rain-soaked air.
However, Hanzo of the Rain Village understood instantly—these words weren't meant for him, but rather for his subordinates.
"Indeed, even me, when facing Konoha's Haseo and the Sannin together, couldn't possibly defeat all four of you alone. Yet, do you truly believe that such posturing alone can erase the pain and suffering you've inflicted on the Land of Rain?"
"War is a curse all despise, yet one that all know is unavoidable. The causes and effects behind it are too complex to explain briefly. However, now peace is finally within reach. Before true peace comes, are you still determined to risk your very life?
Once the battle begins, no matter how skilled you are, your men won't survive the first strike."
Before Haseo finished speaking, countless giant serpents raised their bodies inward, closing together like carnivorous flowers folding their petals. All the Amegakure ninja had already become their prey... Few Rain ninja remained standing at this point, and among those who still did, how many could suppress their body's trembling?
Hanzo of the Rain Village remained silent for a long time before finally saying with difficulty, "I understand. You... I'm giving you six hours to leave the Land of Rain. This is my final deadline."
As he spoke, Hanzo of the Rain Village "humiliated" himself by leaping gracefully off the snake, unilaterally concluding this conversation.
Haseo merely smiled. In the next moment, the four of them—including all the summoned creatures—vanished into thin air, leaving deep scars across the surrounding forest.
"Lord Hanzo…"
"Let the Konoha ninja go. This time… I should act alone."
The unspoken meaning was clear—his subordinates were holding him back.
Hmph, what about the Sannin, or even Haseo? I can chat with them like an old friend.
...
"Even with your strength, Haseo, defeating Hanzo shouldn't be that hard, right? So why say those things?"
"It's not hard, but… the Hokage specifically ordered me not to lay a hand on Hanzo. The higher-ups in Konoha forbid it."
"Why?"
"Just like last time, the Land of Fire needs Amegakure as a buffer zone. Only Hanzo can hold Amegakure together. If he dies, the village might collapse entirely. So not only must I avoid killing him, I have to help build up his reputation… Isn't that ridiculous? Why do ninjas have to deal with politics?"
"Yeah… pretty ridiculous."
"But still not as ridiculous as you are."
"..."
He looked back at the lush green mountains and heavy rain—it would take more than bloodshed to stain Rain Country's dense forests red. No matter how much blood is spilled, somehow it all seems meaningless.
That crap Hanzo spouted about six hours meant nothing to Haseo; he could always chase him down again if needed.
Got a flair for showboating? Taking on four opponents at once? How about trying today's Orochimaru instead?
Last time there was an order from the Hokage—but what about this time?
By evening, Konoha's Large Squad had already crossed into the Land of Fire.
As he cast one last glance in that direction, the setting sun forced Haseo to squint slightly…
Life is too small—no matter how much blood is spilled, the earth remains untouched by crimson.
Only the setting sun paints the land in shades of red.
End of the thirty-third year in Konoha.
Konoha Western Front Squad exits the Land of Rain and enters the Land of Fire. The Second Great Ninja War simply fizzles out like that.
Hmm…
The war merely ended with a comma.
P.S.: This is one long chapter—no splitting this time around.
(Volume 4, End)
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