Konoha's side was gaining the upper hand steadily.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more Kumo's shinobi burned through their chakra, while Tsunade's slugs kept Konoha fighters patched up and resupplied.
By now, Kumo's forces were bleeding badly, casualties mounting, formations fraying, morale breaking apart.
Even the Raikage, locked in his clash with Orochimaru's endless tricks, had his own sensory units, scattered across the battlefield, slowly relaying the grim picture to him one by one.
Piece by piece, the truth came together.
His strike force was unraveling. It was only a matter of time before they were completely surrounded, leaderless, and destroyed.
The Third Raikage ground his teeth. A clean withdrawal was the only option left.
And if his people were going to make it out, it would be because he carved the path himself.
His body shifted slightly, lightning sparking across his massive frame.
Orochimaru caught the change immediately, but the Raikage wasn't aiming for him anymore.
For a long while, he had been charging something deeper, something few ever lived to see.
The tattoo on his shoulder glowed dark, almost sinister.
It wasn't ordinary lightning that gathered; it was Black Lightning, the secret inheritance left to him by the Second Raikage.
Not simply a color shift, but a technique that forced natural energy into the elemental chakra while it was still outside the body.
Pseudo-senjutsu. Available due to that special kind of bodily fuinjutsu. Crude, unstable, but monstrously potent.
It couldn't be used like his usual lightning armor; embedding that kind of energy directly into his body and nervous system would kill even him with his iron physique.
Instead, it was meant for wide-scale devastation, massive ranged destruction.
Even for him, charging it took time, and it was not helping his preferred closer nin-taijutsu style at all, so he seldom used it.
But now, with his strike force collapsing, he unleashed it.
"Black Storm Dragon!"
A colossal dragon of black lightning tore itself into existence, the size of a summon, writhing with unnatural energy.
It roared forward, plowing through terrain, splitting apart stone, and annihilating every obstacle in its path.
Snake summons, Rashōmon gates, and layers of earth shattered in an instant as the beast carved a gaping exit route toward the far side of the battlefield.
The Raikage's figure blurred with his unmatched speed, darting behind his own creation.
He didn't even try to force his way to Tsunade now; the losses made that impossible, and Orochimaru's tricks were deeper there.
Instead, he opened one unexpected path, and his mind was already set on pulling his shinobi back before the rout turned into slaughter.
Orochimaru's golden eyes followed him, hissing low in fascination. "This was clearly not ordinary lightning… not just the color, but potency and composition. So, it's their legendary... To finally witness it firsthand at last like this…"
"So it was actually the natural energy, this entire time, woven into the nature release chakra through a seal on the flesh. Pity I am too weak now..."
He clenched his pale hand, a rare flicker of frustration in his expression. "If my strength were greater, I would kill him here, take that body, and study it myself. To refine such a system… natural energy applied to the unworthy through seals. An imitation Sage. The possibilities…"
He had always been fascinated by the idea of wielding senjutsu even in those too weak to withstand a full Sage Mode like himself, and even considered some kind of body seals, too.
It would've been game-changing if he could have observed all of this a little bit more. Previously, he only knew rumors that Raikage had some even advanced form of lightning.
But, for now, all he could do was watch the massive black lightning storm tear half his Den apart, and the Raikage vanish into its wake to salvage what remained of Kumo's forces next.
On the other side, Tsunade's fists were landing heavier and heavier on the brothers, each strike shaking the ground and sending A stumbling back, blood already dripping from the corner of his mouth.
One more clean blow and he'd be finished.
But at that moment, Killer B's chakra surged violently, the air igniting in a suffocating heat.
His body twisted as the red cloak wrapped tighter, tails sprouting one by one until his frame was fully cloaked in Version 2.
The Eight Tails' chakra erupted, scorching the ground and turning the battlefield into a furnace. The impact was immediate.
Tsunade braced, but the sudden spike of raw power blasted her back several paces, tearing her blouse at the shoulder and burning her skin.
B, fully enhanced, grabbed his brother and pulled him clear, his voice a low growl.
"Yo, big bro — time to bounce, or we'll both be flat out!"
Together, they retreated in a blur, moving to link up with the Raikage as Kumo forces scrambled to follow the withdrawal.
Tsunade steadied her breath, her body already glowing faintly as burns and scorches sealed shut.
The cursed cloak's damage simply disappeared before it could linger, the Yin Seal feeding her regeneration without pause.
A familiar hiss broke through the smoke.
From the direction Raikage had fled, Orochimaru emerged, pale skin unmarked despite the devastation he'd just fought through.
His golden eyes slid toward Tsunade, catching the sight of her wounds knitting back into smooth flesh.
He hissed low, envy dripping off the sound.
But then his lips curled upward, a brightness flashing across his face.
"How enviable… such resilience," Orochimaru hissed, eyes glowing. "Even the chakra of a tailed beast leaves no trace on you. Truly, Tsunade, the strength of your bloodline and your technique exceed even my expectations. You've been the most decisive factor in this battle."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Save the fake compliments. If you've got time to stand here flattering me, then go lead the damned chase. What the hell are you doing wasting time?"
Orochimaru grinned, unbothered. "I was merely observing the Eight Tails' jinchūriki. Fascinating, isn't he? But in the end, you surprised me more."
His grin widened further, voice dipping into a strange tone. "I won't interrupt you anymore, Tsunade. Go on… chase after your 'little boyfriend'."
Her fist clenched instantly, arm already cocked to smash his face in — but Orochimaru's body slipped into the ground in a cascade of snakes before she could swing.
"Damn snake!" she spat, her face hot with anger — though a strange warmth lingered across her cheeks, one she couldn't quite chase away.
Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to steady her breathing. Then she closed her eyes, extending her senses outward.
Whatever that bastard said, it only sharpened her urgency.
"Ryusei…" she muttered under her breath. She had to find him.
"No… I should have left him with more chakra. This was my fault!"
Tsunade muttered suddenly, her tone sharper as her senses stretched out.
She caught Ryusei's position clearly now, pinned by dozens of Kumo shinobi, his presence flickering under pressure.
Yet he wasn't striking back with his usual force.
His chakra pattern told the truth: he was conserving what remained, holding out for survival rather than dominance.
He'd already spent too much.
And it was Katsuyu who covered him now.
The great slug had pulled many of its smaller bodies back from the wider battlefield, where they had also burned through Tsunade's reserves, and gathered them around Ryusei.
It shielded him directly, its immense bulk and strange speed intercepting attacks, sprays of acid searing through Kumo formations as its durability and fragmentization soaked the rest.
Tsunade exhaled hard, relief spilling into her chest. "Thankfully… I told Katsuyu to do this beforehand." She steadied her hands, forcing her voice low. "Good… at least he's not alone."
Tsunade's legs blurred as she pushed off the ground, leaping across the ruined terrain.
Konoha and Kumo were both pulling back in waves, but her focus was fixed ahead, where she could already sense Katsuyu's massive chakra and Ryusei's faint but steady presence.
When she arrived, the sight matched her senses: Katsuyu's giant body coiled protectively around Ryusei, smaller fragments darting out like swift shadows, spraying acid and slamming into Kumo shinobi that still dared to press forward.
Ryusei himself leaned against a ridge, bloody, burns along his arms, his chakra clearly suppressed, conserving every shred he had left.
"Good timing, Lady Tsunade," Katsuyu's calm voice carried as one of its large eyes swiveled toward her. "These shinobi were persistent. But we have held."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed, then she barked, "Shift your cover, Katsuyu. I'll handle the rest."
"Yes."
The slug's bulk slid aside smoothly, its acid bursting outward to scatter a group of Kumo elites just as Tsunade charged through.
Her fists crashed down like thunder, bones snapping, ground caving beneath each strike.
The remaining shinobi tried to resist, but after minutes of relentless assault, their presence broke them completely.
The last few survivors scrambled to retreat with the larger Kumo withdrawal.
Breathing hard, Tsunade finally lowered her fist. She glanced back. Katsuyu had already pulled its fragments tighter around Ryusei, shielding him even after the fight was over.
Tsunade walked over, her steps firm, her eyes softer.
She looked down at him, hands on her hips. "So. You nearly burned yourself out again."