"Cough—gah…"
Jiraiya, who was nearly knocked off his feet, barely managed to steady himself as he stumbled to the edge of the tent, eyes wide as he stared at Tsunade.
What the hell did she mean by "worried about Kaede's safety"?
Kaede was Orochimaru's student, how was Tsunade even connected to him?!
Noticing Jiraiya's stunned gaze, Tsunade shrugged and said, "Back then, I received a lot of care and support from Sakumo-senpai. I can't just ignore his child, no matter how you look at it."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
Kaede replied with mild exasperation, "Lady Tsunade, you really don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine."
He understood where Tsunade was coming from. After those three days of "treatment," not only had he acted as a healer himself, but the bond between him and Tsunade had clearly grown stronger. It was only natural that she'd become somewhat concerned for his safety.
If he were to die on the battlefield, it might not only trigger a relapse in Tsunade's hemophobia, but even undo all the progress they'd made in her recovery.
"Just shut it already…"
Tsunade shot Kaede an annoyed glare and snapped, "I've heard that line more times than I can count. And almost every time, the person who said it ended up dead. That just makes me worry even more."
Aside from Shizune, no one else regularly reported to her about Kaede. And Shizune had been following her around for the past year, so her knowledge of Kaede was still stuck a year in the past.
From Tsunade's recent interactions with him, she gauged that Kaede's chakra level was roughly on par with a Jōnin.
While that was incredibly impressive for someone his age, more than enough to be called a genius, the title of "genius" wouldn't save you on the battlefield.
Even elite Jōnin died in war all the time.
She couldn't just sit by and watch Kaede die out there.
So, with Shizune staying behind to manage the camp, Tsunade made the decision to join the war herself.
"…"
Kaede wanted to retort that she was overreacting, that he wasn't like the others. With the Hidden Sand Village's current state, even if they brought out the one-Tailed Shukaku, they still wouldn't be able to do anything to him. unless someone like Uchiha Madara or the Sage of Six Paths suddenly showed up…
But after a brief pause, he decided to stay quiet.
Better not to tempt fate.
In the end, he just raised his hands in surrender. "Whatever makes you happy."
Jiraiya glanced between Kaede and Tsunade, then finally asked with a hint of concern, "Are you really okay now?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty much good to go."
Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and said seriously, "I wouldn't joke about something like this."
Jiraiya exhaled in relief. "That's good to hear."
…
The Next Day
It was a clear, sunny day.
A massive force of Konoha ninja left the base camp. It was practically a full mobilization, divided into multiple squads, advancing in waves toward the Sand Village's front-line encampment. The full-scale assault had begun.
Such a large movement obviously couldn't go unnoticed.
Roughly twenty kilometers from the camp, Hidden Sand Village scouts spotted the advancing army and immediately relayed the intel back to the front lines, causing a stir throughout the camp.
But the Suna elder Chiyo had already predicted that Konoha would launch a full attack within the next two weeks. So the Sand forces were ready, and they quickly mobilized. under the command of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa and Chiyo, they set out for the battlefield in force.
Since the start of the Third Great Ninja War, this was—
The largest battle yet!
The Sand Village had deployed over three thousand ninja, led personally by the Fourth Kazekage. Aside from not utilizing their Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, they'd thrown in nearly all their elite forces.
Konoha wasn't holding back either, deploying over two thousand elite ninja. Although that number was slightly smaller than the Hidden Sand Village's total, almost every fighter was a seasoned veteran.
There were very few Genin.
People like Uchiha Obito and Yūhi Kurenai, both still Genin, were left to guard the camp. only Chūnin-level ninja like Kakashi received orders to participate directly in the front-line combat.
The two forces clashed in a region of rolling hills. The terrain was mostly gentle, with the highest and lowest elevations differing by no more than a hundred meters.
From the highest ridge—
You could see wave after wave of ninja swarming in from both directions. on one side were Konoha's forces in standard green uniforms. on the other were the Suna ninja, all wearing white scarves to shield against the desert sands, clearly seasoned warriors from the Land of Wind.
"Report! First and Second Squads have encountered the enemy!"
"Report! Fifth and Sixth Squads have engaged the enemy!"
The flanking units were the first to make contact with the Sand forces, and battle broke out immediately. Reports were quickly passed to Jiraiya at the command post.
Jiraiya stood at the peak of a hill, eyes scanning the distant battlefield. A glint flashed in his gaze.
The Kazekage—Rasa!
Elder Chiyo!
Both of Sunagakure's top leaders were on the front lines!
"They're abandoning the flanks… no, they're just holding the flanks to absorb pressure. Their real plan is to concentrate firepower on the center and force a breakthrough there…"
Jiraiya instantly understood their strategy.
Given the circumstances, he couldn't afford to change plans and pull Minato back from the flanks. The outcome would be decided by which side collapsed first, their center, or the enemy's flanks.
He smirked coldly.
If Tsunade weren't here, it would be tough handling both Rasa and Chiyo by himself. The battle's outcome would've been in real doubt.
But with Tsunade on the field, as one of the Legendary Sannin, he knew exactly how powerful she was. The center would not fall.
"The flanks are in your hands… show them what you can do, Minato."
Jiraiya's eyes gleamed. He drew a deep breath and shouted, "Third and Fourth Squads, prepare Fire Style jutsu!"
With his command, over a dozen Konoha ninja rushed to the front, hands flashing through seals as Fire-nature chakra surged.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
The Dragon Fire was a linear technique, but when cast in mass, the converging streams formed a raging sea of fire.
Due to the geography of the Land of Wind, Sunagakure had very few ninja proficient in Water Style. As such, the front lines immediately faltered under Konoha's wave of fire.
But in the next instant—
The ground ahead suddenly surged.
The grassy earth was instantly reduced to sand, rising like a tide to meet the flames in a sweeping sandfall.
"Well done!"
The Fourth Kazekage shot a glance at his wife, Karura, and shouted in approval. He then placed his hands on the ground, activating his Magnet Release. A tide of golden sand, infused with metallic particles, surged toward Konoha's ranks.
He wasn't just a politician, he hadn't become the Kazekage through maneuvering alone. He earned the title through sheer power, standing above countless elite ninja!
Whooosh!
The sand came roaring in. Konoha ninja fired off more Fire and Earth Style techniques, but they couldn't stop it. Several were quickly swallowed up, their screams echoing.
"As expected of Sunagakure's new Kazekage…"
Jiraiya's eyes gleamed as he launched himself toward Rasa.
He couldn't allow the Kazekage to continue ravaging the battlefield with such large-scale jutsu. No one else in their ranks could counter Rasa's terrifying ability.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Jiraiya charging in, Rasa's eyes flashed coldly. Unfazed, he commanded the golden sand to form a barrage of sharp spears, lancing toward Jiraiya in a deadly crossfire.
This was a showdown.
No testing the waters.
Right from the start, it was Rasa vs. Jiraiya, two army commanders clashing head-on!
And with that, the battle entered its fiercest, most intense stage. over a thousand ninja from both sides surged forward, chakra blazing, clashing in a thunderous wave.
The entire hilly plain, became a battlefield.
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