The Fourth Great Ninja War.
It had begun.
Hearing these words from the Hidden Leaf messenger standing before him, Tutai's heart, though forged like steel, trembled slightly.
Has war... truly started again?
Even if Tutai was unwilling to accept this reality in his heart, the fact that he was leading a Cloud Shinobi force in the Land of Frost meant he had already tacitly acknowledged its arrival. Looking at the familiar head resting on the table before him, Tutai's heart was a turbulent sea of complexity and grief.
"Take him away. Execute him."
The words escaped Tutai's lips, sounding muffled and heavy.
The ninjas guarding the main tent immediately stepped forward, seizing the Leaf messenger by the arms to drag him out by force.
"Don't touch me. I can walk myself."
The Leaf messenger glared coldly at Tutai in the high seat, letting out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"Lord Tutai, Minister of the Cloud, I shall await your arrival in the Pure Land."
"And as for the rest of you..."
At this, the messenger's gaze swept across everyone in the room. Those present felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were being stared at by someone who already considered them corpses.
"Gentlemen."
Leaving behind those final two words, the messenger laughed loudly as he walked out to meet his death with gallantry.
"Lord Tutai?"
A woman with silver hair and dark skin looked toward the man in the high seat, who seemed to have aged several years in a single instant.
"It's nothing. Mabui, give the order to return the Raikage's head to the village at the highest possible speed. At the same time, tell B to get here immediately."
Tutai remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Yes, sir."
Seeing this, Mabui suppressed the unease in her heart, collected the Raikage's head from the table, and hurried out.
"Everyone else, leave."
Tutai waved his hand, appearing unaffected by the messenger's words. The others hurriedly bowed and took their leave.
Within moments, Tutai was the only one left in the main tent, accompanied only by a single, flickering lamp. Only after everyone had gone did Tutai let out a deep, heavy sigh. As the wartime commander, he could not show even a flicker of hesitation or retreat in front of his subordinates.
In Tutai's view, even though the Cloud had lost the Fourth Raikage, they still had the support of Killer B, a perfect Jinchūriki. Facing only the Leaf's forces on the Land of Frost front, holding the line shouldn't have been an issue.
But...
The unease in his heart was growing stronger.
Tutai couldn't understand it. He couldn't fathom what gave the Leaf the courage to start this war. Even if the Leaf currently possessed an unexpectedly high number of masters, it was clearly not enough to face the combined might of the Wind, Lightning, Water, and Earth nations.
Just like Onoki of the Stone and Chiyo of the Sand, the moment Tutai learned of the fate of the two Kage and received the Leaf's formal declaration of war, he realized something: The Leaf intended to use the strength of a single nation to proactively wage war against the four other Great Nations simultaneously.
While Tutai recognized the plan, he didn't understand the logic.
Where did the Leaf get the confidence to do such a thing?
Tutai couldn't figure it out, but he no longer had the luxury of time to ponder. In the current situation, he had to withstand the Leaf's pressure. As long as the four fronts could stall the Leaf's progress, no matter how vast the Land of Fire's resources were, it was impossible to sustain a four-front war for long.
The problem was clear.
The Leaf couldn't possibly be blind to this reality; they would aim to defeat their enemies as quickly as possible. Therefore, he had to hold firm. Not just him, but the Wind, Water, and Earth fronts had to hold as well.
At this thought, a flash of resolve crossed Tutai's eyes.
Yes.
Facing four great nations with the power of one—this Hokage of the Leaf was far too arrogant. As long as they held out, the Leaf's defeat was inevitable!
Under a somber, overcast sky on a vast grassland, a black-haired woman with a ponytail looked calmly at the elderly woman before her.
A cold wind blew, scattering the strands of hair across her forehead. Her originally soft and delicate features appeared slightly sharp, framed by the coldness in her dark eyes.
"Shizune of the Leaf..."
Looking at the woman standing alone on the plains, the seventy-year-old Chiyo muttered to herself.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, had fallen at this woman's hands. But beyond that, she held a special significance for Chiyo.
Shizune was the disciple of Tsunade. In past Ninja Wars, Tsunade had been able to crack every single one of Chiyo's poisons. Now, Tsunade's successor stood before her—but where was her own successor?
"Chiyo of the Sand," Shizune spoke slowly. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to Chiyo's ears.
"As allies of the Leaf, did you ever consider this day when you betrayed our treaty?"
"Rasa is dead. His head is right here."
"If you don't wish to follow in his footsteps, surrender immediately. Lord Hokage may show leniency."
The young woman spoke calmly, a scroll appearing in her hand. With a light poof and a cloud of white smoke, a simple wooden box appeared in her palm. Judging by the size, it contained Rasa's head.
As she finished speaking, the black-haired woman gave the box a light toss. It traced a parabolic arc through the air, landing precisely in front of Chiyo, who stood a hundred meters away.
The wooden box rolled, the lid falling open to reveal a pale, greyish head with eyes tightly shut. It rolled to a stop at Chiyo's feet.
Gazing at that familiar face, the expressions of those behind Chiyo changed slightly, and they instinctively took a step back. Though they were veterans used to death, this was, after all, the head of their leader.
"You see it now," the calm, indifferent voice drifted from ahead, drawing the Sand ninjas' eyes back to her. This was the woman who had defeated the Kazekage in one fell swoop.
"What an impressive display..."
Chiyo slowly bent down to seal the head into a storage scroll she carried, then looked up at Shizune.
"Little girl, didn't Tsunade ever teach you that 'the hardest blade is the easiest to snap'?"
Chiyo's heart didn't waver in the slightest at the sight of Rasa's head. Instead, her tone was stern as she glared at Shizune.
"Those words..." Shizune's lips curled into a slight smile as if she had remembered something.
She thought back to the night after the Nine-Tails incident, the day she had performed the eye transplant for Kakashi. It was then that Kakashi seemed to have truly dragged himself out of his painful past.
This world was too cruel. If things continued as they were, there would be countless others with tragic experiences like Lord Hokage.
She was a doctor. A healer of people. But she realized that healing individuals could not change the world. What she needed to do now was save the world itself—to follow behind the Hokage and heal this entire era.
Studying medicine can't save the Ninja World.
Chiyo was momentarily silenced by the gaze of the young Leaf kunoichi. The girl was a confidant of the Hokage; whatever style the Fifth Hokage possessed, his subordinates would naturally reflect it.
The hardest blade is the easiest to snap.
To the current Leaf, such a concept simply didn't exist. If you think I'm easy to snap, then come and try—see if I break, or if I crush your head first!
"The Leaf's arrogance will cost them dearly. And I believe this war will be the price you pay."
At this point, Chiyo could only resort to harsh words.
"Is that so? You're welcome to try. But before that..."
Shizune's dark eyes, like deep pools, suddenly sharpened.
Not good!
Chiyo's pupils shrunk as a sense of impending crisis exploded in her mind! Without time to think, she barked an order to the people around her:
"Retreat!"
But...
The wind was howling. The air was surging.
A sound like the atmosphere itself being torn apart rang out. In the far distance of their vision, dozens of unidentified objects were hurtling toward them at high speed!
What is that?!
Chiyo didn't waste time thinking. She immediately tore open her puppet scroll!
The Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu!
Ten white-clad humanoid puppets appeared before her, completing a sophisticated defensive formation in a mere two seconds.
The next second!
A terrifying heatwave accompanied by pillars of fire erupted toward the sky! With Chiyo at the center, everything within a hundred-meter radius was swallowed by artillery fire!
Lightning intertwined with flames; explosions were bolstered by gale-force winds. It was a scene straight out of the apocalypse.
The shockwave and heat tossed Shizune's black hair into a wild dance, but she showed no fear in the face of this horrific power. She watched the scene with the same calm expression. It didn't matter if it was Chiyo or anyone else—a dead Chiyo was the best kind of Chiyo.
This was exactly why she, as the commander of the front against the Sand, had appeared here personally. Chiyo would only show herself if the Leaf's commander did the same.
While they spoke, fifty tanks in the rear, coordinated by the Byakugan, had opened fire. A direct decapitation strike.
Risking one's life was dangerous, but if it meant resolving the Sand front as quickly as possible, it was all worth it!
"Senior Shizune, you were too reckless!"
Itachi Uchiha, who had been hiding in the distance, rushed over. He looked at his senior, who hadn't even blinked, with a hint of urgency. In daily life, this senior was clearly a gentle soul—why was she so bold and decisive on the battlefield?
"Vanguard, charge."
The only response Itachi received was a command.
"...Yes."
Itachi nodded helplessly at the unfazed Head of the Medical Department. According to the plan, the vanguard unit stationed two hundred meters away began their rapid charge!
Simultaneously, a heavy mechanical roar echoed—the tank units were following close behind! However, the speed of a tank was still somewhat slow for a ninja, so they could only trail the vanguard from a distance.
Except for the units designated to coordinate with the tanks, everyone else charged at the Sand forces like starving wolves!
"Kill!"
"Kill them!"
"These Leaf brats have no honor! Everyone, kill them with me!"
Seeing their commander attacked, the Sand forces, who had also been trailing behind, swarmed forward like a rising tide toward the enemy!
Just as the two forces were about to collide!
The body of the Sand ninja who had just roared out exploded like an over-inflated balloon! Blood and mangled flesh sprayed everywhere, coating the nearby Sand ninjas!
Beyond him, several other Sand ninjas near the center were sent flying into the sky by a mysterious, violent explosion and shockwave!
"What?!"
A Sand ninja gasped in horror. What happened?
Before he could process it, his body also violently burst apart just like the previous ninja. Wild fire and gales swept through everything. Similar scenes played out frantically across the battlefield; the entire Sand vanguard was being shredded like paper.
The Sand ninjas couldn't comprehend it.
What happened? What is going on?!
They hadn't even touched the enemy, yet their vanguard was already on the verge of collapse! No, it wasn't on the verge—it was collapsing!
"Kill!"
"Keep moving! Mix in with the Leaf's ranks!"
A familiar voice rang out across the battlefield. It was Chiyo! This Sand commander was actually still alive after enduring a full volley from the tank unit?!
Kunai with paper bombs attached to their tails struck the steel hulls of the tanks, but the thrown weapons merely produced a few sparks and left faint scratches. Kunai were practically useless against tanks.
The paper bombs exploded, but after the smoke cleared, the steel beasts roared out of the flames, their cannons obliterating the ninjas who had dared to throw the kunai!
Everyone watching felt their skin crawl. How can such monsters be destroyed?
The crowd surged past Shizune; the steel beasts crawled beside her. She watched the bedraggled Sand Elder as she crawled out from the earth.
Did you figure it out? The limitations of the tank units.
However...
Shizune's eyes drifted slightly upward toward the gloomy sky.
Golden lightning fell from the heavens, instantly striking a Sand squad that was attempting to follow Chiyo's order to entangle with the Leaf troops. The violent lightning wiped out the entire squad in a single moment!
This anomaly immediately caught the attention of those watching. They looked up at the sky, and their pupils instantly contracted!
A colossal object had appeared above them at some unknown point! The already dark sky felt even more chilling under the massive shadow cast by this giant.
"That... what is that?" a Sand ninja whispered in terror, seemingly giving up all resistance.
The next moment, a shell falling from the sky, carrying fire and destruction, erased him from existence.
With the appearance of the first Ancor Vantian, two others deactivated their sky-blending barriers and revealed themselves above the battlefield!
Gazing at the unidentified flying objects and the "iron torrent" rushing toward her, Chiyo felt only horror and a deep chill in her soul.
These were unknown things.
If the Leaf's method of fighting the four Great Villages had been some special Ninjutsu or more powerhouse experts like Shizune, Chiyo was confident she could hold them back with sheer numbers. But facing these unknown flying vessels and steel beasts—each comparable to a small Tailed Beast...
"Retreat!"
A shrill, low roar tore from her throat!
Less than ten minutes after the order to start the war, the order to retreat followed immediately. This absurd scene was now playing out on the Land of Rivers battlefield!
"The era has changed..."
Shizune slowly pulled a specialized black glove onto her fair hand. Her dark eyes locked onto the figure directing the Sand's retreat.
Having survived a round of shelling from the tank unit, no matter how much Chiyo "raged against the dying of the light," she couldn't have come out unscathed.
Shizune intended to take down the Sand commander on the very first day of the war!
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