The Face of War

"Charge! Charge! Charge! Charge forward now!"

"Support our vanguard; we absolutely cannot allow the Sand Ninja to gain the upper hand."

The second wave of troops from Konoha and Sunagakure were charging forward at breakneck speed, their targets the vanguard forces engaged in fierce combat on the hilltop.

"Katsuki, hurry up! The Sand Ninja are on the defensive. At the current speed, they'll definitely get there first. If our vanguard is defeated by the Sand Ninja, we'll have to face even more Sand Ninja, and that will be troublesome for us."

It was Otome who spoke; the horrific scene of the slaughterhouse at the vanguard had made her face slightly pale...

However, he remained as clear-headed as ever, quickly analyzing the somewhat dire situation and making a reasonable, though not very good, prediction.

The plan encountered setbacks right from the start. First, the rookies' disarray slowed the pace of progress. Second, the Sand Ninja reacted quickly enough, leaving ample manpower for defense even during mealtimes, giving no one any opportunity to take advantage.

In conclusion, if the status quo continues, the vanguard of Konoha's forces will likely be wiped out, and the second wave of troops will face a severe test.

"The Sand Village's defenses are quite effective!"

"Ebizo, the strategist of Sunagakure? He truly lives up to his reputation."

"Hey, hey, isn't that obvious? When he was famous, the three of us were still peeping into the women's bathroom!"

That's your interest, it has nothing to do with me.

"Come on, don't say such heartless things..."

In the middle ranks of the Konoha Ninja army, Orochimaru and Jiraiya chatted casually. Dan listened to their complaints with a bitter face. The topic seemed to have unknowingly gone off-topic. The tragic scene of the vanguard did not move them in the slightest. Jiraiya's face showed no trace of pity.

Deaths on the battlefield are a perfectly normal occurrence.

"Katsuki, it looks like we're going to have to fight tooth and nail today!"

Nawaki swallowed hard. The further he went, the more he could feel the heavy, tragic atmosphere. Suddenly, he felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders.

Of course, he wasn't the only one like this; basically all the newcomers had similar expressions. Even though many of them had been to the Land of Rain, they had all been in the logistics units, and this was their first time facing the battlefield directly.

The clash between the two armies, involving hundreds or even thousands of people, is completely different from a battle with at most a dozen people. The impact of that clash shakes the minds of the newcomers.

"Hurry up and charge! The more people who survive in the vanguard, the better our chances of surviving the second wave of Sand Ninja."

"Run fast and you live; run slow and you die."

The Chunin were extremely anxious, wishing they had more legs to run faster. Otome wasn't the only one who realized their predicament.

"Ahhh! I'm going first... Foot Strength Enhancement, open!"

The extremely tense atmosphere made it impossible for Katsuki to remain calm. The hem of her trousers suddenly tightened, and Katsuki, who was already at the forefront, suddenly seemed to have activated a rocket booster, soaring more than ten meters ahead and running up the small hill at an astonishing speed. Her figure was as fast as lightning.

"Goodness, let's go!"

"Keep it up, kid!"

Seeing this, the Chunin the team cheered. Their Chunin Katsuki at such a young age had vanished, and they were filled with joy. Even if it was just one more person, it would be good if the vanguard could hold out for a little longer.

It's important to understand that the vanguard forces of both sides are currently locked in a fierce battle. Whoever gets reinforcements first could break the deadlock and annihilate the other side, even if it's just one reinforcement. Moreover, the light green vest that Katsuki is wearing gives people even more confidence.

The previous disdain and doubt dissipated, replaced by a strong sense of anticipation.

After all, becoming Chunin at such a young age requires either incredible luck or exceptional skill. Judging by his lightning speed, he couldn't possibly have risen through the ranks by chance. As Chunin, they certainly have that kind of insight...

The knife works very well!

After Sakumo gave it to him yesterday, he didn't want to let go of it when he got back to his place. He even kept it by his pillow when he slept that night.

Now that he had channeled Chakra into the sword, the smooth, effortless feeling was completely different from how he used to wield it. Chakra consumption had also decreased significantly. However, he didn't dwell on this. What truly pleased him was the feeling of effortless control and freedom.

"This feels so good... like White Lightning Strike."

The short sword suddenly thrust out, piercing the neck of the Sand Ninja. Blood gushed out like a burst faucet, the only difference being that it was blood.

Neither of the ninjas in the battle were nearsighted, so they naturally noticed Katsuki's approach.

"They're the enemy!"

"Reinforcements!"

The Konoha side immediately perked up, while the Sand ninja, their faces grim, desperately sent men to meet Katsuki, hoping to stop him...

However, the outcome was clear in a single encounter.

Although Katsuki was also struck by the opponent's wind blade, the flesh on her right arm was torn off, leaving a wound about one centimeter deep. The blood seeping out stained her sleeve red, but fortunately, the black long sleeves did not look conspicuous.

"Useless trash, he was actually taken down in one move."

"Useless thing."

The remaining Sand Ninja couldn't hold back and cursed their fallen comrades. It was a life-or-death situation, and they had hoped that their comrade could hold off the enemy reinforcements. After all, he seemed to be just a kid and should be easier to deal with. However, he lost his own life instead.

It's truly unacceptable. He himself died, but the fact that he accelerated the already crumbling balance between friend and foe is intolerable. So, even though he's dead, he's still being dragged around and spat on.

"There's still a chance, everyone. Don't lose heart. That guy from Konoha's right hand is crippled too. We just need to hold on for ten more seconds, ten seconds..."

The shouting Sand Ninja suddenly fell silent. Their vision swayed and churned; their dilated pupils saw a silver-white blade flash past, followed by a crimson fountain of blood gushing into the sky...

"Good job, kid! You did a great job!"

"Brothers, give it your all and kill these turban bastards!"

This time, it was the ninjas from Konoha who were shouting, and cheers resounded all around. Katsuki pushed her speed to the limit, and her short sword, crackling with electricity, flashed like the fangs of death, constantly taking the lives of the Sand Ninjas.

The price was that Katsuki had about ten wounds on his body, the worst of which almost removed his right kidney, scaring him so much that he broke out in a cold sweat. He wasn't sure if losing a part of his internal organs would allow them to regenerate, and frankly, he was unwilling to make such an attempt.

The price paid was high, but the results were naturally substantial. The first wave of the Sand Ninja army was completely wiped out, while eleven people from the Konoha side survived. Although they were all wounded, they were still capable of fighting again. Including Katsuki, there were twelve people left.

"Shuriken! Shuriken! Throw them all out!"