When Large-Scale Shinobi Wars Turn Chaotic

As the seven ninja teams stood off to one side, isolating the Hyuga team, a Konoha Ninja dressed as a Jonin suddenly appeared in the middle of the clearing, balancing on the ring of kunai with the tip of his right foot.

This ninja had extensive burn scars across his face. His bare arms were likewise covered in burns, blade wounds, punctures, and other injuries. Those dense, hideous scars spoke of their owner's battle experience.

"Jonin Aoyama."

The two middle-aged ninja called out the Jonin's name. He was Aoyama Gosho, a rather renowned Jonin of Konoha.

He was a survivor of the previous war. As a civilian ninja with no secret techniques or advanced ninjutsu, he had relied purely on solid fundamentals to rise to Jonin, making him an idol among civilian ninja.

Of course, after becoming a Jonin, Aoyama Gosho had learned a great deal of ninjutsu and Taijutsu to make up for his shortcomings, quickly advancing to become an Elite Jonin.

"I'll assign the mission." Jonin Aoyama spoke softly. His throat had been injured, leaving his voice hoarse and low. "All captains, come closer."

The Konoha Jonin pulled out a map from the tube on his back and spread it across the ground. Once the seven Chunin approached, they formed a circle around it.

The seven deliberately or unconsciously squeezed the Hyuga Main Branch out of the circle, and could not help feeling pleased.

Didn't you have a 360-degree field of vision without blind spots? Didn't you have X-ray vision? Since you can see from out there, don't crowd in with us.

Aoyama Gosho glanced at them and frowned slightly, but he did not say anything. Pointing at a spot on the map, he said, "Reconnaissance has confirmed that the Suna Ninja camp is here."

"Your mission is to circle around and attack the Suna Ninja from behind. Each team will operate independently. Come up and choose your own route."

The eight ninja chose their routes in turn and drew them onto the map themselves.

Aoyama Gosho and the eight Chunin studied the map carefully for a while, committing its information to memory. Then he casually flicked out a spark and set the map ablaze.

This was not hand-sign-free ninjutsu, but an ignition tool made with flint and fire powder. It was popular among ninja who had not mastered Fire Release ninjutsu.

As an Elite Jonin who had risen from the bottom, Aoyama Gosho avoided using Chakra whenever possible. On one hand, it helped him maintain his best combat condition; on the other, it made him less likely to be detected by other ninja.

Watching Jonin Aoyama's movements, Aburame Tetsumaru came to a realization. It seemed many ninja had also realized the importance of suppressing Chakra, though they had probably only figured it out as a survival technique through life-and-death battles. They had yet to understand that Chakra fluctuations were the cause.

If they had understood, they would have done it more thoroughly instead of maintaining Chakra refinement as they did now.

Chunin Sanda raised a question. "Jonin Aoyama, our eight teams aren't enough to cause massive destruction. What exactly is our mission objective?"

"Cover. Cover for an assault team's attack."

"Besides you, the main force will launch a frontal attack first. You will provide cover as the second wave."

That greatly reduced the danger, and the seven captains all breathed a sigh of relief.

"May I ask which lord will be carrying out the assault mission?"

Jonin Aoyama shook his head. "I don't know either."

Aoyama Gosho was an established Jonin on the Land of Rain battlefield and one of the commanders with authority. If he said he did not know the person, then that person definitely was not a ninja from the Land of Rain forces.

That meant they had either come from the village or another battlefield. But who could it be?

The current Konoha was not as strapped for resources as it would be later. The village had far too many Elite Jonin and Kage-level experts, leaving the range of possible candidates far too broad. Especially among the older generation of top experts, there were quite a few who could suppress the Sandaime Hokage. There was no talk yet of the "strongest Hokage in history."

Take Elder Aburame Shihui, for example. In terms of strength, he truly did not fear Sarutobi Hiruzen. What those old fellows feared about the Hokage was mainly power and political maneuvering.

Once the mission had been assigned, Jonin Aoyama departed. The Konoha Ninja present also began moving out under their respective captains.

Aburame Tetsumaru led his two subordinates forward rapidly in their previous formation, weaving through the forest.

Before long, the weather grew increasingly dim. It was not because night was approaching, but because they were nearing the rainy territory of the Land of Rain. As fine raindrops began to fall, they entered the Land of Rain.

Aburame Tetsumaru, Uchiha Kei, and Kurama Yun all frowned. The rainy environment was extremely unfavorable for Tetsumaru's insects and Wind Release, and even worse for Uchiha Kei's Fire Release. The cold rain was also a major test for the frail Kurama Yun.

The three put on rain capes and straw hats, then began leaping from branch to branch. The noise made by jumping was too great, making it a dangerous way to travel.

But in the Land of Rain, this method was more suitable. The sound of rain could mask their jumps, while standing water on the ground could conceal all kinds of dangers. Tree trunks, by contrast, offered a clear view at a glance.

The dangers in the standing water mainly came from Rain Ninja. They would place poisonous insects and fish in the water, as well as set water-resistant traps and mechanisms.

Amegakure had taken a beating in the last war and never displayed this trait. Intelligence gathered during ordinary missions had not been taken seriously either, resulting in heavy Konoha losses because of it last year.

Suddenly, Aburame Tetsumaru gave the signal to halt. The entire team stopped immediately.

Tetsumaru gestured for Uchiha Kei to come closer and indicated the enemy's position. After Kei confirmed it, Tetsumaru ordered him with hand signals to circle around from the right, while ordering Kurama Yun to remain where she was.

The two removed their straw hats and rain capes, then circled toward the target from opposite sides.

Kurama Yun, waiting in place, breathed lightly. She opened her mouth to ensure her breathing made no sound, focusing all her attention on the pitch-black forest ahead.

When Aburame Tetsumaru had pointed out the target to Uchiha Kei, she had also tried her best to look over, but she could not see anything at all. It left her deeply frustrated.

Suddenly, a flash of blade light flickered, accompanied by several rapid impacts. Then everything fell silent. Before long, two figures returned swiftly. Uchiha Kei held a gleaming Ninja Blade, while Aburame Tetsumaru remained empty-handed.

Without saying a word, Aburame Tetsumaru stared hard at Uchiha Kei. Kei had just killed someone, yet his killing intent had not faded. Instead, it grew denser and denser. He truly wanted to kill.

The blade in Uchiha Kei's hand began to tremble. Blood diluted by the drizzle dripped from its tip. At last, he lowered his head and said, "It won't happen again."

Only then did Aburame Tetsumaru turn around and put his rain gear back on.

Uchiha Kei also breathed a sigh of relief. He used cloth to wipe the remaining blood from his blade, sheathed it, and then put his rain gear back on.

Kurama Yun watched the two of them. She was certain something had happened in the battle just now, but since neither of them mentioned it, she would not ask.

Now they both understood that Captain Aburame truly had both the strength and the intention to kill them. That was far too frightening.

The three continued onward. When they passed the battlefield, Kurama Yun finally saw the enemies' condition.

There were four Rain Ninja corpses in total. One had been cut in half, while the other three had shattered bones and broken weapons, clearly smashed apart by tremendous force.

Based on their positions, Kurama Yun immediately deduced how the battle had unfolded. Uchiha Kei had likely tricked their captain, deliberately letting a Rain Ninja on their side go.

Then the captain had broken the situation with brute force, killing three Rain Ninja in one burst.

As for what exactly had happened, the girl did not have that much curiosity. Uchiha Kei was not someone to provoke either.

The Land of Rain did not rain all the time. After night fell, the rain stopped.

At this point, Aburame Tetsumaru's team arrived at the designated battlefield. Tetsumaru scattered a large number of Kikaichū to scout the surroundings. After ensuring it was safe, the three quietly lay in wait for dawn.

Under the thick rain clouds, it was impossible to tell whether dawn had arrived. But the Dragonfly Tetsumaru had secretly released high into the sky saw the light of morning.

The time had come.

Booming explosions rang out as the main force began its frontal assault.

Chakra fluctuations surged toward them like a tsunami. Aburame Tetsumaru's Chakra circulation fluctuations reached unprecedented levels. Even without Insight, he could clearly sense them.

Konoha Ninja were using a large-scale combined ninjutsu. It was slow, powerful, and even louder.

The Suna Ninja were also retaliating with different combined ninjutsu.

This was the siege tactic Iwagakure had first developed during the previous war: legion-scale combined ninjutsu launched by hundreds or thousands under unified command.

It was also Aburame Tetsumaru's most hated kind of battle. Ninja were merely members of a massive formation, while the combined ninjutsu they used possessed disaster-level power for any individual. Both sides bombarded each other as if lining up to be executed by firing squad.

Everyone in the formation could only leave their life or death to fate. And once one side broke first, it would suffer devastating attacks afterward.

Other than the Kage standing at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, individual ninja could only obey orders and leave their lives to fate. If a combined ninjutsu truly chose them as its target, they would not have even the slightest chance to struggle.

Nearly all ninja hated this kind of fighting and were poorly suited to it. But the reality was that combined ninjutsu were the strongest method for attacking camps or fighting ninja armies. There was no alternative.

Sunagakure's camp descended into chaos. The Sunagakure commander was no fool and quickly dispatched teams to guard the rear.

This was when Aburame Tetsumaru's eight teams were to act: eliminate the Suna Ninja guard teams and launch a second feint attack against the Sunagakure camp from behind.

Secret Technique: Insect Sphere

Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique

Kurama Yun did not have suitable ninjutsu, but the Kurama Clan was filthy rich. She generously threw ten kunai, each one tied with an Explosive Tag.

All kinds of ninjutsu erupted nearby as well. The teams tacitly selected their respective targets, maximizing the effect of the assault.

The Suna Ninja who had come to guard the rear were clearly inexperienced. Their attention was still fixed on the large-scale combined ninjutsu battle at the front, and the attack caught them completely off guard. Casualties piled up.

While the Suna Ninja were in chaos, several Konoha teams began charging toward the Sunagakure camp. They deliberately mixed among the remaining Suna Ninja in hopes of avoiding ninjutsu attacks from the camp.

Unfortunately, Sunagakure's commander was decisive and ruthless. He immediately organized indiscriminate attacks. Whether Sunagakure ninja or Konoha Ninja, anyone who approached the camp was killed.

Afterward, the Sunagakure commander deployed elite Puppet Masters to establish a toxic defensive line, preventing the enemy from exploiting the chaos to break into the camp and cause even greater disorder.

These countermeasures completely stopped Aburame Tetsumaru. Large numbers of his Kikaichū died from poisoning. Even Kikaichū specially bred for high poison resistance were killed, proving how terrifyingly potent the toxin was.

Extremely potent poison could not last long. Just as the poison mist was about to disperse, a large group of puppets rushed out and clashed with the Konoha Ninja.

Super-strong poison and a massive puppet force—without question, the commanders here were the siblings Chiyo and Ebizo.

What rotten luck. It could not have been worse.

They had originally circled around to launch a feint. The feint had succeeded, but the danger had risen with it.

What was even more dangerous was that if the Suna Ninja realized there were too few troops here, they would most likely choose the feint's direction to break out. The eight Konoha teams, including his own, would then be in danger of being wiped out.

The danger had increased. They would have to work twice as hard for even a chance to survive.

Aburame Tetsumaru formed hand seals with both hands and quickly performed ninjutsu.

Wind Release: Wind Fist

He clenched both hands into fists, smashed them together before his chest, then pulled them apart. Pale blue-white whirlwinds coiled around his fists.

Then Aburame Tetsumaru charged straight at the puppet horde. Empowered by Wind Fist, every punch dealt severe damage to a puppet. Two or three blows were enough to smash one into parts.

At the same time, even more ninjutsu erupted, attacking the puppets and Suna Ninja.

The Puppet Masters under fierce attack focused their eyes on the man who had completely destroyed several puppets. Every one of them burned with rage. You bastards who destroy puppets like your lives depend on it are the worst! Puppets are expensive, damn it!

Several high-ranking Puppet Masters controlled powerful puppets and sent them at Aburame Tetsumaru, only for Kikaichū lying in wait to wedge themselves into their joints. The puppets were unfortunately paralyzed on the spot.

Aburame Tetsumaru had set things up for so long to seize this opportunity. How could he let it go? He immediately rushed up and began pummeling the frozen puppets.

High-grade puppets truly were different. They were incredibly sturdy. He had to put in considerable effort before smashing all four puppets into fragments.

Upon discovering their puppets had lost control, the Puppet Masters immediately shouted, "Kikaichū! There are Kikaichū! Use poison! Use poison!"

Every Puppet Master who heard them pulled out a small bottle and smashed it hard. Soon, pale purple poison mist blanketed the battlefield.

In the Shinobi World, the Kazekage was the greatest counter to puppet forces, but Konoha had ninja with similar abilities.

Senju Tsunade's monstrous strength combined with medical ninjutsu was unbeatable. She could destroy a puppet with every punch, while ignoring any poison when attacked.

The closest thing to the Kazekage's Iron Sand was the Aburame Clan's Kikaichū. They could crawl inside puppets and jam critical joints. They could also find and chew through transparent puppet strings, leaving Puppet Masters helpless. They were even more detestable than Iron Sand.

When facing Konoha's Princess Tsunade, Puppet Masters had no solution whatsoever. They could only accept their bad luck—run if they could, and endure it if they could not.

After suffering several losses to Insect Users, Sunagakure developed a specialized, highly toxic insecticide against Kikaichū.

The special insecticidal poison was highly effective. Its only problem was that it was expensive—far too expensive. Ordinary Puppet Masters could not afford much of it.

Thus, this poison became their trump card, a last resort not to be used until the Rabbit appeared.

Aburame Tetsumaru knew this perfectly well. He had once lost tens of thousands of Kikaichū to this insecticidal poison, and the memory remained vivid. Therefore, after ambushing three of the Puppet Masters' puppets, he hurriedly recalled every Kikaichū and sealed the entrances to the Insect Hive on his body.

After driving away the Kikaichū, the Puppet Masters searched the entire battlefield for the Aburame ninja, but could not find him no matter what they did.

There was nothing they could do. Though Aburame Tetsumaru wore a trench coat and sunglasses, his frontline fighting style—smashing a puppet apart every three punches—was completely incompatible with the Aburame Clan's usual style of secretly killing enemies. How were the Puppet Masters supposed to identify him?

Aburame Tetsumaru rampaged at the front, Uchiha Kei used Fire Release to suppress the Suna Ninja, and Kurama Yun used Genjutsu to control the battlefield, confusing the Puppet Masters and Suna Ninja and creating opportunities for her two teammates to kill in a single strike.

Over a hundred ninja fought in a melee outside the camp walls. As more and more Suna Ninja joined the battle, Konoha began to fall into a disadvantage.

Aburame Tetsumaru began considering whether they should retreat early. He was not suited to this kind of melee. The most dangerous things were not the enemies in front of him, but the Explosive Tags flying chaotically everywhere.

Explosive Tags, normally precious, became worthless at times like this. Every ninja in the melee stopped being stingy, throwing out all kinds of expensive weapons and ninja tools, which then vanished somewhere amid the chaos.

At that moment, a massive explosion erupted inside the Sunagakure camp, producing an enormous fireball and a violent blast wave.

At last, a mushroom cloud rose into the air. The blast even drove away the rain clouds above, and the rain over the battlefield stopped.

Konoha Ninja from every direction erupted in victorious cheers, their morale soaring. Every Suna Ninja, meanwhile, stared blankly in confusion.

The shift in morale first decided the combined ninjutsu battle at the front of the camp. The Suna Ninja suffered a crushing defeat. The battle's outcome was settled.

But Aburame Tetsumaru's expression changed drastically. He immediately let out a sharp whistle, calling his subordinates to retreat. At the same time, every surviving captain of the Konoha assault teams was calling for their subordinates to withdraw.

Everyone except the Byakugan team.

Not only did they refuse to retreat, but the three Branch Family ninja and their Main Family captain instead broke into a fierce argument.

Seeing this, Aburame Tetsumaru looked at his own subordinates fleeing at top speed and could not help thinking they were not bad after all. At least they were smart.

As the main Suna Ninja force was defeated, thirty percent of them were killed or wounded in an instant. What followed was a disorderly retreat after their collapse.

One person fleeing for his life might consider fighting back, but a large crowd fleeing for their lives would only run. They would attack anyone blocking their escape route with mad desperation. At that point, reason meant nothing.

Thus, the most dangerous place on the entire battlefield was actually behind the Sunagakure camp, directly in the path the fleeing Suna Ninja had to take.

Experienced ninja would flee immediately at such a time, lest they fall after victory had already been secured.

But newcomers might not know that. They might even think the collapsed Suna Ninja were walking achievements waiting to be picked up, so they would charge straight into the hell of death.

The Hyuga Main Branch fighting behind the Sunagakure camp was clearly made up of such battlefield rookies.

When Aburame Tetsumaru fled into the forest, he glanced back one last time. The Hyuga team charged toward the fleeing Suna Ninja.

They were doomed. What a waste of three seasoned Byakugan ninja.