Three Legendary Sannin (Part 1)

Several days earlier, Amegakure battlefield.

The war with Amegakure had dragged on for too long. Today, Tsunade and the other two decided to lead several hundred ninja in a surprise attack on the Amegakure camp.

Under the Land of Rain's unique weather conditions, it rained here all year round. Though it was noon, the sky was as gloomy as early evening. Lightning occasionally flashed overhead.

The long campaigns in the Land of Rain had left the ninja, accustomed to the normal weather of the Land of Fire, as gloomy as the overcast skies.

Led by Tsunade and the other two, the ninja force radiated cold killing intent as they stood ready for the coming battle.

As they continued deeper in, the sensory ninja did not dare relax for even a moment. Even animals hidden in caves could not escape their detection.

"Enemy spotted, Lord Orochimaru." Orochimaru was leading this battle, with Tsunade and Jiraiya assisting him.

The moment the sensory ninja detected enemy ninja, he immediately stepped forward to report.

At the news, everyone was invigorated, their fatigue from the journey swept away. They all prepared for battle.

"How many enemies are ahead? Is Salamander Hanzo among them?" Orochimaru asked sternly.

"Approximately four hundred enemies. No particularly powerful chakra has been detected," the sensory ninja replied.

"Whew..."

Everyone relaxed slightly. No one wanted to encounter Salamander Hanzo, the Demigod of the ninja world, on the battlefield.

Even Tsunade and the others loosened their tightly furrowed brows a little.

"Ninjutsu squad, assemble!" Orochimaru began issuing combat orders. "Taijutsu combat squad, follow Jiraiya. Prepare for close combat. Tsunade, lead the medical squad and be ready to provide aid at any time. As for the defense squad, set up a defensive formation. Protect the medical squad."

Orochimaru dared not waste time. The sensory ninja on the other side had already discovered them as well, so they had to strike first and tip the scales of victory in their favor.

"First row, release your ninjutsu." At Orochimaru's command, the ninjutsu squad formed two lines, and the ninja in the front row swiftly formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Technique."

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique."

"Wind Style: Infinite Dust Cloud Breakthrough."

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique."

"Lightning Style: Earth Run."

The various ninjutsu merged together, complementing one another as they surged toward the Amegakure camp.

Caught unprepared, Amegakure was thrown into disarray by the barrage of ninjutsu. Just as they raised their kunai, a second wave of ninjutsu came crashing down upon them.

This was where the gap between great ninja villages and small ninja villages became apparent. Ninja from the great villages were top-notch in both strength and battlefield command. Smaller villages, however, placed more importance on individual strength while overlooking the importance of coordinated combat and capable commanders.

In other words, powerful people disdained taking orders from those weaker than themselves. In Konoha, command advisers were almost always drawn from the exceptionally intelligent Nara Clan, something all Konoha ninja acknowledged.

After several rounds of ninjutsu bombardment, the surviving ninja in the Amegakure camp rushed out wielding all manner of weapons. Jiraiya quickly led the taijutsu combat squad forward, ready to engage at any moment.

Some red-eyed Amegakure ninja, led by the surviving sensory ninja, launched an attack on the medical ninja at the very rear of the formation.

Under Hanzo's leadership, Amegakure's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and it had clearly taken on the air of the foremost ninja village beneath the Five Great Ninja Villages. The Amegakure ninja who had not been caught in the ninjutsu barrage began sounding the horn for a counterattack.

The taijutsu combat squad took the lead and swiftly met them, clashing fiercely with the enemy. Kunai crossed across the battlefield, sparks flew everywhere, and blood occasionally sprayed through the air.

Jiraiya intercepted Amegakure's elite jonin. The two traded blow for blow, every punch landing solidly. Their battle affected too wide an area, so they tacitly moved away from everyone nearby.

Facing the Amegakure ninja charging toward him, Orochimaru resolutely bit his finger and used the Summoning Technique. When the white smoke cleared, a colossal python over thirty meters long appeared with a hiss and charged into battle. At the same time, the ninja squad swiftly unleashed all kinds of ninjutsu, pouring them down upon the oncoming Amegakure ninja like a violent storm.

Tsunade's gaze was sharp as she fixed her eyes on the Amegakure ninja who had broken through layer after layer of defenses, intending to attack the medical squad with ninjutsu. Without hesitation, she patted the ninja of the defense squad in front of her before stepping out. Chakra rapidly gathered in her fist, and she charged at the enemy like a tiger unleashed from its cage, brutally punching them away one after another.

The gap in strength between the two sides was obvious. Amegakure was already at a disadvantage and had lost the initiative. Blinded by rage, they could only charge forward blindly. Yet under the tight defense and powerful counterattacks of the well-trained, seamlessly coordinated Konoha ninja force, Amegakure's attacks gradually weakened, and their defeat became increasingly clear.

Gradually, more and more Amegakure corpses carpeted the ground, while those who still had the strength to fight finally calmed down. Some retreated, some fled, and the commotion on the battlefield gradually died away. The battlefield had now been completely occupied by Konoha ninja.

Only after confirming that no one but their own people remained on the battlefield did the Konoha ninja begin clearing it.

The Konoha ninja wore victorious smiles. At minimal cost, they had almost completely annihilated every ninja in the Amegakure camp.

But just then, a sensory ninja who was still riding the high of victory suddenly shouted.

"Careful! A powerful chakra signature is rapidly approaching us!"

Before anyone could react, a middle-aged man wearing a light gray vest, a protective mask, and carrying a scythe appeared in midair like a ghost.

The instant he descended, the middle-aged man bit his finger. Before everyone's eyes, he began to perform ninjutsu.

"Summoning Technique!"