Second Shinobi World War

"Forget about being your apprentice. Wouldn't that make me a generation lower? If I were to apprentice under the Third Hokage, that would be about right; we'd be peers."

"What? Are you looking down on me? You're already a generation below me as it is. And you want to be my junior apprentice? You've got some nerve, kid." Tsunade had only spoken on a whim, not really intending to take on a student. Hearing Beichen Haotian say that, she immediately bristled and tightened her grip on his arm.

Beichen Haotian suddenly felt it becoming difficult to breathe, and at the same time, the pressure against those magnificent peaks became even tighter.

So this is what they mean by "painful yet pleasurable," huh!

"If I become your apprentice, what can you teach me?" Beichen Haotian said slowly. There was no helping it; he was being squeezed so tightly that breathing was a struggle.

The three people nearby just watched this scene quietly. No one cared about the details; after all, Beichen Haotian was still just a child.

"What can I teach you? There's plenty I can teach you, such as Medical Ninjutsu, Monster Strength Fist, Chakra control, guiding your training in ninjutsu, and so on."

"How about this? You take me as your sworn brother, and you become my sworn sister. Wouldn't that be about the same?" Beichen Haotian proposed. In the world of Naruto, a sworn sibling relationship was much easier to dissolve than a master-apprentice one. After all, there is always the debt of instruction and the bond of lineage between a master and apprentice. Sworn siblings aren't necessarily bound by that.

Tsunade didn't know about the wicked little scheme in Beichen Haotian's heart and turned to ask Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

"What do you think?"

"It's fine. This kid has a bit of pride in his bones; you really couldn't tell usually." Jiraiya expressed his agreement.

Orochimaru also nodded slightly. At this time, the relationship between Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade was still quite good. It was only later that the only people who could stir the emotions in the depths of Orochimaru's heart were his childhood teammates and the Third Hokage.

In fact, Orochimaru's later so-called Konoha Crush Plan was less of an invasion and more of a farewell. Otherwise, there would have been no need to kill the Fourth Kazekage; keeping him alive would have been much more helpful in destroying Konoha.

The Third Hokage was old, and Orochimaru didn't want to watch the object of his childhood admiration die of old age. Therefore, he presented him with a grand stage for his departure, fighting against Orochimaru, the First Hokage, and the Second Hokage, dying to protect Konoha—that could be considered a fitting end. It was just that the method was hard for people to accept. If there was one other goal, it was probably Sasuke. After being defeated by Itachi, Orochimaru had become obsessively infatuated with the Sharingan.

"Fine, from today on, you are my sworn brother, and I am your sworn sister. Kid, call me sister and let me hear it," Tsunade said triumphantly.

Beichen Haotian sweated a little inside, but obediently called out: "Sister Tsunade."

Hahaha, Tsunade laughed triumphantly, leaving the people nearby speechless.

Just as Tsunade was laughing, a Ninja Hawk flew near the back mountain of Konoha, letting out bursts of sharp, piercing cries that seemed extremely urgent.

Everyone's expression instantly turned grave, Beichen Haotian included. Having studied at the Ninja Academy, he knew this was the signal to summon all Jonin and above in Konoha. What could be important enough to summon all of Konoha's Jonin? There was only one answer: a war was coming, and the Second Shinobi World War was about to begin.

"You two go back and prepare. War is coming. The three of us have to go to the Hokage Building." Jiraiya had lost his usual playful, informal demeanor. War was a heavy word; it meant countless sacrifices, countless bloodshed, and countless shattered families.

Minato and Beichen Haotian acknowledged this and turned to leave. War was imminent, and even with their talent, they would usually be assigned tasks with relatively low danger. But war is war; you never know if you might fall into danger, so making some preparations was necessary.

On the way home, Beichen Haotian went to a pharmacy and bought some common medicines. Although they weren't as good as the supplies at Konoha Hospital, and certainly not as good as Medical Ninjutsu, they were still somewhat effective.

Returning home, he put some kunai and shuriken he had stored into his ninja tool pouch. He took out his Tang Saber, wiped it with a white cloth, and at the same time pondered ninjutsu in his mind, showing no signs of worry.

Beichen Haotian had experienced many battles, so naturally, he wouldn't fear war; instead, he felt a bit excited. Because his family's Blood Battle General Saber had been perfected in the One Piece World, if he wanted to reach the highest level and unleash the maximum power of the unique techniques he had created in his previous life, slaughter and blood were essential.

In his previous life in the One Piece World, Beichen Haotian's nickname was the Asura Great Swordsman. As his blade light danced, blood filled the sky; his blade light was domineering, sharp, bloodthirsty, and crazy. After being fused with Armament Haki, the blade light took on a black-red color, adding even more power. In the One Piece World, there were truly few things Beichen Haotian couldn't cut.

In the Hokage Building, the Jonin of Konoha gathered in the large conference room, and those who were out on missions were also being recalled one after another.

The Third Hokage sat in the main seat at the large conference table, with Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Anbu Captain Hatake Sakumo, the heads of the Hyuga Clan, Uchiha Clan, and other families, the trio of Jiraiya, and the Jonin Squad Leader, among other key figures of Konoha, sitting on either side. With these figures as the core, the sides were crowded with Jonin, and the entire conference room was filled with a heavy atmosphere.

Cough, cough. The Third Hokage coughed twice, breaking the silence first, and said: "Definite intelligence has arrived. Sunagakure and Iwagakure are organizing large-scale ninja forces. By the time the news reaches Konoha, they have likely already begun to act."

"Is the Second Shinobi World War starting? Hiruzen, since Sunagakure and Iwagakure have already made their move, we cannot be passive. I suggest we immediately dispatch the First Legion and the Fourth Legion to the Land of Rain to intercept the enemy outside the borders of the Land of Fire. We must not let the flames of war burn into the territory of the Land of Fire." Danzō said coldly, a flash of cold light in his eyes, implying that the Land of Rain should be the battlefield.

Some of the people present felt a bit unbearable, but they couldn't speak out against it. Could they really let the flames of war burn into the Land of Fire? If they had said that, they would likely have been condemned by everyone before they could finish.

"However, if we want to use the Land of Rain as the battlefield, we must first defeat Amegakure and defeat Hanzō. Although it's a bit troublesome, Amegakure cannot possibly block the successive attacks of three major hidden villages. After dealing with Amegakure, we will then defeat Sunagakure and Iwagakure. Leave the Second Legion and the Third Legion to guard against Kirigakure and Kumogakure, and the Garrison Legion to protect Konoha; that way, it will be foolproof." Shimura Danzō spoke again, his tone extremely confident, as if the other hidden villages were nothing but dirt and dogs before Konoha.

However, Konoha at this time did indeed have the capital to be proud. The Third Hokage, known as the "Shinobi Hero," was in his prime, and there were few people in the entire ninja world who could contend with him. Konoha White Fang's reputation was far and wide, and some villages even said: "If you encounter Konoha White Fang, you can abandon the mission; there is no need to make meaningless sacrifices."

The disciples of the Third Hokage had also grown up, their strength between Elite Jonin and Kage-level, which could be called quasi-Kage-level. They only needed an opportunity to become Kage-level powerhouses.

Although the Uchiha Clan of Konoha was still viewed with suspicion by the village at this time, it was not as severe as it would be later. As the number one noble clan in the ninja world, its strength was unquestionable; the strength of a single clan was even stronger than some small hidden villages. The Hyuga Clan could contend with the Uchiha Clan, so their strength was not much different.

Coupled with the Sarutobi Clan, Nara Clan, Inuzuka Clan, Akimichi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, and other large and small families, as well as a large number of civilian ninja, their strength was an absolute crushing force when facing any other hidden village.

"Does anyone else have any opinions?" The Third Hokage clasped his fingers together, his elbows resting on the table, his eyes calm, showing no emotion.

Hearing this, everyone had no objections. There was no problem with the grand strategy, and the specific implementation of tactics would require specific commanders to be responsible.

"Good, since everyone has no objections, the meeting is adjourned. Everyone, go and prepare." The Third Hokage said.

Early the next morning, Beichen Haotian felt the change in the atmosphere in the village. Entertainment activities had clearly decreased, and the atmosphere on the streets was also somewhat heavy.

Beichen Haotian also received his mission: to transport supplies to the front line. Although there was still danger, it was much safer than the front-line battlefield. There wouldn't be many enemy ninja breaking through Konoha's defenses to attack the rear supply lines, and besides, he had companions.

At eight in the morning, Beichen Haotian followed the logistics supply team, transporting medicine, food, kunai, shuriken, tents, and other supplies toward the Land of Rain. As for Konoha's First Legion and Fourth Legion, they had already rushed to the Land of Rain before dawn, led by Konoha White Fang. The Third Hokage remained in Konoha, and if the battlefield required it, he would immediately join the fray.

By the time Beichen Haotian reached the border of the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Rain, he could hear faint, intermittent explosions from time to time.

Throughout the Land of Rain, the rain fell incessantly, getting heavier and heavier, with black clouds covering the sky, giving people a very heavy and oppressive feeling. War, a heavy and oppressive environment—the transport personnel wearing raincoats were all silent. In this situation, no one really had the mood to talk or joke.

Beichen Haotian was in a pretty good mood; he liked rainy days. Now, in the early stages of the war, it wasn't busy yet, and he was relatively free. Beichen Haotian even practiced hand seals in his spare time to increase his speed. Once he had the strength, status, and merit, he would have the capital to ask the Third Hokage for things. Using sword techniques while using hand seals for ninjutsu would be a great boost to Beichen Haotian's strength.

Thanks, brother, for the recommendation vote. Is that two-character word you used "diaosi"? I only checked the first character and guessed the second. If it is, brother, you are truly impressive!