War in the Southwest

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse; cold moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting mottled spots of light across the dense forest on the border of the Land of Rivers.

A night breeze brushed past, carrying the damp moisture of the river valley in the distance, leaving the forest so silent that only the rhythmic chirping of insects remained.

Several dark shadows moved through the forest, and the one leading them was none other than Orochimaru.

The Konohagakure shinobi force he led had completed a long-distance forced march to rendezvous with Jiraiya and his border troops, who had been waiting here for some time.

Behind them, numerous figures loomed, forming a dense, dark mass in the forest clearing.

The Anbu shinobi who had come to meet them knelt on one knee, quickly drawing a simple map on the ground with a kunai, and spoke with concise brevity.

"The main frontline camp of Sunagakure is ten miles from here, established by relying on the terrain of the river valley."

His voice was kept very low, and he spoke with great speed, "It is divided into front and rear wings. The exact number of personnel has not been fully determined, but based on past encounters, the scale of their tents, and their daily aggressive activities, the garrison is no fewer than three thousand."

Jiraiya crossed his arms, his rugged brows furrowing slightly.

His gaze swept over the silent, visibly exhausted Konohagakure reinforcements behind Orochimaru, then turned to the side toward the jonin commander from the Sarutobi Clan who was responsible for the defense of this area.

Under the constant harassment tactics of Sunagakure, this commander appeared mentally and physically drained, and his troops had been reduced from two thousand to fewer than eighteen hundred, forcing them to hunker down in defense.

"Our current strength, combined with the reinforcements brought by Orochimaru, totals approximately thirty-eight hundred men."

Jiraiya analyzed in a low voice, his words audible only to those few nearby.

"In terms of manpower, we should not be inferior to Sunagakure. Hiruzen-sensei's order is to finish this quickly, crush them, and intimidate the petty villains."

He turned to look at Orochimaru.

"Your troops have traveled a long distance and have not stopped along the way. Can their stamina support launching an offensive immediately tonight?"

Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils glinted with a cold light under the moonlight.

"It is of no concern. A short rest will suffice; a surprise attack tonight is the perfect timing."

"Good!"

A flash of brilliance crossed Jiraiya's eyes as he decisively made the call, "We shall take advantage of the fact that Sunagakure has not yet realized our reinforcements have arrived, catch them off guard, and launch a direct assault!"

The commander from the Sarutobi Clan stood to the side, silently listening as the two "Sannin" decided on the offensive strategy in an instant.

His lips moved, and a trace of dissatisfaction at being ignored flickered in his heart, but it was overshadowed by a sense of relief.

The feeling of having someone else standing at the front to bear the pressure—it was truly good. In any case, he would not lose a single bit of the credit for victory, and if they failed, it would not be his responsibility.

Following the orders issued by Orochimaru and Jiraiya, nearly four thousand Konohagakure shinobi, led by their respective captains, crept toward the river valley, fanning out to occupy advantageous positions.

A distance of ten miles, for a shinobi, was nothing more than a brief moment of exertion.

Sunagakure had layers upon layers of visible and hidden sentries; with the sheer size of the Konohagakure force, it was impossible to sneak close enough to launch a surprise attack.

However, with the X-ray vision of the Byakugan and the assassinations carried out by elite shinobi like Orochimaru and Jiraiya, the Sunagakure outposts in the wild were killed off one by one.

The Konohagakure force now held the initiative!

When the shinobi force appeared in the shadows on both sides of the river valley, the towering watchtowers on the perimeter of the Sunagakure camp sounded a shrill alarm!

"Enemy attack--!"

The warning roar had barely pierced the night sky before it was completely drowned out by a more violent sound.

"Fire!"

Following the original tactical arrangement, the Konohagakure squad leaders issued short, sharp commands in unison.

The next moment, the moonlight over the river valley suddenly dimmed.

Thousands of shuriken and kunai, like a rainstorm flying in reverse, poured down from both banks with ear-piercing whistles, instantly covering the entire forward area of the Sunagakure camp!

The storm of metal ruthlessly tore through tents and nailed into wooden barricades, while the explosive tags attached to them detonated frantically.

Many struck the bodies of Sunagakure shinobi who were rushing out of their tents in a panic, kicking up sprays of vivid, tragic blood.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Combined Ninjutsu: Raging Firestorm!"

Under the guidance of the jonin, the chunin from different squads quickly formed hand seals in coordination.

Dozens of shinobi skilled in Wind Style joined forces to blow out a violent, raging gale.

The wind fueled the fire, and the flames spat out by the Fire Style shinobi following behind expanded in the gale, transforming into dozens of roaring, scorching, clawing fire dragons that charged into the Sunagakure camp!

Tents, supplies, and shinobi who could not dodge in time were ignited in an instant.

The entire east side of the river valley turned into a sea of fire, illuminating the horizon in a blood-red glow!

The front half of the Sunagakure camp immediately fell into chaos, with screams, explosions, and the crackling of fire echoing incessantly.

After all, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages; after the initial panic, the Sunagakure shinobi began to organize an effective counterattack under the roars of their mid-to-low-level commanders.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Dozens of earthen walls rose with a boom, blocking the onslaught of ninja tools and Fire Style techniques.

"Wind Release: Wind Scythe!"

Dense, invisible blades of wind flew out from the Sunagakure lines, colliding with the incoming Konohagakure ninja tools and producing a crisp, clattering sound.

Under the cover of their comrades, Sunagakure puppeteers released puppets with bizarre designs.

Wielding poison-tipped blades and spitting lethal senbon, they charged into the vanguard of the Konohagakure formation like ghosts.

The Konohagakure offensive was like a tide, one wave rising before the previous one had even subsided.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Konohagakure ninjas positioned by the river channeled the water, sending a massive water dragon soaring into the sky to smash fiercely against the defensive line Sunagakure was attempting to stabilize.

"Lightning Release: Earth Flash!"

Leaping snakes of lightning spread rapidly along the damp ground and through the water, causing many Sunagakure ninjas to collapse in convulsions.

The light of ninjutsu flickered, collided, and exploded madly across the night sky.

Every massive roar was accompanied by the trembling of the earth and the fading of lives.

The burning camp provided a light source, illuminating countless figures darting back and forth at high speeds.

Sparks from clashing kunai flew everywhere, and the roar of explosive tags echoed one after another.

Suddenly, a chakra as heavy as a mountain erupted from the center of the camp!

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"

Accompanied by a majestic, cold shout, gold dust filled the sky, surging upward like a tsunami.

The torrent of gold dust rapidly solidified, forming a massive barrier that spanned the river valley camp, blocking all the raging fire dragons and violent water dragon bullets!

"It's Lord Rasa!"

Amidst the cheers of the Sunagakure ninjas, Rasa, with his short brown hair, could be seen standing on a cloud formed of gold dust, surrounded by flowing gold, his eyes filled with killing intent and caution.

"Konohagakure ninjas, die!"

He formed hand seals, and the gold dust beneath his feet churned and rolled as if it were a living creature.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust World Method!"

More gold dust surged from the ground, transforming into countless sharp spears that poured down toward the Konohagakure positions.

This indiscriminate, large-scale ninjutsu attack instantly suppressed the Konohagakure offensive, forcing many ninjas to retreat and dodge, while others were pierced through the body by the gold dust spears and pinned to the ground.

"Finally, someone worth fighting."

Standing guard to the side, Orochimaru felt a flicker of excitement in his vertical pupils. He exchanged a glance with Jiraiya, and the two moved in tandem—one in the open and one in the shadows—to strike at Rasa.