Reinforcements Have Arrived

Crow Forest.

This once-lush forest had now become a blazing inferno.

Flames licked every inch of the land. The stench of charred wood and nauseating blood was everywhere.

Thick smoke coiled into the sky, turning the sunset a deep red.

"Bam!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen swept the Adamantine Staff in his hands, whipping up a gale as he struck an Iwagakure jōnin hard in the ribs.

The sharp crack of breaking bones was instantly swallowed by the surrounding explosions.

The jōnin's body flew dozens of meters like a rag doll, smashing through two charred trees before coming to a stop.

"Huff... huff..."

He panted heavily, leaning on the Adamantine Staff as he looked up at the sky.

High above, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, hovered with his arms crossed, smugness written all over his face.

"Our intelligence has been completely compromised... We've been forced back again and again..."

"Who the hell leaked the information..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered through gritted teeth, but he had no time to root out the spy hiding in the shadows.

Because...

Ōnoki's hands began gathering white light once more.

"Don't even think about it!"

He abruptly raised the Adamantine Staff. It shot longer in an instant, thrusting viciously toward Ōnoki in the sky.

Ōnoki had no choice but to dodge, and the Dust Release that was about to take shape dispersed in his haste.

But that was little more than a drop in the ocean.

Ever since Minato had exhausted himself to the limit using Flying Thunder God to relocate Konoha's entire position, he had collapsed from chakra depletion and been sent back to the village.

Without the Yellow Flash to hold them back, Konoha's defenses had begun to crumble rapidly.

The front line had been forced back again and again. Even with him personally overseeing the battle, it had made no difference.

Every deployment and every shipment of supplies was somehow leaked without anyone noticing.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't personally taken charge of the battlefield, he would never have believed the front-line intelligence could be compromised so thoroughly.

What chilled him even more were the undercurrents stirring among the clans within the village...

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen suppressed the gloom in his heart and rapidly formed Hand Seals. A roaring fire dragon burst from his mouth, forcing back several Iwagakure Ninja trying to surround Kakashi.

"Splurt!"

Seizing the opportunity, Hatake Kakashi's short blade flashed with a chilling glint and slashed open an enemy's throat.

He was drenched in blood. His left Sharingan was webbed with blood vessels from the strain, nearly turning it into a dark-red agate.

But he didn't dare stop for even a moment. Taking advantage of the Hokage's Fire Style, he finished off the enemy before him with precision.

"Kakashi, fall back! Don't let them trap you in their encirclement!"

Shikaku's urgent voice rang through his mind via the communication technique.

Kakashi wiped away the blood obscuring his vision, kicked the corpse in front of him, and used the momentum to leap backward.

At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen's four Shadow Clones spread out in the four cardinal directions.

The Sarutobi Hiruzen in front of them created four more Shadow Clones, and they all unleashed a powerful technique at once.

Five Style: Great Barrage.

Chakra torrents of five different natures converged into a destructive tide and surged toward the Iwagakure position.

Ōnoki merely snorted. After gathering chakra high in the sky, he formed a white cube that neutralized most of the incoming techniques.

"Jiraiya, how much longer can you hold out?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked toward him.

Jiraiya had long since lost his usual boldness. His face was undergoing violent toad-like changes, and chakra depletion had left him struggling just to stand.

Jiraiya wiped away his sweat. His gaze lingered on Iwagakure's Explosion Corps for a moment before settling once more on the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.

"Sage Mode... I'm almost at my limit."

Jiraiya gave a bitter smile. The two sages, Fukasaku and Shima, perched on his shoulders were panting even harder.

"I only just managed to grasp the basics of this mode. I can't maintain it for long... Sensei... the situation..."

Sensei hadn't slept for days. If the fighting continued...

He feared...

"Sensei, let Iwagakure through. We should retreat to the village first..."

"We can't retreat any farther!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's weary body straightened abruptly, cutting Jiraiya off.

"This is the decisive battle."

Sarutobi Hiruzen lifted the Adamantine Staff, heavy as a mountain.

He knew very well that retreating now would cost them more than land. They would lose the hearts of the people, built up since the First founded the village, and the backbone that had kept the Shinobi World in awe.

Sarutobi Hiruzen drew a deep breath, and his fighting spirit surged once more.

At that moment, his short frame seemed impossibly tall.

He raised his voice, channeling chakra into it as he shouted to all the Konoha Ninja.

"The Will of Fire is the will passed down by the First!"

"Wherever leaves dance, the fire will never die. Its light will illuminate the village and make new leaves sprout!"

"Trust your comrades! Trust the land beneath your feet! Konoha will not stop here!"

As his words rang out, the short figure roared and charged without hesitation toward the heart of Ōnoki's position.

He would decide the battle in one strike.

Even if it cost him his life, he would drag Ōnoki into the abyss.

Every Konoha ninja on the field watched the Third Hokage's resolute retreating figure. For a moment, all was silent.

Then their fighting spirit erupted like a volcano.

"Kill! For Konoha!"

"When the village is in danger, it's our time to give everything!"

"Come on, you Iwagakure bastards!"

"Konoha was founded by the First and Lord Madara!"

"The Will of Fire was proposed by Lord Madara, too! Kill them!"

"Fools!"

Ōnoki spat from the sky. Seeing the Konoha forces' rising morale, he raised his voice as well.

"The Will of Stone of Iwagakure is no weaker than Konoha's!"

"Children of Iwagakure, this is our chance to stand tall in the Shinobi World and reclaim our place as the foremost ninja village among the Five Great Nations!"

"Go!"

At Ōnoki's roar, Four-Tails Roshi and Five-Tails Han almost simultaneously entered Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Their red Tailed Beast Cloaks churned like boiling lava as the monstrous beasts trampled the scorched earth and charged into battle with a roar.

Under the blazing sun, the entire battlefield looked unbearably tragic.

Countless ninja fought and died in that meat grinder.

You stabbed me, and I slashed you.

When their Ninja Blades broke, they used ninjutsu.

When their chakra ran dry, they fought hand to hand.

As time passed, the scales of battle inevitably tipped toward Iwagakure.

Without Mangekyō, Uchiha Fugaku and his clan were powerless before the Tailed Beasts.

With his senjutsu chakra exhausted, Jiraiya could only struggle to hold his ground in the molten rock with his summoned toads.

The Konoha forces fought desperately to keep Iwagakure's troops at bay.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings against kings.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's vision began to blur. His chakra was so depleted that even his senses had grown sluggish.

All around him, countless green Konoha flak jackets were falling, while the earth-brown Iwagakure Ninja seemed like an endless swarm of locusts.

Was Konoha really finished...

?

No.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

A series of deep, steady footsteps, carrying an oppressive weight, suddenly came from the flank of the battlefield.

The earth trembled. Even the waves of heat seemed to be suppressed by a cold presence.

Everyone stopped fighting as one and turned toward the sound.

At the far end of the blood-red dusk, a colossal purple serpent, as vast as a mountain ridge, raised its head and surged through the smoke.

And the man standing atop its head...

His long hair fluttered in the wind. His features were gentle as jade, his pale face utterly impassive.

"That's..."

"It's Lord Orochimaru!"

"Orochimaru's finally here!!"

The Konoha Ninja, who had been on the brink of defeat, erupted into near-mad cheers.

The dry corners of Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth lifted into a complicated smile.

The reinforcements had arrived.

Shhh!

A vast torrent of Gold Dust swept through the sunset and rushed into the Iwagakure ranks.

Ōnoki's smug expression froze.

What shocked him wasn't Orochimaru, but the person Orochimaru had brought...

The Fourth Kazekage.

Rasa.

"Why is Sunagakure here?!"

"Where did all these Sunagakure troops come from?!"

Ōnoki flew into the Iwagakure ranks and barely managed to use Dust Release to cancel out the Gold Dust. His eyes locked on Rasa, who stood atop the golden sand with his arms crossed, looking full of confidence.

Countless possibilities flashed through Ōnoki's mind.

Had Sunagakure secretly allied with Konoha?

How was that possible?!

Had Orochimaru offered him something he couldn't refuse?

"Father, what should we do?"

Kitsuchi wiped the soot from his face and looked anxiously at his father.

Under his father's suppression, the Third Hokage was gradually losing ground.

Even his father was exhausted.

But he believed that if Iwagakure just had a little more time, they could take Konoha completely.

"Damn it..."

Ōnoki looked toward the Sunagakure forces that had joined Konoha in the distance, and toward Orochimaru at their head. His gaze paused on their position as he carefully studied every corner.

Chiyo wasn't there.

Ebizo wasn't there either.

Only Rasa and his troops had come, along with a small number of elite ninja.

Ōnoki's brow relaxed slightly, and he let out a cold laugh.

"It's fine. Only Rasa came from Sunagakure. Those two old geezers, Chiyo and Ebizo, are nowhere to be seen. We still have a chance!"

"Yes!"

"Give the order: charge the Konoha forces and go straight for Sarutobi Hiruzen's head!"

Kitsuchi answered firmly, then turned and ran toward the battlefield to relay the order.

That was what he said, but Ōnoki's heart was pounding.

Chiyo's absence meant Sunagakure hadn't sent all its forces.

But Rasa's arrival alone said plenty.

He hadn't been in power for long...

And already he dared to make such a decision...

Ōnoki looked at Rasa again, a hard-to-name unease rising in his heart.

"Orochimaru..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned on the Adamantine Staff, his chest heaving. He was covered in dust and blood, some of it belonging to his enemies and some his own.

He looked toward the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the distance, his feelings a tangled mix of relief and unease.

By this point, he'd given up hope that Orochimaru could bring reinforcements.

Convincing Sunagakure to send troops was practically an impossible task.

But he never expected...

The mission to have gone perfectly.

Orochimaru had even brought Sunagakure's rising star, the Kazekage, with him.

"Lord Rasa, Konoha will remember your kindness..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen gathered his thoughts and was just about to return to the battlefield.

A small snake slithered around his wrist. Its grip was not strong, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.

"Teacher..."

Orochimaru stood atop Manda with his arms crossed. His pale face showed neither joy nor sorrow, but his voice held a rare trace of warmth.

"This is the era of the young now. You should get some rest..."

"As for the rest, leave it to your beloved disciples."

"I also want Ōnoki to know that students of the Third Hokage can stand against him, too..."

"That's right!"

Jiraiya bounded forward a few steps and landed with a crash beside Orochimaru.

His signature coat was torn in several places, and blood still poured from the wound in his left arm. Yet his angular face was alight with nearly arrogant pride and excitement.

"As one of the legendary Sannin, I can't let you steal the whole show!"

"Summoning Technique!"

Poof!

A huge cloud of smoke erupted on the battlefield, and a deafening Frog Song announced to the entire battlefield—

The legendary Sannin had returned.

Disciples...?

Could it be...?

"Katsuyu, please heal everyone!"

As if he had realized something, Sarutobi Hiruzen whipped around to look toward the rear of Sunagakure's position.

There was a loud poof at the rear!

A huge cloud of smoke burst into existence.

A gigantic slug appeared, its soft body stretched along the edge of the battlefield like a small mountain.

Atop its head, Tsunade's eyes were tightly shut, and her body trembled faintly.

Tsunade had come, too...

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes grew slightly red.

He remembered the scene from many years ago, when the three children had first formed a team.

Back then, Jiraiya had been a reckless, impulsive fool; Orochimaru had been quiet but exceptionally gifted; and Tsunade had been the little princess who was always losing her temper.

Since the Second Shinobi World War, the Sannin...

Had reunited as if by a miracle, at the moment Konoha's survival was at stake.

"The Konoha Sannin are assembled once more!"

Jiraiya grinned as he stood atop Gamabunta.

Gamabunta's massive figure crushed the surrounding rock walls. He puffed out smoke as his frog eyes swept over the battlefield.

"Hey, Jiraiya, how did the fighting end up all the way over here? Is that old Ōnoki really that strong?"

"Manda, you're here too..."

Gamabunta glanced sideways at the giant snake, his tone disdainful, but he had already drawn the enormous short blade at his waist.

"Cut the chatter."

Manda fixed his greedy, vertical pupils on Iwagakure's position and flicked his tongue.

"Orochimaru, I want five hundred living sacrifices this time. Otherwise, I'm leaving at once..."

"Heh heh heh... Manda, go ahead."

Orochimaru folded his arms gracefully, his black hair dancing wildly in the gale.

"As for your sacrifices... There are thousands of Iwagakure Ninja ahead. If you can swallow them, they're all yours."

"Hmph, that's more like it."

Manda snorted. His enormous body surged forward, cracking the earth and toppling trees as the Iwagakure Ninja fled in terror.

"There's still a chance..."

In the air, Ōnoki darted around frantically amid Gold Dust's pursuit, his shrewd gaze fixed on the situation below.

He was certain Sunagakure was only putting on a show. Sunagakure and Konoha had too many old grudges to truly unite.

This intervention had to be driven by self-interest.

As long as Iwagakure showed enough strength, Sunagakure would surely back down.

"Explosion Corps, target Konoha's new generation!"

Dozens of Iwagakure elites rode Light-Weight Rock Birds enhanced by Ōnoki. Like a swarm of black locusts, they streaked across the sky, each bird carrying bundles of Explosive Tags and specially made bombs.

Meanwhile, the Sunagakure forces seemed to deliberately ignore the Iwagakure troops.

This made the Explosion Corps captain feel a moment of delight.

Just as I thought!

Sunagakure was only pretending!

"Die!!"

He frantically hurled every bomb he had stockpiled against his chest toward the center where Konoha's younger generation had gathered.

Whoosh—

Boom!!

Flames soared into the sky. Dense, successive explosions turned the area within a hundred meters into scorched earth, and billowing smoke rose into the air.

"Got them!"

Before the captain could burst into laughter, his expression froze.

At the very center of the smoke, a dazzling sphere of chakra, shot through with purple lightning, spun at high speed.

"What is—"

Before he could say anything, several black Senbon pierced his throat, heart, and limbs with unerring precision.

He fell along with his bird without even having time to scream.

On the ground, the purple chakra barrier faded like the tide receding.

The figure in white calmly drew back his long hair.

"Hyuga... Qinglan?"

Hatake Kakashi dropped to one knee, staring in shock at the purple Rotation that had protected the entire young unit almost single-handedly.

He clearly remembered that Hyuga Qinglan was not much older than he was.

He had even become a jonin earlier than Qinglan.

Yet Rotation on this level... It was practically on par with the elders of the Hyuga Clan's Main Branch.

"I'm not too late, am I?"

Hyuga Qinglan slowly turned around and smiled warmly, as gentle as jade, at the youthful faces behind him, still shaken by what they had just survived.