Song of Rain from All Sides

Uchiha Kiyoshi sprinted all the way, wind whipping at his feet as if a demon were chasing him, not daring to pause or delay for even a single moment.

He was gasping for air, drenched in sweat, his clothes torn by branches and his hair in disarray. He looked far more wretched than the soldiers currently fighting tooth and nail on the front lines.

Seeing this, Tsunade furrowed her brows slightly, wondering to herself what could have possibly happened.

She waved her hand gently, signaling a subordinate to bring over a canteen of water, and said softly, "Drink slowly, don't choke." Watching Uchiha Kiyoshi's frantic and panicked state, Tsunade's confusion only deepened.

Could there be some urgent order of life-or-death importance? But why would Uchiha Kiyoshi be the one to deliver the message personally instead of the usual scouts? And looking at his disheveled appearance, the news he brought must be of monumental significance.

Yet, seeing Uchiha Kiyoshi so anxious and flustered, Tsunade found it difficult to press him for details right away.

Uchiha Kiyoshi took the canteen and began to gulp down the water with desperate thirst, the sound of "glug, glug" echoing as he downed several mouthfuls of the cool liquid.

After slightly quenching his thirst, he finally looked up at Tsunade, panting heavily as he stammered, "Uchiha... Lord Kō, he says, he says..." But the words seemed to catch in his throat, and he failed to complete the sentence.

"Say what? Hurry up and speak!" Tsunade urged him with growing anxiety, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead. It wasn't just Tsunade; the ninjas Long Yi, Long Er, and the other Uchiha clansmen present were equally on edge, but seeing Uchiha Kiyoshi's grave expression and his hesitation, they didn't dare to pressure him too harshly.

Finally, Uchiha Kiyoshi took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "To attack the city is the lowest form of warfare; to attack the heart is the highest. Now that the enemy's supplies are cut off, their morale must be crumbling."

"At this moment, we only need to send ninjas to learn the local folk songs from the villagers in the surrounding towns, and then have these ninjas sing them loudly in front of the enemy troops."

"By doing this, we will surely disturb the minds of Salamander Hanzō and his subordinates, shattering their psychological defenses and ultimately winning this battle without shedding a drop of blood!"

As it turned out, while rushing here, Uchiha Kiyoshi had been carefully weighing and organizing this very argument in his mind.

After hearing this, a look of doubt first appeared on Tsunade's face. After all, for an enemy as powerful as Salamander Hanzō, could a few songs really force him to surrender?

She fell into deep thought, muttering to herself, "If Salamander Hanzō does not choose to surrender because of this, how should we respond?"

Immediately, she looked up, her gaze fixed on Uchiha Kiyoshi, waiting for a convincing answer.

Just then, a low and authoritative voice rang out: "If the opponent refuses to surrender, then we continue the siege. Once the food in the city is exhausted and cannot be replenished, they will naturally fall into chaos." As the voice faded, the tall, upright figure of Uchiha Kō slowly emerged.

The crowd looked toward the sound to see Uchiha Kō standing against the wind in a black war robe, like an immovable mountain. His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, exuding a chilling aura.

Seeing Uchiha Kō appear, the previously weary Senju ninjas were instantly revitalized, their faces lighting up with joy. It was because, over the past period, the wisdom and tactical brilliance Uchiha Kō had displayed were nothing short of stunning, winning the admiration of everyone.

His arrival was like a shot of adrenaline, causing a stir among the crowd. However, after her initial joy, Tsunade's expression quickly turned stern. She walked up to Uchiha Kō, her brows arched, and chided, "Lord Kō, how could you come to the front lines yourself! As our commander, do you not even understand the simple principle that a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall?"

Facing Tsunade's questioning, the smile that had been on Uchiha Kō's lips faded slightly, and he scratched his head in embarrassment, explaining, "Hehe, don't be angry, Lady Tsunade. I was simply bored to death in the rear command post. Seeing everyone fighting so bravely, how could I sit idly in the tent? So I couldn't help but come to join the excitement."

Uchiha Kō's gaze shifted restlessly, as if he dared not meet anyone's eyes.

The real reason he had snuck here was entirely out of concern for Tsunade's safety.

Not long ago, he had just deployed his carefully crafted psychological strategy, but afterward, an indescribable sense of unease had lingered in his heart, making him feel as if something terrible was about to happen.

Under the weight of this strong premonition, after much internal struggle, Uchiha Kō had finally decided to rush to the front.

After all, if an unexpected situation truly arose, being on-site would allow him to take countermeasures as quickly as possible, thereby avoiding more serious consequences.

Tsunade stared unblinkingly at the slightly flustered Uchiha Kō before her. After a long while, she sighed helplessly: "Fine, let's not dwell on these annoying thoughts; I can't figure it out anyway." Tsunade had never been keen on pondering complex problems, as it was simply too draining.

Then, Tsunade looked at Uchiha Kō with a serious expression and said solemnly: "However, Lord Kō, I must say this clearly upfront."

"Since you have come to the front and joined my troops, you must follow my commands and arrangements. You are absolutely forbidden from acting on your own!"

Although these words sounded like a stern warning, in reality, Tsunade was doing this out of concern for Uchiha Kō's personal safety.

Uchiha Kō was a man of great intelligence; how could he not understand the hidden meaning in Tsunade's words?

He nodded slightly to show he understood, his tone firm: "This Humble One will certainly obey Lady Tsunade's orders. Even if there are mountains of blades and seas of fire ahead, I will rush forward without hesitation and never retreat a single step!"

Having said that, he lifted his head, a confident and composed smile blooming on his face.

Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and nod to herself.

Immediately after, she began to methodically deploy the next phase of their operation.

First, she ordered her subordinates to diligently learn the local folk songs, then dispatched her scouts to quickly inform Jiraiya and Orochimaru of the situation.