Forty-Nine: The Second Shinobi World War Begins Again

Deep blue mist spread through the forest as several water dragons circled in the air, burst through the veil, and charged toward the Konoha Ninja.

"Everyone, be careful!"

As the Earth and Lightning Release specialists rushed out of the formation, they formed Hand Seals.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

"Lightning Release: Swift Lightning Arrow!"

A wall of earth without any carved dog heads surged up from the ground, blocking the water dragons. White lightning shot out from behind it, and the Konoha Ninja engaged the Amegakure Ninja who had created the water dragons.

Atop the tallest tree in the forest, Sakuya stood on the canopy. Flames coalesced around him into an arm and a great bow. He gripped the bow in his right hand and drew the string with his left.

Amid the flames' humming, an arrow with a dragon's head, formed from fire of extreme heat, streaked across the sky. The moment it touched the Water Release Ninjutsu created by the Amegakure Ninja, crimson flames of such heat ignited every drop of water. The flame dragon's head, sharper than a blade, plummeted from the sky and tore through the defensive line.

Roar——!

A mighty dragon's roar rang across the battlefield. The intense heat instantly vaporized the mist, and the dense trees caught fire. Black smoke billowed up and quickly shrouded the entire battlefield. The forest, where the Amegakure Ninja's techniques had created a thick fog, was transformed by that one arrow into a sweltering summer day.

The snow had only just begun to melt, and the Shinobi World War, which had finally paused, was now raging again.

Unlike before, Hanzo of the Salamander had tried to break through the encirclement formed by the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind the moment the fighting began.

He wanted to move the battlefield away from the Land of Rain's borders.

The two nations naturally couldn't accept that. And now that an antidote had been developed, most of their combat-ready Ninja no longer had to fear the poison of Hanzo's salamander.

As a result, Sakuya and the others, who had previously been stationed in places like the Land of River and the Land of Fang to deal with the Rock Ninja and hold back the Iwagakure forces, had also arrived at the battlefield in the Land of Rain.

Meanwhile, Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki seemed to have made some kind of deal with the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire without anyone noticing. As he watched Sakuya and the others leave the battlefield, he showed no reaction at all, simply looking on as the two nations moved their main forces away.

Sakuya guessed that they had already achieved their goal of weakening the Small Nations Alliance. They could now sit back and watch the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire fight the Land of Rain to the death; there was no need for them to get involved.

If the two nations won, it would be a costly victory, and they would inevitably be weakened. If they lost, the badly battered Amegakure couldn't grow stronger either. They could only watch as Iwagakure, the ultimate victor, claimed the spoils.

But none of that had much to do with Sakuya.

He drew the great bow in his hands. Fire-natured chakra flowed through his flaming arm and reformed an arrow on the bowstring.

Watching the opportunity the Konoha Ninja below had created for him, he was about to fire again.

But—

"Don't even think about it!!!"

He was simply too great a threat on this battlefield. Three elite Amegakure Jonin used their superb Body Flicker Technique to break through the encirclement and reach Sakuya's side.

With savage expressions, they gripped Kunai or short swords and slashed at him.

Sakuya didn't even look at them.

As a sun rose in his eyes, black flames took the shape of a dragon and coiled around him.

The dragon raised its head and roared.

These Jonin, whom others would have had to pay a heavy price to take down, melted away along with everything they had the instant the black flame dragon rose.

The black flames gathered their remains and coalesced on Sakuya's bow. Without hesitation, he used them as ammunition for his next shot.

"Everyone!! It's coming!"

Seeing the crimson sun in Sakuya's pupils, Orochimaru opened his mouth and shouted.

The Konoha Ninja, who had long been in sync with him, heard his warning and felt the scorching heat at their backs. They immediately rolled to the side to dodge.

In the next instant, a murky sun fell from the sky.

The black flames, blazing with extreme heat and white light, consumed the forest almost instantly. The pale ground was exposed before everyone's eyes, but the flames showed no mercy to anything they could ignite.

They were like a Taotie that could never be sated, devouring every living thing around them in a frenzy.

The Ninja who witnessed the scene retreated in terror. Only after they had reached a safe distance did Orochimaru leap up and land beside Sakuya to speak with him.

"Sakuya, take a break. We've dealt with all the Ninja who charged out from the Land of Rain's border in this wave."

"Yeah."

Sakuya nodded.

The bright, sun-red glow in his eyes gradually dimmed.

He landed at the foot of a tree and leaned against it, panting heavily.

"Any news about Hanzo of the Salamander?"

"No. We haven't seen the Demigod on any of the three battlefields."

Orochimaru shook his head.

"So he's hiding. That man..."

Sakuya furrowed his brow slightly. Something about it felt wrong.

Since the Second Shinobi World War had resumed, the Demigod had not appeared on the battlefield even once.

No one had considered the possibility that he had surrendered or was avoiding battle.

That man was the Demigod of the Shinobi World.

A true Demigod.

The strongest man in the Shinobi World today.

Even with the full strength of the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, and after they had found a way to neutralize his summoning beast's poison, he was still the Demigod. Relying solely on Water Release enhanced by the rain, he had kept the two nations from advancing into the Land of Rain for a long time.

Although the two nations had managed to trap him here, if the stalemate continued, all three sides would suffer, while Iwagakure alone would reap the rewards.

The Land of Wind and the Land of Fire didn't want to see that happen.

That was why today's battle had begun.

Hatake Sakumo was responsible for the west, while Sakuya and Orochimaru led the forces in the south, and the Third Kazekage was responsible for the east.

The three forces were advancing together, aiming to break through Amegakure's defenses once and for all.

Truthfully, everyone knew.

Whether they could break through Amegakure's defenses really depended on where Hanzo of the Salamander was.

Only by defeating or driving him back—forcing him to cower inside Amegakure like a toothless tiger trapped in a cage—could they truly bring the Second Shinobi World War to an end.

But the Demigod still hadn't entered the battle. They hadn't even seen him on the battlefield.

The only thing they could see was his summoning beast, darting between the three fronts.

What was Hanzo of the Salamander thinking?

No one could understand.

"Still, if he keeps refusing to come out, that's good for us."

Orochimaru gazed toward the distant border of the Land of Rain.

"We've already repelled three waves of Amegakure Ninja here today. Sakumo and the Third Kazekage are probably seeing the same on their fronts. The Land of Rain has little land and scarce water, and can't support large populations. After today's charge, how many effective fighters can they have left, even with the remaining Ninja of the Small Nations Alliance?"

His golden eyes held a hint of ease. "Even if Hanzo refuses to show himself, he'll soon have no one left to fight for him."