Forty-nine: The Second Shinobi World War, Reignited

Deep blue water mist spread through the forest as several water dragons spiraled in mid-air, breaking through the water screen to strike at the Konoha ninja.

"Everyone, watch out!"

Ninja skilled in Earth Release and Lightning Release rushed out of the formation, their hands weaving seals simultaneously.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

"Lightning Release: Swift Lightning Arrow!"

Walls of earth, devoid of dog-head carvings, rose from the ground. As they blocked the water dragons, white lightning surged from behind the barriers, engaging the Amegakure ninja who had unleashed the water technique.

High atop the tallest tree in the forest, Sakuya stood on the canopy. Flames coalesced into arms and a great bow upon his body; he gripped the bow with his right hand and drew the string with his left.

Accompanied by the humming of flames, a dragon-headed arrow forged from high-temperature fire streaked across the horizon. The moment it touched the water-style ninjutsu created by the Amegakure ninja, the intense crimson heat ignited all the water. The fire-dragon head, sharper than any blade, plummeted from the sky and tore through the defensive line.

ROAR—!

A massive dragon roar echoed across the battlefield. The high temperature instantly evaporated the water mist, and the dense trees were set ablaze by the crimson fire. The rising black smoke instantly shrouded the entire battlefield, turning the forest—which had been filled with water mist due to the Amegakure ninja's techniques—into a sweltering summer.

The snow had just begun to melt, and the Second Shinobi World War, which had barely paused, erupted once more.

Unlike before, this time, the Demigod Hanzo attempted to break out of the encirclement formed by the joint forces of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind from the very first moment.

He wanted to shift the battlefield away from the borders of the Land of Rain.

The two nations naturally could not accept such a situation. Furthermore, the appearance of an antidote meant that most combat ninja no longer needed to fear the toxins of the Demigod's salamander.

Therefore, Sakuya and the others, who had previously been stationed in places like the Land of River and the Land of Fang to deal with Rock Ninja and block Iwagakure, had also arrived on the battlefield of the Land of Rain.

As for the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, he seemed to have made some sort of deal with the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire without anyone noticing. He watched as Sakuya and the others withdrew from his front, showing no reaction at all, merely observing as the two nations moved their main forces away.

Sakuya guessed that their goal of weakening the Small Nations Alliance had likely been achieved. Now, they could naturally sit on the sidelines and watch the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Rain tear each other apart, with no need to intervene further.

If the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire won, it would be a pyrrhic victory that would inevitably leave them weakened. If they lost, the heavily battered Amegakure would be unable to grow, leaving them only to watch as the ultimate winner, Iwagakure, reaped the fruits of victory.

However, none of this had anything to do with Sakuya.

He pulled back the great bow in his hands, and fire-attribute chakra flowed through his flaming arms, reconsolidating the arrow onto the bowstring.

Watching the opportunity the Konoha ninja had created for him below, he prepared to fire again.

But.

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

Ultimately, his threat on this battlefield was simply too great. Three elite jonin from Amegakure utilized superior Body Flicker techniques to break through the encirclement and reach Sakuya's side.

With ferocious expressions, they gripped kunai and short blades, slashing toward Sakuya.

Yet, Sakuya did not even look at them.

As a sun rose within his pupils, pitch-black flames transformed into a fire dragon that coiled around his body.

The dragon head let out a shrill cry.

These three jonin, who would have required a heavy price for anyone else to trade lives with, melted into the black fire along with everything they possessed the moment the black dragon rose.

The black flames carried their remains and condensed onto Sakuya's bow, which he unceremoniously used as ammunition for his next shot.

"Everyone!! It's coming!"

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

The Konoha ninja, having long since developed a tacit understanding, heard the call and sensed the scorching heat at their backs, immediately rolling to the sides to dodge.

The next moment, a murky sun descended from the heavens.

The black flames, carrying extreme heat and white light, incinerated this patch of forest almost instantly. The barren, white surface was exposed to everyone, but the black flames refused to let go of anything that could be burned.

Like a Taotie that could never be satiated, it frantically devoured every living thing in the vicinity.

The ninja watching this scene retreated in terror. Only after reaching a safe distance did Orochimaru leap into the air, landing beside Sakuya to speak.

"Sakuya-kun, take a rest. This batch of ninja rushing out from the border of the Land of Rain has been completely dealt with."

"Mm."

Sakuya nodded upon hearing this.

His eyes, bright as a crimson sun, gradually dimmed.

He landed at the base of a tree, leaning against it and catching his breath.

"Is there any news on Hanzo of the Salamander?"

"No. Currently, the Demigod's figure has not been seen on any of the three battlefields."

Orochimaru shook his head.

"He's hiding, that guy."

Sakuya frowned slightly, feeling that something was amiss.

Since the Second Shinobi World War restarted, the figure of this Demigod had not appeared on the battlefield once.

The possibility of him surrendering or avoiding the war was something no one had considered.

Because that man was the Demigod of the ninja world.

A Demigod in every sense of the word.

The strongest individual in the current shinobi world.

Even with the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire exerting their full strength, and having found a way to neutralize the toxins of his summoning beast, a Demigod remains a Demigod. Relying solely on Water Release bolstered by the rainy weather, he had kept both nations from advancing into the borders of the Land of Rain.

Although he was effectively pinned down by the combined efforts of the two nations, a prolonged stalemate would only result in losses for all three parties, leaving Iwagakure to reap the spoils of war alone.

Neither the Land of Wind nor the Land of Fire wished to see such an outcome.

That was the reason for today's battle.

Hatake Sakumo was responsible for the west, Sakuya and Orochimaru led the south, and Sunagakure took the east.

The three fronts pushed forward in coordination, aiming to use this single campaign to completely shatter the defensive lines of Amegakure.

To be honest, everyone knew the truth in their hearts.

Whether or not they could break through Amegakure's defenses ultimately depended on where Hanzo of the Salamander was.

Only by defeating him, or forcing him to retreat and curl up inside Amegakure like a toothless tiger in a cage, could the Second Shinobi World War truly be brought to an end.

Yet, the Demigod had not shown himself in battle, and his shadow had not even been seen on the front lines.

The only thing visible was his summoning beast, rampaging across the three battlefields.

What exactly was Hanzo of the Salamander thinking?

No one could fathom it.

"However, if he continues to stay hidden, it is a good thing for us."

Gazing toward the distant border of the Land of Rain, Orochimaru remarked.

"We have already repelled three waves of charges from the Amegakure shinobi here today; I imagine it is the same for Sakumo and the Third Kazekage. Their Amegakure is a land of thin soil and shallow waters, ill-suited for producing great figures. After this wave of charges, even counting the remaining Small Nations Alliance shinobi, how much effective combat power can they possibly have left?"

His golden eyes held a hint of ease: "Even if he refuses to come out now, he will soon have no one left to command."