The Fearless Ninja

In mid-June, the village high command released news that the Chunin Exams would remain unaffected and that Jonin could continue to submit nominations.

In just three months, border conflicts had resulted in casualties far exceeding expectations, and the scale of the war showed signs of expanding.

Inside the Hokage building, Utatane Koharu gave a routine report on the recent front-line situation, her expression turning peculiar when she mentioned Sunagakure:

"Although it sounds unbelievable, there is a high probability that the Third Kazekage died at the hands of his own people."

"The Intelligence Department believes that Sunagakure is still in the midst of internal strife; Chiyo and her brother are attempting to use the war to divert internal conflicts, hoping to use this to select the next Kazekage."

Mitokado Homura also felt this matter was absurd; the strongest Kazekage dying at the hands of his own kin was something he could not imagine happening to Konoha:

"Hiruzen, we have already spread the word within Sunagakure, and Danzo has also completed his mission well; Hanzo has agreed to let us enter the Land of Rain."

"Orochimaru has already pushed the front line to the border, and for now, there is no sign of Iwagakure."

Unlike the counterattacks Jiraiya was leading near the Land of Grass, Orochimaru disregarded losses and, in just one month, had pushed Sunagakure back to their "home turf."

Such results were outstanding, yet thinking of the signs that Danzo and Orochimaru were secretly colluding, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned and replied:

"Is Danzo still remaining in the Land of Rain?"

"Root seems to have discovered a 'secret' in Amegakure, and Danzo believes we can win Hanzo over to our side."

Utatane Koharu replied in a low voice; she did not know the inside story regarding Root's actions, but she trusted that her old friend would not betray the village's interests.

Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe; Root was becoming a bit uncontrollable, and Orochimaru had failed to complete the mission he had assigned:

"Tell Orochimaru to be mindful of casualties, and once there are signs of Sunagakure and Iwagakure joining forces, he must return to the border line immediately."

"Yes!"

Hearing the instructions, the Anbu member puffed out his chest and responded proudly; in just two months, the village had regained the initiative—this was the power of the mighty Konoha ninja.

The Land of Rain, perpetually shrouded in gloomy drizzle, was once again plagued by war. Although Amegakure had issued warnings early on, some border villages were still destroyed.

Sparse raindrops fell onto the blood-stained earth as inhuman roars erupted incessantly:

"Ah!"

Under the cover of explosive tags, Sunagakure ninja continued to charge without fear of death, their senseless shouting seemingly intended to bolster their courage.

"Water Style: Water Severing Wave."

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

The moment Shu Furukawa, clad in white armor, created distance, he began weaving hand signs; by the time he landed on the ground, a thin, sharp stream of water was already spewing from his mouth.

The Sunagakure ninja in front touched the ground to raise an earthen wall, but the defense was like paper; it was pierced instantly, and a massive amount of blood sprayed out along with it.

"Ugh!! Ah..."

The high-speed linear water jet swept horizontally, and the Sunagakure ninja in the midst of their charge could not dodge in time, being cut in half on the spot as screams filled the air.

Stimulated by the sight of blood, the remaining Sunagakure ninja were not afraid; instead, with ferocious expressions, they flared their chakra and continued to push forward toward the enemy.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Uchiha ninja behind Shu Furukawa spat out fireballs in succession, successfully disrupting the enemy's formation before both sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat once more.

"Follow Lord Shu!"

A young Uchiha ninja roared, and the members of several squads followed with shouts, accelerating their charge.

"Clang..."

The leading Sunagakure ninja slashed with all his might; sparks flew as his long blade collided with a short sword, the recoil of the weapon causing the webbing between his thumb and index finger to split.

Shu Furukawa seized the momentary pause, exploded with chakra beneath his feet, and turned nimbly to deliver a side kick.

"Pfft..."

The Sunagakure youth was sent flying sideways, the immense force caving in his chest; by the time he hit the ground, he was coughing up blood from his mouth and nose, beyond saving.

Shu Furukawa leaped directly into the middle of the Sunagakure ranks; the ground shattered upon his landing, sending gravel flying and completely breaking the enemy's charge. The Konoha ninja following behind seized the opportunity and successfully snatched the initiative.

Orochimaru stood atop a damaged circular building, watching as Shu Furukawa dodged calmly amidst the encirclement, his every strike—whether a blade swing or a kick—killing with concise efficiency. A look of excitement appeared on his sinister face:

"What truly outstanding talent!"

"Boom!"

Explosive tags detonated in the middle of the squad, and for a time, screams were incessant. The Sunagakure puppet squad hidden in the rear launched a surprise attack amidst the chaos, their poison-tipped senbon causing a swathe of Konoha ninja to collapse.

Shu Furukawa leaped into mid-air to dodge a palm reaching out from the ground, gathered power briefly in the air, and delivered a fierce horizontal kick.

"Ah..."

The heads of two Sunagakure ninja twisted, and they let out a muffled groan before dying on the spot. The ninja hidden in the earth did not escape either; by the time Shu Furukawa landed, his short sword had already pierced the man's skull.

The blood on the ground grew thicker, and under the stimulation of the slaughter, both sides had almost completely lost their reason.

The Uchiha Clan ninja successfully suppressed the puppet troops by relying on their Sharingan, and the antidotes they had taken in advance rendered them fearless against the poison-tipped weapons.

Having cleared the surrounding Sunagakure ninja, Shu Furukawa pressed his palms together, and as the Konoha squads retreated to create distance, he unleashed a large-scale ninjutsu once more:

"Water Style: Water Colliding Wave!"

The rain in the air seemed to be sucked away as the circular current surrounding Shu Furukawa rose continuously, its deafening roar drowning out the heart-wrenching screams.

"You've got to be kidding me... urgh!"

The Sunagakure puppet squad and their surrounding comrades stared at the violent torrent in the sky, whispering in despair as their faces turned pale.

"BOOM..."

The raging water crashed down from the sky, thundering against the ground and clearing more than half of the battlefield. Orochimaru appeared beside Shu Furukawa, his voice a cold, serpentine hiss:

"Kill them all!"

"OOOH!!"

The Konoha ninja roared in unison and launched another charge. The Water Style jutsu, which felt like a divine punishment, had sent their morale soaring, and the Sunagakure forces were crumbling like paper.

By evening, the sparse, drizzling rain finally ceased. For the first time in half a month, Shu Furukawa saw the sunset.

The border village in the Land of Rain was now devoid of any trace of Sunagakure ninja. The air was thick with the stench of blood, but the Konoha ninja cleaning up the battlefield were already accustomed to it, many still chatting excitedly.

The Konoha ninja clearing the field were young, only about fifteen years old. Seeing Shu Furukawa appear, they bowed one after another, their faces filled with reverence:

"Lord Shu!"

"It's all thanks to Lord Shu's Water Style and the Antidote!"

"Lord Shu is truly benevolent..."

Shu Furukawa nodded in response, then leaned down to close the eyes of a mangled corpse. After completing the [Collection], a look of sorrow appeared on his young face.

Orochimaru watched Shu Furukawa comforting the dead with great interest. A strange smile emerged on his pale face, and he finally flicked his long tongue across his lips...

At dinner time, Orochimaru approached Shu Furukawa and said with a raspy laugh:

"Shu, your performance on the battlefield far exceeded my expectations! Staying by Tsunade's side was truly a waste of your talent."

"Lord Orochimaru, there is no need to say that. Without Teacher Tsunade's guidance, I would not have the strength I possess today."

Shu Furukawa shook his head as he finished his dried meat, but Orochimaru didn't seem to care, continuing to preach his own philosophy:

"You could call me teacher; the Second Hokage's Water Style really suits you perfectly!"

"These Sunagakure ninja are pathetic; they couldn't even test your potential. Shu, I can guide you in Wind Style jutsu next."

"Tsunade asked me to look after you, but you and I both know that only through slaughter can one truly understand the meaning of life!"

Shu Furukawa put on a look of "attentive listening," but seeing Orochimaru's "Talk no Jutsu" showing no signs of stopping, he couldn't help but think to himself:

As expected of a human trafficker, he's truly skilled at deceiving "brats"...

"..."