From the battlefield, Li Yu spotted his three students fighting impressively. They worked together seamlessly, and he nodded in satisfaction.
"Yugao, the Flying Thunder God your teacher taught you is amazing!"
Yuhi Kurenai watched Uzuki Yugao move with uncanny agility. Combining the Flying Thunder God with her Konoha Style Swordsmanship, she effortlessly killed every Chunin and Genin who came at her. No one could withstand even one of her blows.
"Yuhi Kurenai, what jutsu did your teacher teach you? I've been watching you for ages, and you haven't used it once."
Sarutobi Asuma, who had heard the question, studied his childhood friend Yuhi Kurenai with curiosity, hoping she would explain.
Just then, a Sunagakure jōnin leading a squad spotted the three fighting nearby. They had killed a great many Sunagakure ninja and worked together seamlessly. After observing them from a distance, he decided to go over and eliminate the three Konoha ninja.
A Wind Release taijutsu specialist, he sped toward them and immediately swung his Ninja Blade at Yuhi Kurenai, the weakest of the three in taijutsu, intending to kill her with a single blow.
Throughout the battle, Sarutobi Asuma had kept Yuhi Kurenai in the corner of his eye. Seeing what was happening, he abandoned his opponent, shoved her aside, and crossed his Wolf Fang Cleaving Awls to block the incoming strike. Metal rang against metal with a sharp clang.
The hurriedly blocked strike nearly knocked Sarutobi Asuma's weapons from his hands. He dropped to one knee, his knee slamming into the ground and leaving a shallow dent.
Yuhi Kurenai took several steps back, steadied herself, then flung several Shuriken to force the enemy back. She went to Sarutobi Asuma's side and helped him up.
"Are you okay?"
Sarutobi Asuma's hands were numb. He shook them out. "I'm fine. I can keep fighting."
Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai stood beside Sarutobi Asuma, watching the Sunagakure ninja, who was highly skilled in taijutsu.
Seeing how dire the situation was, Yuhi Kurenai knew it was time to use the high-level genjutsu Li Yu had taught her. She quickly explained, "The genjutsu my teacher taught me is a high-level one that robs the enemy of their sight."
"Perfect!"
After muttering a few words under his breath, they quickly worked out a plan.
"What are you little Konoha brats whispering about?"
As he spoke, he charged toward the three. Sarutobi Asuma, the best taijutsu fighter on the team, met him head-on, facing his Wind Release chakra-enhanced Ninja Blade.
Uzuki Yugao threw a Specialized Kunai. The instant the enemy dodged it, she activated the Flying Thunder God and appeared behind him. Without hesitation, she swung her Ninja Blade—but with a clang, her blade was cut in half.
The enemy's blade kept coming, and a triumphant smile spread across his face. In another moment, he would cut the cute purple-haired Konoha girl in two.
Just then, Yuhi Kurenai formed Hand Seals and cast her jutsu.
"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"
His vision went black. His blade struck nothing. Suddenly unable to see, he knew that for someone who relied on sight in battle, losing his vision meant death.
He pulled his blade back and immediately retreated, but after only a few steps he ran into the half of his own broken blade. His sight returned, and he saw the broken blade embedded in his chest. He died, unwilling to accept his fate.
The three let out a sigh of relief. After using an A-rank jutsu, Yuhi Kurenai felt mentally drained and slumped to the ground.
A flicker of light, and Li Yu appeared beside his three students.
"Teacher, you're here!"
"I'm very pleased with how you performed. You even killed a Sunagakure jōnin. You've grown a lot."
He patted Uzuki Yugao on the head with his left hand and took out a Specialized Kunai with his right.
"Let me put an end to this battle."
Li Yu had calculated that he had used nearly forty percent of his chakra. He planned to fight until he could drop the word "nearly"—this time, he would use up forty percent of his chakra in the Land of Wind.
Li Yu streaked across the battlefield like lightning, seeking out the Sunagakure ninja who looked the most arrogant. Those who acted cocky were usually strong; if they were weak and cocky, they would have been dead already.
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
One after another, ninja collapsed strangely on the battlefield. Seeing that things were going badly, some turned to flee. One Sunagakure ninja who couldn't escape couldn't bear to watch so many comrades die and threw down his weapon.
"I surrender! Don't kill me!"
With someone taking the lead, many Sunagakure ninja soon dropped to their knees and surrendered.
Li Yu saw that the battle was decided and realized his chakra was still just a tiny bit short of being truly depleted by forty percent. Just a tiny bit.
"Too bad. How come my tiny bit of chakra is so much?"
"Ugh, what a hassle."
Sunagakure had taken many prisoners in this war against the Land of Wind. These ninja were bargaining chips for negotiations with Sunagakure. Konoha had also suffered many casualties, and the wounded were rushed away for treatment.
The Senju Clan's Medical Unit saved the lives of many Konoha ninja. This war reminded Konoha of the Senju name and the glory it represented.
Nara Shikaku wore a green vest stained with blood. Breathing hard, he plopped down on a large rock and glanced at Li Yu in the distance.
Before they had set out for the battlefield in the Land of Wind, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had told Nara Shikaku to leave the Fourth Kazekage and Chiyo to Li Yu. At the time, Nara Shikaku had even questioned the decision.
Given the situation, the fighting should have continued for quite some time. Now he could see that Third Hokage-sama had planned ahead, which was why the war had ended so smoothly.
"Did the Senju Clan's reputation rise so much because of this war because they have some other goal in mind?"
With those questions still in his thoughts, Nara Shikaku ordered the Konoha ninja to clear the battlefield and guard against another surprise attack by Sunagakure.
The next day,
Sunagakure in the Land of Wind sent a letter announcing their surrender and expressing their wish to hold peace talks to bring the war to a definitive end.
Inside the mountain-top command tent, a group of jōnin sat down to discuss the intelligence from the village and the final arrangements for the battlefield.
Looking at the jōnin, many were injured. Some had bandages around their heads, others around their arms. They were a sorry sight, every one of them wounded and covered in blood. Only Li Yu looked the same as he had at the last meeting—though, on second thought, his hair was a little messy.
He glanced around and noticed several empty chairs. Perhaps their occupants were seriously injured and receiving treatment; perhaps they had died in the battle.
Nara Shikaku cleared his throat a few times and began.
"I've already sent word of the Land of Wind's surrender back to the village, to Third Hokage-sama."
"The Land of Wind will send representatives to Konoha to discuss the terms of surrender."
"This battle was won thanks to Senju Nawaki. He blocked the Fourth Kazekage Rasa's Gold Sand jutsu and drove back the Fourth Kazekage, Chiyo, and fifteen Sunagakure jōnin."
Li Yu asked in surprise, "Oh? Those eight ninja I killed were actually Sunagakure jōnin?"
"That's right. We've confirmed it."
Nara Shikaku replied with a smile, "I've already reported the details of this battle to Third Hokage-sama."
"The village has sent Third Hokage-sama's orders. Nawaki is to take some ninja back to the village and escort the wounded to Konoha Hospital for further treatment."
"Great! I was just wondering when I could go back." Li Yu was delighted. The fighting here was over, and he had been trying to come up with a reason to return to the village. It was as if the answer had arrived just as he was getting sleepy.
While his reputation was at its peak, Li Yu had important business to take care of back in the village. He figured Tsunade should have returned by now. If she hadn't seen him, she was probably furious and looking for someone to take it out on.