Song of Rain from Four Sides

Uchiha Kiyoshi sprinted forward, wind whipping at his feet as if he were being chased by demons, not daring to pause or delay for even a second.

He was gasping for air, drenched in sweat, his clothes shredded by branches and his hair in disarray. He looked utterly wretched, appearing even more disheveled than the soldiers who had been fighting tooth and nail on the front lines.

Seeing this, Tsunade frowned slightly, wondering to herself what could have possibly happened.

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

Could there be some urgent order of the utmost importance? But why would Uchiha Kiyoshi come to deliver the message himself instead of the usual scouts? And judging by his miserable appearance, the news he brought must be of grave significance.

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

After taking the canteen, Uchiha Kiyoshi drank greedily, the sound of "gulp, gulp, gulp" echoing as he downed several mouthfuls of the cool water.

Once his thirst was slightly quenched, he finally looked up at Tsunade, panting heavily as he stammered, "Uchiha... Lord Xiao, he, he says..." But the words seemed to catch in his throat, and he failed to finish his sentence.

"Say what? Hurry up and speak!" Tsunade urged him anxiously, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead. It wasn't just Tsunade; the ninjas Long Yi and Long Er, along with the other Uchiha clansmen present, were equally burning with impatience. Yet, seeing Uchiha Kiyoshi's grave expression and his hesitation, no one dared 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 food 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 townspeople, 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 Hanzo and his subordinates, shattering their psychological defenses and winning this battle without shedding a drop of blood!"

In truth, while rushing here, Uchiha Kiyoshi had been carefully weighing and refining 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 formidable as Salamander Hanzo, could a few songs really force him to surrender?

She fell into deep thought, muttering to herself, "If Salamander Hanzo 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 deep and authoritative voice rang out: "If they refuse to surrender, then we shall continue the siege. Once the food in the city is exhausted and they have no supplies, they will naturally fall into chaos." As the voice faded, the tall and imposing figure of Uchiha Xiao slowly emerged.

Everyone turned to look and saw Uchiha Xiao standing against the wind in a black battle robe, like an immovable mountain. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, radiating a chilling aura.

Seeing Uchiha Xiao 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 Xiao had displayed were nothing short of astonishing, winning the admiration of everyone.

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

Facing Tsunade's questioning, the smile that had been hanging on Uchiha Xiao's lips faded slightly. He scratched his head in embarrassment and explained, "Hehe, don't be angry, Lady Tsunade. I was simply feeling stifled 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 Xiao'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 executed his carefully planned psychological warfare, but afterward, an indescribable sense of unease had lingered in his heart, making him feel as though something terrible was about to happen.

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

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

Tsunade stared unblinkingly at the slightly flustered Uchiha Xiao before her. After a long while, she sighed helplessly: "Fine, let's not dwell on these annoying matters; I can't make heads or tails of it anyway." Tsunade had never been keen on pondering complex problems, as it was far too draining.

Immediately after, Tsunade looked at Uchiha Xiao with a serious expression and said solemnly, "However, Lord Xiao, I must say this first."

"Since you have come to the front lines 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 harsh warning, in reality, Tsunade was doing this out of concern for Uchiha Xiao's safety.

Uchiha Xiao was a man of great intelligence; how could he fail to understand the hidden meaning in Tsunade's words?

He nodded slightly to show he understood and said with a firm tone, "I will certainly obey Lady Tsunade's orders. Even if there is a mountain of blades or a sea of fire ahead, I will charge forward without hesitation and never take a single step back!"

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

Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't help but raise her eyebrows and nod in approval.

She then began to methodically deploy the next phase of their operation.

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