Tsunade and Kato Dan

Almost everyone had been injured. To protect Tetsu Maru during the explosion, Inuzuka Ryo had covered him with his body, and his back was covered in blood from flying rubble. Aburame Nami had injured her calf so badly that she could barely stand.

Even Meikyō's own clothes were in tatters, and the arms he had raised to protect his head were covered in blood.

But fortunately, everyone had survived.

"Let's get moving. That explosion was too loud. We don't know if it'll draw more enemies."

Hyuga Tetsu spoke to Meikyō.

His face was covered in blood, while behind him, Kazemaki Kibata supported Inuzuka Tsume.

"Okay."

Meikyō nodded and moved to carry the immobile Aburame Nami on his back.

"I'll do it. Your arm is injured."

Hyuga Tetsu casually glanced at Meikyō's arm, then, without another word, hoisted Aburame Nami onto his back and headed toward the outpost without looking back.

"That guy's cold on the outside, warm on the inside."

Meikyō chuckled and motioned for Inuzuka Ryo to follow.

For the rest of the journey, Meikyō and the others did not encounter any more Rain Ninja.

In rainy weather, scents were blocked by moisture, and insects could not fly, but the Byakugan could still be used normally.

Under Hyuga Tetsu's guidance, the group finally returned safely to Konoha's outpost at the border of the Land of Fire.

"Quick! Get the wounded inside! Prepare the medicine!"

Near the outpost, Inuzuka Gaku saw two exceptionally promising juniors from his clan returning with injured teammates and hurriedly called for the others to bring Meikyō's group inside for treatment.

Half an hour later.

Inside the outpost.

Meikyō's arm was wrapped in bandages as he and Hyuga Tetsu recounted, word for word, everything that had happened after they reached the frontline camp to Inuzuka Gaku.

Hyuga Tetsu's squad had gone through much the same thing as Meikyō's group. They had been escorting supplies from another outpost stationed by the village along the border to the front lines.

During their retreat, they had originally planned to return to the outpost they belonged to. However, Hyuga Tetsu had spotted a large, organized force of Rain Ninja with his Byakugan midway through the journey, so he decided to change their route and head for this relatively closer outpost instead.

"So the situation at the front has gotten this bad already."

Inuzuka Gaku sighed as he looked out at the gloomy sky beyond the window.

"I wonder how Tokinobu and the others are doing."

He and Shirakumo Tokinobu were quite close friends.

Meanwhile, Shirakumo Tokinobu, a Special Jonin who specialized in swordsmanship and speed, had already been assigned to an elite team temporarily formed by Mitokado Homura. Together with Dan Katō and Kiyomi Kōtō, he had successfully struck Amegakure's rear and destroyed all of its logistical supplies.

After destroying Amegakure's logistical supplies.

Dan Katō had insisted on setting out to assist Tsunade and the others, who were fighting Hanzo of the Salamander.

What he did not know was that Tsunade and the others' battle against Hanzo had already ended.

"After such a long war, Konoha can still produce young experts like the three of you..."

Hanzo stood with his arms folded atop the head of the enormous Salamander Ibuse, looking down at Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya as they supported one another below.

"By the look of it, even if I kill you now, Konoha will probably still be the ultimate victor of this war."

The demigod standing at the pinnacle of the Ninja World silently watched the three below.

He did not know that Konoha had already been forced to send Ninja Academy students to replenish its forces two years early.

On the contrary, he felt that Konoha's foundations were frighteningly deep. Even after fighting to this extent, new powerful fighters kept emerging from Konoha without end—absurdly strong ones at that.

"So, this old man has decided to spare your lives. But in exchange, you will carry the title I bestow upon you from this day forth: Konoha's Sannin."

Hanzo gave the Konoha Sannin one last deep look before vanishing in a Body Flicker.

He already wanted to form an alliance with powerful Konoha and drive the people of the other great nations out of the Land of Rain together.

This country had suffered far too much devastation. The war had to end as soon as possible, or the country itself might have no future left.

One day later.

This outpost had taken in a large number of Konoha Ninja who had retreated nearby after the frontline situation collapsed.

The outpost had originally housed around one hundred and fifty people, including one Jonin, two Special Jonin, a number of Chunin, and quite a few Genin like Meikyō, who had been assigned to the rear lines for training.

Though the results of this training had clearly been a little too intense.

After taking in the Konoha Ninja who had retreated here from the defeated front lines, the total number of people in the camp had risen to nearly three hundred.

That evening, when Shirakumo Tokinobu arrived at the outpost looking travel-worn, he was accompanied by two Konoha Jonin.

Dan Katō, and Tsunade, who had just received the title of Sannin.

The news they brought swept away the camp's previous air of defeat among the wounded and battered survivors, sending morale soaring.

The Third Hokage's three disciples—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—had successfully held back Hanzo of the Salamander during the war, buying most of Konoha's ninja time to retreat. They had greatly preserved the village's fighting strength and intimidated Hanzo with their overwhelming power, causing him to instead seek an alliance with Konoha!

Well, that was the official story. Meikyō knew that Tsunade and the others had actually lost to Hanzo.

Because Tsunade had personally told Kato Squad's three Genin.

"Amazing!"

Inuzuka Ryo exclaimed as he touched the smooth skin on his body.

Aburame Nami's leg injury had also healed. She was walking again, and in just a few days, she would be completely recovered and running around as briskly as before.

This was the result of Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu treatment.

"The injuries aren't serious. They're all superficial wounds. The Mystical Palm Technique can heal them quickly."

A soft green glow shone from Tsunade's fair palm as she placed it over Meikyō's arm.

Before long, a layer of dried blood scabbed off Meikyō's arm, revealing smooth skin beneath.

Aside from being somewhat paler, it looked no different from normal skin.

Medical Ninjutsu—or rather, using Chakra to treat injuries—had existed for a long time. However, few ninja could use such methods, and they had not received much attention.

But Tsunade was the foremost master of Medical Ninjutsu. Not only had she perfected its system, she had also made further innovations upon that foundation, pushing Medical Ninjutsu to new heights. Later, after Hiruzen Sarutobi witnessed the enormous aid Medical Ninjutsu brought to Konoha, he would have Tsunade establish Konoha's Medical Ninja system, making it a model for the entire Ninja World.