The distance between the two sides' ninja grew shorter and shorter.
Ten meters.
Eight meters.
Five meters.
Just as the two sides were about to clash, Hatake Sakumo moved.
He kicked off hard, using the Body Flicker Technique and Soru of the Six Powers at once. He became an afterimage, shooting out of the crowd in an instant...
His Hatake Flying Kick landed squarely on the first Kumogakure ninja, sending the man flying backward, spitting blood.
His white hair whipped in the wind, and the figure he held in his hand was none other than an unconscious Killer B.
The Kumogakure army erupted.
"Ha-Hatake Sakumo?"
"He-he's still alive?"
"Is that... Lord Killer B in his hand?"
Dodai's heart sank to the depths.
Damn it. We've been tricked!
This guy never died, and the Eight-Tails didn't win... He even defeated the rampaging Eight-Tails!
But the two sides were practically face-to-face now. If he ordered a retreat, his men would become sitting ducks and die even faster.
Dodai gritted his teeth and roared hoarsely, "Charge! Rescue Lord A and Lord Killer B!"
At his command, the Kumogakure ninja charged forward, their eyes red as they roared.
The Konoha ninja refused to be outdone and went to meet them.
The two sides instantly plunged into battle.
Holding Killer B hostage in one hand, Hatake Sakumo drew the short blade White Fang from his back with the other.
Flying Slashes swept from the tip of his blade, one after another. He didn't use Armament Haki this time; the original owner's Flying Slashes were enough to deal with these small fry.
The slashes tore through the crowd, and ranks of Kumogakure ninja fell in droves before they could even scream.
Dodai's eyes widened in fury at the sight.
No, I can't let this guy keep cutting them down.
Someone has to stop him!
Dodai knew that burden could only fall on his shoulders.
He knew better than anyone just how formidable the white-haired man before him was... the Konoha White Fang, who had made his name in the Second Shinobi World War.
Not long ago, he had defeated Lord A and even dealt with the rampaging Eight-Tails.
Those achievements were renowned throughout the Shinobi World.
But Dodai had his own calculations:
Although Hatake Sakumo was powerful, going head-to-head with the Eight-Tails must have drained a great deal of his stamina. Dodai's Lava Release specialized in defense, so he should still be able to hold him off for a while.
I only need to hold him off until Lord A and Killer B are rescued!
Dodai stepped forward and shouted at the white-haired man:
"Konoha White Fang! Let me be your opponent!"
Hatake Sakumo tilted his head slightly and studied Dodai with interest.
Information about the man flashed rapidly through his mind...
Dodai, one of the few people in Kumogakure who truly used his head, was the Third Raikage's trusted aide and had mastered Rubber Lava Release to perfection.
"Oh?" Hatake Sakumo tapped his shoulder with the back of his blade. "Interesting."
He hefted Killer B in his hand and looked at the resolute opponent before him. Only one thought crossed his mind:
I'll capture this guy alive too.
One captive or two, it's all the same. Kumogakure's brains look pretty valuable.
While Hatake Sakumo and the Konoha ninja army were locked in battle with the Kumogakure army, Konoha wasn't idle either.
Tsunade and Nara Shikata, who had stayed behind to keep an eye on the village, had been monitoring the fighting on all three fronts while keeping a wary eye on the Land of Wind.
As luck would have it, at noon on the second day after Hatake Sakumo's departure, another urgent intelligence report arrived at the Hokage's office.
Tsunade opened it, read it, and clicked her tongue.
Hatake Sakumo's guess before leaving had been right... The Land of Wind had joined the war too.
And it was no small force: a Land of Wind ninja army led by the Third Kazekage himself was bearing down on the Land of Fire's northwestern border.
Tsunade slapped the report onto the desk and looked up at Nara Shikata. "Shikata, what do you think we should do?"
Nara Shikata studied the report on the desk for quite a while before speaking.
"The Fourth only set out two days ago. No word of the fighting has come back yet."
"Orochimaru is in the Land of Grass, locked in battle with the Land of Earth's Stone ninja."
"As for Jiraiya... according to the latest report, Kirigakure sent out the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Jiraiya's under considerable pressure too."
He paused, his tone growing more somber. "I'm afraid we don't have many people to spare right now."
In truth, the obvious choice was Tsunade herself, one of the Sannin.
But neither of them said it.
Tsunade knew her own condition... She fainted at the sight of blood. If she went to the battlefield, she'd collapse before the fighting even began.
She wouldn't be going to fight a war; she'd just be making trouble.
Nara Shikata knew it too, so he didn't mention it.
After a moment's silence, Nara Shikata spoke. "I'll go."
Tsunade looked up at him.
"The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans work well together. This time, we won't aim to defeat the Sand ninja," Nara Shikata said unhurriedly.
"The Sand ninja have come a long way to launch this attack, and their supplies won't be able to keep up. As long as we can hold them off, it'll be a victory for us."
Tsunade thought it over and agreed that it made sense.
The Land of Wind was already poorer than the other four great nations. Most of its territory was barren desert, and its national strength was limited.
They had traveled all that way to launch an attack on the Land of Fire's border. Their provisions, equipment, and scroll supplies wouldn't be able to keep up.
The longer it dragged on, the worse it would be for them.
"All right." Tsunade nodded. "Then I'll stay here and guard the village."
With the decision made, the two immediately called an emergency meeting of the clan heads still in the village and the experienced Jonin.
Tsunade laid the matter out, and Nara Shikata began selecting his forces.
The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans-Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi-would be the main force. In addition, two other major clans, Sarutobi and Shimura, would join them!
They also urgently called in ninja from other towns in the Land of Fire, most of them experienced Chunin.
As for the three major clans Hyūga, Inuzuka Clan, and Aburame, they only needed to send some of their members along. The rest of their clan forces would remain in place.
The reason was simple: they had to leave the village with sufficient defenses in case something unexpected cropped up elsewhere.
After selecting the clans, Nara Shikata picked several capable and experienced Jonin to accompany them.
Minato Namikaze was among them.
While helping Lord Hokage handle paperwork during this period, Nara Shikata had long since learned all about the young man.
Minato had mastered the powerful Space-Time Ninjutsu Flying Thunder God at a young age. It was no exaggeration to say he was currently the young ninja with the greatest potential in the village.
Taking him to the battlefield would give him experience, and perhaps he could also catch the enemy by surprise.
When Minato Namikaze learned that he was finally going into action, his clenched hands trembled slightly.
He had been raised on the Will of Fire, and all he thought about was protecting the village, its people, and the Land of Fire.
In the previous three campaigns, Orochimaru had gone to the Land of Grass, his master Jiraiya to the western border, and Lord Hokage to the southwestern border. Each time, he had been left to guard the village, and he had spent more than a day or two holding back his longing to join them.
This time, it was finally his turn.
Minato Namikaze clenched his fists and silently resolved: I'll do my very best in this battle.