With the battle over, the Konoha shinobi finally exhaled in relief.
Reinforcements had arrived—though far later than expected.
Torifu Akimichi, back to his normal size, sat heavily on a stone, panting from exhaustion.
"Uncle Torifu, what happened on this battlefield?"
"Where is our defensive line?"
Tsunade approached him, her tone serious as she assessed the situation.
Torifu let out a weary sigh.
"From the border of the Land of Hot Water to the border of the Land of Fire, we set up two defensive lines."
"I led one unit, and Shirakumo Jōnin led the other. But just now, Kumo launched a large-scale assault on the eastern front."
"The defense collapsed. To prevent heavy casualties, I made the call to abandon it and ordered our forces to scatter and retreat to the second line."
Tsunade nodded. She knew Shirakumo—a seasoned elite Jōnin of Konoha.
A master of Kenjutsu, upright and disciplined. Even in his forties, his blade had lost none of its sharpness.
It was even said that he had a child late in life.
Wait. Something wasn't right. If the second defensive line still existed, why hadn't she seen it on her way here?
"You're wondering where the final line of defense is?"
Tsunade nodded.
Torifu gave a small, knowing smile.
"The last line is actually the border itself. But Shirakumo positioned his base in the western Land of Hot Water to better monitor the Land of Rice Fields, while mine was originally in the east."
"We stationed ourselves on both sides to prevent a surprise attack from Kumo."
"Looks like we'll need to rethink that strategy moving forward."
Tsunade considered his words.
The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water was vast—too large for a full-scale garrison.
Stationing troops in the east and west was already the most efficient approach.
"What about troop numbers?"
Now that she understood the positioning, she needed to know their current strength.
"Shirakumo has a little over 1,200 troops, since his post is closer to the Land of Rice Fields."
"I had 800 here. But after the last battle, nearly 200 were killed."
"After we scattered, I can't say for sure. I've gathered about 100 so far, but at least a few dozen more were lost just now."
A shadow crossed Torifu's face.
Casualties were inevitable in war.
But that didn't make them any easier to bear.
"Where are the reinforcements? How many have arrived?"
"The situation in the Land of Hot Water isn't looking good. Kumo's forces are pouring in one after another—you've seen Dodai yourself."
"He's a high-ranking member of Kumo, and even he is here. Do you understand what that means, Tsunade?"
Tsunade nodded, then glanced at Kazuyama beside her.
"The village sent 500 reinforcements, including elite members from the Hyūga and other major clans."
"Don't worry. If Kumo wants a fight, we'll give them one."
"For now, let's retreat."
With Tsunade now present, she naturally took part in the command.
The team turned and began their march westward toward the Land of Hot Water's remaining defensive position.
It took half a day for them to regroup.
The western position was still intact, but the steady arrival of Konoha forces—many of them injured—cast a cold shadow over Shirakumo's face.
He knew what this meant.
Kumo had made its move.
After a while, Torifu and Tsunade appeared in his view, and his tension melted into relief.
"Torifu, you finally made it back."
"Tsunade, it looks like the reinforcements have arrived."
"Good."
Now, all Konoha forces from the Land of Hot Water had gathered in one place.
The final casualty count from Torifu's troops was in.
Out of 800, only 500 remained.
The losses were severe.
Inside the meeting room, Kazuyama sat off to the side, dragged in by Tsunade against his will.
"The war between Iwa and Kumo has ended."
"Kumo will now throw its full strength at Konoha."
"Shirakumo, I suggest we abandon our current base. The border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire is too vast—defending from here leaves us vulnerable to surprise attacks."
"Instead, let's relocate our base directly to the Land of Fire's border. We can then station sentries to closely monitor Kumo's movements, giving us a better defensive position."
Shirakumo nodded.
He had originally set up here to keep watch over the Land of Rice Fields.
But with that war now over, there was no longer any reason to stay.
"Since Lord Hokage has sent you to the front line, you'll be in charge of the follow-up command."
"My blade has been itching for battle."
Tsunade nodded. This wasn't the time to refuse.
But on the battlefield earlier, the sight of blood—so much red—had made her hands tremble again.
Blood phobia couldn't be cured overnight.
Even though she was forcing herself to overcome it, it would take time.
"Kazuyama, use your Kekkei Genkai and the Flying Thunder God Technique to scout the situation for us."
Kazuyama knew there was no good reason for him to be here...
He hadn't even had time to settle in before getting assigned a task.
"Oh? Kazuyama of the Gekkō Clan?"
"I've heard of you. Not bad. Very good. Konoha's younger generation is growing strong."
Shirakumo smiled, clearly recognizing Kazuyama's reputation.
"I know, I know. Here, I'll leave you one. Don't lose it."
"My life is in your hands, Lady Tsunade!"
Originally, Kazuyama had planned to focus on healing Tsunade, but it seemed that would have to wait.
This was the downside of being an intelligence officer—whether there was something to do or not, he had to gather information.
And if there was no intel to gather? He'd be used as a lookout.
Annoying.
With a sigh, he placed down his kunai and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
"Heh, not bad for a disciple of Orochimaru," Torifu mused.
"The two snakes he summoned—they're his, aren't they?"
"Well, Orochimaru's disciple is just as much of an asshole as his teacher."
"Hmph, enough talk. Let's get ready and move out," Tsunade ordered.
Meanwhile, at the Kumo headquarters in the Land of Hot Water, Dodai had just been carried in.
Back on the battlefield, his scream had instantly drawn the attention of his troops.
Then they had seen him soaring through the air, spinning uncontrollably—
—only to crash hard and lose consciousness.
Seeing their commander in such a state had left the Kumo ninja in shock.
They had hurriedly retrieved him and retreated.
"What happened?!"
"Why is Dodai like this?!"
A, the son of the Raikage, was furious at the sight of Dodai's battered condition.
Nearby, Killer Bee took one look at the still-twitching Dodai and quickly covered his mouth—
Trying desperately not to laugh.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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