Tsunade and Kato Dan
Almost everyone was injured. Inuzuka Ryo had shielded Tiewan from the explosion by covering him with his own body. His back was bloodied by the flying debris. Even Aburame Nami had taken shrapnel to the calf and could barely stand.
Mingjing's clothes were torn, and her arms—still wrapped around her head from shielding herself—were streaked with blood.
But fortunately, no one had died.
"Let's move. That explosion was too loud. We might attract more Rain-nin."
Hyūga Tiemen said this to Mingjing, his face streaked with blood. Behind him, Kazamatsuri Inota supported a limping Inuzuka Tale.
"Right," Mingjing nodded and stepped forward to carry Aburame Nami, who could no longer walk.
"I'll take her. Your arm's injured."
Hyūga Tiemen cast a glance at Mingjing's bloodied arm, then hoisted Nami onto his back without another word and rushed toward the Konoha base, never looking back.
"This guy's all cold on the outside, but warm inside."
Mingjing chuckled, then waved at Inuzuka Ryo to follow.
The group didn't encounter any more Amegakure nin on the way back.
The rain dulled scents, and insects were grounded by the moisture, rendering Aburame Nami's kikaichū ineffective. But the Byakugan was unhindered, and under Tiemen's guidance, they reached the Konoha forward base on the Fire Country's border without further incident.
"Quick! Get the wounded inside! Prepare the medical supplies!"
At the base, Inuzuka Talon recognized two promising young clan members returning with injured teammates. He immediately rallied the medics to begin treatment.
---
Half an Hour Later
Inside the Konoha base, Mingjing—his arm now bandaged—stood beside Hyūga Tiemen as they recounted everything that had occurred at the frontline outpost.
Tiemen's team had been escorting supplies from another border stronghold. Originally, they had planned to return the same way, but when Tiemen spotted a large group of organized Rain-nin with his Byakugan, he diverted them toward this fallback base.
"So the situation at the front has become this dire…"
Inuzuka Talon sighed, eyes on the gray, drizzling sky beyond the window.
"I wonder how Tokishin and the others are faring."
He spoke with clear concern for Shirakubo Tokishin, a Tokubetsu Jōnin renowned for his kenjutsu and agility, and a close friend of Talon.
At that moment, Tokishin was part of an elite unit under Mitokado En, alongside Katō Dan and Mume Goto. They had successfully infiltrated Amegakure's rear and destroyed its logistics hub.
Following the mission, Katō Dan insisted on aiding Tsunade's unit, which was engaged in battle with Hanzo of the Salamander.
But he didn't know… the battle was already over.
---
The Battle with Hanzo
"Even after such a long war, Konoha can still raise talents like you…"
Hanzo stood atop his summoned salamander, Ibuse, arms crossed as he looked down at the three battered ninja below—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—each supporting the other.
"Even if I kill you here, the eventual victor of this war might still be Konoha."
The man known as the Demigod of the Hidden Rain surveyed them silently. He didn't know that Konoha had been forced to recruit Academy students two years early just to replenish their ranks. To him, it seemed Konoha's foundation was terrifyingly deep—producing elite shinobi no matter the hardship.
"That's why I'll let you live. But in return, you'll bear the title I now grant you: the 'Sannin of Konoha.'"
With those words, Hanzo vanished into the rain.
He had already resolved to seek an alliance with Konoha. The Rain Country had suffered enough. If the war didn't end soon, there would be nothing left to rebuild.
---
One Day Later
The Konoha base had swelled in size. More shinobi retreated from the devastated front, swelling the population from 150 to nearly 300. The camp originally housed one jōnin, two Tokubetsu Jōnin, and many chūnin and genin like Mingjing, who were meant to gain experience from second-line support—not real combat.
This "training" had proven far more brutal than expected.
That evening, Shirakubo Tokishin returned to the base with two others—Katō Dan and Tsunade, now officially hailed as one of the Sannin.
Their arrival revived morale. The atmosphere among the injured and defeated turned electric.
Word spread: Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—the personal students of the Third Hokage—had faced Hanzo of the Salamander and lived. Their battle had given Konoha's forces time to retreat. More than that, Hanzo was now considering an alliance with the Leaf!
That was the version told to the public.
But Mingjing knew the truth. Tsunade had confided in the three genin under Katō's command: they had lost. Hanzo had spared them.
"Si… sugoi!"
Inuzuka Ryo marveled, pressing his hands to his smooth, unblemished skin.
Aburame Nami was walking again, though she still limped slightly. She'd need a few more days before she could run freely.
All thanks to Tsunade's medical ninjutsu.
"It's not a serious injury. Just some lacerations. The Shōsen Jutsu will take care of it."
Tsunade's pale hand glowed with green chakra as she hovered it over Mingjing's arm.
Soon, the dried blood and damaged tissue flaked away, revealing fresh, smooth skin underneath—paler than before, but whole.
Medical ninjutsu had existed for a while, but few could wield it effectively, and even fewer took it seriously. Tsunade changed that. She perfected existing techniques and created new ones, revolutionizing the field.
Recognizing the immense benefit it brought, the Third Hokage entrusted her with creating a medical ninja system—one that would become a model for all villages across the shinobi world.