On the In the Land of Rain's battlefield, the Konoha encampment was starkly different from the calm atmosphere on the Kumogakure front.
Here, the camp was heavy with tension. The grim expressions on the faces of Konoha's shinobi spoke volumes about the brutality of this battleground.
Konoha had deployed the most shinobi to this region, with a significant portion of its high-level combat forces concentrated here.
Even the Second Hokage himself, Tobirama Senju, was leading this front. But their opponents were the combined forces of Iwagakure and Sunagakure, totaling nearly twenty thousand shinobi.
The sheer numerical gap between the sides was daunting, almost insurmountable.
Were it not for Tobirama's powerful Edo Tensei technique, which allowed him to summon immortal warriors to bolster Konoha's ranks, this battle might have ended in defeat long ago. But even so, Konoha's forces sustained heavy casualties daily.
The perpetual rain that defined this country, coupled with the relentless enemy forces, weighed down the morale of every Konoha shinobi.
Inside the main tent of the base camp, Tobirama stood over a map, strategizing and calculating how to turn the tide.
He looked exhausted. Controlling the reanimated forces through Edo Tensei, coupled with the gruelling nature of the war, was pushing him to his limit.
Suddenly, a voice from outside the tent broke the silence.
"Urgent report from the Kumogakure front!"
"Come in!" Tobirama called, his tone sharp.
A shinobi entered quickly, bowing respectfully as he handed the intelligence report to Tobirama.
Tobirama took it immediately and began reading. His expression changed from initial seriousness to a flicker of shock, and then to relief and pride.
His reactions did not go unnoticed by the other Konoha elite shinobi nearby.
"Good news from the Kumogakure front, Lord Second?" the head of the Nara clan asked, observing Tobirama's expression with interest.
Tobirama passed the report to him. "See for yourself."
The Nara clan leader read the report, and his face, too, shifted through a range of expressions before settling into one of sheer astonishment.
"This... this is..." he stammered, struggling to form coherent words.
The other clan heads and elite shinobi, curious about what had rendered him speechless, quickly took turns reading the report. Every shinobi who read it was left stunned.
"Is this information... accurate? It's simply hard to believe!" one shinobi finally voiced his disbelief.
"Truly, this is incredible. If this is real, this war could end sooner than we imagined!" another added, his voice tinged with amazement.
Tobirama nodded, confirming the authenticity. "The information is accurate. This report came directly from Hui."
The room erupted in excitement, and praises for Mochizuki Hui filled the tent.
"Konoha has produced an extraordinary talent!"
"This is fantastic! Lord Mochizuki Hui has exceeded everyone's expectations."
"He's definitely the next Hashirama-sama. Given a few more years, Hui is bound to become a god of the ninja world!"
"Such strength... he managed to kill the Second Raikage of Kumogakure, two jinchūriki, and two more Kage-level shinobi—all on his own. And now he's forced Kumogakure into hiding. This is a feat worthy of Hashirama-sama himself!"
"A shinobi like this in our village is Konoha's greatest blessing."
Their voices, filled with both shock and admiration, spoke of the unthinkable accomplishments Hui had achieved on the Kumogakure front.
It was a display of power that had not been seen since the days of the First Hokage.
Alone, Hui had faced six Kage-level shinobi and killed five, including the Second Raikage, a figure who stood at the pinnacle of strength in the ninja world.
As the astonished chatter settled, the Nara clan leader spoke with pride and a hint of trepidation. "This news is bound to shake the entire ninja world. Our fight here will only get tougher."
"Let it be," one shinobi replied, the fervor in his voice unmistakable. "With Lord Mochizuki Hui crushing Kumogakure, the scales of this war are tipping in our favor. Konoha will prevail!"
"Yes," Tobirama said with a calm but spirited tone.
"Victory is within our reach. And if we win this war, Konoha will usher in a new era of peace. At least in Hui's lifetime, I believe there won't be any more wars. This could mark the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one."
The weight of his words hung in the air, stirring the hearts of everyone present. A new god of shinobi would inevitably change the ninja world forever.
"Spread the news to every Konoha shinobi in the camp!" Tobirama commanded.
There was no point hiding something that would soon reach everyone's ears. Better, in fact, to use it to bolster morale.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The message spread quickly, igniting a wave of jubilation throughout the entire Konoha encampment.
At first, many shinobi thought they had misheard the news, or that it was too good to be true. But once they confirmed its accuracy, the camp was set ablaze with celebration.
"This is unbelievable—it's really true!"
"Lord Mochizuki Hui killed the Second Raikage! This is beyond incredible!"
"And not just the Raikage—he took down two jinchūriki and two more Kage-level shinobi. Five Kage-level opponents in all!"
"Hui is unstoppable; he's like the second coming of Hashirama-sama!"
"With the Kumogakure front secured, Lord Hui will soon join us here. Once he arrives, we'll put an end to this war!"
"Our own god of shinobi comes from Konoha! We're unstoppable—victory is certain!"
"Who would have thought that child would grow into such power? It's almost like a dream."
"Lord Mochizuki Hui is only sixteen, nearly seventeen... if he's this strong already, just imagine what heights he'll reach!"
"This battle—Konoha will emerge victorious!"
"Konoha will prevail!" someone shouted, sparking a chorus of voices that echoed across the camp:
"Konoha will prevail!"
"Konoha will prevail!"
The cheer rose like thunder, reverberating through the camp, into the skies, and beyond.
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