The Kirigakure front was currently engulfed in battle.
Unlike the wars against Kumogakure and in the Land of Rain, Kirigakure had spread Konoha's forces thin by stretching the front lines across multiple coastal battlefields.
This made the war against Kirigakure particularly challenging for Konoha.
The difference in numbers was immense.
Kirigakure had over three times as many ninjas as Konoha.
Were it not for the advantage of the Hyūga clan's Byakugan countering Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Technique, and the presence of many elite ninjas on Konoha's side, the situation would have been even more dire.
Still, every day of battle was gruelling. Despite the odds, Konoha's forces had managed to hold their ground, ensuring that Kirigakure wouldn't easily overwhelm them.
At the moment, one of many skirmishes along the extended front line was unfolding.
…
Boom!
Tsunade delivered a devastating punch that sent a Kirigakure ninja flying backward, crashing into a large tree. She paused, retracting the chakra from her fist as she confirmed the enemy had fallen for good.
This was her trademark super strength, the cornerstone of her combat style.
Nearby, Jiraiya smashed his Rasengan into the abdomen of another enemy, sending the Kirigakure ninja flying lifelessly through the air as the spiraling sphere tore through him.
At the same time, Orochimaru's sleeve twitched, and a snake darted out, sinking its fangs into the neck of an enemy.
Venom quickly coursed through the ninja's veins, his face turning an ominous shade of blue before he collapsed, lifeless.
Even as the first ninja fell, Orochimaru's other hand shot forward. Another snake emerged, coiling tightly around the neck of a second enemy and snapping it with a sudden constriction.
"Tsunade's punches are downright terrifying," Jiraiya muttered, glancing at the toppled tree and the lifeless Kirigakure ninja beneath it. The scene sent a chill down his spine.
He couldn't help but think back to the last time Tsunade had come after him with those fists. If he hadn't dodged in time, he might have been stuck in Konoha's hospital for weeks.
The thought brought a crooked grin to Jiraiya's face as he recalled the incident: he had been caught peeking at women bathing, only to be intercepted by Tsunade, who was on her way to assign him a mission.
It had been a near-death experience.
"Kirigakure's attacks have been growing fiercer lately," Tsunade said, furrowing her brow as she ignored Jiraiya. "It feels like they're in a hurry."
"Probably because of Kumogakure's surrender," Orochimaru replied. "I heard that Hui-kun has already led a force to the Land of Rain. Kirigakure is likely worried about the outcome of that war."
At this point, they were unaware that the battle in the Land of Rain had already ended.
After hearing of Kumogakure's surrender and realizing that Konoha's forces hadn't come to reinforce the Kirigakure front, they deduced that Hui had taken his troops to the Land of Rain instead.
"It's incredible how far Hui-kun has come," Orochimaru said, his tone tinged with awe. "He's left us far behind. I used to think I could catch up to him, but now the gap only seems to widen."
He recalled the shock he had felt upon hearing about the events at Moonfall Mountain, where Hui had faced six Kage-level ninjas alone and killed five of them.
At the time, Orochimaru had thought there must have been some mistake. Such an achievement seemed utterly impossible.
"That's because Hui is the Light of Konoha!" Tsunade declared, her face breaking into a proud smile.
After all, the boy who had shaken the entire ninja world was her boyfriend.
Jiraiya pouted at her words.
"Hui is insane! He's our age and already pulling off feats like that."
Jiraiya had long since given up trying to compete with Hui. Instead, Hui had become someone he admired and envied.
He often fantasized about being in Hui's position. If he were as legendary as Hui, the girls in Konoha would surely…
His thoughts trailed off, and a bit of drool escaped his lips.
Now that would be a life worth living!
"The war is only going to get tougher," Orochimaru said, bringing the conversation back to reality.
"Let's hope Hui-kun can pull off another miracle so we can soon hear about Konoha's victory in the Land of Rain."
Orochimaru's voice carried an air of expectation. Despite his youth, he had an acute sense for the dynamics of war and a strong grasp of the bigger picture.
Were it not for Hui, Orochimaru would have been considered Konoha's most brilliant young talent.
But under the blinding radiance of Hui's achievements, Orochimaru's own talents seemed to fade into the background, barely noticed by the wider ninja world.
"He will. Hui is a miracle worker, the Light of Konoha," Jiraiya said confidently. "He'll dominate in the Land of Rain and lead Konoha to victory."
This sentiment wasn't unique to Jiraiya. Nearly every Konoha ninja believed in Hui's abilities.
After witnessing or hearing about his miraculous feats, they had come to trust that Hui could accomplish anything.
Tsunade's smile grew wider at Jiraiya's words.
But she quickly composed herself and addressed her teammates. "Let's move on to the next area. Since Kirigakure's ninjas are here, the situation up ahead might be worse than we think."
Even as she spoke, Tsunade felt the weight of the ongoing war.
Konoha's front lines had been steadily pushed back, retreating from the coastline to the inland areas.
Kirigakure's numerical advantage, combined with the sheer length of the front lines, had made it impossible for Konoha to cover everything, forcing them to endure wave after wave of infiltration by Kirigakure's squads.
Their mission was to eliminate these infiltrating teams, like the four Kirigakure ninjas they had just dispatched.
"Let's go," Orochimaru said. With that, the three of them set off toward their next target.
…
At just sixteen, nearly seventeen, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were not yet at the peak of their abilities.
They were classified as Jōnin, but they were still far from the level of Kage-tier combatants.
Not everyone could be Hui, standing atop the ninja world at sixteen, slaughtering its strongest warriors, and even taking down the Kage of the Five Great Villages.
For most, reaching Jōnin at sixteen was a mark of genius. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were all regarded as prodigies within Konoha, already gaining modest fame for their exploits in the war.
However, precisely because they were still Jōnin, Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't sent them to the main battlefield.
It was too dangerous. The main battlefront was a chaotic clash of elite Jōnin and Kage-level opponents.
Accidents were inevitable, and in such a chaotic environment, Hiruzen couldn't spare attention to protect the three of them.
Moreover, as talented young ninjas, they were invaluable to Konoha and warranted protection.
In truth, their youth was the primary reason for their limited role.
Unlike the original timeline, where the Second Shinobi World War broke out around Konoha's 27th year, Hui's actions had advanced the timeline by a decade.
In the original history, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were already seasoned Kage-level ninjas by the age of 27, earning the title of Legendary Sannin after their famous battle against Hanzo the Salamander.
But now, at only sixteen, they still needed time to gain experience on the battlefield. Their time to make their mark on history had not yet come.
join my patreon for 85+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL