"Damn it!!!"
The elite Jonin from Kirigakure roared in frustration, utterly unprepared for the surprise these three brats had hidden up their sleeves.
Summoning beasts—while not uncommon in the shinobi world—were still exceedingly rare.
Over 90% of shinobi had never signed a summoning contract, let alone summoned a beast of this scale.
"Captain, what do we do?" one of the two shinobi beside the elite Jonin stammered, visibly shaken as they watched Tsunade and her companions retreat into the distance.
They turned to the captain for guidance.
The elite Jonin gritted his teeth, his face darkening as he snapped, "What else can we do? Do you have a summoning beast?"
"Uh… no."
"Then there's nothing to discuss!"
Meanwhile, Tsunade and her companions landed on the ground after riding atop Gamabunta, the massive toad having taken them far from the battlefield.
Summoning a creature of such power had a time limit, and at Jiraiya's current skill level, he couldn't maintain Gamabunta's presence in the ninja world for long.
As Gamabunta vanished back to Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya burst into laughter.
"That idiot! He even tried to fool me by claiming you were all taken out. Did he really think such lies would rattle the great Jiraiya's genius mind?"
he said smugly, with an air of self-satisfaction. Yet of the three, he had been the most shaken by the earlier deception.
"The fact that Kirigakure's elite Jonin appeared means they're targeting us specifically. This area is no longer safe," Orochimaru stated, his tone serious as he glanced at Jiraiya.
Their mission required them to move constantly along the front lines, never staying in one place for long. The ambush had made one thing clear, their movements had been exposed.
"It looks like we'll need to retreat our defensive lines even further," Tsunade added grimly.
The situation for Konoha was becoming increasingly dire.
While Kirigakure couldn't topple Konoha in the short term, if the conflict dragged into a prolonged war of attrition, Konoha's position would worsen dramatically.
"I just hope we get good news from the Land of Rain soon. Otherwise, we might have to send Genin to the battlefield," Orochimaru muttered, his words plunging the group into silence.
The three of them had all graduated early due to the war.
Though they had avoided the front lines thanks to Hiruzen Sarutobi's protection and their own special status, they had still encountered enemies and survived life-or-death struggles.
Many of the Genin they trained with hadn't been as lucky, falling in the brutal conflicts.
They understood the horrors of war all too well.
"Hui will create a miracle in the Land of Rain and come to this battlefield. He'll end this war," Tsunade declared with unwavering conviction.
"Is that so?"
The sudden voice froze the trio in their tracks, sending chills down their spines.
"Who's there?!" Jiraiya shouted instinctively.
Orochimaru flung a kunai toward the source of the voice, his movements sharp and not a hint of hesitation in his moments.
All three turned to face the figure in the shadows, only to see a familiar presence emerge.
"My, my… such unfriendly little brats. Not even a polite greeting before attacking," said the figure, letting the kunai pass harmlessly through his body.
It wasn't his real form, merely a projection.
"Second Mizukage… Gengetsu Hozuki!" Orochimaru gasped, his voice filled with horror.
Jiraiya and Tsunade also felt their hearts sink. None of them had anticipated encountering a Kage-level opponent, especially not here on the fringes of the battlefield.
"I came here for a little solo infiltration, planning to play the hero in a surprise attack. Who would've thought I'd stumble upon such an unexpected prize?" Gengetsu smirked.
His gaze locked onto Tsunade. "Blond girl, you're Senju Hashirama's granddaughter, Tsunade, aren't you?"
His original plan was to use his unique ninjutsu for a surprise assault on Konoha. Bringing other Kirigakure shinobi would have limited his destructive potential, as his techniques caused indiscriminate, large-scale damage.
Thus, he had chosen to act alone. But finding Tsunade here had suddenly made his plan even sweeter.
"So what if I am? If you think you can take me hostage and use me against Konoha, you're delusional. Granduncle Tobirama wouldn't let you succeed!" Tsunade retorted, feigning anger while subtly signaling Orochimaru and Jiraiya to split up and flee.
Her gestures weren't random; they conveyed a clear message: separate and escape. Facing a legendary Kage like Gengetsu in a direct confrontation was simply suicide. Their only option was to run.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya quickly understood Tsunade's intent. However, neither made a move to leave.
They could see through her plan—Tsunade intended to act as bait, luring Gengetsu away to give them a chance to survive.
After all, as Hashirama's granddaughter and Hui's girlfriend, she was the prime target. Her capture would force Konoha's strongest and most influential to act, including Hui.
In theory, her plan made sense. Tsunade's sacrifice would buy them the highest chance of survival. But shinobi were never purely rational creatures.
Both Orochimaru and Jiraiya stood firm at Tsunade's side, ready to fight. Tsunade sighed inwardly, knowing they would never abandon her—just as she would never abandon them.
"Take you hostage? Don't be ridiculous. Someone like Tobirama would always choose Konoha over you. No, I have no such intention," Gengetsu said, his smirk widening.
"But you're also Hui's girlfriend, aren't you? I imagine if I capture you, his personality would ensure he comes rushing here from the Land of Rain."
"Don't even think about it!" Tsunade snarled, glaring daggers at him.
"My, my… such an unpleasant child. Stubborn, boring… and sly. But since you've made the first move, let's begin the game, shall we?" Gengetsu said, his projection vanishing as his real body launched its attack.
A snake near his feet, already dead with its head pierced by water droplets, revealed Orochimaru had located him.
The battle was about to begin.
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