Land of Grass
On this battlefield, the shinobi from Konohagakure and Iwagakure clashed in a fierce contest between two great ninja villages.
"Jiraiya!"
Tsunade's startled cry echoed as she turned to see Jiraiya pale-faced, blood seeping continuously from his abdomen. He forced a strained smile onto his face.
"Ha... I'm fine."
Splurt!
Orochimaru dropped the corpse of an enemy and gasped for breath. Now, all three of them were in disarray. Even Tsunade, usually resilient, was drained to the point where her chakra was nearly depleted.
"Quickly, move! Iwa-nin pursuers are right behind us," Orochimaru said coldly.
Supporting Jiraiya, who had sustained a severe abdominal injury, Tsunade prepared to flee. Suddenly, a puff of white smoke appeared—a summoning beast materialized.
"Tsunade-sama," a small slug, no bigger than the palm of her hand, emerged and perched on her shoulder, spitting out a scroll as it did.
"What's going on!?"
Tsunade frowned as she unfurled the scroll. The slug spoke softly:
"Tsunade-sama, Shirou-sama has set a series of explosive traps across the rocky terrain about 80 miles ahead. This is the layout of the traps..."
Hearing the report, Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged shocked glances.
Reinforcements? At a time like this?
No—just one person? Is he looking to die?
"Move!"
Orochimaru didn't hesitate for even a second. Trap or not, they had no choice. The Iwa-nin forces were closing in.
"Damn it, that brat is insane!"
Tsunade cursed under her breath. She couldn't stop to question the situation further, focusing on helping Jiraiya move forward.
Boom!
The sound of explosions filled the air behind them.
"How many explosive traps were laid!?"
As the trio navigated through the rocky terrain, the sounds of exploding seals triggered by the Iwa-nin pursuit echoed relentlessly behind them.
"Damn it! These Konoha shinobi are carrying this many explosive tags?"
As the firelight from the blasts faded, one injured Iwa-nin, clutching his bleeding arm, shouted angrily to the others:
"Use Earth Release! Don't hold back your chakra—carve a path forward! Sensory-nin, lock onto the Konoha shinobi! Do not let them escape!"
"Understood!"
In this rocky landscape—a haven for Iwa-nin—Earth-Style ninjutsu unleashed a barrage of flying stones and debris, triggering more traps below.
Boom!
Though the extensive traps delayed them, it was clear that they couldn't fully halt the advancing Iwa-nin forces.
"Tsunade-sama, there's a cave ahead," the slug guided them. Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya made their way into the barren rocky mountainside to hide.
Inside, the solid rock concealed a labyrinth of winding caves.
"Captain Tsunade!"
A familiar voice called out in the dim cavern. Tsunade turned her head, only to see someone that instantly brought anger to her face.
"Shirou! Are all Uchiha this crazy!?"
Tsunade's furious outburst echoed in the cave. Meanwhile, Orochimaru, still on guard, noticed that Shirou was alone. His gaze turned skeptical as he commented:
"Shirou-kun, you truly are full of surprises."
"Captain Tsunade, Orochimaru-sama, please recover your chakra. I'll handle treating Jiraiya-sama," Shirou said. Despite his disheveled appearance, it was evident he had encountered significant danger himself.
However, unlike the trio who faced an army, Shirou had only dealt with scattered Iwa-nin.
Jiraiya, now unconscious, struggled to breathe. His wound, combined with excessive blood loss, chakra depletion, and physical exhaustion, left him unable to fight.
"Here are Military Ration Pills," Shirou said gravely, extending his hands and beginning to use healing ninjutsu on Jiraiya. Orochimaru and Tsunade accepted the pills and consumed them, feeling a spark of energy return to their depleted bodies.
"Shirou, where's the rest of the reinforcements? Why are you the only one here!?"
Tsunade demanded, her tone complicated.
Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely.
"It seems Shirou-kun came alone to save us."
Tsunade's glare sharpened.
"This is suicide!"
Shirou, however, remained calm. Smiling, he explained:
"Captain Tsunade, your mission was to retreat to the Land of Fire's borders. But my mission was different—disguised as you, I stabilized morale. The frontline forces have now successfully retreated. As per orders, I'm here to report the mission's completion."
"Mission complete."
The weight of those simple words hung in the air. Tsunade was momentarily stunned.
Orochimaru let out a laugh.
"Another burden to bear."
"Enough!"
Tsunade snapped, her gaze piercing Shirou. Memories of his unwavering determination, youthful enthusiasm, and the change after Nawaki's death flooded her mind.
Shirou! You're a Uchiha! Do you know this mission is suicidal? You're just a liability here!
Under Tsunade's angry rebuke, she couldn't shake the thought that Shirou had been acting increasingly off ever since he awakened his Sharingan after the Nawaki incident. Coming here was driven by some kind of guilt and self-reproach.