Credits: KongZil

  Summoning Technique!

  On a hilly battlefield, three massive clouds of white smoke erupted, followed by the excited cheers of countless Konoha ninjas echoing through the air.

  "Orochimaru! You've summoned me again! This time, I demand twenty sacrifices! Shhh…"

  As the smoke dispersed, the first to let out a savage roar was the massive purple serpent, Manda. While it seemed to undermine its master, Orochimaru, standing confidently atop Manda's head, appeared completely unfazed.

  "Heh heh, Manda, there are plenty of sacrifices here. The battlefield's full of enemies. How much you can eat depends on your abilities."

  Orochimaru's hoarse ughter echoed as his gaze fell indifferently on Hanzo of the Samander, the leader of Amegakure in the distance.

  For Orochimaru, whether it was humans or summoned creatures, as long as they had value, he was indulgent toward them—even if it came at the expense of his pride.

  "Jiraiya, the enemy this time is no joke! Hey! What are you doing, Jiraiya? What kind of injection is that?!"

  The toad Gamabunta, who had just exhaled a puff of thick smoke and was striking a dignified pose, suddenly yelped in protest as Jiraiya, perched on his head, crouched down and administered an injection.

  Jiraiya, uncharacteristically serious, said in a deep voice:

  "Bunta, this time the enemy is truly dangerous. This is an antidote personally developed by Tsunade!"

  As the three great summoning beasts made their grand entrance, Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, exuding an aura of confidence. She stared ahead and issued a cold command:

  "Katsuyu, prepare for battle!"

  "Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

  Among the three legendary summoning creatures, Katsuyu was the most docile and gentle, contrasting sharply with Tsunade's fiery personality.

  "Rey this to all Konoha ninjas: intercept the Amegakure forces along the way. Do not gather together!"

  Tsunade's stern command echoed as she addressed the Konoha ninjas behind her.

  Hanzo's tactic was clear: force both sides to cluster together so that his poison could wreak maximum havoc.

  "All of you, fight cautiously. The antidote won't fully neutralize the poison, so don't inhale too much of the toxic mist."

  Her tone was commanding, but Tsunade's heart weighed heavily. The antidote had been hastily prepared, and there simply wasn't enough of it.

  "Let's go!"

  Jiraiya, always the most spirited, shouted, prompting Gamabunta to leap into the fray with a mighty roar. Watching this, Tsunade couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Idiot!"

  But soon, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and the rest of the Konoha ninjas joined in, charging straight toward Hanzo of the Samander.

  The massive figure of Hanzo's samander was impossible to miss, and everyone knew Hanzo was there.

  Under the darkened sky, fshes of lightning occasionally illuminated the battlefield. The rumble of thunder couldn't drown out the fierce csh of thousands of ninjas locked in combat.

  ...

  On Another Battlefield

  "Split into smaller units! Don't let them use combined Water Release techniques!"

  The Konoha ninjas were well aware of the devastating potential of Amegakure's Water Release when executed in unison. If allowed to combine their efforts, the result would be nothing short of a natural disaster.

  Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu

  Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet

  Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu

  Uchiha Shirou and Uchiha Mikoto worked in perfect synchrony, unleashing a barrage of fireballs from opposite sides, forming a crisscross pattern.

  Although Fire Release techniques were weakened in the rain, they were still efficient. C-rank Fire Jutsu consumed minimal chakra, and ninjas, being inherently fragile, were susceptible to fire damage upon contact.

  While Lightning Release was powerful, it was also chakra-intensive. This battle was about teamwork, not exchanging fshy jutsu.

  "Watch out for the Uchiha's steel wires!"

  Using their Fire Release as cover, Shirou and Mikoto maniputed steel wires with seamless coordination, their movements concealed by the rain.

  As eight Rain ninjas found their movements restricted, Uzumaki Kushina unleashed her Wind Release technique, spitting out a barrage of wind bdes that rained down like bullets.

  Water Style: Water Formation Wall

  Water Style: Water Formation Wall

  Two Amegakure ninjas combined forces to erect a massive water barrier in front of their group, while others used their weapons to cut the steel wires.

  "Now's the time!"

  Seizing the moment, Shirou shouted, forming hand seals and unleashing a blinding Lightning Release spear.

  Lightning Style: False Darkness

  With a deafening roar, the lightning spear pierced through the water barrier, electrocuting the two Amegakure ninjas who had created it, their screams echoing in agony.

  The water barrier colpsed into a puddle, just as Kushina's Wind Release bullets shot through, riddling the remaining eight Amegakure ninjas with bloody holes.

  Elsewhere, other Konoha ninjas were holding their ground. The Hyuga brothers, Hizashi and Hiashi, activated their Byakugan and unleashed their coordinated taijutsu.

  Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms

  Meanwhile, under the Aburame cn's secret techniques, the Amegakure ninjas were thrown into disarray. This battle was one-sided, as many of the Konoha ninjas hailed from prestigious cns.

  The Uchiha, Hyuga, Aburame, and Senju cns represented resources and Kekkei Genkai abilities far beyond ordinary ninjas. Their unique skills and Kekkei Genkai gave them a significant edge in battle.

  "Hahaha! Konoha ninjas, die with us!"

  Realizing escape was futile, many Amegakure ninjas resorted to suicide tactics. Some, gravely wounded, detonated explosive tags to take as many Konoha ninjas with them as possible. Others, spitting blood, rushed forward to grapple with their enemies, shouting:

  "Do it now!"

  Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu

  A massive water dragon swept through the battlefield, leaving both Konoha and Amegakure ninjas coughing blood as their internal organs were shattered.

  Amidst the chaos, every weapon and explosive tag was used without reservation. In the fshes of lightning and the deafening thunder, the brutal battle between Konoha and Amegakure raged on, loud enough to be heard in the distant town.

  ...

  In a Small Town

  Inside a wooden house, Konan peeked through the window, her face tense as the lightning illuminated the dark sky.

  "The explosions are so loud... Is this what war is like? Lord Shirou, please come back safely!"

  As Konan prayed, Nagato nodded solemnly. "Konan, you have to trust Lord Shirou. He'll be fine."

  In another house, Yahiko and a group of youths stood by the window, watching the fshes of lightning and the occasional glow of ninjutsu with fear and unease.

  "Yahiko, do you think the ninja war will reach us here?"

  "Idiot! Trust Yahiko. He'll protect us."

  Some were worried, while others looked at Yahiko with unwavering confidence. Despite his young age, Yahiko's charisma had already won over most of the group in just a few months.

  Like a natural leader, Yahiko turned to the others, his voice firm and resolute:

  "Don't worry, everyone. We're ninjas now. If we work hard and keep training, we'll become strong enough to protect our home someday."

  "Yahiko, I believe you'll become as strong as Lord Shirou from Konoha!"

  "Yeah, we all believe in you!"

  Under the trusting gazes of the group, the orange-haired Yahiko's determination solidified. With newfound purpose, he decred:

  "No! Not just me! All of us will train and grow stronger together. We'll surpass Lord Shirou and become gods who can bring peace to this world. We'll end war forever!"

  Surpass Uchiha Shirou! Become gods!

  Yahiko's youthful yet passionate voice echoed through the house, leaving the group of youths stunned. In their eyes, Lord Shirou was the pinnacle of strength.

  Yet Yahiko, with unwavering resolve, spoke of surpassing him and becoming gods.

  Strangely, Yahiko's charisma made them believe him.

  "I believe in Yahiko!"

  "Me too!"

  Amid their cheers, Yahiko smiled. He had found his path forward.

  Train hard, become a stronger ninja, and rise to the pinnacle of the ninja world—become a god!

  The dreams of na?ve youths are often the most childish, but it is precisely these countless childish dreams of youth that have created countless unbelievable legends.

  However, some people's dreams can create miracles, while others are destined only for failure.

  Because some things are innate—if you have them, you have them; if you don't, you don't.

  Especially in the ninja world.

  The small town was silent, except for the sound of thunder mixed with the roaring explosions of the ninja battlefield. Countless ordinary people cowered in their homes, trembling, praying that the war would not reach their town and destroy their homes.

  ...

  On the battlefield.

  "Jiraiya, watch out!"

  With Tsunade's angry shout, and amidst a series of explosions, Jiraiya hastily cast a jutsu.

  Needle Jizō!

  As the roaring explosions subsided, Jiraiya panted heavily, disheveled. Large chunks of his white hair had been burned away. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Orochimaru and Tsunade.

  "Orochimaru, Tsunade! You two!"

  Both Orochimaru and Tsunade's faces were marked with bck curse seals, though the patterns were different.

  Orochimaru's curse seal appeared as bck streaks resembling venomous snakes, exuding an image of deadly poison.

  Tsunade's curse seal was simir to the ter markings of her Strength of a Hundred Seal, covering her forehead and cheeks and extending across her body. The bck-purple markings radiated an air of mystery.

  Seeing this, Jiraiya's eyes widened. "When?! When did you two learn these?!"

  Among the three of them, Jiraiya had always been the weakest. But over time, he had gradually caught up, and the gap between them was now minimal.

  Yet in this battle, Orochimaru and Tsunade—these crafty old foxes—had secretly mastered even more powerful jutsu without his knowledge. It was too unfair!

  "Jiraiya, be careful. Use Earth Style to alter the terrain around us—this old bastard has pnted a lot of explosive tags nearby."

  Tsunade huffed angrily. Who would have thought this old fox, Hanzo of the Samander, could be so devious? They had been prepared for his ninjutsu, but they hadn't anticipated that he had secretly id traps elsewhere.

  He had been waiting for the perfect moment in the battle to lure them into his trap and then unleash it.

  "This isn't working. We're way too passive, letting him control the fight!"

  Even though the curse seals had enhanced Tsunade and Orochimaru's power significantly, Hanzo of the Samander was still too strong. Even Orochimaru looked solemn.

  Manda and Gamabunta had already retreated after sustaining serious injuries. Meanwhile, Katsuyu had split into countless smaller slugs to heal the Konoha ninjas.

  But as Katsuyu's chakra dwindled, she began to disappear. This time, Tsunade wasn't even channeling chakra into her summon to heal others—her situation was too perilous.

  "You avoided my Explosive Fme Formation, did you?"

  Standing atop his summoned samander in the pouring rain, Hanzo exuded immense pressure. He gred coldly at the three young Konoha ninjas, his eyes fshing with malice.

  "From the start of this fight, you've been using antidotes, constantly altering the terrain, and countering my Explosive Fme Formation. You know my techniques very well. It seems there's a traitor among the Amegakure!"

  At this moment, Hanzo was enraged. The only ones who could have leaked such detailed information were his most trusted confidants. There could be no other expnation but betrayal.

  "Damn it!"

  On the battlefield, Jiraiya felt both angry and humiliated. He realized he was becoming a burden. Furious, he shouted and threw countless kunai with explosive tags attached, scattering them densely across the ground.

  As the explosive tags detonated in a chain reaction, they revealed three hidden explosive traps that Hanzo had id. These were destroyed in the process.

  But instead of anger, Hanzo smirked coldly at the sight and said, "Out of chakra already, brat? You can't even cast ninjutsu anymore. What about you two?"

  Turning his gaze toward Orochimaru and Tsunade, Hanzo suddenly felt a pressure emanating from them.

  "Don't underestimate us! Orochimaru, now!"

  Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

  Countless snakes burst out from Orochimaru's sleeves, entangling Hanzo and restraining him. At that moment, Tsunade leaped into the air, raising her fist and smming it down in fury.

  "Die, you old bastard!"

  "You work well together, don't you?"

  Despite the pressure, Hanzo maintained his lofty composure, exuding an air of superiority. This wasn't just arrogance—it was psychological warfare, designed to keep his opponents guessing about his true strength.

  Boom!

  As Tsunade's punch nded, Hanzo turned into a spsh of water. His summoned samander also disappeared into the ground.

  Water Body Flicker Technique.

  "Watch out!"

  Jiraiya shouted as chains wrapped around Tsunade, followed by a scythe descending toward her like lightning.

  Cng!

  Sparks flew as the scythe struck, accompanied by a crisp metallic cng. Tsunade had blocked the attack with the back of her hand—or rather, with the special steel pting on the back of her gauntlet.

  The scythe left a deep mark on the metal pting. Tsunade's palm went numb, and she couldn't help but feel secretly armed.

  If she hadn't been prepared, that steel pting—made of rare chakra-conducting metal—might not have been enough to save her this time.

  Seeing this, Hanzo was even more furious. "Damn it! That traitor even leaked my sword techniques!"

  The Kusarigama was one of Hanzo's signature moves. Though some ninjas wore protective armor and gloves, Tsunade's equipment was tailored specifically to counter him.

  "Die!"

  Tsunade roared, grabbing the chains with both hands and yanking hard. Hanzo suddenly felt an overwhelming force pulling him forward.

  In an instant, his body was flung toward Tsunade. This terrifying strength made Hanzo's pupils contract as he excimed, "This is the power of that strange curse seal!"

  From their earlier exchanges, Hanzo had already gauged the trio's strength. But now, Tsunade's power had surged again.