Hui's plan to strike Yunyin was entirely covert—concealed even from Konoha's higher-ups, let alone the vigilant shinobi of the Cloud Village. With no prior warning and already reeling from his earlier assault, the Yunyin frontlines were thrown into chaos by Hui's sudden offensive.
A barrage of Water Release: Water Severing Waves surged forward, relentless and swift.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
The Fourth Raikage activated his signature technique, transforming into a blur of motion. He narrowly evaded the onrushing water blades, his afterimage slicing through the mist before obliterating a series of turbocharged traps laid in advance.
"As expected of the Fourth Raikage… his speed might even outstrip Minato's in a pure race."
"But so what?"
With the Yunyin elite distracted, Hui's hands blurred through hand seals.
"Earth Release: Thousand Senbon Rain!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
From above, countless senbon, forged of chakra-hardened earth, cascaded from the skies. Below, amidst the panic of the previous waves, the Yunyin shinobi struggled to regroup. The seasoned Chūnin managed to defend, but Genin and lower-ranked ninja were swiftly overwhelmed—pierced through by the storm of senbon.
With the Sea Contract augmenting his ninjutsu, Hui's Water Dragon grew to a monstrous scale. The thick serpentine construct crashed down like a tsunami, flattening formations and sweeping up debris in a wide arc. Chunks of earth were lifted and churned with the torrent, becoming deadly projectiles in the roiling tide.
The water's momentum battered defenses, and the senbon that followed dealt devastating final blows. Where the water debilitated, the senbon killed. Together, the twin jutsu unleashed calculated destruction.
"…That should be enough."
Gazing down at the battlefield littered with fallen enemy shinobi, Hui assessed the damage. His assault had achieved its objective.
The Fourth Raikage's incredible speed allowed him to avoid the worst of the damage. His reflexes were sharp, and his strikes swift—most of the turbochargers had been neutralized.
Kirabi too proved formidable. His seven blades danced in a synchronized ballet of steel, forming a near-impenetrable barrier as he defended the shinobi around him.
But Hui was no fool. As devastating as his ambush had been, it was still just that—an ambush. Once the enemy adapted, once their high-rank shinobi coordinated, his solitary strength would no longer suffice.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique."
"Water Release: Water Movement Technique."
A haze spread rapidly across the battlefield, concealing Hui's presence. Cloaked in the mist, Hui slipped away with practiced speed, vanishing before any real counterattack could form.
Once he'd ensured he was no longer being pursued, he reappeared at Konoha's forward operations camp using the Body Flicker Technique.
The result of his ambush: catastrophic losses for Yunyin. Hui—completely unharmed—had disappeared like a phantom. Yunyin's upper echelon trembled with fury.
"Raikage-sama, our casualty report from today's engagement: 500 confirmed dead, 1000 seriously injured, 1200 with minor injuries."
The moment the numbers were spoken, anger exploded in the command tent.
"Unforgivable! UNFORGIVABLE!"
Though 500 deaths may not sound apocalyptic, the figure was deeply damaging. Worse were the 1000 serious injuries. They meant months—perhaps years—of rehabilitation, a crippling blow to Yunyin's battle strength. Worse still, the injured were now burdens, not assets.
And Yunyin's medical infrastructure wasn't on Konoha's level. Treating a sudden influx of severely wounded placed immense pressure on limited resources. Even Konoha would struggle under such strain.
These were loyal shinobi of the village. Letting them die wasn't an option. Some might willingly take their own lives to ease the burden, but most would cling to survival.
"Prioritize medical evacuation and triage. Reorganize squads based on operational capability," the Raikage ordered grimly. "As for Hui—stay cautious. This might be a ploy to bait us into a reckless offensive. Instruct all field agents in Konoha to gather intelligence on their current troop movements. I want a full report—every relocation, every shift."
The room went quiet. The fury gave way to understanding. As much as they wanted to retaliate, chasing Hui into a trap would only deepen their losses.
…
Word of Hui's surprise attack didn't reach the other villages until a full hour later.
"This Hui… reckless! He launched an offensive without village authorization! Doesn't he understand the implications?" one elder fumed. "If Yunyin retaliates now, the absence of Orochimaru and Jiraiya will be exposed instantly!"
Danzo, despite usually favoring aggressive tactics, could not help but pick at Hui's violation of protocol.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's weakening condition was no secret. Talks of succession buzzed through the ranks. Among the top candidates: Tsunade, the Senju heiress; Jiraiya, the eccentric sage with a powerful student; and Orochimaru, the genius tactician with shadow-level strength.
Neither Hui nor Minato were in serious contention. Hui was still relatively unknown outside the battlefield. Despite impressive feats during this war, he lacked the broad recognition and seniority needed. Only twenty years old, he was seen as a strong candidate for a future era. For now, backing his teacher was the more realistic path.
"Danzo, reckless or not, the results speak volumes," Sarutobi intervened. "Thousands of enemy casualties, major disruption to Yunyin's formations. Even now, they haven't retaliated—likely because they fear an ambush."
"By the time they realize he was acting alone," the Hokage continued, "Orochimaru and Jiraiya will have returned from their assignment."
The tone left little room for disagreement. Danzo, ever pragmatic, begrudgingly nodded.
"Very well. Let's focus on our counterintelligence efforts. Yunyin will unleash its spies in response to Hui. Let's use this as a net to capture them."
…
"Sand Release: Gold Dust!"
Lō Sā soared in the air, bombarding Namikaze Minato with wave after wave of shimmering gold sand. But he had gravely underestimated his opponent.
Flight restricted his movement, but Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique was otherworldly. Dozens of marked kunai whirled through the air, trapping Lō Sā in a cage of instantaneous teleportation.
Minato's reactions were razor-sharp. He blinked across the battlefield, never touching the ground, always keeping the Kazekage off balance.
"Great Rasengan!"
In a flash, Minato appeared directly above Lō Sā, slamming a massive Rasengan into his opponent. Gold dust wings shattered as the Sand ninja plummeted to the earth below, smashing into a crater.
"Damn him!" Lō Sā spat, dragging himself from the dirt. "I didn't think this child would be so relentless…"
His injuries were piling up. The damage was enough to impede his chakra control. The only option now… was escalation.
"Blessing!"
The command rang out across the battlefield.
An old, bald figure stepped forward from Suna's rear guard—too far for Tsunade or Minato to recognize, but not for the two shadowy figures observing from the cliffs.
"Not good!" Orochimaru hissed.
"They brought out the Jinchūriki?! That's their trump card!" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.
Both leapt to prepare.
Tsunade and Minato sensed the sudden swell of chakra. A monstrous presence stirred.
"A tailed beast's chakra…" Tsunade muttered, eyes wide.
Minato scowled. "Lō Sā, are you insane?! What are you thinking, deploying a Jinchūriki in open combat?!"
Controlling a tailed beast was no simple task. Even a stable Jinchūriki posed immense risks—if the beast surged forth, friend and foe alike would be caught in the carnage.
But Lō Sā had no hesitation. He believed in Fenfu, the vessel of the One-Tail. Years of imprisonment had honed Fenfu's restraint. It was time to unleash the desert's fury.