Chapter 91: The Desperate Fronts
On the rain-soaked battlefield of the Land of Rain, the mood in the Konoha camp was as heavy as the clouds overhead. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stared at the tactical map, his expression grim. The Iwagakure forces were a tough nut to crack. Even with him personally taking the field to counter the Third Tsuchikage, he could only achieve a stalemate. On the other fronts, while Sunagakure's push was weaker, the armies of Kumogakure and Kirigakure were fighting with terrifying ferocity.
If not for the staunch defense put up by their allies in the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha's defensive line would have already collapsed. None of them had anticipated that the four great nations would commit to a full-scale war so quickly, and they had gravely overestimated their own ability to withstand such a coordinated assault.
"Tsunade," Hiruzen said, his voice low and urgent. "Is it possible to have the Slug Sage perform a reverse summoning? We must contact Akatsurugi."
Tsunade let out a weary sigh. "The technique should work, Lord Third. But we have no way of knowing if Captain Akatsurugi will answer the call."
"We are out of options. Danzō's forces are on the verge of collapse. If we don't resolve this immediately, Kumogakure will break through into the heart of the Land of Fire!" Hiruzen insisted, his fist clenching on the table.
Nodding, Tsunade turned to make the preparations.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Rain border, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated before the leader of Amegakure. "Hanzo," Ōnoki stated, his voice devoid of warmth. "Konoha is on its last legs. Are you certain you still wish to remain neutral?"
Hanzo of the Salamander met the Tsuchikage's gaze, a sigh lodged in his throat. Join the war? With what army? Amegakure had so few ninja to begin with. Throwing them into this meat grinder would be suicide. Yet, Ōnoki had him cornered. By massing his troops at Hanzo's doorstep, the Tsuchikage had forced his hand. If Hanzo didn't pick a side, Ōnoki couldn't afford to leave a potential enemy at his back.
Internally, Hanzo cursed Konoha. Why are you so weak? You should have pushed the Rock ninja back, or at least held your ground. This constant retreat is a death sentence for my village.
"What will you do," Hanzo asked pointedly, "when Konoha's Blaze God returns?"
Ōnoki's confident demeanor faltered for a split second. What could he do? Frankly, Akatsurugi was a monster they had no clear strategy to defeat. Their only hope was to conquer Konoha in his absence, rendering him a masterless, if immensely powerful, rogue. If it came to it, they would simply throw thousands of ninja at him—tens of thousands, if needed. The combined forces of four great villages could always muster the numbers to wear down a single man, no matter how strong.
Seeing Ōnoki's silence, Hanzo knew his answer. Akatsurugi was an insurmountable problem, but his own survival was a more immediate concern. He had been forced into this war.
After Ōnoki departed, Hanzo mobilized his Rain ninja, pressing the attack from the eastern flank. When the news reached Sarutobi Hiruzen that Hanzo had joined the fray, he slammed his fist on the table in a rare display of fury. How dare this minor village kick them while they were down?
But anger was a luxury he couldn't afford. With a heavy heart, he dispatched his three students to intercept Hanzo, with strict orders to stop the Salamander at the border of the Land of Fire, no matter the cost.
"Tsunade, any word from Lord Akatsurugi?" Orochimaru asked, his serpentine eyes narrowed in concern.
Tsunade shook her head, rainwater dripping from her blonde hair. "The Slug Sage attempted the reverse summoning. The call was sent, but the Captain refused it. He must be at a critical juncture in his training."
Orochimaru let out a frustrated hiss of a sigh. Konoha was caught in a pincer attack from four major villages. Handling two, maybe even three, would have been manageable. But all four at once? The village was being stretched to its breaking point.
Unbeknownst to them, Akatsurugi was indeed at the most crucial moment of his seclusion. Deep within the Land of Demons, he was fully immersed in a battle of wills, absorbing the vast soul power of the demon Mōryō and wrestling with the spirit of Ryūjin Jakka itself. He had felt the faint pull of the reverse summoning, a psychic whisper from Shikkotsu Forest, but he had shut it out completely. He would not be disturbed. The Slug Sage, bound by his refusal, had no means to force communication.
"Let's move," Tsunade commanded, her voice firm despite the dread in her heart. "Hanzo is hailed as a demigod for a reason. We cannot afford to underestimate him."
Kato Dan, now assigned to Tsunade's team, nodded in agreement. Jiraiya, trailing behind them, could only scowl and accept the situation. He and Tsunade were a team, but he knew he wasn't her first choice for anything else. He just wasn't her type.
The situation on the battlefield was deteriorating by the hour. Soon, catastrophic news arrived: Danzō's forces had been shattered. He himself had been severely wounded by the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and the Cloud ninja, having broken through his line, were now advancing unchecked into the Land of Fire's interior.
"What? Danzō defeated? And gravely injured?" Hiruzen exclaimed, disbelief warring with horror on his face.
The intelligence ninja kneeling before him trembled. "It's true, Lord Hokage. The Cloud army is marching deeper into our territory."
"Damn it!" Hiruzen cursed, the profanity foreign on his usually composed tongue. This was more than a military setback; it was a profound humiliation and a catastrophic failure.
"Send word immediately!" he barked, his voice echoing through the command tent. "To every clan head in the village—the Hyūga, the Uchiha, all of them! They are to mobilize their remaining elites and drive the Cloud invaders from our land! Now!"
While the major clans had already sent shinobi to the war, their core family elites had been held in reserve. This was no longer a battle; it was a fight for Konoha's very survival. Hiruzen was throwing every last chip onto the table.
As the intelligence ninja vanished to relay the orders, Hiruzen sank into his chair. How had it come to this? Had the other villages truly set aside their ancient grudges, united by a common threat? Had he been wrong from the beginning? Should he have handed Akatsurugi over? The thought was treasonous, but it flickered in his mind. And now, at this most critical hour, where was Akatsurugi? A fresh wave of anger washed over him. The man was brilliant but utterly unreliable.
Back in Konoha Village, a palpable tension gripped the Hyūga and Uchiha compounds as the Hokage's desperate order arrived. The clan leaders could scarcely believe the village had been pushed to the brink.
But the reality was undeniable. Without Konoha, their powerful clans would become nothing more than coveted prizes, their prized Kekkei Genkai hunted across the ninja world.
"Great Elder," the Uchiha Clan Head murmured, his voice tight with anxiety. "Why has Lord Akatsurugi not appeared?"
Uchiha Tai could only shake his head, his aged face lined with deep worry. "I do not know. Logically, this is the moment he should return. But if Konoha falls before he does... will there be any point in him returning at all?"
Though he would never admit it aloud, Uchiha Tai was frantic. But his frustration was useless; he had no way to contact the Blaze God.
For now, they had no choice. They would pour their strength into pushing the Cloud ninja back. If Kumogakure's forces reached the village gates, then Konoha—and all their ambitions—would be truly finished.