Chapter 97: The Shifting Tide
Akatsurugi gave a curt nod. "You're gravely injured. Return to the village and recover. I will handle things here."
As he finished speaking, the ninjas who had been on the verge of collapse erupted into fervent cheers. "Lord Akatsurugi! Lord Akatsurugi!"
They had been clinging to despair. Facing the combined might of Kumogakure's two Tailed Beasts, it was a miracle they had held the line this long. They had believed the elite clan reinforcements would turn the tide, but the reality of the battle had been a brutal awakening.
In truth, it wasn't Danzō's fault. He had fought with everything he had. But the sheer disparity in power was overwhelming. A single Tailed Beast was a monumental challenge; two were an apocalypse.
With a raised hand, Akatsurugi quieted the crowd. His immediate task was to reorganize the battered forces and prepare for the counter-offensive.
Watching Akatsurugi assume command so effortlessly, Danzō felt a sharp pang of bitterness. But he was wounded, his prestige shattered. With no other choice, he allowed a team of his Root operatives to escort him back to Konoha, his ambitions temporarily checked by failure and injury.
Akatsurugi had no need for underhanded tactics to seize power. Victory in this war would naturally crown him. The ninjas who had endured the terror of carrying rice—of being on the defensive and losing comrades—were not foolish. They knew who had the power to end their suffering. After tasting that desperation, they would never willingly return to it.
The Uchiha clansmen among the ranks were particularly exhilarated. Akatsurugi's return was nothing less than a king reclaiming his throne. His mere appearance had shattered the Cloud offensive. The message was undeniable.
News of Akatsurugi's return spread like wildfire across all fronts.
He had slain Hanzo of Amegakure.
He had grievously wounded the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and sent the Iwa forces into retreat.
He had then proceeded to the Kumo front, slain the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and sent the Raikage's army fleeing from the Land of Fire in terror.
When this news reached the Sunagakure front, the Sand ninja didn't just retreat; they fled outright, melting back into the vast, trackless deserts from which they came.
Mitokado Homura let out a breath he felt he'd been holding for weeks. Even with his support, this front had been a stopgap measure. If the news of the Blaze God's return hadn't scared the Sand away, the line would have broken.
"Akatsurugi..." Homura murmured to himself. This was the man's influence. His name alone was a weapon that could rout an entire village's army. What immense prestige.
"Hiruzen... I'm afraid we all have to step back now," Homura thought, recalling his initial objections to the war. The facts had proven him right. Without Akatsurugi, they could not stand against a coalition of four great villages.
He could already foresee the outcome. Akatsurugi would be hailed as the sole victor of this World War. Under that weight of public acclaim and military necessity, the Third Hokage would have no choice but to abdicate. No ninja who had lived through this desperation would support anyone else for the title.
"Lord Akatsurugi is back! No wonder the Sand ran! We're saved!" a Konoha ninja shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.
All around, soldiers wept with relief. No one truly wanted war. It meant death. And now, the mere announcement of Akatsurugi's return had won a battle without a fight. Only a fool wouldn't know who to support now.
This was the lesson learned from carrying rice.
The news also reached the forces of Kirigakure, who met it with bitter frustration. If not for the stubborn resistance of the Land of Whirlpools, they would have broken through long ago and penetrated deep into the Fire Country's heartland, instead of being stuck in these naval skirmishes.
Now, it was too late. The Blaze God had returned.
"Lord Mizukage, shall we order a retreat?" an elder of the Hōzuki clan inquired.
The Fourth Mizukage's expression was dark. Retreat? When they were so close to a tangible victory? Akatsurugi was powerful, but he would be busy dealing with Kumo and Iwa. He couldn't be everywhere at once. As long as they didn't cross the border into the Land of Fire, he likely wouldn't come. Now was the critical moment to crush the Land of Whirlpools once and for all. This minor nation's village had been a thorn in their side for too long.
Furthermore, he coveted the Uzumaki's legendary sealing techniques. His forces had suffered enough from them during this campaign. A clan with such potent jutsu and massive chakra reserves could not be allowed to remain a potential ally of Konoha.
"Summon the Kaguya and Hoshigaki clans," the Mizukage commanded coldly. "This time, we will obliterate the Land of Whirlpools." He would seize some tangible prize from this failed war before withdrawing.
The Hōzuki elder could only nod and relay the order.
On the Konoha side of the coastal defense, Akimichi Takifū watched as the Mist ninja temporarily pulled back their ships. He let out a weary sigh. The pressure here had been immense; without the Uzumaki's support, their line would have collapsed long ago.
"Lord Takifū, I fear the situation is not good," Nara Shikamine, the sharp-minded representative of the new Ino-Shika-Chō trio, said quietly. "They aren't retreating. They're regrouping."
"Oh? What does that mean? Akatsurugi has returned. Do they still dare to be so bold?" Takifū asked. Hadn't the Sand's immediate flight been a clear enough message?
"They may not dare to cross into the Land of Fire," Shikamine analyzed, "but they are more than willing to attack the Land of Whirlpools. Without the Uzumaki, we would never have held this line."
The implication was clear. The village leadership now faced a cruel choice: preserve their own strength and sacrifice their ally, or commit more resources to save them.
Akimichi Takifū's scalp prickled. Knowing his old comrades on the council, he knew the likely answer. The war had stretched Konoha thin. As long as the enemy didn't cross the Fire Country's border, the higher-ups would likely turn a blind eye. This information might not even reach Akatsurugi's desk, lost in bureaucratic inertia.
After a long moment of heavy silence, Takifū asked, "What is your counsel, Shikamine?"
Shikamine sighed. They were all human, and the Uzumaki had fought and bled beside them. "Sir," he said, his voice low and decisive, "we can bypass the usual chain of command. We send the intelligence directly to Lord Akatsurugi."
Takifū hesitated. "But... the Third Hokage..."
This was tantamount to choosing a side. By going directly to Akatsurugi, they would be signaling their shift in allegiance away from Hiruzen's administration.
But then he thought of Akatsurugi's overwhelming power, the reverence of the troops, and the certain future that lay ahead. He gritted his teeth.
"Very well," Takifū said, his decision made. "Route the intelligence to Akatsurugi. What happens next... is in his hands."