chsdbacks Chapter 44 Reinforcements Arrive
Chapter 44 Reinforcements Arrive
The Forest of Crows.
This once lush and verdant forest has now been reduced to a blazing inferno.
The raging fire licked at every inch of the land, and the smell of burnt wood and nauseating blood could be smelled everywhere.
Thick smoke snaked its way up into the sky, obscuring the setting sun into a dark red hue.
"Bang!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff) horizontally, creating a gust of wind, and struck a Jonin from Iwagakure hard in the ribs.
The cracking sound of bones breaking was instantly swallowed up by the surrounding series of explosions.
The Jonin's body flew dozens of meters like a rag doll, crashing into two charred trees before coming to a stop.
"Huff... huff..."
He was breathing heavily, his golden cudgel planted firmly on the ground, and he looked up at the sky.
High in the sky, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, stood with his arms crossed, his face beaming with smugness.
"The intelligence has been completely leaked... We're retreating again and again..."
"Who leaked the information...?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth and muttered, but he no longer had time to find the traitor lurking in the shadows.
because...
Onoki in the sky began to gather white light in his hands once again.
"Don't even think about it!"
He suddenly raised his golden cudgel, which instantly grew longer, and stabbed it fiercely at the Great Tree in the sky.
Onoki had no choice but to dodge, and the Dust Release technique that was about to take shape also dissipated in haste.
But this is just a drop in the ocean.
Since the last time Minato used his full strength to relocate the entire Konoha territory with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he collapsed from excessive chakra consumption and was sent back to the village.
Without the "Yellow Flash" to distract them, Konoha's defenses began to crumble rapidly.
The battle lines had to be pushed back again and again, and even his personal command was of no use.
Every deployment and every shipment of logistical equipment inevitably leaks information without anyone noticing.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't personally overseen the situation on the battlefield, he simply wouldn't have believed that frontline intelligence could have been leaked to such an extent.
What chilled him even more were the undercurrents of intrigue within the village's families...
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the gloom in his heart, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, and a roaring fire dragon burst forth, forcibly forcing back several Iwagakure ninjas who were trying to surround and kill Kakashi.
"Pfft!"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kakashi Hatake slashed open the enemy's throat with a sharp, cold glint in his short sword.
He was covered in blood, and his left Sharingan eye was covered with blood vessels caused by excessive strain, almost turning into a dark red agate.
But he dared not stop for a moment, and with the help of the Hokage's fire jutsu, he precisely finished off the enemy in front of him.
"Kakashi, retreat! Don't fall into their trap!"
Shikaku's anxious voice boomed in his mind through communication ninjutsu.
Kakashi wiped away the blood that was obscuring his vision, kicked aside the corpse in front of him, and used the momentum to leap backward.
At the same time, Hiruzen Sarutobi's four shadow clones scattered and occupied the four directions of the universe.
Then, Hiruzen Sarutobi in front of him created four more shadow clones and unleashed his ultimate attack.
Five Escapes - Great Combo.
The torrents of chakra of the five attributes converged into a destructive tide, surging towards the Iwagakure base.
However, Onoki merely snorted and unleashed a powerful attack from high in the sky, the white cube negating most of the sky-filling spells.
"Jiraiya, how much longer can you hold on?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked into the distance.
At this point, Jiraiya had lost his former boldness. His face had begun to drastically transform into a frog-like shape, and due to the depletion of his chakra, he even found it difficult to stand.
Jiraiya wiped away a cold sweat, his gaze lingering briefly on the Iwagakure demolition squad before settling on the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure.
"Sage Mode... is almost at its limit."
Jiraiya gave a wry smile, while the two immortals, Fukasaku and Shima, on his shoulders were panting heavily.
"My model has only just begun to take shape, and it hasn't been sustainable for long... Teacher... the current situation..."
The teacher hasn't slept for days and nights, if they keep hitting him...
I am afraid...
"Teacher, please make way for Iwagakure. Let's retreat to the village first..."
"We can't refund any more!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly straightened his weary body, interrupting Jiraiya's words.
"This battle is the decisive one."
Hiruzen Sarutobi once again lifted the heavy, mountain-like golden cudgel.
He knew very well that if he retreated, he would lose not only the land, but also the hearts of the people since the First Hokage founded the village, and the backbone that had intimidated the ninja world.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, his fighting spirit surging once more.
That short figure suddenly appeared incredibly tall.
He opened his throat, imbued his voice with chakra, and shouted loudly at all the Konoha ninjas.
"The Will of Fire is the will passed down from the First Hokage!"
"Wherever leaves dance in the air, the fire will burn brightly. Its light will illuminate the village and inspire new leaves to sprout!"
"Trust in our comrades, trust in the land beneath our feet! Konoha will never stop here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the short figure let out a roar and charged headlong into the core of Onoki's position.
He was determined to settle the score in one battle.
Even at the cost of my life, I will drag Onoki into the abyss.
All the Konoha ninjas stared at the Third Hokage's resolute back, and for a moment they were completely silent.
Moments later, their fighting spirit erupted like a volcano.
"Kill! For Konoha!"
"When the village is in crisis, that is when we must step forward!"
"Come on, you scum of Iwagakure!"
"Konoha Village was founded by the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha!"
"The Will of Fire was also proposed by Lord Madara! Kill them—"
...
"Stubborn to the end!"
Onoki spat in the sky, and looking at the high spirits of the Konoha people below, he also shouted at the top of his lungs.
"The Will of Stone of Iwagakure is no less than that of Konoha!"
"Children of Iwagakure, this battle is the moment for our Iwagakure to stand tall in the ninja world and reclaim our status as the number one ninja village among the five great nations."
Go!
With Onoki's roar, the Four-Tails Rōshi and the Five-Tails Han simultaneously activated their half-tailed beast transformations. Their red tailed beast cloaks churned like boiling lava, and the ferocious monsters shattered the scorched earth, roaring as they charged towards the battlefield.
The entire battlefield, bathed in the blazing sun, appeared incredibly tragic and magnificent.
Countless ninjas fought and died in this meat grinder.
You kill me with one blow, I'll cut you with one blow.
If your ninja sword breaks, use ninjutsu.
When the chakra runs out, hand-to-hand combat begins.
As time went on, the balance of power on the battlefield eventually tipped in favor of Iwagakure.
Without the Mangekyou Sharingan, Fugaku Uchiha and his clansmen appeared utterly powerless before the Tailed Beasts.
Having exhausted his Sage Chakra, Jiraiya could only struggle through the lava with his Summoning Toad.
The people of Konoha were all fighting with all their might against the Iwagakure forces.
Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings against kings.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's vision began to blur, and his overdrawn chakra dulled his senses.
In his field of vision, countless green-clad Konoha ninjas fell to the ground, while the yellowish-brown Iwagakure ninjas swarmed like an endless swarm of locusts.
Konoha is truly finished...
?
No.
Boom, boom, boom!
A series of deep, steady, and somewhat oppressive footsteps suddenly came from the flank of the battlefield.
The earth trembled, and even the heatwave seemed to be suppressed by some kind of cold aura at this moment.
Everyone stopped fighting and turned to look at the source of the sound.
At the end of the blood-red twilight, a giant purple serpent, as tall as a mountain range, stood proudly, piercing through the smoke of battle.
And the man standing on top of the giant snake's head.
Her long hair flowed freely, her skin was as smooth and warm as jade, and her pale face was filled with indifference.
"That is..."
"It's Lord Orochimaru!"
"Orochimaru has finally arrived!!"
The Konoha ninjas, who had been in dire straits, erupted in almost frenzied cheers.
At that moment, a complex smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's withered lips.
Reinforcements have arrived.
rustle!!
Gold dust, bathed in the afterglow of dusk, hurtled swiftly towards the Hidden Rock Formation.
The smug look on Onoki's face in the sky froze at that moment.
He wasn't surprised by Orochimaru, but by what Orochimaru brought...
Fourth Kazekage.
Luo Sha.
"Why is Sunagakure here?!"
"Where did this Sand Village army come from?!"
Onoki flew into the Iwagakure formation and barely managed to neutralize it with his Dust Release. His gaze was fixed on Rasa, who stood on the gold sand, arms crossed, looking triumphant.
In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through Onoki's mind.
Did Sunagakure and Konoha secretly form an alliance?
How is that possible?!
Did Orochimaru make some offer that he couldn't refuse?
"Father, what should we do?"
Huang Tu wiped the dust from his face, which was smeared with gunpowder smoke, and looked at his father with some urgency.
Under the suppression of his father, the Third Hokage gradually became at a disadvantage.
Even her own father was exhausted.
But he believed that if we gave Iwagakure a little more time, it would be enough to completely take over Konoha.
"Damn it..."
Onoki glanced at the Sunagakure forces, who had already allied with Konoha, and Orochimaru, who was leading them. His gaze lingered on the Sunagakure positions for a moment, carefully observing every corner.
Chiyo is no longer here.
Ebizo was not there either.
Only Rasa and his troops, along with a few elite ninjas, arrived.
Onoki's brows relaxed slightly, then he let out a cold laugh.
"It's alright. Only Rasa from Sunagakure came; those two old guys, Chiyo and Ebizo, didn't show up. We still have a chance!"
"yes!"
"Order the entire army to charge into the Konoha camp and head straight for Hiruzen Sarutobi's head!"
Huang Tu responded heavily, then turned and rushed to the battlefield to relay the order.
Although that's what he said, Onoki's heart was pounding wildly.
Chiyo's absence means that Sunagakure did not send out its entire force.
The fact that Krosha has arrived speaks volumes.
He's only been in power for a short time...
They dared to make such a decision...
Onoki's gaze fell on Rasa again, and an indescribable unease welled up in his heart.
.....
Orochimaru...
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned on his golden cudgel, his chest heaving violently. He was covered in dust and blood, some from his enemies and some from his own.
He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the distance with mixed feelings of confusion and relief.
Having fought to this point, he had given up hope that Orochimaru would be able to bring in reinforcements.
To persuade Sunagakure to send troops... that's an almost impossible task.
But what I didn't expect was...
The mission was completed perfectly.
They even brought in the rising star of Sunagakure, the Kazekage.
"Lord Rasa, Konoha will remember your kindness..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi snapped out of his thoughts and was about to return to the battlefield.
A small snake coiled around his wrist, its force gentle yet carrying an undeniable firmness.
"teacher..."
Orochimaru stood atop Manda with his arms crossed, his pale face devoid of joy or sorrow, yet his voice surprisingly revealed a hint of warmth.
"It's the era of the young now, you should get some rest..."
"As for the rest, leave it to your dear disciples."
"I also want Onoki to know that as the Third Hokage's student, I am capable of standing up to him..."
"That's right!"
Jiraiya leaped a few steps and landed with a thud beside Orochimaru.
His signature jacket was torn in several places, and blood was still gushing from the wound on his left arm, but his angular face was filled with an almost arrogant pride and excitement.
"As one of the legendary Sannin, I can't let you steal the spotlight!"
"Spiritual communication!"
boom!
A massive plume of smoke exploded across the battlefield simultaneously, accompanied by deafening croaking of frogs that announced the battle's arrival.
The legendary Sannin have returned.
Disciples...?
Could it be?
"Live Slug, please heal everyone's wounds!"
As if realizing something, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly turned his head to look at the rear of the Sunagakure camp.
Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the rear!
It exploded, releasing a huge cloud of smoke.
A giant slug appeared at that moment, its soft body stretching across the edge of the battlefield like a small mountain.
At the very top, Tsunade's eyes were closed, and her body trembled slightly.
Tsunade is here too...
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes reddened slightly.
He recalled the scene many years ago when the three children first teamed up.
Back then, Jiraiya was a reckless and impulsive young man, Orochimaru was taciturn but exceptionally talented, and Tsunade was the little princess who always had a temper.
The Three Ninjas...
They miraculously reunited at a time when Konoha was on the verge of collapse.
"The Legendary Sannin of Konoha have reunited!"
Jiraiya smiled and stood atop Bunta.
Bunta's enormous figure collapsed the surrounding rock walls, billowing smoke as his frog-like eyes scanned the entire area.
"Hey, Jiraiya, what are you doing all the way here? Is that old man Onoki that strong?"
"Manda, you're here too..."
Wen Tai glanced at the giant snake beside him with a disdainful tone, but had already drawn the giant short sword from his waist.
"Stop talking nonsense."
Manda's greedy vertical pupils stared in the direction of Iwagakure's position, flicking its tongue.
"Orochimaru, this time I want five hundred live sacrifices, or I'll leave immediately..."
"Hehehe... Wanshe, go."
Orochimaru gracefully crossed his arms, his black hair dancing wildly in the wind.
"As for the sacrifices... those thousands of Iwagakure ninja ahead, as long as you can swallow them, they are all yours."
"Hmph, that's more like it."
Manda snorted coldly, and his huge body charged forward. Wherever he passed, the earth cracked, trees fell, and the Iwagakure ninjas scattered in terror.
...
"There's still a chance..."
In the air, Onoki frantically shifted his position amidst the encirclement and interception of Sand Gold, his shrewd eyes always fixed on the situation below.
He was convinced that Sunagakure was just putting on an act, and that there were too many old grudges between Sunagakure and Konoha, making a complete alliance impossible.
This move must be driven by profit.
If Iwagakure shows enough strength, Sunagakure will definitely back down.
"Demolition squad, target Konoha's new generation!"
Dozens of elite Iwagakure piloted the Light and Heavy Rock Birds, which were blessed by Onoki, and flew across the sky like a swarm of black locusts. Each bird carried bundles of explosive tags and special bombs on its back.
During this period, the Sand Village forces intentionally or unintentionally ignored the Iwagakure forces.
This made the demolition team leader somewhat happy.
Sure enough!
Sunagakure is just putting on a show!
"Go to hell!!"
He frantically threw all the bombs he had accumulated into the center where the younger generation of Konoha had gathered.
call out--
Boom!!
Flames shot into the sky, and a series of explosions turned the surrounding area of 100 meters into scorched earth, with thick smoke billowing upwards.
"We succeeded!"
Before the demolition captain could even burst into laughter, the expression on his face froze instantly.
At the very center of the thick smoke, a dazzling chakra sphere, crackling with purple lightning, was spinning at high speed.
"This is……"
Before he could say anything, several black 'senbon' arrows pierced his throat, heart, and limbs with pinpoint accuracy.
Before it could even scream, it fell to the ground along with the birds.
On the ground, the purple chakra shield dissipated like the receding tide.
The figure in white slowly pulled back her long hair, her expression unusually calm.
"Hinata...Aolan?"
Kakashi Hatake knelt on one knee, staring in shock at the purple Kaiten who had almost single-handedly protected the entire young squad.
He clearly remembered that Hinata Seiran wasn't much older than him.
He even became a Jonin earlier than this guy.
But this level of recovery... is practically comparable to that of the main elder of the Hyuga clan.
"I'm not late, am I?"
Hinata Seiran slowly turned around and gave a gentle, warm smile to the young, still-shaken faces behind him.