"What? The Land of Whirlpools?"
Frontline of the Land of Rivers
Looking at the dust-covered trio of Genma Shiranui, Sakura's eyebrows twitched in disbelief.
"Yes, that's correct…"
Alongside Raido Namiashi and Iwashi Tatami, Genma Shiranui's group had barely had time to catch their breath after arriving at the frontline of the Land of Rivers. They had rushed through Mito Men'en to find Sakura immediately.
Genma eyed the pink-haired kunoichi before him with a hint of resignation. This one was not someone he could afford to offend. If he upset this little firecracker, who knew what kind of trouble she'd make for him once she climbed higher in the ranks?
Sakura glanced at Genma and the two behind him, Raido and Iwashi, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Fine, the Land of Whirlpools it is…
She really was a workhorse, running all over the world like this.
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as possible," Genma replied.
Sakura was about to agree when her emerald eyes flickered with a sudden thought.
"Can the Flying Thunder God Formation handle one extra person?"
"No problem," Genma answered.
Sakura's plan was to bring Terumi Mei along. With Mei's intelligence on the Hidden Mist Village, she could play a significant role.
"I'm coming too," Kakashi, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
Genma glanced at Kakashi, then turned to Sakura with a questioning look.
"Uh… can it handle three extra people?" Sakura asked, scratching her head.
"…It can," Genma replied, his tone tinged with exasperation.
Why not just take the entire tent while they were at it?
Sakura shot a glance at the quiet Kakashi before stepping out of the tent to find Terumi Mei. That guy was in full-on workaholic mode lately. If he kept pushing himself like this, his Mangekyo Sharingan would burn out sooner or later. But if she didn't let him do something, who knew what kind of dark thoughts he'd spiral into alone? If he snapped one day, that'd be a real mess.
By the time Sakura returned with Terumi Mei, Genma's Flying Thunder God squad was ready.
"Alright, let's go," Sakura said.
Genma, Raido, and Iwashi linked hands, surrounding Sakura, Kakashi, and Mei. Without hesitation, they activated the Flying Thunder God Formation.
In an instant, the three disappeared from the spot.
Land of Whirlpools
Sakura's vision blurred for a moment. One second, she was in the distant Land of Rivers; the next, she stood in the Land of Whirlpools, separated by the entire Land of Fire.
She quickly scanned her surroundings. They appeared to be in the central command tent, but it was empty.
Genma's gaze fell on the Flying Thunder God seal etched on the desk, his brow furrowing slightly.
No one was here…
Not just the command tent—outside, there were hardly any Konoha ninja to be seen.
Sakura was the first to step out of the tent, with Kakashi and Mei close behind.
"Who's there?!" a nearby guard ninja barked sharply the moment Sakura emerged.
"It's me," Sakura replied, glancing at the ninja.
"Lady Sakura! Lord Kakashi!" The guard's face lit up with relief and excitement upon recognizing Sakura and Kakashi.
"Where's Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked.
As the commander of the Land of Whirlpools' frontline, Tsunade should have been in the command tent, handling any urgent matters.
"Lady Sakura, Lady Tsunade is already engaged in battle with the Hidden Mist Village's forces," the guard explained quickly.
On the very first day Tsunade's forces arrived in the Land of Whirlpools, they clashed with the Hidden Mist troops. The Mist's offensive was relentless, putting Konoha's forces under immense pressure.
Konoha had only two thousand ninja in total, including those handling logistics, patrols, sensory duties, scouting, and medical support. Only about fifteen hundred were available for direct combat. Facing the full might of the Hidden Mist Village with just that number was no small feat.
Even if the Mist's only elite was the Fourth Mizukage, the sheer scale of their forces was overwhelming.
Yes, the entire Hidden Mist Village.
The Mist hadn't split their forces to attack the Hidden Rock Village across the sea. It seemed they'd learned from the Sand Village that the Rock was half-hearted, ready to betray Konoha at any moment. So, they abandoned their plan to attack the Rock and instead focused their full strength on the Land of Fire.
Tsunade's forces were a roadblock, one the Mist was determined to crush as quickly as possible.
"Let's move," Sakura said, after confirming the battlefield's location. She immediately led Mei and Kakashi toward the frontlines.
The Battlefield
Ninja tools. Ninjutsu. Blood. Severed limbs.
The battlefield was a chaotic mess. Thousands of Mist ninja relentlessly pushed back Konoha's forces, which numbered just over a thousand.
"Tsume no Ashi!" Tsunade roared, clad in battle gear. She launched a devastating aerial kick straight at the youthful Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
Yagura calmly pulled on the black iron staff in his hand, its hooked end conjuring a shimmering water mirror.
The mirror reflected Tsunade's image perfectly.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique," Yagura stated emotionlessly, naming his jutsu.
From the mirror, a duplicate Tsunade burst forth, mimicking her movements and unleashing an identical Tsume no Ashi.
The two kicks collided with explosive force. The mirror Tsunade dissolved into a puddle of water, while the real Tsunade was sent flying backward.
"Damn you!" Tsunade growled, glaring at Yagura, her teeth gritted in frustration.
It was always like this!
Yagura consistently avoided direct confrontation, relying on that infuriating Water Mirror Technique to stall her. The Mist had roughly five thousand ninja, while Konoha's forces, already battered from an earlier skirmish, were down to twelve or thirteen hundred.
The previous battle had clearly been a probe to gauge Konoha's strength. Now, with the Mist's full-on assault, Konoha's forces wouldn't hold out much longer.
Tsunade bit her lip, watching her troops being pushed back.
Retreat…?
This was the homeland of her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki. If she had a choice, Tsunade would never abandon the Land of Whirlpools.
But it seemed there was no other option…
Across the battlefield, Yagura stared at Tsunade with cold indifference, his hands swiftly forming seals.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."
The Land of Whirlpools, an island nation, was rich in water sources. As the Fourth Mizukage and the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, Yagura had an immense chakra reserve and the advantage of terrain. His Great Waterfall Technique surged forth like a tidal wave, rushing toward Tsunade.
Caught off guard, Tsunade stared at the oncoming tsunami, her heart sinking.
This was it…
Just as she prepared to give the order to retreat, a sharp cry rang out.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Another towering wave rose from the ground, crashing head-on into Yagura's technique.
Who?!
Tsunade turned to look.
In her memory, since her granduncle's passing, no one in Konoha had mastered Water Release to this degree.
Her eyes caught sight of a woman with long brown hair and a flowing aqua-blue robe charging toward them. Her expression was icy, her killing intent palpable.
That woman…
The one from the Frost Country battlefield…
"Yagura Karatachi!" Mei's voice thundered, brimming with rage and hatred.
"Oh, it's you. The traitor of the Mist," Yagura replied coldly.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand