Land of Rain, November, Year 60 of Konoha
This was a country where it rained perpetually. Due to its geography and climate, the rain in the Land of Rain scarcely ever ceased. The sun was a rare sight here, and the people who lived under its perpetually weeping skies all shared an unhealthy pallor. Situated centrally between four surrounding Great Nations, the Land of Rain had always been a battleground for their conflicts. Even in times of relative peace, it remained trapped in this cycle of violence.
"Pant... Pant..."
Because of the constant rain, the sewer system beneath Amegakure was unusually extensive. At this moment, deep within the cavernous sewer tunnels, a group of figures was fleeing desperately. The forehead protectors they wore marked them as ninja of Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain. Their bodies bore the fresh marks of recent battle; blood flowed from numerous wounds, mingling with sweat and splashing into the grimy water below.
Finally, reaching the end of their strength, they stopped, slumping down exhaustedly in the filth. The leader saw his subordinates were at their limit and was forced to halt as well. Although his instinct for survival screamed at him to keep moving, he knew that if he left his subordinates behind, he alone stood no chance against that person.
He sat down cross-legged, focusing on recovering his rapidly dwindling chakra. Beside him lay his distinctive weapon, one combining a scythe and hammer. Eyes closed, he sat perfectly still as stone while his subordinates silently formed a protective circle around him.
After a long time, he opened his eyes. They burned with a blend of bitter resentment and deep regret. Looking towards the far end of the tunnel, he spoke, his voice rough. "Let's go. We need to reach the rendezvous point. Hurry."
The group of ninja didn't speak, merely dipping their heads in assent. Then, weary but resolute, they stood and followed their leader deeper into the oppressive darkness.
Takigakure Village, Lake within the God Tree
Suien watched the vial of Hero Water arc through the air, lunging forward, eager to seize it. As he leaped up to snatch it mid-flight, he registered Senji flying through hand seals out of the corner of his eye. Immediately, the waters of the lake below roiled violently, and a massive pillar of water erupted, surging towards him.
A cold smirk touched Suien's lips. "Hmph. A diversion, just as I thought. But trying to take me down with this level of power? Utterly naive." He'd sensed something amiss when Senji threw the vial, but hadn't given it much thought; he was well aware of Senji's meager abilities. Seeing the old man unleash the Great Waterfall Technique only momentarily surprised him. This kind of ninjutsu alone was nowhere near enough to actually hit him; Suien remained confident.
However, while Senji had been holding Suien's focus, Haruno Sakura's Storm Release Clone had slipped over to the bound Sasuke and Naruto. Then, as Senji launched his massive water attack, the clone guided the two boys, ushering the frightened villagers towards the safety of the God Tree's inner passages from behind. Under the cover of the chaos created by Senji's jutsu, the Rain ninja trio were completely distracted from the hostages they were guarding.
The fodder ninja downed earlier by Naruto and Sasuke were swept away by the torrent to an unknown fate. Many were still unconscious; caught unprepared by such a powerful jutsu, they stood little chance of survival. The three main Rain ninja – Hisame, Murasame, and Kirisame – were in better shape, but unlike Suien, they couldn't simply shrug off the force of the water technique and were momentarily thrown off balance.
Simultaneously, Sakura, from her position concealed beneath the earth, seized her chance. Just as the torrent began to subside and Suien descended towards the ground, she erupted violently upwards. A beam of pure Storm Release energy lanced from her fingertips, aimed directly at Suien's heart.
Suien suddenly sensed an acutely dangerous chakra presence appear behind him. Reacting purely on instinct, he released a surge of chakra from his hand, managing to shift his trajectory by a hair's breadth in mid-air.
"Pfft!"
A spray of blood erupted from Suien's left arm, along with the lingering energy glow of the Storm Release laser that had pierced clean through it.
Suien hit the ground rolling, clutching the through-and-through wound on his arm, coming up in a wary crouch. His eyes fixed warily on the pink-haired girl who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Who are you?" he snapped.
Just then, the Storm Release Clone, its mission accomplished, rejoined Sakura, having emerged from the God Tree passages. Fortunately, the distance wasn't excessive; Sakura had confirmed previously that the effective range of their sensory link was about 100 meters. Beyond that, the connection weakened drastically, eventually severing completely, after which the clone would simply remain motionless and vacant until its chakra dissipated.
Accompanying the clone were Sasuke and Naruto. Spotting the boys, Sakura ignored Suien completely and called out, "Senji is likely stranded and incapacitated in the lake now. Go make sure he's safe!"
Hearing Sakura's order, Naruto, afraid Senji would drown, immediately dashed towards the center of the lake where the old man had launched his attack. Sasuke, however, didn't move, his Sharingan whirling to life as he regarded Suien with cold intensity. "I'm going to deal with him."
"Heh... hehehe..." Suien let out a sharp, almost giddy laugh, as if provoked. "Sharingan! Hahaha... The actual Sharingan! Didn't expect to run into someone from the fabled Uchiha clan here! I'll be taking those eyes for myself!" He had a distinctly unhinged look now.
Seeing Suien's crazed reaction, Sakura was rendered momentarily speechless.
Suien, seemingly ignoring his injured arm, leaped backward, landing lightly on the water's surface. He touched his right thumb to the pool of blood on his injured arm, then his hands blurred through seals before slamming his palms onto the water. Instantly, the intricate pattern of a summoning seal spread across the surface.
"Answer my call, Torafugu-maru!"
The water beneath him erupted. Clouds of bubbles rose, and then a dark shape began to surface. Finally, the summon's true form was revealed: a massive, pitch-black carp-like creature, its head alone easily as large as Suien standing upright.
Suien stood perched on the creature's massive head, glaring down at Sakura and Sasuke. "I've had a change of heart! Not only will you surrender the Hero Water, but you'll also surrender that Uchiha whelp's eyes! Otherwise, I'll slaughter you both!"
Sakura regarded the giant carp, reflecting internally, Truly every type of summons imaginable exists, huh. This actually made things simpler, though likely a significant drain on her chakra. Although she was constantly storing chakra in her Yin Seal, it wasn't inexhaustible, especially against powerful opponents. After this battle, she couldn't afford to expend it so freely again. Her physical development was still the main bottleneck for her chakra capacity; another year or two of growth would make a difference.
"Sasuke," Sakura called out, "go join Naruto for now. When we get back, I'll spar with you." Even as she spoke, her hands blurred through a different set of seals: "Strength of a Hundred Seal!" The intricate markings spread across her forehead. Then she bit down hard on her right thumb, forming the necessary seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof! With a plume of smoke, a massive slug, rivaling Torafugu-maru in sheer size, materialized on the lake beside Sakura. The most direct way to counter a giant summoned beast was with a similarly colossal one. Her current abilities weren't yet at the level where overwhelming size didn't matter; an enormous summon like Suien's was definitely a challenge. Although Katsuyu was primarily a support and healing summon, that didn't mean she was defenseless. Plus, Katsuyu had the key advantage of being largely immune to conventional physical attacks.
Seeing the slug Sakura had summoned, Suien's face changed drastically. It wasn't just that she'd summoned a beast that rivaled his own summon in size, but this specific slug instantly brought one person to Suien's mind, one legendary woman: The Princess Tsunade!!
Suien swallowed hard, his voice strained. "Who in the world are you? Why can you summon Katsuyu? What is your relationship with the Sannin Tsunade of Konoha?"
At that moment, a chilling wave of regret washed over Suien. Who could have imagined the coup that had seemed foolproof would go so sideways? The Hero Water had been within his grasp, but then Konoha ninja showed up out of nowhere. If they'd been mere Genin or Chunin, killing them would be manageable; at worst, he could disappear without a trace. But this pink-haired girl could summon Katsuyu.
And now, Konoha's reigning Hokage was the newly appointed Princess Tsunade herself. This girl had an undeniable connection to her. Although strength supposedly reigned supreme in the ninja world, making an enemy of the leader of Konoha, the most powerful of the Five Great Villages, was suicide. Now that Katsuyu had been summoned, even if he killed this girl, the Fifth Hokage would undoubtedly discover who was responsible. Suien didn't believe even the power of the Hero Water would enable him to take on the entirety of Konoha.
What should I do? Cold sweat trickled down Suien's forehead. To have gone this far, only to give up now? Why has it come to this! Why! His face burned, heart hammering erratically. Watching the girl standing so composedly on the great slug was infuriatingly... calm.
Sakura, meanwhile, was briefly irritated. She'd fought her share of battles, big and small, yet everyone still immediately associated Katsuyu with Tsunade the moment they saw her. Looks like Sensei's reputation from the Second Great War was even more widespread than I realized, she thought wryly. Even after all these years, the immediate connection is still Tsunade.
However, Sakura wasn't one to chase fame; a lower profile was safer for her. The momentary irritation passed, brushed aside. She addressed her summon. "Please, Lady Katsuyu. That giant carp over there is your problem."
"As you wish, Haruno Sakura-sama," Katsuyu replied formally.
Sakura had to suppress a sigh at the address. Because this was merely a division of the main body, it used such formality. The true Katsuyu wouldn't be quite so formal.
"Wait!" Seeing Sakura about to press the attack, Suien called out hastily.
"Hm?" Sakura held up a hand, signaling Katsuyu to wait, curious to hear what else Suien had to say.
Seeing Katsuyu hold its position, Suien sucked in a deep breath. "I hadn't realized you were Lady Tsunade's own student," he said, forcing a calmer tone. "I am willing to overlook your interference, even spare the Takigakure villagers. But I demand the Hero Water." If I walk away empty-handed, he thought desperately, not only would I be loath to accept it, but those three Rain ninja would never stand for it. They are here on Amegakure's behalf. The sacrifices I've made have been immense – turning traitor for nothing, while incurring the wrath of the Hokage? Unacceptable.
"Hehe. Still trying to bargain for the Hero Water?" Sakura laughed softly, derisively. As if I'd agree to that. His objective was always the water. Besides, she technically laid claim to half that (fake) water now, in her mind, anyway. Even if its effects were fleeting, it was potentially useful in a pinch.
"I must get the Hero Water," Suien insisted adamantly. "Regarding this, there is no negotiation!"
Seeing his pathetic attempt to negotiate, Sakura smiled, a dangerous glint in her eyes. She turned to her summon.
"Lady Katsuyu," she commanded coolly. "Beat him up!"