"Thank goodness Kaede went with Tsunade."
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a wave of relief in his heart. If Kaede hadn't sensed the danger back then and Tsunade had gone alone, she might have been ambushed by the Cloud ninja's deadly A-B combo. The consequences could've been disastrous.
If Tsunade had died in battle, it would've dealt a heavy blow to both their combat strength and morale. The situation here would've turned even worse than in the Land of Earth.
"Hokage-sama, what if we have the entire army retreat? Rather than clashing head-on with the Cloud forces, we could regroup and directly target the Third Raikage's son and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki."
One ninja suggested gravely, "If we can eliminate those two, the Kumogakure will suffer a devastating loss. Then when we face them again, we'll hold a decisive advantage."
"No way!"
Another ninja immediately refuted, "There are still tons of wounded and valuable supplies in the camp. Are you suggesting we abandon them all?!"
The room erupted into a heated debate. Some pushed for a full retreat to Land of Fire territory to go after the Raikage's son and the Eight-Tails host. Others insisted on standing their ground and facing the enemy head-on.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was torn.
A frontal clash with the Cloud forces had little chance of success. Even if they could hold the line, the cost would be immense.
But retreating to hunt down the Raikage's son and the Eight-Tails would only be worth it if they succeeded. If they failed, the loss would be just as severe, and abandoning the wounded would demoralize the entire force.
He was caught between two impossible choices.
Just as his expression darkened and he began to steel himself for a final decision, a communication ninja burst into the tent again.
There was still a look of shock lingering in his eyes. Seeing that the room had fallen silent, with everyone including Hiruzen turning to him, he took a deep breath.
"Hokage-sama! Report from Tenchi Bridge!"
"Jōnin Kaede has defeated the son of the Third Raikage, rendering him unable to continue fighting. The Cloud forces then used an emergency measure to extract the Raikage and cover the retreat of his son and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki…"
The faces of Hiruzen and the others shifted immediately.
That Kaede had defeated the Raikage's son was impressive, but not shocking. Kaede was the Silver Flash, the sRain ninja who had slain Chiyo of the Sand. What shocked everyone was that the Third Raikage himself had arrived at Tenchi Bridge!
Everyone present knew full well how terrifying the Third Raikage was, especially Hiruzen, who had recently led a squad against him. In the end, they had been forced to withdraw to avoid unnecessary losses.
He knew just how powerful the Third Raikage was.
A master of Lightning Release and taijutsu, his combat prowess was monstrous. In terms of raw physical combat, he was the strongest ninja Hiruzen had ever encountered.
I didn't expect it to escalate like this... I should've gone myself…
Hiruzen's thoughts raced. Still, he felt a faint sense of relief. Though the Third Raikage's presence at Tenchi Bridge put Kaede and Tsunade in extreme danger, it also meant the main Cloud force was now leaderless and wouldn't launch a full offensive anytime soon.
He reached for his teacup.
Others in the tent came to the same conclusion, each quietly breathing a sigh of relief. The previously tense atmosphere eased ever so slightly.
But then,
The communications ninja drew another shaky breath, his voice still tinged with disbelief.
"The Eight-Tails and the Raikage's son have escaped the battlefield. Their whereabouts are unknown. The Third Raikage remained behind… and engaged in a fierce battle with Jōnin Kaede and others."
"According to the latest report, Kaede has slain the Third Raikage using an ultra S-class ninjutsu!"
Silence fell instantly.
You could've heard a pin drop.
CRASH!
The sound of shattering porcelain broke the silence, it was Hiruzen's teacup, slipping from his stunned hand and smashing on the floor.
"What… did you say?!"
His hand remained frozen in the motion of holding a cup, fingers trembling slightly as he stared at the messenger.
The rest of the room was equally stunned. Their minds blanked at the sheer magnitude of the news.
Defeating the Raikage's son? Fine.
Kaede was the Silver Flash of Konoha.
But killing the Third Raikage? That felt completely surreal. Their thoughts ground to a halt.
Ultra S-class ninjutsu…? What even is that?!
…
Near Tenchi Bridge.
After nearly two hours of rest, Tsunade had finally recovered. The Yin Seal mark had reappeared on her forehead.
Kaede still wore the same green cloak. He figured that instead of looting a Cloud ninja's corpse for clothes, he might as well keep Tsunade's cloak on.
Looking toward Kaede, who stood atop a nearby boulder, Tsunade commented:
"You recovered faster than I did."
"I'm a man, after all."
Kaede turned and smirked at her playfully.
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh. "Save the cool act for after you change into something less ridiculous… Oh, looks like backup has finally arrived."
"They're here at last?"
Kaede looked into the distance. After a few moments, a dark mass appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching.
Tsunade crossed her arms and gazed at the incoming support forces.
"After today," she said, "your name will echo across the ninja world. Countless shinobi will come to fear you."
Kaede gave a faint smile.
..
The support troops soon joined Kaede and Tsunade.
Uchiha Fugaku and Nara Shikaku had already received news of the battle while en route. Both were left in disbelief.
Even someone as calculating as Shikaku, who had considered the worst-case scenario, i.e., the Third Raikage appearing, never expected Kaede to kill him!
The Third Raikage had long been hailed as the strongest in Cloud's history.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had once fought him to a draw, with both sides withdrawing to avoid unnecessary losses.
Fugaku still remembered when Kaede graduated from the Ninja Academy and took the Chūnin Exams, just two years ago.
In that short span, Kaede had gone from a student to climbing the ranks of the ninja world at lightning speed.
His debut in the Land of Grass showed early signs of brilliance…
In the Land of Rain, he shone even brighter…
In the Land of Wind, he slew Chiyo, an elder of the Hidden Sand, and made his name known throughout the ninja world. And now, he had taken the life of the Third Raikage of the Hidden Cloud!
His rise, like a miracle, defied belief.
Without anyone noticing…
This eldest son of White Fang, this eleven-year-old boy, had already ascended to a level that stood above most of the ninja world.
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