Konoha's Central Command Tent
Within the heart of Konoha's war camp, a tall white-haired man stood silently. He wore the standard Konoha shinobi uniform, but unlike before, the forehead protector he bore no longer had the "Oil" kanji inscribed upon it. Now, it bore the unmistakable symbol of the Leaf—a testament to the gravity of the times.
Jiraiya stood still, his gaze drifting across the large map laid out before him. Marked with flags and indicators of troop placements, the war table displayed the positions of both Konoha and enemy forces. His eyes were unfocused, clearly troubled, mind wandering far from the current battle plans.
It had already been four days since Sakura's team had set out. Not a single message had been received in that time.
Four days of complete silence.
Jiraiya's heart was heavy with unease. That girl… Sakura… wasn't just any shinobi. She was the cherished final student of the old man—the Third Hokage's last disciple. If something were to happen to her under Jiraiya's watch, the old man wouldn't just be furious—he'd be heartbroken.
And perhaps, Jiraiya feared, he himself would never forgive it.
But beyond personal sentiment, Jiraiya's gut told him something else. He turned his sharp eyes back to the war map, eyebrows furrowing.
Something was off.
Four days ago, the Hidden Cloud had suddenly mobilized in force. A massive army had appeared on the borders, forcing Konoha to rush into defensive deployments. But what struck Jiraiya as strange was how passive the Cloud forces had been since. It was as if they weren't trying to invade—but to stall.
Their formations, their skirmishes—everything pointed to a strategy not of domination, but of containment.
"They're trying to pin me down…" Jiraiya muttered.
Without knowing the enemy's true objective, he couldn't risk overcommitting. One false move could shift the balance of the entire war.
Just then, the flap of the command tent was pulled aside, and a silver-haired man stepped inside.
"Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi said respectfully.
Jiraiya turned. "Kakashi. I need you to form a temporary squad. Take Baiyun from the Yamanaka, Kurenai Yuhi, and one member from the Hyuga Clan. You'll lead the team."
He tapped the map and circled a region with a brush.
"I need you to scout this area thoroughly."
Kakashi's expression immediately turned grim. With three Jonin and a Hyuga, this wasn't just a standard reconnaissance team.
"…Did something happen to Sakura?" he asked seriously.
Jiraiya's voice lowered. "There's been no word for four days."
A heavy silence filled the tent.
"The Land of Frost isn't a large country," Jiraiya continued. "Four days is enough to circumnavigate it three times. Something's wrong."
Kakashi nodded solemnly. "If we leave, won't the front line suffer? With that many Jonin missing…"
Even if no battle had begun yet, the absence of high-level shinobi could embolden the enemy to strike.
Jiraiya chuckled softly and stood. His tall, broad frame exuded an aura of authority and raw power.
"Don't worry about the front," he said. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya alone had the strength to turn the tide of battle. With him holding the line, they could afford to divert resources.
Kakashi bowed. "Understood."
---
Boom!
Fists collided with thunderous force, shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. The sheer intensity of the physical clash was overwhelming—each punch howled through the air like a missile, and every step they took shattered the earth beneath them.
The combatants no longer looked human. They were beasts—raging, unstoppable titans locked in brutal melee.
"Cunning little brat! Die already!"
The Raikage of the Hidden Cloud roared, his voice booming like thunder. Fist wreathed in crackling lightning, he swung at Sakura with wild fury.
But the pink-haired kunoichi was faster.
She twisted her body, seized the Raikage's wrist, spun under his arm, and slammed him over her shoulder with earth-shattering force. The ground beneath exploded into a crater as his massive frame struck it.
The movement was fluid, flawless. Years of taijutsu training under Tsunade had made her a master of close combat.
"You call me cunning?" Sakura sneered. "You Hidden Cloud bastards have no right to lecture anyone about morals!"
As the Raikage tried to rise, Sakura didn't hesitate. She raised her foot and brought it crashing down.
Boom!
The impact sent tremors through the field like a miniature earthquake.
The Raikage raised his arm just in time, blocking with his reinforced metal bracer. He caught her leg and yanked, dragging her toward him. His other hand clenched into a fist and swung for her face.
But Sakura caught the punch mid-air with her palm, eyes locked on his.
Her voice was sharp and cutting.
"Let's talk history, shall we? You ambushed the Second Hokage with the Gold and Silver Brothers. You tried to kidnap the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Then ten years ago, you sent 'peace envoys' to try and steal the Byakugan."
"You're nothing but bandits—thieves, liars, and oath-breakers!"
The Raikage's veins bulged with rage. "Silence!"
"The Gold and Silver Brothers were traitors! They killed our Second Raikage in that rebellion!"
"But you're not denying the other two incidents, are you?" Sakura smirked. "You're admitting to trying to kidnap Kushina Uzumaki. And what about Hinata Hyuga? Was that just 'peace talks' too?"
The Raikage's jaw clenched. He couldn't argue. He wanted to clear the name of his village—but the weight of their past sins left him speechless.
"Damn you!"
With a furious roar, he lifted Sakura bodily and tried to slam her into the ground again.
But this time, Sakura was ready.
Bracing herself on one arm, she stopped the momentum and lashed out with her foot at his ribs.
The Raikage reacted fast, raising his knee to block. It was a smart move—knees were among the strongest parts of the human body, second only to elbows. Though physically outmatched, he used smart technique to blunt her force.
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
"Heh. Hidden Cloud. All brawn, no honor."
"To think the Sand shinobi—those flip-flopping cowards—are more trustworthy than you muscle-brained rats crawling through sewers."
She was deliberately provoking him now.
And it was working.
"Shut up!!" he bellowed. "In this world, power is everything! Without strength, you're nothing!"
Their arms locked again, muscles straining. Neither side could overpower the other.
Sakura smirked coldly.
"Right. When you're cornered, fall back on brute strength."
"Hidden Cloud Raikage… what a joke."
"You're nothing special."
The Raikage exploded with fury. "I'll kill you, you sharp-tongued brat!!"
He grabbed her again, trying to lift her overhead.
But now, Sakura's full strength surged.
Her hands gripped his waist. Her legs planted firmly. She pushed back with monstrous power.
To the Raikage, it felt like wrestling a rampaging dinosaur.
Her strength… it was overwhelming!
This girl… this little twelve-year-old kunoichi…
She was as strong as Tsunade!
His grip began to falter.
His arm, locked in a contest of strength with hers, began to tremble.
His fingers, wrapped around her ankle, began to slip.
"Damn it!!" he cursed.
That was when another presence entered the battlefield.
"Raikage-sama!" a new voice called.
Out of the shadows emerged a tall man with long, pale hair and glasses. This was C, one of the Raikage's most trusted guards.
He was a sensor and genjutsu specialist—sharp, fast, and deadly.
He had been the one to locate Sakura's group in the first place. His sensory array—Heaven's Canopy Detection Formation—was precise and far-reaching. But during the battle, he had remained in hiding.
Now he acted.
"Lightning Illusion: Thunder Pillar!"
From the sky, a column of lightning rained down.
Sakura immediately sensed the technique—she had felt his presence for some time now but was too locked in combat to react.
Now, her guard went up.
The real battle had just begun.
(End of Chapter 127)
---