Amegakure
"Lord Hanzo, the food supplies in the city are no longer enough to feed both the civilians and the troops. At the latest, we will run out of food by tomorrow!" A Rain-nin reported to Hanzo.
Hanzō sat silently in his leader's seat. He had grown quieter since declaring war on the three great nations—Fire, Wind, and Earth. Four months had passed since then.
In the first two months, he had caught the three nations off guard and pushed into their territories. However, the great nations showed no concern. They mobilized their own shinobi forces and within a single day, crushed his army, then turned their advance toward his capital, Amegakure.
It was then that Hanzō realized the three great nations were not weak. They had simply been waiting for an opportunity to counterattack and seize greater benefits.
Though Hanzō himself was a Kage-level fighter, his strength paled in comparison to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Ōnoki, and the Third Kazekage.
As for the quality of Amegakure's elite shinobi, he knew all too well how much of it was inflated. He had only wanted to prove to the nations that the Land of Rain was not a weak country to be bullied.
But now, he finally understood just how vast the gap was between a small nation and a great one, and how humiliating it was to be a citizen of a weak country.
Once a man full of vigor, his hair now showed visible streaks of white. Hanzō sighed and waved his hand, signaling his subordinate to leave.
He slowly walked out of his stronghold and looked up at the sky. Amegakure—"Village Hidden in the Rain"—was meant to symbolize the end of the Land of Rain's suffering and the arrival of brighter days.
Yet the light rain continued to fall without end, and his heart grew heavier.
At that moment, the armies surrounding the three city gates began singing the song of the Land of Rain.
Hanzō's expression darkened, then twisted in fury. What was Konoha trying to do?
He climbed the eastern gate and looked toward Tsunade's forces. They remained just out of attack range, using chakra to amplify their voices so the song carried all the way into the city.
Within two or three minutes, Hanzō understood Konoha's intention. He watched as Rain-nin lowered their weapons, their eyes reddening, their fighting spirit crumbling. Some even began to weep.
Hanzō took a sharp breath. Good, very good. Konoha's commander was impressive. Just the song of their homeland was enough to make his troops homesick and lose most of their will to fight. With food supplies running out, morale had already hit rock bottom.
Just then, he saw two scouts approaching Tsunade. Seeing the state of his own army, he had nearly considered surrender. But something told him there might still be a chance.
Tsunade's Camp
"Report! Lady Tsunade, Commander!" The scout was an Uchiha from Jiraiya's unit, covered in wounds, his expression grim.
Uchiha Ryun did not speak. His face paled as if he had already guessed the news.
"Our forces were successfully blockading the city gates when Suna's Kage-level fighter, Chiyo, led five hundred Suna-nin in a surprise attack. Our troops suffered heavy losses and are now regrouping toward Lady Tsunade's position!"
With that, the scout collapsed unconscious. Ryun clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with fury. Damn Sunagakure!
Tsunade sighed. This wasn't Ryun's fault. His strategy against the Land of Rain had been flawless. The interference of other nations was an unpredictable variable.
She was about to comfort him when another scout arrived—a member of the Yamanaka clan, relatively unharmed.
"Report to Lady Tsunade and Lord Ryun. Ōnoki personally led a force of one thousand Iwa-nin in a surprise attack on our rear. Lord Orochimaru deployed countermeasures, but we still lost two hundred men. Currently, Lord Orochimaru is leading six hundred troops to rendezvous here." His voice trembled with anger—not at Ryun, but at Ōnoki and Iwagakure. These cowards had stayed hidden until the last moment, only to stab them in the back when victory was near.
Ryun's expression darkened. These rats! Tsunade took a deep breath. "Understood."
She ordered the scouts to rest. Ryun inhaled sharply and knelt. "Lady Tsunade, I take full responsibility for this failure in command."
Ryūichi and Ryūji exchanged glances, about to speak, but an older Senju clansman stopped them. Everyone knew this wasn't Ryun's fault, but they couldn't say it openly.
Tsunade stepped forward and helped Ryun up. "Ryun, your strategy was brilliant. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and I all know that."
"You nearly allowed our vanguard alone to break through Amegakure and corner Hanzō. No one else could have planned this so well."
"Our goal was to intimidate the Land of Rain and showcase Konoha's strength. That has already been achieved. Even the Hokage couldn't have done better."
"So don't blame yourself. Everyone recognizes your brilliance. Lift your head. What we need now is to regroup with Jiraiya and Orochimaru and plan our next move." Tsunade smiled at him.
Ryun slowly stood. He had underestimated the world's heroes. He had forgotten to leave himself room to retreat, too focused on crushing Amegakure and ending the war. He hadn't considered that the other two nations aimed not just to end the conflict but to weaken Konoha.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" Ryun bowed, then stepped aside, closing his eyes to strategize.
Soon, Jiraiya arrived with three hundred shinobi, and Orochimaru led five hundred. The moment they regrouped, their first question was, "Where is the commander?"
Ryun sighed. They were probably here to reprimand him. So be it.
He opened his eyes and approached them—only for Jiraiya and Orochimaru to immediately kneel.
Ryun: "...?"
"What are you two doing?" Ryun was stunned. Weren't they here to blame him? He hurriedly helped them up.
"Orochimaru/Jiraiya, failed in leadership. We grew complacent on the verge of victory and neglected to guard against enemy shinobi. We accept punishment, Commander!" Their voices were firm and resolute, stirring even Ryun.
In a normal war, the commander set the broad strategy, while execution fell to the field officers. But Ryun took responsibility too seriously, shouldering all the blame.
Ryun froze, then quickly pulled them up. "What are you saying? This was my oversight that led to this situation."
Orochimaru shook his head. "The strategy was yours. The execution was ours. A commander should account for all possibilities, but field officers must remain vigilant. This was our failure."
Jiraiya nodded. "Commander, our troops were about to breach the gates when we forgot to watch our backs. So don't blame yourself. Keep leading us to victory!"
Ryun's eyes shimmered. Yes, this was the Konoha he loved—united, self-reflective, never pointing fingers.
Tsunade smiled and joined them. "Commander, we await your orders. Lead us to victory!"
Ryun took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening. "I will."
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