Unnoticed, the war had raged for an entire year.
The Sand's frenzied assaults gradually slowed, settling into a stalemate with Konoha.
Even Jiraiya was reassigned to another battlefield for reinforcements, yet Gintoki still hadn't received any summons or opportunity to return to the village.
Perhaps the higher-ups believed his tactical brilliance and personal combat prowess made him most suited for the Sand front.
Under the command of Orochimaru, the Sand battlefield's chief strategist and his deputy, Hatake Gintoki, Konoha won many hard-fought battles.
That man—his silver hair drenched in blood, his figure dashing across the battlefield like a specter of war.
A warrior whose elusive movements in battle struck fear not only into enemies but allies alike—the Shiroyasha, Hatake Gintoki.
Before anyone realized it, the title "Shiroyasha" had spread among both the Sand and Konoha's forces.
The Shiroyasha, master of feints and surprise attacks, alongside the cold-blooded tactician Orochimaru, expert in ambush warfare, held the Sand front steady—even in Tsunade's absence.
When the title of Shiroyasha reached Konoha, Minato, who had just been recalled from the battlefield against Kumogakure after his recent clash with the A-B brothers, felt both joy and concern for Gintoki.
Similarly, Kakashi, who wasn't one to openly express his feelings, also felt a mix of pride and worry for Gintoki.
When news of the war first broke, Kakashi had been the first to apply for deployment to the frontlines.
However, Konoha hadn't yet reached the desperate point of needing freshly graduated children on the battlefield, so his request was unsurprisingly denied.
In fact, Kakashi was even ordered to retake the Chunin Exams alongside his squadmates.
If not for Minato's timely return and persuasion, Kakashi might very well have sneaked out of the village alone to head for the battlefield.
"I understand him. The real reason Gintoki hasn't returned even once in the past two years is because he doesn't want you younger siblings to shoulder the heavy fate of risking your lives on the battlefield. For him, the more he carries, the less burden falls on you."
After hearing Minato's explanation, Kakashi lowered his head in silence, while Obito was already moved to tears, swearing to become a shinobi just like his big brother Gintoki!
"He fights for your future, so don't let him down. Even on the battlefield, his heart is still with you, Kakashi."
"Just one year older then me and acting all cool… What an idiot."
Hearing Kakashi's muttered complaint, Obito instantly flared up.
"I won't let you insult Big Brother Gintoki! Compared to him, you're the idiot here, Kakashi!"
Seeing how Obito had somehow taken that guy as his idol and revered him as an elder brother, Kakashi was tempted to expose some of Gintoki's misdeeds to shatter that shining image in Obito's mind.
But after some thought, he gave up.
After all, Gintoki's "shining image" would inevitably collapse on its own… once Obito grew up a little more.
...
"Achoo!"
In the command tent set up by Konoha's forces amidst the temporary ceasefire, Gintoki sneezed for no apparent reason.
"My, my~ Could it be that the great Shiroyasha has fallen ill? Shall I treat you? I do know some basic medical ninjutsu."
Hearing Orochimaru's raspy voice—which reminded him of that heavily made-up old lady from the bar downstairs—Gintoki rolled his eyes.
"No thanks. Gin-san doesn't want any Cursed Seals."
"Hmm?" Orochimaru blinked.
'What exactly was this "Cursed Seal" he was talking about?'
But having heard too much of Gintoki's nonsense over the years, Orochimaru didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he continued, "Gintoki, according to reconnaissance reports, that old hag Chiyo will personally take the field tomorrow, so—"
"The poison issue still hasn't been resolved. We can't let the frontline troops face that scumbag's forces head-on. If they engage directly, our losses will be immeasurable!"
"No, it'll be resolved soon."
"Huh?" Gintoki frowned. "Don't tell me…"
"Hmm, we've received word from Konoha. Tsunade is on her way to provide support. With her here, that old hag's poison won't be a concern!"
"Seems like..." Gintoki pulled a few dice from his pocket. "This boring war is finally about to get interesting..."
Orochimaru was speechless at the sight of the dice in his hand but quickly added.
"Gintoki, you'll need to hold off Chiyo directly. From what I know, her hatred for your father runs deep. Perhaps she'll completely lose her sanity because of you. We should use that to our advantage."
"Sure, but before that, can you hook me up with some extra health packs? Preferably the kind with thirty lives—that kind of bug."
Orochimaru: "..."
.....
Gintoki had already leaked the truth to Sunagakure that the Third Kazekage was killed by the rogue ninja Sasori, not Konoha.
But no matter what he said, they refused to believe it and insisted on fighting.
So, with no other choice, Gintoki had to adapt on the fly, dragging out the conflict for an entire year.
That night, Gintoki finally met the legendary "106 Big Gambler." (106 is her breast size)
They spent the whole night playing novice-level games until dawn.
Result... Gintoki lost a small sum of twenty ryo.
Tsunade, impressed by his skills, saw him in a new light.
As a seasoned gambler herself, she acknowledged Gintoki as a fellow veteran.
Due to her hemophobia, Tsunade's role was limited to analyzing enemy poison formulas from the rear.
The actual battlefield duties fell to Orochimaru and Gintoki.
.....
The timely arrival of antidote pills saved Gintoki, who was facing Chiyo head-on.
Just as Orochimaru had predicted, the moment Gintoki appeared, Chiyo completely lost her mind, fixated solely on killing him!
As the two forces clashed on the battlefield, Chiyo relentlessly pursued Gintoki, unleashing increasingly deadly poison and puppetry attacks.
Fortunately, the supply unit delivered Tsunade's antidote in time, allowing Gintoki to narrowly escape death.
The signal flare in the sky indicated Orochimaru's successful surprise attack on the enemy's rear supply lines.
Seeing this, Gintoki disengaged from battle, retreating strategically to preserve their forces.
Chiyo finally realized she might have fallen into Konoha's trap—they had deliberately provoked her into a frenzy against the son of the White Fang, all to cover their assault on the supply units.
Furious, she ordered an all-out pursuit while unsealing a scroll, summoning a clay jar.
Gintoki, overseeing the retreat, paled at the sight of the jar.
She's truly lost it!!
That was his first thought. He immediately halted and turned around.
No one here could stop Shukaku.
To save more comrades, some would have to sacrifice themselves.
"Twenty jonin—stay with me to hold the line! That old hag has gone mad!"
No sooner had he spoken than a piercing screech echoed across the battlefield as a colossal creature emerged.
At this moment, everyone felt fear towards the sudden appearance of this colossal creature, their bodies trembling uncontrollably!
That was... the One-Tail Shukaku!!