join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for hundreds of additional chapters and over a dozen stories
"To the south! The alarm barrier there has been triggered!"
"Damn Konoha Ninja!"
"Go ahead and encircle those little bugs!"
All sorts of clamor behind them was incessant, then quickly vanished into the wind filling their ears.
Their figures leaped between giant trees at an increasing speed, and the growing sense of crisis in their hearts made everyone in the Squad dare not stop.
Tsunade charged at the very front of the entire Squad, her golden ponytails on either side pulled into a straight line by the fierce wind.
Various thoughts tangled into a messy knot in her mind.
'Damn it, when did the patrol circle expand this far?'
'Damn it.'
A month had passed since they infiltrated the Land of Lightning.
During this time, they had maintained a routine of hiding by day and moving by night, following the initial intelligence provided by the Village, preparing to ambush the Third Raikage in a mountain range midway between Kumogakure and the front lines of the Land of Lightning and Land of Earth.
For this operation, the entire Konoha had deployed its most elite and top-tier personnel.
Tsunade glanced behind her.
Her, Mokume Kodachi, Ando Oyama, Kato Dan.
All four were seasoned Jonin with impressive combat records.
Additionally, there were three Anbu Squads providing support.
Among their Squad, the three individuals excluding Kato Dan were all Taijutsu-type Jonin; even though Ando Oyama also served some duties as a sensor Ninja, his swordsmanship was quite renowned throughout the Village.
As for Kato Dan, he was famous throughout the Ninja World for his mysterious Soul Ninjutsu.
He was also the 'trump card' in this operation.
Their target, the Third Raikage, was known throughout the Five Great Nations as the strongest spear and strongest shield, the acknowledged strongest Raikage of the Land of Lightning.
Rumor had it that he could even confront the powerful Eight-Tails Tailed Beast head-on and forcibly defeat it.
To this day, there had been no news of this Third Raikage ever being injured by anyone—that robust physique was undeniably the strongest in the entire Ninja World.
It was precisely for this reason that Kato Dan's ability to directly attack the soul was so crucial.
The reason they had assembled so many powerful Taijutsu-type Jonin was to create that momentary assassination opportunity for Kato Dan.
However, during this month of lurking and searching, their group of sixteen had rapidly dwindled to seven, not even enough to form two Squads.
Tsunade's brows furrowed even tighter.
Despite lacking concrete information, she instinctively and experientially judged that their mission this time had a high probability of being exposed.
The reason was simple.
Recently, the frequency of their ambushes had suddenly become more and more intense.
This phenomenon was highly abnormal.
Just as Tsunade was trying to figure out the next step, Ando Oyama on the right flank of the Squad suddenly stopped, pressed his finger to the ground, rapidly expanded his Chakra perception, and loudly warned:
"Northwest, three kilometers."
"Approximately two Squads are rapidly approaching this way."
As the captain, Tsunade did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered:
"Charge through! Break out towards the designated stronghold."
"Yes!"
The Squad members behind her responded in unison.
For a Ninja, a mere three kilometers was less than a two-minute journey.
Almost in a flash, the two Kumogakure Ninja at the very front already came into Tsunade's view.
The opposing Kumogakure captain, upon seeing the leader of this Konoha Squad, seemed to recognize her face, and his entire pace faltered, his voice sharp:
"It's, it's one of the Konoha Three!"
Upon hearing that title, the entire Squad's forward speed visibly slowed by half.
However, Tsunade did not hesitate at all; her phoenix eyes merely narrowed, and she suddenly shot out like a flash of lightning.
Her seemingly slender, beautiful figure distorted, and the suddenly refined and burning monstrous Chakra instantly gathered at her delicate heels, her soft, jade-like, pinkish-white soles suddenly erupting with terrifying power.
While Tsunade was in mid-air, using the force of her rotation, her exceptionally flexible legs split into a perfect straight leg split.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
Inertia, flexibility, high speed.
The three reacted violently in that instant, ultimately forming a brutal strike that shattered the ground within a thirty-meter radius.
"Boom!"
Earth, stones, trees, human figures.
Countless objects were sent flying into the air by this shockwave.
The few Kumogakure Ninja who had just been standing on the tree trunks, charging at the very front, instantly seemed to be standing on a soft trampoline the next second, their entire bodies uncontrollably losing their gravitational constraints.
Just this brief pause.
Mokume Kodachi and Ando Oyama, following behind, immediately boosted their Shunshin speed to the maximum, their short katanas at their waists blossoming like arcs of light.
Suddenly, several blood flowers bloomed in mid-air.
Perfect coordination.
It was but a brief encounter.
Two standard patrol Squads led by Chunin were thus annihilated deep within this nameless forest.
The last Anbu member, bringing up the rear, even had time to briefly use Earth Release to tidy up the battlefield, preventing the enemy from gleaning too much information.
Tsunade and her group were unaffected by this, and their escape speed increased by another half.
The current Tsunade was not yet the 'Konoha's Big Loser' who would become famous throughout the Ninja World in the future.
She was now a young Medical Saint who, at a young age, could engage in a poison battle with the long-renowned elder Chiyo of Sunagakure and emerge victorious; she was also the direct disciple of the Ninja Professor Sarutobi Hiruzen, one of the three top young Ninja of Konoha who survived under Hanzo the Salamander, and furthermore, the legitimate head of the Konoha Senju Clan.
In her prime, famous at a young age, with a promising future.
Even Ninja from enemy Villages, upon encountering her on the battlefield, would never dare to treat her lightly.
However, no one in this era knew that.
Tsunade, who seemed to be adorned with countless halos and surrounded by endless glory and accolades, was not as resilient to pressure as everyone imagined.
This entire month of lurking, the rapid attrition of her Squad, the formidable opponent they were about to face, and the life of her lover who was also in the Squad.
All sorts of pressures stacked together had already pushed her nerves to their limit.
"Whew."
Upon reaching a pre-arranged underground stronghold excavated by the Land of Lightning spies, and confirming that the surrounding traces had been cleared and there were no enemy traces within a few kilometers.
Tsunade simply set up a warning barrier outside the stronghold, then returned underground and lit a small fire in the dark environment.
This small bonfire, with a smoke-venting stove directing the smoke to another pre-set point, emitted a warm light.
Mokume Kodachi quickly made several clay pots using Earth Release Ninjutsu and distributed them to the Squad members. Kato Dan and an Anbu had already begun processing the ingredients they had conveniently caught on the way, while Ando and the other two Anbu went out to stand guard.
Everyone was busy with their own tasks, and in doing so, they also relaxed their bodies.
Since the last pursuit began, they had been on the run for three full days and nights.
After such a long period without rest, even though most of them were Jonin, they were nearing their breaking point.
Only Tsunade sat alone in front of the bonfire, lost in thought.
"Little Tsunade, have some water first."
As she was pondering, she saw a clay pot being handed over from the other side.
Tsunade looked up and saw Kato Dan handing her a steaming clay pot, his smile as bright and gentle as ever.
"Mm, thank you."
She took the clay pot and slowly took a sip, giving him a somewhat forced smile.
Perhaps because she had grown up with that unreliable pervert Jiraiya since childhood, a gentle and considerate man like Kato Dan, who was basically immune to lewdness and the complete opposite of Jiraiya, particularly appealed to her and made her feel utterly at ease.
However, this lack of initiative in his personality could occasionally be frustrating.
For example, they had been dating for almost three months now, and their progress was still like children, barely reaching the point of holding hands, exchanging tokens of affection, and taking a long time to even kiss on the forehead.
Or, in a situation like this, where even a slight mistake could lead to a life-or-death crisis, Tsunade couldn't rely on Kato Dan to help her make decisions at all.
The heavy pressure could only be borne by her, as the captain.
The darkness in the underground cave silently spread.
Everyone quietly rested.
Tsunade's eyelids drooped slightly, gazing at the bonfire in the center of the cave, the firewood crackling softly as it burned.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
It wasn't until Ando Oyama, who was on guard duty, returned to relieve the Anbu member.
Tsunade suddenly looked up and spoke to everyone:
"I have a suggestion."
The other members of the Squad all turned to look at her.
Tsunade took a deep breath, her tone resolute:
"We are abandoning this mission."
"..."
"?!"
The prolonged fatigue made it take a second or two for everyone to comprehend Tsunade's words, and they all straightened up from the rock wall.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Mokume Kodachi instinctively spoke, his face filled with confusion.
Tsunade patiently explained: "Based on the targeted searches by Kumogakure patrol units over the past three days, I can basically conclude that Kumogakure has likely obtained basic information about our Squad's mission, and there's a high probability they even know our Squad's composition."
"I judge that, under these circumstances, assassinating the Third Raikage is a mission that is fundamentally impossible to complete."
"To preserve the active forces of the Squad, I cannot lead you into such a risk."
"As the direct leader, I will bear full responsibility for this decision."
Her tone was very firm.
This judgment was actually correct; after these few days of targeted encirclement, Mokume Kodachi and the others had vaguely realized this—after all, they were seasoned Jonin who had executed countless missions, not greenhorns fresh out of the academy.
However, this was still the Second Shinobi World War.
The Sengoku period had not long passed, and as the ironclad rules of a Ninja, many were still firmly engraved in the hearts of Ninja of this era.
"In the Ninja World, those who don't follow the rules are trash."
This sentence, which almost pushed Kakashi to his death at one point, is still an almost unwritten iron rule in today's Ninja World, a rule that permeates a Ninja's life.
Those who abandon a mission, regardless of their status or strength, will inevitably be subjected to much criticism and scorn.
In an S-rank mission akin to a national war, the responsibility to be borne is even greater, needless to say.
Tsunade making this judgment basically meant the end of her political career in Konoha—if she weren't the current Senju Clan head, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the granddaughter of the Second Hokage, the disciple of the Third Hokage...
"I disagree."
Ando Oyama spoke coldly: "Currently, the Village is under immense pressure on the Land of Wind and Land of Earth fronts, and Kumogakure could launch a two-pronged assault at any time. The Third Raikage's son hasn't grown up yet, and there is no one in the entire Village qualified enough to succeed as the Fourth Raikage."
"Killing him now has a high probability of preventing the war. Even if we all die, it would be worth it."
Although he was a Ninja, his parents had immigrated from the Land of Iron years ago, and he was a typical samurai in character, leaving no room for retreat in matters he believed in.
Stubborn and resolute.
Tsunade still maintained her patience, but a hint of anger was gradually creeping into her voice: "The problem is, can we kill him? The Third Raikage must already be on alert now, and even if he goes to the battlefield, he'll definitely bring a large number of guards! What about us? We've been circling for a whole month, and only seven of us are left! Are you telling me—"
Mid-sentence, she suddenly stopped, not continuing.
—Are you telling me we should gamble all our lives on the Third Raikage's minuscule chance of death?
Tsunade lowered her head slightly, biting her lip tightly, keeping the latter half of that sentence to herself.
Because she knew that whether it was Mokume Kodachi or Ando Oyama, their answer would definitely be the same.
"Yes."
This was their resolve, as Ninja.
They had already prepared themselves for not returning even before they set out, hadn't they?
Even Tsunade herself, how could she be any different?
Since graduating from the Ninja Academy at six and stepping onto the battlefield, Tsunade, who had long been more than just battle-hardened and always charged to the front lines with her comrades, when had she ever feared death?
But...
Just thinking that Dan might very likely die in the operation, her mind almost couldn't stop recalling Nawaki's lifeless eyes gazing at the sky when he passed away.
Her heart distorted with pangs of pain.
Tsunade instinctively looked up, towards Kato Dan, who had remained silent, unconsciously biting her lip until a metallic taste of blood emerged.
Her silent gaze, reflected in the firelight, was almost pleading.
If it were an ambush operation according to the original plan, catching them off guard, there would naturally be nothing to say.
However, if it were like now, forcibly assaulting a large and heavily guarded Raikage escort unit, it would almost certainly be a death trap for Kato Dan, who was supposed to stand at the very back to deliver a fatal blow with his Spirit Transformation Jutsu.
Because his body would be unable to move once he released his Ninjutsu.
Everyone present was aware of this.
Including Kato Dan himself.
A trump card is, by nature, a one-time use item.
Precisely for this reason, everyone awaited his decision.
"Tsunade."
Kato Dan had been quiet for a long time, then suddenly looked up.
On his face, there was still the same gentle smile as always, and his tone was very soft: "If you want to become Hokage, you can't back down at a time like this."
"Besides, I also have the resolve to dedicate everything to the Village, you know."
Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on.
The reason Konoha has grown to this day, despite countless schemers and parasites, is precisely because there are countless people like them who, even in the face of death, uphold this responsibility.
They, who ignite the fire with their lives, are the true inheritors of the Will of Fire.
"Dan..."
Tsunade still wanted to say something.
But her hand was already clasped by Kato Dan.
"Believe in me."
He took a deep breath, smiling gently as always: "Even for your sake, I will survive."
"..."
Crackling, crackling.
In the underground stronghold, only the faint crisp sound of firewood burning remained.
Even everyone's breathing was barely audible.
"Three days."
Finally, Tsunade gritted her teeth and made her decision, looking at her comrades with eyes as fierce as a wolf: "We will search for three more days; that is the final deadline!"
"If within three days, the Third Raikage's whereabouts still don't appear at the designated location, it means the mission intelligence has completely failed, and the Squad must immediately break through the encirclement and abandon the mission."
"Otherwise, under the encirclement of Kumogakure's main forces, even we won't be able to escape as we did before."
"As for any subsequent consequences, I will bear full responsibility."
"Any objections?"
Under her watchful, cold gaze, Mokume Kodachi and Ando Oyama finally agreed to her request.
Meaningless death, even they wouldn't pursue.
The underground stronghold returned to silence.
Tsunade wearily leaned the back of her head against the hard stone wall, unconsciously fiddling with the two dice she carried with her, turning them silently.
Is it really okay?
Just as she was thinking with such worry, one of the dice in her palm accidentally slipped out, clattering to the ground.
Tsunade didn't pick it up, merely leaned tiredly against the stone wall, closing her eyes in a doze.
The die spun and rolled into the distance, until it hit a corner stone and suddenly stopped.
Six dots facing up.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence: 9 Reader for hundreds of additional chapters and over a dozen stories