Reckless, crude, violent, and belligerent.
This was the reputation Cloud Village held in the eyes of the world, but that impression was far from accurate.
Although the Village Hidden in the Clouds was led by a militant faction, their strategies were never impulsive. Their actions were patient and methodical, like a venomous serpent lying coiled in silence, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with lethal precision.
That patience defined their movements throughout this war.
When the three great nations were locked in a deadlocked struggle within the Land of Rain, Cloud Village did not rush in. Even after the conflict concluded, they did not seize the fertile Land of Fire. Instead, they turned their sights on the Land of Earth, the nation suffering the greatest losses.
A skilled hunter, unwavering patience, and overwhelming force, together, created an unstoppable advance.
Within half a year, Cloud Village had occupied nearly a quarter of the Land of Earth's territory. The Stone Ninjas were repeatedly pushed back, unable to stabilize the front.
Had Stone Village not joined forces with Sand Village, the Second Ninja War might have ended far earlier.
Even so, the biggest winner at that stage was undoubtedly Cloud Village.
But if the war had ended there, it would not have dragged on so long.
In April, disaster struck. News spread across the entire shinobi world: the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Fukai, had gone berserk, devastating most of Cloud Village. In the end, the Third Raikage personally stepped in to seal the beast, and Fukai died in the process.
Cloud Village suffered massive losses.
Because of this, the Cloud forces stationed in the Land of Earth were forced to retreat. With that pressure lifted, Stone Village regained its footing and launched counterattacks across multiple battlefields.
The ripple effects were immediate. With Stone Village pushing forward again, Sand Village received renewed momentum. Their support strengthened, Sand Ninjas began reversing the situation within the Land of Rivers.
By June, the tides of war had shifted yet again.
Inside the command tent of the Leaf Base Camp, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Sakumo gathered around a table covered with maps and intelligence documents.
Tsunade, positioned at the center, studied the latest reports with a heavy sigh.
"I hope nothing else goes wrong."
Her fingers brushed the pendant hanging around her neck, a keepsake left by her grandfather, the First Hokage, and her most cherished possession.
Soon, she would have to part with it. Perhaps that was why she held it so often these days.
She prayed quietly.
Hopefully, this charm will protect him too.
And if fate allowed, perhaps it would protect her as well.
In recent weeks, Tsunade had remained at the base, treating a constant influx of injured shinobi and processing wave after wave of battlefield reports. Exhaustion clung to her like a shadow.
The two men beside her, Orochimaru and Sakumo, had spent nearly every day on the front lines. If she had not summoned them back through urgent intelligence orders, she would still be handling everything alone.
Orochimaru glanced at the papers.
"There will always be problems. Sand Village has received too much support. They're preparing for something significant. The latest intelligence shows a new reinforcement squad arrived this morning. Many of them are puppet-master Jonin."
"Puppet masters…"
Tsunade felt a headache forming.
At high ranks, puppet masters were dangerous. Without specific counters, they could dominate multiperson engagements with ease.
"The Sand forces are committing everything," Sakumo observed with a frown.
"They don't have a choice," Orochimaru replied calmly. "If they don't meet us head-on now, once Cloud Village recovers from the Eight-Tails disaster, Stone Village will be under pressure again. Sand won't get another opportunity. Everything is connected."
Tsunade silently agreed. A commander had to consider every possibility. A single wrong order meant thousands of lives lost.
And because of that, she disliked commanding.
After a long pause, she placed the report back on the table.
"Our main concern is Sand Village's reinforcements. Once they arrive, our numerical advantage disappears. The next battle will be even more difficult."
"My taijutsu and anti-poison techniques counter their puppet masters naturally," Tsunade continued. "I plan to join the front lines myself."
"That isn't ideal," Orochimaru said, shaking his head. "Intelligence processing, daily operations, and critical medical support still need you at the base."
"The medical corps is fully operational this year," she answered. "Even without me, little will change. Those they can't save, I may not save either."
"And if we want to save more lives, we need to win this war completely."
"What about the base?"
"The village sent new orders. Nara Shikaku has arrived with fresh reinforcements. I intend to hand all base operations to him."
Orochimaru stopped objecting immediately.
Shikaku's strategic brilliance was undeniable. Having him oversee the base was the best option. Orochimaru and the others were still young, and while the Third Hokage had placed them in command to gain experience, some situations required seasoned leadership.
There was another possibility, though one he could only keep to himself: an alliance between Leaf and Cloud.
With an alliance, Orochimaru believed the war could end within a year.
But such an alliance was impossible. The Second Hokage had died to Kinkaku and Ginkaku's ambush. That wound was too deep. Some betrayals could never be forgiven.
In the world of shinobi, war was driven by interests, not justice. Most conflicts carried no moral judgment.
But when a Kage's honor was involved, reconciliation became impossible.
Just as Mist would never ally with Stone, and Stone would never ally with Leaf, unless the Third Tsuchikage died.
…
"Next topic," Tsunade said, turning to Orochimaru. "Do you remember Sand Village's One-Tail, Shukaku?"
"I remember. Why?"
"After you and Hayashi let Shukaku escape last time, I had our intelligence team monitor Sand's movements closely. I needed to know what their daily deployments were doing."
"You mean…"
"Yes. After seven to eight months on the run, Shukaku has finally been found."
"Traces appeared deep in the desert of the Land of Wind. Sand Village will definitely attempt to reseal it into their Jinchuriki, then deploy the beast to the battlefield."
"If they intend to retrieve and reseal a tailed beast, they'll have to send significant forces. With only me and Hayashi…"
Orochimaru stopped, but Tsunade understood perfectly.
Facing Shukaku alone was manageable for him now. He had experience. But disrupting the retrieval meant confronting far more than the One-Tail.
"The exact composition of their retrieval squad is still unknown," Tsunade added. "Once the intel arrives, we'll pull a unit from the main battlefield."
"That will put more strain on the front."
"It will," she admitted. "But I'll be heading to the battlefield myself."
"…Alright."
Orochimaru let out a tired sigh.
What was happening with the tailed beasts lately?
The Eight-Tails had barely finished its rampage, and now the One-Tail was making noise again.
Who would be next?
Surely not the Nine-Tails…
____
Send some Powerstones for bonus chapters!
If you want to read in advance, check out my Patreon:
Search for "Zphyr" or use this link: Patreon.com/Zphyr