The rain did not stop because of war.
Heavy, oppressive clouds continued to blanket the sky, carrying with them an unending sense of suffocation.
Yu Ye's sword fell again and again, each strike growing smoother and more natural.
Originally, Sky Shatter was a technique he was less proficient with than Vibration Wave Slash, but as the battle dragged on, Sky Shatter had become as effortless as a casual stroll.
At this moment, even the elite jōnin could no longer endure it.
It was like a water jar—
once a single crack appeared, complete collapse became inevitable.
Yu Ye sheathed his ninjatō, his figure flickering forward in an instant.
Then, he slammed down a punch.
In that split second, the rain froze in midair.
It was as if thunder had exploded on the battlefield, the earth roaring violently beneath them.
The three remaining Iwagakure jōnin, already at their limits, could only look on in despair.
"Monster…"
BOOM!!
The vibration force erupted violently, dragging the suspended rainwater upward in reverse flow, like a brush of liquid painting a perfect scene of spatial震爆—
a pure explosion of vibration in empty space.
Under this overwhelming power, the three Iwagakure jōnin lost all ability to resist.
They were crushed head-on, completely overwhelmed.
Their bodies fell heavily into the rain.
At this point—
The Iwagakure elite assassination unit that had ambushed Yu Ye and his team was completely wiped out.
Total annihilation.
The scene was beyond shocking.
The rain continued to fall quietly, washing away the blood from the ground.
There were no longer any violent sounds or earth-shaking clashes.
Yet this very stillness was what made the scene so terrifying.
Yu Ye stood silently at the center of the battlefield.
Corpses lay scattered in all directions.
The earth had been soaked red, resembling a true hellscape.
And yet—
Not a single drop of blood stained Yu Ye's body.
There was no trace of crimson upon him at all.
He stood there like death itself, reigning over the battlefield.
In the distance, Yamanaka Inoshi and Asama Sana, who had been reduced to mere spectators since the battle began—without even the qualification to intervene—stood frozen in place, as if turned to stone.
Even now, disbelief still lingered in their eyes.
"They're… dead? All of them?"
"Yu Ye… to be this strong… even a squad commander—no, even a division commander—might not be stronger than this!"
If before, Yu Ye's talent and strength had been monstrous yet still within the bounds of comprehension—
Then now, his power had crossed into something utterly incomprehensible.
At this age, with such strength, he seemed like a being born solely for the Second Shinobi World War—
a slaughterer forged for the battlefield, a true Asura of war.
Yu Ye slowly turned around.
In the rain, he walked calmly toward the two of them, passed by without stopping, and continued forward until he reached Moonlight Red Lotus's body.
He stopped there, standing in silence.
Asama Sana and Yamanaka Inoshi suppressed the shock still churning in their hearts and followed, standing beside Yu Ye.
"This is war," Yu Ye murmured softly.
"At any moment, you must face death—whether it's your own, or your enemy's."
Behind the mask, no expression could be seen.
Then Yu Ye turned away, not looking back.
"Clean up the battlefield. Then we move."
"Yes."
Asama Sana and Yamanaka Inoshi answered immediately.
They themselves did not even realize it, but at this moment, their attitude had naturally shifted—
they now treated Yu Ye as their superior.
After clearing the battlefield, cutting down the important heads and sealing them into scrolls, the two quietly followed behind Yu Ye as they left the area.
Once again looking at Yu Ye's back, respect unconsciously filled their eyes.
From this moment on, they would never again look down on him because of his age.
Only reverence remained.
Rain Country
In the Rain Country, camps could only be built on high ground, never in concealed lowlands.
Low valleys inevitably became reservoirs for water.
On elevated hills stood Konohagakure's Rain Country base—
not a temporary camp, but a long-established stronghold with complete facilities.
It was almost like a small village.
At the center of the camp stood the Konoha command headquarters for the Second Shinobi World War.
Hatake Sakumo stood quietly before a large sand table, analyzing the battlefield situation.
In secret, he was Konoha's ANBU Commander.
On the surface, he was a senior elite jōnin, more experienced than Orochimaru and the others, and the overall frontline commander of this war.
At that moment, a shinobi burst into the room.
His body was covered in wounds, blood still dripping from him.
Hatake Sakumo immediately looked up.
Before Sakumo even needed to ask, the badly injured scout reported the intelligence he had obtained at the cost of his life.
"Sakumo-sama… after clashing with Iwagakure forces, we confirmed that an elite Iwagakure assassination unit infiltrated deep into our defensive lines—without being detected."
"What?!"
Even Hatake Sakumo couldn't help but show a hint of shock.
An assassination unit slipping this deep meant their target was almost certainly high-value Konoha personnel or elite forces.
If such an ambush succeeded, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Losing even one elite jōnin like Orochimaru or Jiraiya would significantly impact the overall battlefield situation.
"Can you determine their approximate location?"
"Roughly northwest. The exact situation is unclear."
"I understand. Go receive medical treatment."
Hatake Sakumo nodded, waving his hand.
Medical-nin immediately entered and helped the wounded scout out of the room.
Sakumo then promptly summoned multiple intelligence and sensory-type shinobi.
After careful analysis and cross-verification, they quickly narrowed down a general area.
An elite assassination unit was not something Sakumo could afford to underestimate.
In the end, to be safe, he decided to personally lead the operation.
But at that moment—
A figure suddenly entered the room.
Anyone who dared to interrupt at such a time was no ordinary person.
It was Shimura Danzō, the Hokage's advisor and one of the frontline commanders.
However, unlike Sakumo, Danzō usually operated in the shadows, handling sabotage, manipulation, and assassination rather than direct battlefield command.
Open warfare decisions were made by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hatake Sakumo.
"Sakumo," Danzō said coldly,
"you must not act rashly."
Sakumo replied calmly, "Aside from me, anyone else risks casualties.
And if an elite unit is operating this close, failing to wipe them out would cost us momentum."
Danzō frowned.
"We're still in a standoff phase. None of the top figures have moved yet.
If you act now, won't it make Konoha look empty?"
"No."
Hatake Sakumo looked at Danzō steadily.
A sharp pressure suddenly radiated from him.
"If we wipe them out completely, no one will know I ever left.
Besides—I'll act under another identity."
Danzō fell silent.
After a moment, facing Sakumo's unwavering resolve, he finally nodded.
Yet a trace of displeasure still flickered deep within his eyes.
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