Inside the central tent of the Konoha encampment, the shinobi were still processing the information Jiraiya had shared. The news was simply too staggering.
While it might not have immediate repercussions on this specific battlefield, it represented a grave danger for Konoha as a whole. Currently, two major hidden villages were coordinating an assault against them. The total number of Konoha shinobi was actually less than that of the Suna forces alone.
Because of this disparity, Konoha was forced to deploy fewer troops to each front than their opponents. Even the advance force sent to intercept the Iwa ninja consisted of only about a thousand men.
"Tianyuan, are you up for it?" Jiraiya asked, turning his gaze toward the young man.
"Of course," Tianyuan replied. "But aren't you and Lord Orochimaru coming along?"
"We aren't going," Jiraiya said with a shake of his head. "We need to hold the line here for now. If your side needs us, however, we will send reinforcements from this front."
"Understood." Tianyuan nodded.
"Tianyuan, perhaps you should take your own squad with you. After all, you're more familiar with them," Jiraiya suggested.
Essentially, the team Tianyuan would be taking from this battlefield would serve as his trusted inner circle. More importantly, Hiruzen Sarutobi had appointed Tianyuan as one of the overall leaders for that specific front.
In the past, it would have been incredibly difficult for Tianyuan to obtain such authority on a major battlefield. Now, however, that difficulty had vanished. The record Tianyuan had just established on this front was already being praised by many.
Leaving aside the terrifying power of his Mangekyo and his ability to manifest a Susanoo endowed with God-like power, the mere fact that he had single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of Suna ninja was a sensation that had rocked Konoha and the entire Shinobi World.
One could only imagine the heartache felt by Sunagakure, and by Rasa himself. Currently, Rasa was a tangled mess of fury, fear, and helplessness; the atmosphere in the entire Sand Village had become suffocatingly oppressive. The presence of such a non-human entity on the battlefield was far more terrifying and surprising than even the power of a Tailed Beast.
"No problem. Kushina, do you want to come with me?" Tianyuan looked toward Kushina Uzumaki.
"Of course! You're the captain, so naturally I'm following you," Kushina replied with a playful jab. "Besides, I am your vice captain."
"Alright then. When do we leave?" Tianyuan asked.
"The sooner the better. Konoha's advance force and the Hidden Stone Village have likely already clashed," Jiraiya said.
"Understood." Tianyuan nodded.
"Good. I will give you the coordinates for the advance force's destination. You already know Konoha's communication protocols, so you can contact them directly upon arrival," Jiraiya added.
After Jiraiya provided the location, Tianyuan quickly assembled his squad. These shinobi, who originally belonged to Tianyuan's unit, showed not the slightest hint of resistance to the idea of heading to the Stone front. Tianyuan was the person they respected most in the world; as long as they followed him, they feared no battlefield, regardless of its location.
A short while later, at the outskirts of the Konoha encampment, Tianyuan looked at Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Minato Namikaze. These men had stood with him on the front lines for some time now, and they had become very familiar. It was often said that war was the best catalyst for friendship; while a ninja war might be different, some things remained the same.
"Lord Jiraiya, Teacher Orochimaru, Minato... farewell, everyone," Tianyuan said to the group.
"Good luck, kid," Jiraiya laughed. "See you later. I look forward to you crushing the Iwa ninja and creating an even more brilliant record."
"Don't worry, Lord Jiraiya," Tianyuan smiled.
"Don't call me 'Lord,' call me 'Big Brother!'" Jiraiya huffed.
"Tianyuan, be careful," Orochimaru said slowly. "To a certain extent, the Hidden Stone Village is much stronger than the Hidden Sand. Their Kage, Ohnoki, is also exceptionally powerful."
"I understand." Tianyuan nodded.
"Good luck, Tianyuan," Minato Namikaze added.
"Don't worry, I have the Flying Thunder God Technique," Tianyuan replied. "Farewell, everyone."
"Kushina, let's go," Tianyuan said. He immediately set off in a specific direction, with over a hundred Konoha shinobi following closely behind him.
"Perhaps this kid will create another legend in his duel against the Iwa ninja?" Jiraiya watched Tianyuan's receding figure and smiled.
"Regardless, we don't need to worry about his safety," Orochimaru chuckled. "When it comes to the ability to escape, Tianyuan is just like Minato among the best of all Konoha shinobi."
"Now, let's write a letter to Teacher Sarutobi and discuss how to deal with Sunagakure," Jiraiya said.
"True. Without Tianyuan here, we'll need to adjust some of our combat strategies," Orochimaru smiled.
At first, the Suna ninja were unaware of Tianyuan's departure. They remained cautiously curled up, licking their wounds. It wasn't until several days later, when news reached them that Tianyuan had left for another front, that the Suna forces began to return to normal.
They resumed their offensive against Konoha, but now another figure Minato Namikaze began to shine. Perhaps Tianyuan's light had been too dazzling in the past; with him gone, Minato's strength became more apparent to everyone, and the Flying Thunder God Technique grew even more magnificent upon the battlefield.
At the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth.
The area had already been transformed into something resembling Avici Hell. Even though only a few days of probing skirmishes had passed, the evidence of Ninjutsu attacks, blood, and severed limbs was everywhere.
Konoha's advance force had moved through the Land of Grass to intercept the main Iwa force at the border of the Land of Earth.
The Konoha shinobi and the Iwa ninja had engaged in fierce combat. Although they had successfully blocked the Iwa forces there, Konoha was overall in a weak position. After all, Konoha was now fighting a war on two fronts, requiring a massive investment of manpower on both sides.
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