"I need to find a way."
Uchiha Gen retreated, his finger already poised at his mouth, ready to bite through his skin, draw blood, and summon a beast.
His strength had improved too quickly, and the combat power of Ketsuhan and Black Snake was now lagging behind.
He could only hope they could delay that female ninja with their snake pack for a little while longer.
In war, things change in an instant.
As long as they could hold on, reinforcements would surely arrive.
However, it seemed his luck was holding.
"Hehe, you old bastard, why are you bullying the youth?"
"Gen, kid, leave this guy to me."
"Go do what you need to do."
A middle-aged Jonin with a bandaged face and a large iron ladle strapped to his back leaped to Gen's side, grinning at Shiraishi.
"Maruboshi Kosuke..."
Seeing the newcomer, Shiraishi spoke in a low voice, his expression turning grave.
Although he was technically a Genin, as a "Perennial Genin," Maruboshi Kosuke had a significant reputation among the Jonin of the Ninja World.
A powerful individual with Elite Jonin strength, yet willing to remain a Genin for most of his life—such a legendary history was unique.
"Senior Kosuke, thank you!"
Uchiha Gen breathed a slight sigh of relief and addressed Kosuke.
He was very confident in the man's strength.
Maruboshi Kosuke had received ninjutsu instruction from both the Second and Third Hokage.
Having been taught by two generations of masters, he was top-tier in Water Release and his Konoha-Style Kenjutsu was outstanding.
Coupled with the fact that he was in his prime, unless a Kage-level expert intervened, Kosuke would not be easily defeated.
In a few words, the battle reignited.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Ground Flash!"
A Water Release and a Lightning Release were unleashed by the two in the same instant.
Uchiha Gen knew the power of Kosuke's Water Release and moved to assist him immediately.
The Water Dragon Bullet, which normally required forty-four hand seals, could be performed by Senju Tobirama with only three.
Maruboshi Kosuke's mastery wasn't quite that terrifying, but he had simplified the process to a high degree.
In about a second, the water dragon roared toward the enemy.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel!"
The clash of two Elite Jonin, plus one Jonin and one Special Jonin level combatant, was enough to shift the dynamics of the local battlefield.
The commotion wasn't as cataclysmic as the Kage-level ninjas who could level mountains, but it was shocking enough to clear a small area around them.
However, what truly dictated the war's direction was the struggle between the top-tier powerhouses.
The number of Hidden Sand ninjas was already lower than Konoha's.
In terms of high-end combat power, after suffering casualties and the luring away of the Ichibi, only Chiyo remained as a top-tier threat.
They could no longer sustain the fight.
Everything was shifting in favor of Konoha.
To preserve her main force from excessive damage, Chiyo ordered a general retreat.
They actively abandoned their positions, leaving a rear guard to cover the withdrawal from the area.
The fall of this important Hidden Sand stronghold meant the loss of more than half the territory they had occupied in the Land of Rain.
Nearly two years of effort had gone to waste.
"Is the battle over?"
Uchiha Gen calmly pulled out a kunai that had pierced through his armor into his shoulder.
A green light flickered in his palm, healing the wound.
"It should be over."
Maruboshi Kosuke looked at Gen's other hand, which was pressing against his own chest to heal himself, and chuckled.
Their final battle concluded with the Sand kunoichi being killed and the Elite Jonin Shiraishi retreating with the main forces after being injured.
"I always feel like something isn't right."
Gen looked up at the pouring rain, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
He had an indescribable feeling in his heart; most importantly, the war campaign instance had not yet settled!
Had the battle not ended?
The Hidden Sand had been defeated and routed; reorganizing their forces would take time, so they were no immediate threat.
Therefore, the only ones capable of threatening them in the Land of Rain would be the Hidden Stone or the Hidden Rain.
Logically, they should still be in a standoff with each other.
Even if they discovered the battle and rushed here, they shouldn't be able to arrive so quickly.
Unless—the standoff was fake from the start.
But how could that be?
How could the Hidden Stone and Hanzo set aside their differences and put on an act together?
"Senior Kosuke, let's find Lord Orochimaru."
"The battle might not be over yet."
"We must reorganize the team immediately."
Uchiha Gen spoke to Kosuke with urgency.
His influence alone might not be enough, so it was best to have Kosuke back him up.
"Alright."
Kosuke didn't ask for explanations; he simply nodded.
He trusted his teammate's instincts.
A few minutes later, the two walked through the smoke-filled battlefield, which was being tallied for casualties, and found Orochimaru.
After a series of battles, several of Konoha's top experts had sustained injuries.
Orochimaru and Tsunade were mostly fine; one was a master of self-preservation, and the other was a healer who could restore her own health.
Among those who dealt with the Tailed Beast, Jiraiya was also mostly unharmed.
Only Homura Mitokado seemed to have suffered a serious injury and was receiving treatment from Tsunade.
When Uchiha Gen and Kosuke shared their suspicions, it was Homura who first expressed doubt.
"The Hidden Rain and the Hidden Stone are supposed to be in a standoff, with a major war potentially breaking out."
"This is top-secret intelligence sent by the Root's ace spy; there's almost no chance of error."
"They are bogged down, so how could they attack us here?"
Homura Mitokado shook his head, feeling that the youth was simply worrying unnecessarily.
"Standoff... spy... delay."
"This means they might not actually be fighting, so..."
Orochimaru stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Gen makes a good point. Elder Homura, let's move quickly."
"Orochimaru, you too? Alright."
Homura hesitated for a few seconds, then chose to trust Orochimaru.
Since his arrival on the battlefield, Orochimaru had proven his command and foresight with hard facts.
The Konoha ninjas were puzzled, but obedience was a ninja's duty.
They paused their cleanup and merit tallying, instead reorganizing their teams and recovering chakra.
Not long after the team had rested, a Hyuga Jonin rushed over.
"Lord Homura! The reconnaissance squad has discovered traces of the Hidden Rain."
"They are less than ten kilometers from here!"
Homura Mitokado suddenly looked up, glancing at Uchiha Gen in shock.