The fires of war were raging. The detonation of explosive tags and the collision of various Ninjutsu made the very earth groan and tremble. The air was a chaotic symphony of war cries and pained screams.
Saiki had killed before, but the battlefield was a different beast entirely—a mindless, efficient meat-grinder. Every second, someone was erased from existence. Seeing lives treated like worthless blades of grass gave him a genuine jolt of shock.
The physical exhaustion of the forced march was nothing compared to the psychological weight of the scene before him.
But no one had time to console him. Everyone was frantically trying to steady their breathing; no matter how desperate the situation, you couldn't charge into a bloodbath while winded.
After only a few heartbeats, Inoichi issued his commands: "Uchiha Captain, lead your forces to intercept the enemy on the right flank and reinforce the high-ground outposts! Hyuga Captain, you take the left flank! Everyone else follows me to reinforce the main camp!"
Utilizing his Mind Transfer connectivity, Inoichi had a general grasp of the entire field. The situation was critical, yet he remained perfectly composed, issuing orders with surgical efficiency.
By having the Uchiha and Hyuga secure the flanks, even if the main camp fell, the Leaf forces wouldn't be completely encircled and annihilated. They would still have a path to retreat and regroup.
Inoichi himself would lead the commoner ninja into the center—the heart of the conflict.
The moment the orders were given, Saiki could feel the palpable relief radiating from the Uchiha and Hyuga units. Meanwhile, the atmosphere among the commoner ninja and the minor clan members turned even grimmer.
It was a necessary, cold-blooded arrangement.
First, the village high command was biased against the Great Clans; they didn't want to grant them the glory of leadership or the prestige of saving the day.
Second, the clans had no desire to see their kinsmen used as disposable shields in the center.
One side refused to grant glory; the other refused to pay the price in blood. Inoichi was the one stuck in the middle of the political nightmare.
The three hundred reinforcements split into three groups. Two headed for the flanks, while Saiki's group—the ones without noble names or political backing—charged straight into the center to risk their lives.
Led by Inoichi, Saiki and Shinku Yuhi's squad sprinted toward the main camp.
With the Uchiha and Hyuga securing the perimeters, the number of enemy skirmishers reaching the Leaf's rear dropped significantly. After cutting down a few Cloud squads attempting a flanking maneuver, Saiki's unit finally reached the main gates of the camp.
The defenders had sensed their approach, and the commander of the front lines personally stepped out to receive them.
Saiki was genuinely surprised by the man's identity.
He was a tall man wearing a forehead protector with the kanji for "Oil" inscribed on it. He had a somewhat lecherous face, and at thirty-three, he already looked like a greasy middle-aged uncle. His white hair reached all the way down to his waist, and he had distinct red markings running down from his eyes. It was Jiraiya.
"Inoichi! You're finally here. You have no idea how glad I am to see you," Jiraiya laughed, though his relief was evident. Three hundred elites were exactly the "shot in the arm" the defense needed.
Faced with a beaming Jiraiya, Inoichi felt a mix of excitement and shame. "Lord Jiraiya, I hope we aren't too late. The situation looked dire, so I dispatched my lieutenants to the flanks immediately."
Inoichi was a fan of the Sannin, like many Leaf ninja. But seeing the exhaustion on Jiraiya's face, he feared their arrival might have been delayed too long.
Jiraiya nodded. "You did the right thing. Your timing is perfect."
Then, his gaze swept over the new arrivals.
As his eyes passed over the unit, many of the younger ninja looked at the legendary Sannin with pure, starstruck adoration.
Saiki, however, felt only a mild surprise. Adoration was impossible. He had already "conquered" Tsunade; why would he worship her failed teammate?
He stood quietly, circulating his Qi to wash away his fatigue, staying perfectly ready for combat.
Among the crowd, there were other children of Saiki's height, but Saiki was undeniably unique. Perhaps it was his status as a fellow "Sage," or perhaps he was simply far more handsome than Jiraiya—his aura was so distinct that Jiraiya's gaze lingered on him for an extra second.
Saiki caught the look and stared right back.
Their eyes met. Looking into Saiki's calm, crystalline pupils, Jiraiya felt an inexplicable jolt of guilt and a primitive flicker of fear. He instinctively averted his eyes to the next person in line.
A second later, Jiraiya realized he had just been unnerved by the gaze of a child.
When he looked back, Saiki was no longer paying him any attention. The boy was methodically checking his ninja tools, partially drawing his katana before snapping it back into the scabbard.
The exchange had lasted only a heartbeat. There was no time for Jiraiya to ponder the weirdness; he grabbed Inoichi and pulled him into the command tent to begin the tactical briefing.
Orders were issued with lightning speed.
There was no grand strategy; the enemy was performing a constant, rolling assault. The three hundred men were split into twenty squads. A squad leader would take three Chunin and go into the trenches to hold the line.
On a battlefield of this scale, Chunin had a decent survival rate. Genin were purely cannon fodder.
The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water looked like the collision of two tectonic plates—vast plains on either side with a range of jagged, crushed mountains in the center. By holding the high ground, the outnumbered Leaf forces had managed to stall the Cloud's advance.
"Saiki, stay close. Don't get separated from us," Shinku Yuhi warned as they exited the camp.
Saiki's temporary squad consisted of four Chunin. Shinku and the other two were adults; Saiki was the only child.
Hearing Shinku's warning, the two nameless Chunin assumed he was coddling the "rookie." They were visibly annoyed that a fresh graduate had been assigned to their veteran squad.
They figured if a seasoned Chunin had been assigned instead of this brat, their survival odds would be much higher. A child's combat power and experience couldn't possibly match an adult veteran's.
They had no idea Saiki could erase them with a single thought. Shinku wasn't protecting Saiki; he was terrified the boy would charge too far ahead for them to keep up.
"I understand."
Saiki ignored the petty irritation of the two men whose names he couldn't even be bothered to remember. He gave a curt nod.
As long as it wasn't branded as desertion, Saiki fully intended to find the safest possible spot and hide.
The only things on this front that could realistically threaten him were the Third Raikage or the A-B combo. Why the hell would he risk his life for Hiruzen's village?
If Konoha lost, it was no skin off his back. The Hokage wasn't Tsunade; he had no reason to fight.
Wait. He did have a mission. He had to ensure Shinku Yuhi survived. If Kurenai's father died because of his butterfly effect, Saiki wouldn't be able to look her in the eye.
As they ran toward the front lines, the rolling thunder of battle grew loud enough to make the ears ache.
Moving into the trenches, Saiki formed the Tiger seal with his left hand. As his perception expanded, the chakra landscape of the entire battlefield flooded his mind.
"Enemy count: between four and five hundred. Over twenty Jonin. They're attacking with double our numbers. Hm... one of those signatures has an absurd amount of chakra..."
A trace of gravity appeared on Saiki's face. Faced with these numbers, even he could be swarmed and killed. He had to be careful not to get encircled.
But looking at the state of the line, Saiki was baffled that Jiraiya was still sitting in the command tent.
He swept his perception further out. The situation elsewhere was identical to the camp. If the reinforcements hadn't arrived tonight, and if Konoha didn't retreat, the Cloud would have swallowed this entire unit whole.