Cough! Cough!
Senju Menhui coughed violently.
In that overwhelming wave earlier, he had used every ounce of strength to barely drag Senju Jianku out alive.
Even so—
Jianku's left leg had been twisted like a rope, completely shattered by the force of the water.
As for the other Konoha Jonin—
They had all perished in the flood.
"After them! The Konoha ninja are over there!"
Hearing the Rain shinobi closing in behind them, Menhui gathered his remaining strength, hoisted Jianku onto his back, and staggered forward.
"Brother! Put me down!"
Jianku gritted his teeth through the pain, his lips trembling from the cold.
"What nonsense are you saying?!" Menhui roared. "I won't leave you behind!"
"My leg is gone! If you keep carrying me, neither of us will escape!" Jianku shouted back, clearly feeling his cousin's steps growing heavier.
Menhui tried to argue—
But Jianku cut him off.
"Brother… my strength is below yours. To the village… you matter more."
"No! Jianku! You're a hero of Konoha!" Menhui's eyes filled with tears.
"A hero?" Jianku smiled faintly, like a child. "Heroes… don't get to live."
"Brother!" Jianku suddenly said, his face tightening with resolve. "I am a Jonin of Konoha. A member of the Senju clan!"
"My leg is ruined. Even if I make it back… I'll just be a cripple for the rest of my life."
There was no despair in his eyes.
Only calm.
"I may not be a genius… but I carry the blood of the Senju clan. I refuse to live like that."
"Put me down… and give me all your explosive tags."
His voice carried a trace of pleading.
"NO!"
Menhui roared like a wounded beast.
He hated it.
The Rain shinobi's despicable trap had already taken five of his comrades.
And now—
His cousin, who had grown up with him—
Was about to die as well.
Menhui suddenly accelerated.
Reaching an open area, he gently set Jianku down.
He stared at his cousin's resolute face—
As if trying to carve it into his memory forever.
Tears streamed down his face.
With clenched teeth, he handed over all the explosive tags.
Then—
He turned and ran.
Jianku endured the pain as his trembling hands tied the explosive tags around his body.
His breathing grew ragged.
Even this simple action had exhausted all his strength.
He looked toward the direction of Konoha—
And smiled like a child.
…I really want to go back.
I remember that barbecue shop at the village entrance…
It was so good.
"There! A Konoha ninja! Kill him!"
The Rain shinobi had arrived.
Jianku forced himself to stand on one leg.
He drew a kunai—
And without hesitation—
Severed his own ruined leg.
Better one burst of pain than constant agony.
Ignoring the blood pouring from his wound, his pale face twisted into a savage grin.
"Jonin of Konoha—Senju Jianku—stands here!"
"Rain shinobi—come and die!"
Though his chakra had already been depleted—
A surge of power erupted from deep within his cells.
His flesh, his organs—
Were collapsing under the strain.
He gathered all his remaining chakra into his foot—
And detonated it.
Boom!
The force blew away what remained of his leg.
He was burning his life away.
With only half his body left—
Jianku shot forward like a human projectile.
The Rain shinobi looked on in horror—
As he formed a seal with one hand—
And triggered the explosive tags.
BOOM!
…
Some time later—
Another Rain shinobi squad arrived.
Their captain's face turned grim at the sight before him.
The ground was littered with mangled flesh, severed limbs, and shattered organs.
The blood had already dried.
It was a scene straight out of hell.
As he stepped forward to inspect—
Crunch.
He had stepped on something.
Looking down—
It was a bloodstained Konoha forehead protector.
Nearby, a torn piece of cloth bore the crest of the Senju clan.
"Konoha… Senju…"
Fear flickered in his eyes.
Behind him, the other Rain shinobi also looked pale.
Against such enemies—
Could the Rain Village really win?
Konoha Left Wing Camp.
Yoru had just convened a meeting of the Jonin when news arrived—
Senju Menhui had returned.
Covered in blood.
His expression dark.
Tsunade's eyes were red.
From Menhui, they learned of Jianku's final stand.
Everyone present had reddened eyes.
Seeing Yoru's grim expression, Tsunade quickly spoke.
"This isn't your fault. It was the intelligence that was wrong. And your command has already brought us many victories."
Indeed—
This was an accident.
In every other engagement, Yoru's command had allowed the left wing to shine brilliantly—
Even surpassing Orochimaru's main force.
Menhui, though grieving, also spoke up.
"Lord Yoru… this isn't your fault. As shinobi, we've always been prepared to die. Jianku… he died smiling."
Yoru's expression softened slightly.
But then—
Another piece of intelligence arrived.
And his fury erupted.
The entire room was shaken with rage.
The Rain Village's commander, Harada Eiji, had ordered that the bodies of the three fallen Konoha Jonin from that mission be hung at their base for three days—
And then burned.
Worse—
Jianku's sacrifice had been twisted into a joke among the Rain shinobi.
Yoru's face grew completely still.
Calm.
Too calm.
He turned to Tsunade and said quietly,
"I'll leave command here to you."
Then he stood up and walked toward the exit.
"Yoru! Calm down! You're the commander!"
The other Jonin quickly tried to stop him.
Even Tsunade, though filled with rage, stepped forward to persuade him.
Yoru's eyes burned with something different.
"Tsunade… what are humans?"
Before she could answer, he continued—
"Humans… can't stay calm all the time."
"…Leave it to me."
With that, he turned and walked out.
The Konoha Jonin stared at his departing figure, their eyes filled with tears.
This—
Was a declaration soaked in blood.
Tsunade said nothing.
But her eyes trembled violently.
At that moment—
She had completely fallen for this man.
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