Rasa and Karura
"This… Ah, how embarrassing. Still, Senior Gusuke is so enthusiastic—I can only hope I don't disgrace the ninjutsu he taught me in the future!"
Ming Jing suddenly beamed with joy and stood up proactively to help Maruboshi Kosuke clean up.
Inuzuka Rui watched this scene unfold and silently grumbled in his heart.
He had never seen such a shameless Uchiha as Jiang Ming Jing.
"Hmph. Brat, you'd better worry about surviving the battlefield tomorrow. Otherwise, whatever I teach you will be pointless," Kosuke snapped gruffly.
Still, after the meal, he taught Ming Jing a special sword technique infused with genjutsu.
Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Ryū (Flow).
As an Uchiha possessing the Sharingan, Ming Jing was naturally adept at genjutsu. A technique that combined illusion with swordplay was a perfect match for his fighting style.
When using Ryū, the user's movements appear to scatter like leaves dancing in the wind. To an opponent, the sword swings seem to strike multiple times in an instant—each slash an illusion meant to disguise the true fatal blow.
Though called a "move," Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Ryū was more like a framework—an adaptive fusion of kenjutsu and genjutsu that could enhance almost any sword technique.
It was clear Kosuke had put great thought into selecting this technique for him.
Thanks to his solid foundation in kenjutsu and the predictive abilities of the Sharingan, Ming Jing managed to learn the basics of the technique in just a single afternoon, impressing even Maruboshi Kosuke.
However, using it effectively in actual combat would still depend on how well he could refine it through practice.
After the meal cooked by the old man and a fruitful evening of training, the day came to an end.
---
The Next Day
Rain continued to pour relentlessly. The sheets of water descending from the sky lent a grim, solemn mood to the battlefield.
Somewhere on a high plain—
Orochimaru stood in the rain, wearing a pale kimono, his tongue briefly flicking out as he stared at the distant Sunagakure encampment.
Beside him stood Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kato Dan, and Kimura Kaito—lined up and ready.
Jiraiya had only just returned yesterday. He'd stayed behind in Amegakure under the pretext of gathering intel after taking on three orphaned disciples. It was only thanks to Orochimaru—his teammate since childhood and the current commander of the Rain front—that his delay had gone unreported.
Behind them, more than four thousand Konoha shinobi stood in neat formation.
Kato Dan's team waited among the reserve troops toward the rear.
Across from them, in the Sunagakure camp, their forces were led by Chiyo of the Puppet Brigade.
Flanking her were a red-haired youth—Rasa, future Fourth Kazekage—and a blonde kunoichi with a giant fan on her back, Pakura of the Scorch Release.
Konoha was currently engaged on three major fronts, but Sunagakure was also overextended.
One force, commanded by Chiyo, had been dispatched north to the Land of Rain to secure precious water resources vital for the survival of their desert village.
The other was led personally by the Third Kazekage, advancing east into the Land of Fire in an attempt to seize fertile land from the wealthiest of the Five Great Nations.
Recently, Orochimaru had been quietly amassing strength and preparing to launch a decisive battle—one that could tip the war in Konoha's favor. Naturally, Sunagakure had noticed and responded in kind, concentrating their own forces and remaining on high alert.
What Chiyo hadn't anticipated was Orochimaru launching a direct assault on their camp.
Withdraw? Give up the field to Orochimaru?
No rational commander would entertain such an option.
Not only was it too late to evacuate such a large force under pressure, but retreating without a fight would deal a massive blow to Sunagakure's morale.
And Chiyo, in particular, had a personal vendetta against Konoha—both her son and daughter-in-law had been killed by Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.
Even though Sakumo was currently fighting on the Wind-Fire border near the Land of Kawa, Chiyo was eager to claim vengeance—even a symbolic one—against Konoha.
"Prepare to begin. I'll deal with Sunagakure's command. You handle the formation," Orochimaru said to the older, pineapple-haired shinobi standing beside him.
This was the current head of the Nara Clan, and the father of Nara Shikaku, who had just recently been promoted to Jonin.
If the Sannin were Konoha's most powerful frontline force, then the Nara patriarch was its most formidable tactician—Konoha's White Paper Fan, a true strategist.
Ming Jing and his two teammates stood amid the reserve ranks, quietly observing. Without activating his Sharingan, his vision was limited amidst the crowd.
Fortunately, both his teammates were excellent sensory-type ninja and could keep him updated on battlefield changes.
"It's starting," Aburame Nami whispered, pinching a returning kikaichū between her fingers.
Moments later, an order came down: the reserves were to remain on standby while the vanguard moved to strike.
At the center of the Konoha formation, the Nara clan head coordinated with the old patriarch of the Yamanaka clan, who was relaying sensory data through the Yamanaka clan's telepathy technique.
A group of elite ninja—at least Tokubetsu Jonin—stood nearby, guarding the two high-value commanders.
"Earth Release Squad, prepare to destroy the enemy fortifications!" came the calm but firm command.
Jiraiya led the Earth Release unit forward. At his signal, they slammed their palms against the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow River!" ×N
In an instant, the ground in front of the Suna camp turned to a slurry—liquid earth churning like a mudslide, tearing through fortifications and rushing toward the Sand nin.
Just before it could reach them, two towering walls of gold and sand erupted, stopping the advance.
From within the camp, Rasa and Karura exchanged confident smiles.
Chiyo looked on, but as she did, memories of her son and daughter-in-law flashed through her mind.
There was no time for grief.
At the Nara clan head's next silent signal, Konoha's next wave of orders were already being executed.