"Lord Madara, do you mean to take this opportunity to provoke a war between the two nations?" Aloe White Zetsu asked curiously.
"Is there even a need to ask such a thing?" Uchiha Madara glanced at him coldly, his intention already obvious.
A chaotic ninja world engulfed in war was far more convenient for Uchiha Madara's schemes and plans.
He no longer held any attachment to this world, so even if he had to personally destroy it, he would feel no remorse.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi world was the only perfect world he envisioned!
Half a month after Uchiha Ryun and Orochimaru left for Ryūchi Cave to train, a fierce battle erupted between the forces of the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire along their border.
The Third Kazekage even expressed his intention to personally join the battlefield.
With the outbreak of this battle, the two great nations officially declared war on each other.
Orochimaru, who was in Ryūchi Cave, received a summons from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who intended to appoint his beloved disciple as the supreme commander of the Land of Fire's battlefield.
Orochimaru had already proven his capabilities on the Amegakure battlefield and earned the recognition of Konoha. At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen genuinely considered grooming Orochimaru to become the Fourth Hokage.
"The Land of Wind and the Land of Fire have officially declared war!"
Inside Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru spoke softly to the young man not far away.
At this moment, he was wearing a human skin disguise, though his true form remained that of a giant snake. Only after fully mastering Sage Mode could he revert from snake to human.
Uchiha Ryun was quietly meditating, absorbing natural energy and attempting to form a dragon pearl within his dantian that could store Sage chakra.
This was a crucial step in the Ryūchi Cave Sage Art. Once the dragon pearl was formed, he could activate Sage Mode at any time, even instantaneously, without needing to spend time gathering natural energy like the Mount Myōboku Sage Art.
"A war at this time... Did the Third Hokage order you to return?" Uchiha Ryun remained seated, his eyes still closed.
"Yes, Tsunade informed him of our whereabouts..." Orochimaru explained.
"You should stay here and focus on mastering Sage Mode... I will return first."
Orochimaru intended to follow orders and head to the battlefield. The master and disciple couldn't both remain in Ryūchi Cave, as Konoha was currently short on manpower.
"I'll go back with you..." Uchiha Ryun opened his eyes and looked at him.
The Konoha higher-ups wouldn't wait for him to complete his training before recalling him. As a Konoha jonin, he was still under the village's jurisdiction.
"The war has just begun. There's no rush. Return only if the Hokage specifically summons you."
Orochimaru casually replied. If Sarutobi Hiruzen truly wanted to contact him, he could do so even in Ryūchi Cave.
"Fine... If you want to return to Konoha quickly, you can ask the Three Great Snake Maidens for help. They have the ability to transport people out."
Uchiha Ryun glanced at the Black Dragon coiled in the distance, absorbing natural energy.
"If they refuse, tell them it's the Black Dragon's will..."
He sounded somewhat helpless. Despite Orochimaru's lifelong fascination with snakes and white snakes, the snake inhabitants of Ryūchi Cave didn't seem to favor him. This was truly puzzling.
"Understood."
Orochimaru turned and left without another word.
Uchiha Ryun closed his eyes again and resumed his Sage training.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
After returning to Konoha, Orochimaru was dispatched to the Land of Wind battlefield. Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, had already arrived earlier to provide medical aid and participate in combat.
The third Sannin, Jiraiya, remained in Amegakure. His mission there wasn't just to train the "orphan trio" but also to monitor Hanzō of the Salamander.
Thus, despite the raging war between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, the Third Hokage had no intention of recalling him.
Shortly after Orochimaru arrived at the battlefield, he witnessed the death of elite jonin Dan Katō and Tsunade's grief once more.
"Tsunade... I can't... die yet... There's still... so much left to do..."
Dan Katō murmured weakly, blood gushing from his mouth with every word.
"Dan, don't speak! I will save you!!!"
Tsunade poured healing chakra into his body desperately, her eyes red with tears.
The comrades around them shook their heads, seeing no hope. Dan Katō's entire kidney had been destroyed. Even Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, couldn't heal such a fatal wound with medical ninjutsu.
Her efforts were futile.
"Damn it! Stop bleeding already!"
"Just stop!!!" Tsunade begged through her tears.
"Enough! He's already dead!!!"
A comrade shouted at her.
"Dead...?"
Staring at the bloodied corpse and her own hands stained with her lover's blood, Tsunade's pupils shrank, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
Orochimaru, perched on a tree, witnessed the entire incident. This scene deepened his understanding of life's fragility and strengthened his resolve to research immortality.
Despite Uchiha Ryun's earlier interference, the bond between Tsunade and Dan Katō had not been severed. The cursed necklace and kiss were still exchanged, and the unfortunate Dan Katō still met his end.
Throughout the Naruto series, even the protagonist Uzumaki Naruto, after receiving the cursed necklace and kiss, nearly died the next day, teetering on the brink of death. Even the innocent Nine-Tails inside him was almost taken out by Kabuto.
This proved that the curse was real. Tsunade's love was not something ordinary people could endure. Not even the protagonist was exempt.
Not long after Dan Katō's death, Konoha launched a military operation.
During this mission, elite jonin Sakumo Hatake slaughtered numerous Suna-nin, earning the fearsome title "Konoha's White Fang" with just a single short sword.
Among those he killed were a powerful young couple from Sunagakure's upper echelon—the parents of the future Akatsuki member, Sasori of the Red Sand.
This battle dealt a heavy blow to Sunagakure, prompting the Third Kazekage to personally enter the fray. The war escalated further.
Meanwhile, the Land of Lightning's Kumogakure, after preparations, dispatched a delegation to Konoha under the Third Raikage's orders.
This diplomatic mission was ostensibly to seek an alliance between the two nations, but its true purpose was to gather intelligence on the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
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