Chapter 71: Clash of Titans — Nan Makes His Move
The Third Hokage's intervention did put some pressure on Rasa. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a legendary veteran, renowned for decades, and not someone to be taken lightly.
But even so, Rasa felt no fear. He had not become Kazekage by chance. This was the Land of Wind, the home ground of Sunagakure. Their shinobi were accustomed to the harsh desert environment; their techniques carried greater force here than those of Konoha's.
Even if he and the Third Hokage were to fight to a stalemate, Sunagakure's forces would still hold the advantage.
With that in mind, Rasa sneered and raised his voice so all could hear:
"Even if the Hokage himself has come, this is still the Land of Wind—our territory. Today, you and your Konoha shinobi will be buried here."
Their words carried across the battlefield. Both sides' troops heard them clearly.
Hearing the Kazekage's confidence made many Konoha shinobi tense. It was true—although the Hokage had shielded them from Rasa's earlier strike, the combined forces of the "retreating" Sunagakure troops and their hidden reinforcements now matched, if not surpassed, Konoha's numbers.
And if the Hokage and Kazekage cancelled each other out, then here in the desert, the Sand shinobi would hold the edge.
Yet the Third Hokage only smiled calmly:
"Kazekage-dono, have you forgotten? I am merely here to support my comrades. The commander of this battlefield is someone else… my student. Come forth, Orochimaru."
From the Konoha ranks, Orochimaru stepped forward to stand beside his master, facing the Kazekage.
Konoha's nervous troops suddenly remembered—of course! Orochimaru was here. One of the Legendary Sannin, a man whose strength was said to rival even the Hokage's.
With both the Hokage and Orochimaru together, surely they would overcome the Kazekage. Morale surged again, and Konoha shinobi began taunting their Sand counterparts with renewed confidence.
The Sand shinobi, on the other hand, faltered. Their fighting spirit, which had risen when the Kazekage appeared, dimmed noticeably. They hesitated in answering Konoha's provocations.
But when the Konoha shinobi looked back toward the Kazekage, expecting to see his expression sour, they were surprised. Rasa's face showed no trace of worry—only the calm assurance of someone holding a hidden trump card.
It wasn't that he underestimated Orochimaru. Rasa knew well the power of the Sannin. But the Sand's ambush did not rest on him alone.
Two figures stepped out from the Sunagakure ranks to stand at his side.
Rasa gestured toward them with a grin:
"Surely you recognize these two, Hokage-dono. The honored elders of Sunagakure—Chiyo and Ebizō. Now it is three against two. Are you still so confident?"
The Sand shinobi roared with renewed morale. Chiyo and Ebizō were revered across the village, both possessing Kage-level power. With three against two, the advantage had swung back in their favor—or so they believed.
But before their triumph could settle, another figure emerged from Konoha's side.
Clad in red, white-haired, carrying an enormous scroll on his back—it was Jiraiya, freshly arrived from the Iwagakure front.
This war was pivotal, not only for Konoha and Sunagakure, but for the balance among all nations. The outcome here would decide not only the war's victor, but also the terms of the negotiations to come.
That was why Rasa had not relied on himself alone—he had arranged for the elders to fight at his side.
And for the same reason, the cautious Third Hokage had summoned another of the Legendary Sannin to ensure balance.
Now, the battlefield had shifted once more. Three against three.
The clash of titans was about to begin.
Though the Third Hokage remained confident, believing that he and his two disciples together outmatched the three Sand shinobi before them, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
If only Tsunade were here…
With her, the four of them fighting side by side once more, their chances would be absolute.
Seeing Konoha gain another powerhouse made the Kazekage curse inwardly, but Rasa was no stranger to schemes. He still had one last safeguard.
Feigning admiration, Rasa clapped his hands and said:
"As expected of the Hokage, always calculating three steps ahead. But surely you did not anticipate… that we still have another. Come out, Pakura."
At his command, Pakura emerged from the shadows. The balance shifted again—four against three, advantage to Sunagakure.
Though not quite on par with the others, Pakura was no ordinary shinobi. She wielded the unique and deadly kekkei genkai of Scorch Release—a power against which few could defend. Her presence alone could compensate for the elders' diminished combat sharpness after years away from the frontlines.
Rasa smirked.
"Tell me, Hokage-dono, does Konoha still have another hidden card to play?"
The scales of battle tipped back and forth, each side unveiling warriors rarely seen on any battlefield. The sight sent waves of anxiety and relief through both armies, their emotions rising and falling with every revelation.
Yet despite being outnumbered, Konoha's shinobi did not panic. Instead, they had grown almost numb to the spectacle.
Surely Hokage-sama still has something up his sleeve, they thought.
Perhaps the next to appear will be the Yellow Flash, Lord Minato… or even Lady Tsunade, long absent from the war.
Their hopes lifted. But within, Hiruzen grew uneasy.
The truth was harsh: there were no reinforcements left. With Konoha already fighting on four fronts, calling Jiraiya here had been a dangerous gamble in itself. Summoning Minato as well would have stretched their defenses beyond breaking.
But he could not reveal his concern. If he faltered now, his troops' morale would collapse.
So the Hokage wore his usual mask of calm assurance, and even Rasa was deceived. Seeing the old man's unshaken confidence, the Kazekage truly believed Hiruzen still had yet another ace hidden away.
Everyone on the field was fooled—everyone except Nan.
From the start, Nan had kept his sensory abilities active. During the chase he had felt the chakra of both the Hokage and Jiraiya. But beyond them, there was nothing. No other powerhouse lay hidden in Konoha's ranks.
He knew the legends well. If Minato or Tsunade had been present, their chakra would never escape his notice.
Hiruzen's bluff could only hold for so long. Once Konoha's shinobi realized no more allies were stepping forward, their morale would crumble. And with it, perhaps the battle itself.
Nan sighed.
So it falls to me after all.
Though not yet of Kage caliber, he was confident he could handle Pakura. It wouldn't force him to reveal too many of his hidden abilities either.
But once he fought openly, there would be no turning back—his name would spread across the ninja world. That ran against his nature, for he preferred the shadows, not the spotlight.
Even so, he could not stand idle and watch Konoha lose. That would twist the flow of history itself, and that was a consequence he could not allow.
Resolute, Nan stepped forward to stand alongside the Hokage and the Sannin.
He bowed slightly and declared:
"Hokage-sama, leave Pakura to me."