At the eastern border of the Land of Fire, inside the Konoha border camp, the atmosphere was heavy with fatigue and tension.
With war looming, patrol squads rotated every three hours to monitor the forests beyond the perimeter. Each unit ventured into the trees, knowing full well that if they didn't return within three and a half hours… it meant they'd been wiped out.
The ones responsible for these deaths were none other than the immortal duo—Kakuzu and Hidan—roaming the dense jungle, relentlessly hunting Konoha shinobi.
From the very beginning, Kakuzu understood one thing: there were far too many Konoha ninjas stationed here. It would be suicidal for the two of them to take them on head-on.
Attacking the Hidden Mist forces directly wasn't an option either—not with those lunatics going wild without regard for ally or enemy.
Sure, Kakuzu and Hidan could likely survive the madness…
But Kakuzu wasn't interested in pointless chaos—especially when that lunatic Hidan kept destroying corpses beyond usability.
If they got swept up in the Mist's madness, they'd lose too many intact bodies, and bodies meant bounty.
That was all that mattered.
Small-scale ambushes like this? That was the key to collecting more usable corpses… which could then be exchanged for profit.
As for the so-called "war commissions"?
Kakuzu gritted his teeth every time he thought about it.
That bastard, masquerading as the Fourth Mizukage's puppet master, had personally issued the mission scroll—claiming they'd earn a hundred million ryo.
And what did they get?
Not even a hundred!
Tobi had the nerve to say that the Mist Village was broke and that all the funds were held by the Land of Water's Daimyo. If you've got the guts, go ask the Daimyo yourself, he'd said.
Bullshit.
If it weren't for the leader's direct orders, Kakuzu would've quit already.
Suddenly, while storing three still-warm bodies into a sealing scroll, Kakuzu sensed new chakra signatures within his detection range—about two kilometers behind him.
"Tch. Are those Mist maniacs moving already?"
"Hidan! Let's go!"
He tucked the scroll into his cloak and immediately darted northward.
At that moment, Hidan was still tormenting a half-dead civilian shinobi sprawled on the ground.
"Tch. Couldn't you at least leave me one more?"
"This is getting boring. Sooner or later, I'm gonna cut you to pieces…"
Crack!
He grabbed his victim's head and twisted it 180 degrees with a casual grunt before taking off after Kakuzu.
"Kakuzu-chaaan~! Wait for meee~!"
"Wait for your precious ~!"
Meanwhile, more than 3,000 Kirigakure shinobi had arrived at the coastline, led by Fuguki Suikazan, Terumi Mei, and Ao, pushing steadily toward the Konoha encampment.
Inside the camp, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, Captain #1, Nara #1, and Maruboshi Kosuke stood with the remaining 800 Konoha shinobi, immediately deploying a network of traps after receiving intel from the Hyuga branch scouts.
War was inevitable.
And the enemy had arrived faster than anyone expected.
In less than two days, the Mist forces had crossed to the coast—a record time.
Such a rapid assault was unlike any previous war.
Historically, aside from the brutal Battle of Mount Kikyo, most engagements had been scattered, skirmish-style confrontations. Massive direct offensives were rare—thousands of shinobi attacking at once was simply impractical.
Large-scale jutsu could easily injure allies. Coordination was always an issue.
But now?
The Mist had gone completely mad.
Over 3,000 shinobi thrown recklessly into battle, like fodder.
It was suicidal.
All it took was a rain of explosive tags and ninja tools, and the Mist ranks would be devastated.
Nara #1 mind raced with analysis.
He wasn't the only one who noticed something was off.
All the Konoha ninja could sense it—something about the Mist's behavior wasn't right.
It felt like there was an invisible hand behind the curtain, forcing the war forward.
A conspiracy?
A trap?
No one could've guessed that the true culprit… was the Mizukage himself.
Or rather, the one controlling him.
Suddenly, the first wave of Mist shinobi entered Shinnosuke's field of vision.
No hesitation.
"Attack!"
Whoosh, whoosh!
A barrage of explosive tags rained into the forest ahead.
The Mist shinobi responded in kind, unleashing volleys of their own tags and ninja tools toward the Konoha camp.
In moments, the battlefield descended into chaos.
Explosions ripped through the woods. Fire and shrapnel tore bodies apart. Blood soaked the soil.
The Mist lost hundreds.
Konoha, too, suffered heavy casualties.
But the Mist just kept coming—wave after wave—trampling over the corpses of their own comrades without pause.
Klang!
Blades clashed.
"Ninjutsu—Hidden Mist Technique!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
The forest was engulfed in chakra-fueled destruction. Ninjutsu clashed and exploded in all directions, leveling trees and scorching earth.
After more than an hour of brutal combat, only about 200 Konoha ninjas remained. Sarutobi Shinnosuke had taken two kunai to his right shoulder, bleeding but still standing.
The Mist had suffered even worse.
Only about 1,000 of their 3,000 shinobi were still alive—many of them wounded or deranged.
Some had become so blood-crazed they started attacking their own allies.
The madness of the Mist had cost them dearly.
Shinnosuke began to pull back with the survivors.
Just a little longer… just hold out…
Any tactic. Any delay. Just a few more hours…
But then—
From the trees ahead, a towering, heavyset figure stepped into view, flanked by Mist shinobi.
Fuguki Suikazan.
"Shinnosuke," he growled. "You slipped away from me two days ago."
"But today… you die!"
"How much chakra do you have left?"
"Let's see if you're enough to satisfy Samehada!"
"Hehehehe…"
With Mist forces now encircling them on both sides, Shinnosuke, Captain #1, Maruboshi Kosuke, and Nara #1 exchanged grim looks.
They were outnumbered, exhausted, wounded.
But none of them showed fear.
Their eyes held nothing but fierce resolve.
They were ready to die.
And just as they steeled themselves for a final stand—
Screams erupted from behind Fuguki's ranks.
Explosions detonated, and fire lit up the night sky.
"Ahhhh!!"
"Damn it!"
"Konoha's reinforcements!?"
"Didn't the Mizukage say they wouldn't arrive for another day?!"
A small, hunched figure burst into view in front of the 200 Konoha survivors.
"Shinnosuke, Kosuke, #1… sorry I'm late."
"Father…!"
Shinnosuke's voice trembled.
Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at the old man standing before him.
For a moment, he saw not the aged Third Hokage…
…but the fearless ninja hero of the past.
"No," Shinnosuke whispered.
"You're right on time."
"Let's fight together—"
"And kill every last one of these Mist bastards!"
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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