The frontline battlefield between Konoha and Kumogakure had reached a stalemate.
Thanks to Rin's Zeus successfully suppressing the Kumogakure's signature Lightning Release, coupled with several Warlords of the Sea and Commander-level powerhouses, the twenty-thousand-strong Kumogakure's army was consistently unable to breach the Land of Fire's borders.
However, the disparity in numbers was just too great.
It wasn't easy for Jin's side to gain the upper hand either.
So both sides were stuck in a deadlock for the time being.
Much like the situation between Konoha and Sunagakure during the Second Great Ninja War.
But Jin wasn't in a hurry to end the war.
Just like how he used the Second Great Ninja War to level himself up before, this Third Great Ninja War was also a great leveling dungeon for the little girl trio.
Otherwise, Jin wouldn't have only borrowed Jinbei from Koala.
If he really wanted to end the war in one go, he would have borrowed Kuzan.
After all, just one Ice Age is enough take out at least four figures' worth of Kumogakure's troops.
And nearly a year after the Third Great Ninja War began,
something happened in the other three great Ninja Villages.
First, the Third Kazekage, who had performed well in the previous war and succeeded the Second Kazekage, Shamon, known for his use of Iron Sand, mysteriously disappeared!
Instantly, the entire Land of Wind was thrown into chaos.
When Jin heard about this, he was a bit stunned.
'Calculating the time, Sasori should only be about fifteen or sixteen years old now, right?'
'How exactly did the Third Kazekage die at the hands of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid?'
After all, Jin had seen the Third Kazekage's strength himself, so he was a little confused.
But regardless, the Land of Wind fell into chaos.
In the end, the higher-ups collectively recommended Chiyo to temporarily act as the Kazekage.
And the first thing Chiyo did after taking office was to divert internal conflicts through war.
This move was also used by many people on Earth in Jin's previous life.
And the two great nations closest to the Land of Wind were the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth.
Who to attack?
To be honest, a normal person's first choice would definitely be the Land of Fire.
After all, the entire Ninja World knew that Konoha was severely weakened now… with less than three thousand deployable combatants.
However, Chiyo chose the Land of Earth.
Of course, it wasn't because the Land of Wind had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Land of Fire in the last war.
Wasn't that just a piece of paper?
You could tear it up and go back on it whenever you wanted.
It was mainly because Chiyo was afraid that Jin might still have some trump cards up his sleeve.
After all, Konoha had only sent a dozen or so people to the Land of Hot Water now, and they were already holding back twenty thousand Kumogakure's troops.
This had shocked the entire Ninja World.
Chiyo was also afraid that Jin might have other hidden cards.
So after some consideration, she still chose Iwagakure of the Land of Earth.
However, Jin thought Chiyo was overthinking it this time.
The cards in his hand were indeed all played.
A dozen people against twenty thousand was indeed too much pressure.
So much so that last month, Jin even had to summon Eight-Tails, who was living in the One Piece World, and send it to the Land of Hot Water Battlefield.
If Sunagakure attacked at this time, then Jin would really have to personally go to the battlefield.
But regardless, this way, four of the Five Great Nations were officially at war.
Konoha vs. Kumogakure, Sunagakure vs. Iwagakure.
The Third Great Ninja War had fully erupted.
...
Inside Konoha Village.
If it were during the Konoha Council's rule…
With their own combat strength severely insufficient, people like Hiruzen would absolutely have drafted students from the Ninja Academy to the front lines.
But after Tsunade took office, she consistently upheld the principle of forbidding those under 12 from going to the battlefield.
Therefore, Obito, Guy, Shizune, and the others had been studying at the Ninja Academy.
They weren't in a hurry to graduate early.
Now, the Konoha's Ninja Academy was divided into the Ninja Course and the Ninja Army Course.
It felt a bit like the Arts and Sciences streams in Jin's previous life, huh?
The difference was that the Ninja Course specialized in training the three combat methods: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu.
Basically, the local teaching method of the Naruto World.
The Ninja Army Course, on the other hand, focused on training hand-to-hand combat, mainly training in close-quarters combat and even the Marine's Rokushiki.
That's right, the Marine's training methods Zephyr brought from the One Piece World.
Because after Zephyr returned to his old job at the Ninja Academy for a while, he discovered that the physical constitutions of kids from these two worlds really couldn't be lumped together.
So he proposed separate course management.
Tsunade agreed.
Originally, Jin wanted to name them the [Ninja Course] and the [Marine Course].
But since there was no such thing as a [Marine in the Naruto World, he simply renamed it the [Ninja Army Course].
And Guy was the first student to transfer from the Ninja Course to the Ninja Army Course.
He felt that the so-called [Rokushiki] demonstrated by Teacher were perfect for him!
"Obito, I'm planning to apply for early graduation."
After school today, when he ran into his former classmate Obito, Guy initiated the conversation.
Walking around them were other Ninja Academy's students.
In the same year as Obito and the others were also Shizune, Genma, and others.
There was originally Ebisu too, as he is also their classmate.
But during the great purge in the coup two years ago, he seemed to have been thrown out of the village along with his parents.
He was probably dead in some remote wilderness by now.
"Huh? What's the rush? Are you so eager to go to the battlefield and die?"
Obito looked surprised.
It had to be said, after Tsunade took office, the happiness index of the entire village increased exponentially.
Not to mention anything else, just the rule that Ninja under 12 couldn't go to the battlefield was infinitely better than during the Konoha Council's tenure.
"I feel like I can't learn anything more at the Ninja Academy. I want to become a full-fledged Ninja quickly! And I heard from my dad that our Konoha is severely short-handed on the front lines. I want to help too!"
Guy waved his fists with vigor.
"I can't let Rin and Kurenai get too far ahead!"
Although children weren't allowed on the battlefield, if you insisted on going, they wouldn't stop you either.
"The battlefield, Rin..."
Hearing Guy's words, Obito also remembered that the figure who had occupied his thoughts for the past few years was now on the front lines.
'If I also applied for graduation and went to the front lines, would I be able to see her?'
Just as Obito was also having such thoughts, Guy suddenly raised his hand and wiped his forehead with his sleeve, asking:
"By the way, Obito, don't you think it's a bit hot?"
"Huh? Has your passion overheated? It's been winter for months, how could it... Huh!?"
Just as Obito thought Guy might have gone crazy from training, he also noticed that the snow accumulated by the roadside, piled up to over five centimeters, was rapidly melting at a visible rate!
"Spring is coming way too early, isn't it?"
Obito stared in astonishment.
And it wasn't just Guy… he himself and the classmates around him were all sweating profusely, beads of sweat the size of soybeans on their foreheads.
The down jackets they were wearing were soaked with sweat in less than half a minute.
'This wasn't just spring… even summer wasn't this hot!'
"Wh-what on earth is going on!?"
Obito stuck out his tongue, panting heavily, feeling like he was about to get heatstroke.
...
Jin's residence.
"Jin-sama! Everyone is about to faint!"
With Shirahoshi's exclamation, Jin glanced sideways and noticed the mermaids collapsed on the rockery, already suffering from heatstroke.
Only then did he return Ryujin Jakka to its sheath.
Meanwhile, the artificial lake dug in the courtyard for Shirahoshi and the mermaids was completely dry, not a drop left.
"Su-such a terrifying sword."
Nami, wearing only a bikini, was also completely drenched in sweat.
Robin beside her was in a similar state.
Jin temporarily suppressed the fire in his heart.
"This is a Zanpakuto."
Jin retied Ryujin Jakka at his waist, and the village's temperature gradually returned to normal.
"I want to get one for you and Hancock too."
Jin said with a light laugh:
"Although not as powerful as Ryujin Jakka, they can still enhance your strength to a certain extent."
"Really!?"
Nami's eyes lit up.
"But... I don't know how to use a sword."
Hancock, who is called back from the front lines by Jin, was both excited and somewhat regretful.
"You don't need to know how... Forget it, you'll understand when I bring them back."
Jin wasn't very good at explanations… it was better to wait until he got the items back.
"Wait, what about Robin?"
Nami suddenly realized a problem and couldn't help but sneak a glance at her best friend who seemed a bit out of place.
"Since when do maids qualify for gifts?"
Jin stretched out his hands, picking up Nami and Hancock, one under each arm.
It had to be said, their drenched, sweaty state had really stirred Jin's fire.
Jin directly threw the two into the artificial lake.
Before the two girls could even let out a surprised cry before landing, he rapidly formed hand signs and performed a Water Release Ninjutsu he seldom used, filling the lake.
The next second, Nami and Hancock landed in the lake with a 'splash'.
Jin himself also leaped down, and amidst the girls' exclamations, staged a performance of [The Seductive Pirate Girls, Summer's Peerless Sweaty Battle] with them.
It made Shirahoshi and the surrounding mermaids exclaim repeatedly.
'You can do that too!?'
And Robin, after inwardly cursing 'shameless', turned and fled back to her room as if running for her life.
For her, this feeling of being left out was truly unpleasant.
...
The next day.
Nami, Hancock, Shirahoshi, and the other women, feeling like they were about to fall apart, were still lingering in their dreams.
Jin, who had gotten up, rubbed his aching lower back.
It can be seen that last night's challenge difficulty had been set too high.
'Senior Brother Kakarot, why aren't you dead yet?'
'If you don't give me the Saiyan Bloodline soon, I'm going to die at the hands of these women.'
After dressing neatly, Jin silently activated the group teleportation function.
[Unohana: Are you going? With your current strength, you can't handle Yhwach. You might even... find his main force members somewhat challenging.]
[Jin: Hana-nee, you've misunderstood. I'm not going to fight Yhwach. I'm just getting some Christmas gifts for my girlfriends.]
[Yamamoto: @Jin, You brat! I gave you Ryujin Jakka, and this is how you repay me!?]
[Jin: Old man, how can you falsely accuse me? When did our agreement ever include a clause that I couldn't steal Zanpakuto?]
[Yamamoto: You motherf...]
The one-thousand-year-old Shinigami was rendered speechless by Jin.