Chapter 185: In the Face of Conflicting Interests, Any Debate Is Superfluous
"Spouting all this pompous talk, but isn't the battle here... no, isn't this war itself caused by you?" Stepping out from the trees, though standing on the ground, Hanzo had to tilt his head to see Tsunade standing atop Katsuyu. Yet, in terms of aura, Hanzo seemed to be the one looking down from a high position as he spoke:
"As the Five Great Nations, you possess ample financial resources and manpower to initiate any war and, for the sake of your own people, move the battlegrounds to other countries. You continue to advance until the fires of war burn in the homes of civilians in other nations.
Yet, you will justify why their homes are on the battlefield. Clearly, those are their homes! It's you who see them as battlefields! The Land of Rain merely seeks to resist, to resist against you, the Five Great Nations, and then we become the villains who initiate the Great Shinobi World War in your words and beliefs!
Countless Rain Ninjas have died in battle after battle. They too have their own families, their own disciples! They also uphold the ninja way and beliefs. How is it that the ninjas of the great nations are considered nobler than us, even in terms of beliefs?!"
Upon hearing Hanzo's furious roar, the Rain Ninjas who were previously in a slump rose once again. Tsunade's face flushed red with urgency, unable to come up with any rebuttal.
Because everything Hanzo said was the truth. It wasn't just the Land of Rain; even the Land of Rivers was involved. If within the village, Tsunade could angrily blame Danzo for escalating the war by moving the battleground to the Land of Rain and angering Hanzo, but ultimately, it was her own decision to engage in battle within the Land of Rivers, for the sake of her own nation, moving the battleground to another country.
Moreover, when the flames of war spread to the Land of Rain, initially Hanzo only sent diplomatic letters, demanding the withdrawal of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind from the Land of Rain. It was Konoha's decisions that gradually drew the Land of Rain into this war.
Perhaps there were more reasons for Hanzo's involvement in the war, but Tsunade couldn't refute the reasons he stated because they were true.
Tatsuma furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. He, too, wouldn't argue against Hanzo because seizing others' interests and rights for one's own benefit is extremely common, especially when it comes to dealings between nations.
There's simply no way for a nation to remain completely virtuous. Individuals can choose to stay out of conflicts or refrain from disturbing others, but between nations, such control is nearly impossible.
It's just that there's no need to argue against it either. This is just how the world works. Even if you're doing something wrong or bad, as long as you succeed, there will naturally be countless people singing your praises, whitewashing your actions.
What Tsunade shouldn't have done was to give Hanzo the opportunity to speak like this. Everything Hanzo said was the truth, and it carried significant weight. One careless word could disturb morale. Such individuals shouldn't be given the chance to speak.
But Tatsuma understood this. He couldn't help Tsunade understand. Tsunade, feeling frustrated and somewhat embarrassed, retorted, "But Konoha clearly ordered you to stop. Why do you continue the war?!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Tatsuma knew things were going downhill. Orochimaru's face twitched as well. There was no need for Hanzo to speak again; all the Rain Ninjas were now consumed by rage.
From the perspective of the Rain Ninjas, they were the victims, and Tsunade represented the aggressor. It was like a perpetrator telling the victim, "Even though I stabbed you, I clearly said I'd stop, so why are you resisting?"
"This is Konoha," Hanzo said, lifting his head to look at the dim, lightless sky. "Even though my Land of Rain may not have the strength to rival the great nations, we never lack the spirit of willing to die for our cause! Isn't that what you Konoha ninjas are most passionate about?! Well then, let your Konoha ninjas experience our spirit!"
With those words, the pent-up anger of the Rain Ninjas erupted. The counterattack began. The morale of Konoha plummeted instantly, caught off guard, as a large number of Konoha ninjas were hit by the attacks of the Rain Ninjas.
"Katsuyu!"
"I understand."
Tsunade shouted anxiously, and the Katsuyu beneath her nodded. There was a tone of resignation in her voice, but Katsuyu instantly split into countless smaller versions, crawling towards the battlefield.
Tatsuma also rallied himself at this moment. Even though his sensei had uttered textbook-like foolish words, Konoha had to win this war.
The morale of the Rain Ninjas was high, which could compensate for some of their numerical deficiencies, but the gap remained. As long as they held onto the numerical advantage, this battle, this war, could come to an end.
Appearing among the group of Rain Ninjas with Body Flicker, Tatsuma swiftly formed hand seals as Rain Ninjas swarmed around him, aiming to attack.
"Water Release! Continuous Water Bullets!"
With the seals completed, Tatsuma swung his hands, unleashing countless water bullets like cannonballs. They hit the surrounding Rain Ninjas, exploding upon impact and dealing secondary damage while sending them flying.
However advantageous their initial attack might have been, it was insufficient to crush the morale of the Rain Ninjas. Except for those who couldn't get up, the rest quickly rose to their feet. Despite their obvious mobility issues, they paid no heed and chose to rush towards Tatsuma without hesitation.
Tatsuma dodged the continuous attacks of the Rain Ninjas. Amidst the dense assault, he sustained some injuries, but they were minor, and he seized an opportunity to break free from the fray.
Observing the Rain Ninjas converging together, Tatsuma formed hand seals with both hands, then clasped them together, taking a deep breath.
"Water Release! Water Trumpet Jutsu!"
A stream of water spouted from his mouth, spreading out like a trumpet and crashing onto the ground, engulfing and sweeping away the surrounding Rain Ninjas.
With the synergy of Expansion, Sea Overturning, and the influence of tailed beast chakra, Tatsuma's wide-range ninjutsu had astonishing destructive power. In an instant, dozens of Rain Ninjas were swept away, propelled into the distance.
Whether they collided with trees, rocks, or were directly struck by the rushing water, any of these scenarios would leave them significantly incapacitated for the duration of this battle.
However, there was still a steady stream of Rain Ninjas attacking Tatsuma, who was isolated and without support. Nevertheless, this relieved some pressure on some of the Konoha Ninjas.
Seeing more and more Rain Ninjas besieging him, Tatsuma knew that if this continued, once the encirclement was truly formed, he would likely lose more than just half his life.
Amidst his agile evasions, Tatsuma reached behind him and retrieved a sealed scroll. Without unsealing it, he directly activated the Sealing Jutsu inscribed on it.
The scroll rapidly expanded as Tatsuma formed seals again. Then, he clasped his hands together, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
"Water Release! Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
In truth, Tatsuma wasn't particularly skilled in this technique, an A-rank Water Release ninjutsu. Even with his enhanced chakra reserves, he couldn't utilize this technique effectively. Its use now was merely supported by the remaining tailed beast chakra within him.
Water gushed forth from Tatsuma's mouth, forming torrents that surged towards his surroundings, engulfing the scroll that was about to burst. Meanwhile, the Sealing Jutsu formula on his left hand had silently disappeared.
The raging and violent tailed beast chakra filled Tatsuma's entire body, complemented by his talent, Sea Overturning, which continuously transformed the Nine-Tails' chakra into water, surging outwards.
"Boom!"
At that moment, the scroll submerged in the water burst completely, countless Explosive Tags flying out, scattered by the rushing water.
Riding the current, they struck hundreds of Rain Ninjas nearby. The Explosive Tags seemed to stick to the Rain Ninjas like powerful adhesive, unable to be removed as the rushing water disrupted their balance, rendering them unable to move and tear off the Explosive Tags.
Seeing the Rain Ninjas around him enveloped by the water, Tatsuma ceased his ninjutsu and then formed a new set of seals.
"Detonate the seals!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions echoed underwater as thousands of Explosive Tags were detonated almost instantly, many of them attached directly to the Rain Ninjas.
Hanzo, who was entangled in battle with Tsunade and the others, witnessed this scene with fury. Over ten percent of the Rain Ninjas were casualties in this single attack, forced to retreat.
The retreat of personnel isn't the most critical aspect; what truly matters is that in an instant, Hanzo's hard-earned speech, along with the period that Tsunade managed to uplift through her exceptional cooperation, was almost completely destroyed.
Just doing a simple calculation, one of Tatsuma's jutsu could handle over three hundred Rain Ninjas. With less than ten jutsu, he could wipe out the entire Rain Ninja army. Even though reality might not be that extreme, the impact on the Rain Ninjas on the battlefield is undeniable.
Some Rain Ninjas even began to despair, realizing that they had to struggle to deal with just one Konoha Ninja, while Konoha Ninjas could be saved in an instant by Katsuyu.
What about Konoha? With just one strike, they could easily force over three hundred of their comrades to retreat.
It's not that there are no other elites besides Hanzo in the Land of Rain; it's just that the impact brought by Tatsuma isn't something an ordinary Jonin can achieve. The amount of chakra required for just that mouthful of water is beyond their imagination.
Despair swept over all the Rain Ninjas on the battlefield in an instant, while, conversely, the morale of the Konoha Ninjas soared once again.
Although there wasn't a stirring speech to boost their morale, Tatsuma, this child, has embodied the desire for victory through his actions. What reason do they have not to strive?
Different people may have different feelings about this, but for Tatsuma, it doesn't matter. Even though he managed to land on a tree branch and maintain his balance, he knows he's utterly exhausted.
Perhaps it's the relentless rampage of the Nine-Tails' chakra in his body, causing damage to his cells and Chakra pathways, making even the slightest movement extremely difficult.
However, his frowning and pursed lips are deceptive. No Rain Ninja dares to gamble on how much strength Tatsuma has left at this moment.
Minato, who is extremely familiar with Tatsuma, was the first to react. His extraordinary speed allowed him to weave through the crowd and arrive by Tatsuma's side. With Minato's arrival, Tatsuma breathed a sigh of relief.
With a swift motion of his right hand from his ninja pouch, a Military Rations Pill fell into his palm. Then, he descended towards the ground, taking advantage of the opportunity to consume the Military Rations Pill.
Minato also followed his actions, covering up his behavior.
Minato's actions also gave Konoha's ninjas a target. They surged toward Tatsuma, not to embrace him, but because Tatsuma had punched a hole in the Rain Ninja's line of defense.
This was the biggest weakness in the Rain Ninja's defense line. With the influx of Konoha's ninja, Tatsuma finally became less conspicuous, quickly resting.
Meanwhile, the Rain Ninja around them continued to diminish in numbers as they fought against Konoha. Finally, the Rain Ninja couldn't hold back any longer. Flares were fired into the sky, momentarily illuminating the dim skies of the Land of Rain.
The one who strikes first holds the advantage. Unable to endure any longer, Tatsuma knew they had gained stability.
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