Chapter 59

The fierce battle continued for the next hour, with Leaf holding a distinct advantage since the start. By the time the Iwa troops had successfully retreated, they had lost close to two-thirds of their troop numbers. With the enemy Shinobi team now on retreat, Hiashi did not want to let go of this advantage. He quickly reorganized the Leaf ranks, as they still had more than three-quarters of their fighting force intact.

So, he made a quick decision to send back the ones who were severely injured or exhausted to the main camp while he continued on with close to a hundred and twenty Leaf elites to carry out the original mission: to hunt down every last Kamizuru Shinobi member they could track. Within the next few hours, Hiashi's team had hunted down close to two dozen Kamizuru clan members who were out on reconnaissance orders from their commander. They were easy to catch near the battlefront as the enemy was trying to locate the Leaf HQ's location.

In the meantime, in the main Iwa camp dedicated to the Leaf battlefield, they received news of the recent devastating loss of the Iwa squad.

"Damn those Leaf Shinobi! How dare they send their vice commander so deep behind enemy lines? Do they think we are cowards? Quick, mobilize the army! We need to hunt down the Hyuga head. When I report to Tsuchikage-sama later, I want to present his head as an apology for the recent loss." The Iwa commander for the Leaf battlefield personally took charge and roared his command. Although it had only been a week and was too early for a large-scale battle, he didn't care about those details, as he wanted to wash away the humiliation of the recent loss of Iwa troops because Hiashi and his team were still behind enemy lines, harassing the Iwa troops.

As the Iwa troops mobilized to encircle and hunt the Hyuga clan head, on the other side, the Leaf ANBU had already transferred the information of a large-scale mobilization to Tsunade. Tsunade was going through the scroll; according to the information collected by the ANBU, the Iwa commander was mobilizing close to eight to ten thousand Shinobi, which was close to a third of Iwa's strength on the Leaf battlefield. Tsunade contemplated how exactly she wanted to approach it and then boldly decided to take the aggressive approach.

"Mobilize all our troops, except for the bare minimum needed to maintain our defense lines. Mobilize every last one of them. I want to show why Konoha is not a village to be messed with," Tsunade declared with a roar as the entire commander's tent fell silent. A full mobilization was close to twelve thousand Leaf Shinobi, leaving the bare minimum of three thousand Shinobi to maintain the defense line.

"Tsunade-sama, are we sure that we have to initiate a large-scale conflict only a week into the war?" One of the veteran elite Jonins couldn't help but ask. Normally, during such a war, it would take months of preparation and planning to launch a large-scale offensive, but Tsunade was ordering a full mobilization just a week into battle. If such things happened, then why would Shinobi wars stretch for years altogether?

"Do you guys see me doubting my decision? I am confident because the Iwa have only mobilized a third of their troops, and their Tsuchikage is back at their village defending it. Even the current enemy commander is someone who stepped into Kage class in recent years. If we can give them a severe blow today, then we can hold the advantage and push back Iwagakure. Have you guys forgotten that the Iwa troops that we are facing total thirty thousand in all? If we don't trim their numbers, they will outnumber us later down the line as the war progresses." Although Tsunade's approach was aggressive, the logic was sound. With her order, the entire Leaf troops mobilized to clash with the incoming Iwa troops.

For the next two days, Hiashi and his elite team played a cat-and-mouse game with the Iwa troops. The Hyuga clan head exploited the advantage of the medical scrolls and Nara medicines to the utmost. On the noon of the second day, Hiashi and his team retreated in the direction of the Leaf camp, as they understood that staying behind enemy lines any longer would be like offering the enemy their necks voluntarily, with the main Iwa force now mobilized. Now it was a race against time for the Hyuga head and his team; they had one goal—to reach the safety of Konoha lines before the Iwa army caught them.

"Quick, guys, speed up. We need to reach our lines before the Iwa main troops arrive," Hiashi advised, as out of the hundred and twenty, only a hundred were left, and the other twenty had perished in their line of duty. However, for every Leaf ninja lost, they took down at least five Iwa ninjas of equal rank. So this mission could go down in their respective clan records for future generations to cherish.

Finally, after two days of cat-and-mouse games, Hiashi and the team reached the Leaf troops, and the news of the entire troops being mobilized even caught Hiashi by surprise. He never expected Tsunade would mobilize the Leaf troops in their entirety. Just half an hour after Hiashi reached the Leaf troops, the Iwa team was sighted on the horizon. The battlefield was set on a huge plateau nearby the Tenchi Bridge ravines. The Tenchi Bridge was one of the most strategic points at Kusagakure; whoever emerged victorious in this battle would have complete control of this strategic point.

The Iwagakure troops, upon sighting the Leaf army, roared in anger because the humiliation they had experienced at the hands of the Yellow Flash was still evident and was like a thorn in their hearts. With Hiashi's recent actions, the Iwagakure troops were brimming with anger and wanted to repay their enemies with all their hatred. Similarly, on the Leaf side, under the leadership of Tsunade, the Leaf troops were determined to pay Iwagakure back for all the injustices and humiliation they had to suffer.

Little did anyone realize that the unfolding clash on that battlefield would plant the seeds of a legend, a legend destined to etch the name Tsunade Senju into the annals of history as the War Goddess.

Kazuki, who was working on the barrier, also chose to join the war. If Konoha won this battle, the Leaf would completely hold the momentum on the Iwa battlefield, and there might not be another large-scale war for a long time. Originally, Tsunade was hesitant, but then she chose to give Kazuki a chance because no one knew how long this war would go on. It might take years, and Kazuki might have to get involved at some point, so she thought it was better to let him join where she could keep an eye on him. Kazuki was fully geared for battle, his new katana strapped to his side. He rushed into the battle alongside his master and Shizune.

The two Shinobi armies clashed with ferocity akin to waves clashing onto a cliff. Jutsus and counters flew at each other in a large-scale combination. Within the first few minutes, the battlefield was segregated into their respective ranks. At last, the commanders of each field caught each other's attention and initiated their clash. The Senju princess went full throttle from the start of the clash. "[Doton: Dosekiryū]" (Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon). The Iwa commander launched a long-range technique, creating a large dragon made of earth and rock that charged towards Tsunade.

She concentrated her chakra in her feet and shot right into the maw of the incoming dragon. Within moments, the stone dragon shattered from a fierce punch from Tsunade. Being a part of Senju and Uzumaki, she initially had a monstrous amount of chakra. After going through the ritual, her chakra reserves could rival those of a Biju. So, she relentlessly pursued her enemy, exchanging blow for blow and quickly driving the enemy commander into the backfoot. A few other elite Jonin from Iwagakure had to quickly join the battle to bring it back to a steady stalemate. Originally, what was a one-vs-one quickly turned into a one-vs-five, with Tsunade handling a Kage-class and five elite Jonin-class Shinobi at the same time, and she was still steadily pushing them back.

Kazuki and Shizune stayed close to their sensei to guard her flank, with most of the ninjas surrounding the clash between the Kage-class shinobi. They positioned themselves strategically to avoid being affected by the aftereffects of the clash, yet they remained close enough to prevent any sneak attacks.

Shizune quickly found herself at a disadvantage while clashing with a veteran Iwa elite, Jonin, given her specialization in Iryo ninjutsu at the Jonin level. Kazuki, realizing Shizune's predicament, swiftly intervened and pushed back the elite Iwa Jonin. However, the Iwa Jonin, using the "[Doton: Domu]" (Earth Release: Earth Spear), turned his entire body pitch black in an attempt to overpower Kazuki with sheer defensive power. Unfazed, Kazuki, determined to aid his sister, quickly formed a hand sign, unleashing a black lightning spear attack known as "[Chidori Eisō]" (Chidori Sharp Spear). The attack was aimed at the Elite Jonin's heart, and though he managed to dodge it, he lost one of his arms in the process.

The two ninjas disengaged from combat for different reasons, leaving those who witnessed the brief clash surprised by the display of prowess from a seemingly six- or seven-year-old kid who had managed to force a veteran elite Jonin to lose one of his arms.

Without delay, Kazuki retrieved a scroll and placed his palms on the seal, releasing an enclosing technique. Three pitch-black puppets manifested from within a puff of smoke, each standing three meters in height, fully clad in armor with two swords strapped to each side of their hips. Notably, each shadow puppet had four arms. Kazuki connected each puppet with a shadow string, deploying two to support Shizune and keeping the third near Tsunade and himself for additional support. These puppets showcased Kazuki's latest and most advanced designs to date.

The elite Iwa Jonin, now at a significant disadvantage, struggled as the moments passed. The puppets could create shields, absorb chakra, and be resilient to physical attacks, leaving the Iwa elite Jonin perplexed with no clear counter. Additionally, Kazuki's masterful shadow manipulation prevented the elite Jonin from trapping the puppets, further complicating his predicament.

Tsunade, aggressively engaged in battle, noticed casualties appearing on both sides. She quickly pushed back the six Iwa Shinobi she was facing and swiftly weaved hand signs, "[Ninpo: Kuchiyose no Jutsu]" (Ninja Art: Summoning Technique). Pouring a vast amount of chakra into the summoning, a huge slug was summoned right in the center of the battlefield.

"Katsuyu, split up; save as many as you can. I don't want to see the Leaf Shinobi die unnecessarily. Retreat with all the seriously injured; they can be revived with the medical scrolls and join the fight again," Tsunade commanded through shared thoughts. "Yes, Tsunade-sama," Katsuyu responded with a quick nod. The giant slug immediately split into thousands of pieces and spread throughout the battlefield, attaching itself to the Leaf Shinobi. Although this might prove a huge burden on her chakra reserves, she did not care because she wanted this battle to end in a one-sided victory for Konoha.

The Iwa commander and the other elite Iwa Jonin who faced Tsunade regrouped and started fighting again. Tsunade went on a rampage, killing one Iwa Shinobi after another. Even though the enemy commander and the other elite Iwa Ninja, tried to restrain her, she simply overpowered them. Tsunade had a very high affinity for lightning nature, making her a natural counter to earth release. There were not many wind release users among Iwa, and even then, there were none to restrain someone of Senju's caliber.

"Shit, we cannot allow her to run around the battlefield like this; we are losing more ninjas. We need to restrict her movement," the Iwa commander couldn't help but shout, trying to find a solution to restrict the rampaging monster.