Chapter 46: The Rain Country Battlefront
At the Rain Country battlefront, the Konoha ninjas had been pushed back beyond the borders by the combined forces of Iwa and Suna Villages. If not for the interference of the Amegakure ninjas, and the fact that Iwa and Suna were not entirely aligned, Konoha might have been completely overrun.
When Orochimaru arrived at the camp located at the junction of the Rain and Fire Countries, he could feel the low morale of the Konoha forces. These ninjas had been stationed at outposts for a long time, and not only were their numbers small, but they also lacked elite warriors.
With each defeat, the morale continued to plummet. Even with Orochimaru's arrival, spirits only slightly lifted. The truth was, he hadn't brought many reinforcements, and the outlook remained grim. If things continued this way, Konoha's position on the Rain Country front would fail before any real battles began.
In an effort to lift the sagging morale, Orochimaru immediately led an offensive charge into the Rain Country. The battlefield was a chaotic clash of ninja against ninja, with jutsu clashing in the skies. Fire ignited the surroundings, torrents of water surged, rocks flew through the air, and the ground crumbled under the fierce attacks.
The cities of the Rain Country were gradually reduced to rubble, and the small nation had few intact areas left. The citizens of the Rain Country, led by Amegakure ninjas, desperately fled the path of the ninja clashes. To Amegakure, all three sides—Konoha, Iwa, and Suna—were enemies, for it was they who were destroying the Rain Country.
On the Rain Country's main battlefield, Orochimaru alone held back the bulk of the forces from Iwa, Suna, and Ame. A massive purple serpent wreaked havoc amidst the enemy ninjas, while countless shadowy snakes swallowed everything in their path. Under Orochimaru's attack, the weaker ninjas had no choice but to await their deaths in silence.
"Such power…" A young boy wearing a green vest crouched atop a crumbling rooftop, with an older man and a much younger boy by his side. Their white eyes identified them as members of the Hyuga clan.
"Young master, don't push too far forward," warned Hyuga Kazekaze, a jonin assigned to protect the Hyuga main family heir, Hyuga Hiashi.
"I understand, Brother Kazekaze," Hiashi replied, pursing his lips as he watched Orochimaru dominate the battlefield. Off to the side, a green figure darted through the battlefield with equal ferocity.
Just two individuals had managed to turn the tide of this battlefront. Hiashi couldn't help but wonder if he would ever reach such heights. He was filled with envy.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Kiyoshi silently engaged a charging Amegakure ninja. With a swift movement, he dashed forward.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
Kiyoshi's palms shot out a dense wave of chakra, slamming into the Ame ninja and sending him flying to the ground, where he lay motionless.
"Kiyoshi is a rare genius of the Hyuga clan. He will be a great asset to you in the future," Kazekaze said to Hiashi. Kiyoshi's mastery of the Air Palm was far beyond what an average eleven-year-old from the Hyuga clan could achieve.
"I understand," Hiashi nodded and stepped forward to engage another Iwa ninja. With his hands spread wide, a faint eight-trigram diagram appeared on the ground beneath him.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Hiashi's hands became a blur of motion, landing precise strikes on the Iwa ninja. Once he was done, the Iwa ninja stood frozen in place, and Hiashi walked calmly past him. Moments later, the Iwa ninja collapsed, lifeless.
"Impressive as always, mastering the essence of the Eight Trigrams technique," Kazekaze praised Hiashi sincerely.
Hyuga Kiyoshi watched silently, his expression unreadable as Hiashi continued to battle. He couldn't help but bite his lip. Wasn't the Eight Trigrams technique supposed to be restricted to the Hyuga main family? If only he had the opportunity to learn it, he could surely surpass Hiashi.
But within the Hyuga clan, Kiyoshi knew he had no power to resist. Even his future had been decided for him, with no hope of escaping his fate. All he could do was vent his frustration on the battlefield.
Kazekaze, observing Kiyoshi's demeanor, remained silent.
Kiyoshi had yet to realize that he was like a caged bird, and one day he would understand that such a bird could never break free.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and a loud roar echoed across the battlefield.
"OROCHIMARU!"
A powerful explosion rang out as a figure from Iwagakure charged straight toward Orochimaru.
At the same time, Might Duy was intercepted by a barrage of fireballs from the Suna forces, while the Amegakure ninjas began silently retreating from the battlefield.
The battle was escalating.
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As Uchiha Jin walked through the desolate streets of a ruined city, the place seemed almost empty, with only a few shops still open, hoping for customers.
"The impact of the war is immense…" Jin muttered to himself. He had been traveling for a day and night without rest, and now that he had arrived in the city, he planned to take a break.
Among the ninjas, only he would indulge in such behavior. For most ninjas, their mission was far more important than personal needs.
Jin stepped into a noodle shop.
"Welcome," the shop owner greeted him, though his face was clouded with worry. Seeing a customer, he forced a weak smile.
Jin glanced at the menu on the wall behind the counter. His eyes widened at the prices.
"Why is everything so expensive?"
In this small, remote city, the prices were even higher than those in Konoha—ten times higher, in fact.
"There's nothing we can do about it," the owner explained, clearly troubled. "Everything's skyrocketed in price around here. I'm barely breaking even."
"Fine, fine," Jin waved dismissively, understanding the situation. Even in the relative safety of Konoha, prices had tripled. Small towns like this one were undoubtedly hit harder.
He pulled out some Fire Country currency and slapped it on the counter.
"Give me twenty bowls of your house special ramen."
The owner was left speechless, wondering if Jin planned to eat himself to death. But as long as the customer paid, he wasn't going to argue. In these times, with Konoha shinobi being dangerous even to children, no one dared cause trouble. Even though Jin wasn't wearing his headband, the shopkeeper was certain he was a ninja.
Jin had removed his headband for convenience.
The ramen was served quickly, but Jin devoured it so fast that the owner could hardly keep up with the pace.
As the bell at the door chimed, another customer entered.
"One bowl of miso ramen, please," a deep voice said.
The voice drew Jin's attention. The newcomer had his face fully wrapped and was dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and gray trousers. But what stood out most were his glowing green eyes.
Isn't that Kakuzu, the "mercenary" of the Shinobi World?
Jin's gaze caught Kakuzu's attention, and the man immediately turned to look at him. But Jin quickly lowered his head and continued eating his noodles.
The shop fell into an uneasy silence.
Kakuzu quickly finished his ramen, paid, and left the shop without another word.
Once outside, he started walking toward the outskirts of the city. It wasn't long before he sensed someone following him. Turning back, he saw Jin, hands in his pockets, casually trailing behind.
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