Chapter 33: The Battle Begins

Chapter 33: The Battle Begins

Time crept forward in the silent tension between the opposing ninja. Under the combined influence of complex hormones coursing through their bodies, their eyes turned bloodshot, and an overpowering urge to kill began to permeate the battlefield, making even the hidden animals tremble with fear.

As a cloud leisurely drifted above both forces, casting a patch of shade, the battle erupted.

As Konoha's leader and the supreme commander on the front line, Hiruzen Sarutobi bore both the authority and the responsibility to launch the first attack. By demonstrating his own strength, he aimed to set an example for his troops—showing them the most efficient way to defeat the enemy.

Sarutobi pressed his index and middle fingers together in a sign against his chest, and in a puff of smoke, a large, custom-made shuriken appeared in his arms. He then hurled it with tremendous force. The shuriken whistled through the air toward the Suna forces, multiplying mid-flight from one to two, two to four, and continuing to grow exponentially. Before long, a rain of countless shuriken bore down on the enemy.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

This vast, deadly barrage of shuriken failed to cause any real harm to the Suna ninja. A thin barrier of iron sand rose in the nick of time, shielding them completely. The Third Kazekage had not come to the battlefield just to make an appearance—he was here to kill. However, before he could unleash his signature kekkei genkai, Sarutobi launched his next attack.

The great distance between the two armies did not hinder Sarutobi's jutsu. When his hands touched the ground, his unparalleled chakra control enabled him to strike precisely at the Suna forces, despite the range.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

What had once been solid ground turned into a swamp under the influence of Sarutobi's chakra. Before the Third Kazekage could intervene to save his comrades, flames ignited within the mire, erupting into a massive blaze.

The trapped Suna ninja screamed in agony, their cries piercing through the chaotic din and reaching the ears of every combatant on the field.

Watching Sarutobi wreak havoc—killing hundreds of Suna ninja with an almost casual ease—Hayama silently cursed his younger self, the one who spent every lesson dozing off. He now understood how vital knowledge could be. Swamps can produce methane, and methane ignites explosively when exposed to fire. Any student who paid attention in class would know that. But Hayama had never cared, and now it was too late.

It was clear to him now: those who fail to study diligently, who remain ignorant, have no place among the truly powerful. They are doomed to be little more than background characters.

Seizing the moment of heightened morale, Sarutobi charged toward the Suna ranks like a sword thrust straight into their midst.

Sakumo Hatake was the first to follow. With a flash of lightning beneath his feet, he dashed forward, seeming almost like a man ready to die for his cause. In truth, he had little choice. His role today was to act as Sarutobi's "green leaf," the backdrop against which the Hokage's might would shine brightest. In essence, he was there to serve as Sarutobi's personal bodyguard. And on the battlefield, where blades show no mercy, if Sarutobi were to fall victim to a sneak attack and perish, Konoha would celebrate his replacement—but it would also ensure that the entire Hatake clan was wiped out in retaliation. Though the Hatake were a small clan, no one wanted to meet their end alongside their entire family.

Watching Sarutobi carve through the enemy lines like a war god, the Konoha shinobi erupted into cheers and charged after him, turning the battlefield into utter chaos.

The Third Kazekage seethed with frustration. Sarutobi had robbed him of any opportunity to showcase his own strength. Gritting his teeth, the Kazekage rallied the Suna ninja, shouting for them to grab their weapons and fight back.

The two armies clashed under the watchful eyes of the drifting clouds. The collision triggered a storm of severed limbs, death cries, and carnage. The first wave of combatants fell almost instantly under the relentless barrage of jutsu, followed by the second wave, and then the third, until one side either broke or collapsed from exhaustion.

The overwhelming stench of blood filled the air as death descended over the battlefield. The grim reaper worked overtime, gathering souls that had been torn from their bodies, savoring a feast long overdue.

Minato's squad, assigned a special mission, refrained from joining the initial melee. Instead, they remained among the few hundred Konoha shinobi standing back, watching the carnage unfold. The blood-soaked chaos left even Inuzuka's ninja dog hanging its head, and many of the observers turned pale.

In the grand scale of such a battle, individual strength seemed insignificant—except, of course, for those at the very top.

The Third Hokage's every move felled dozens of Suna ninja, his relentless barrage of jutsu reducing them to nothing. He moved with the precision and efficiency of a war machine, each attack devastating the enemy ranks with ease.

The Third Kazekage was no less formidable. His Magnet Release kekkei genkai enabled him to launch devastatingly precise strikes. If Sarutobi was a cannon, the Kazekage was a guided missile. The ninja world had always favored bloodline abilities, bestowing the most power upon those born with special talents. For an ordinary ninja, reaching Sarutobi's level was the pinnacle. But for those with a bloodline limit, the ultimate peak was the man revered as a god—Hashirama Senju.

Eventually, Sarutobi ceased his solo slaughter and engaged the Kazekage directly, turning the battle into a clash of Kage-level might.

Relieved, Sakumo slowed his pace. Being a mere supporting character was no easy task. Even on the battlefield, there was no escaping the constant pressure of appeasing one's superiors. While Sakumo picked off a few distracted Suna ninja, his thoughts turned toward the tedious responsibilities of his position.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the army, Minato's squad and a select group of Konoha shinobi slipped away from the main battle. Their mission was clear: target and eliminate Suna's medical personnel.

At a recent Konoha Jōnin council meeting, Tsunade Senju had proposed the establishment of a robust medical ninja training system. Her goal was to have a medic assigned to every squad, significantly improving survival rates. According to Tsunade's research, teams with medical ninjas showed dramatically higher endurance and survival rates. During the Second Shinobi World War, thousands of skilled ninja had perished because they lacked timely medical care. By deploying medics, Tsunade argued, Konoha could increase the survival rate by 30%.

The written report of her findings had been immediately sealed. The Third Hokage issued a gag order to prevent this information from leaking and causing unrest. While Konoha lacked the resources to fully implement Tsunade's vision during the ongoing war, the village would undoubtedly prioritize medical ninja training once the conflict ended. For now, Konoha's best move was to suppress this information and aggressively target the enemy's medical corps.

Training a competent medical ninja required resources that could otherwise produce two to three combat specialists. Thus, Suna's medics became the primary target of this campaign.

In response to the Hokage's orders, over a hundred elite Konoha shinobi refrained from joining the main battle. Instead, they set out to destroy Suna's medical infrastructure.

Although Hayama was not privy to the details of the council's meeting, he understood the consequences of failure. If the mission failed, they would face not only enemy retaliation but also the wrath of Konoha's high command.

Suna's field hospital lay about five kilometers behind the front lines. Despite the battle being in its early stages, a steady stream of wounded had already begun arriving. The hospital bustled with activity, punctuated by the occasional clatter of shattered glass.

Ikegami Aonobu, a well-known Suna commander, stood fully armored near the hospital, his expression dark as he listened to the latest reports. When his sensory ninja confirmed that the perimeter guards had been wiped out, Aonobu's eyes narrowed in thought.

After a brief pause, he issued his orders. The sensory ninja relayed the command via jutsu to every nearby Suna shinobi.

"Order: Five squads remain on defense. The rest will form a protective net in front of the hospital and eliminate the intruders."

Under the guidance of their squad leaders, the well-disciplined Suna ninja spread out. Aonobu himself stood motionless, waiting to intercept and destroy any Konoha forces that breached their defenses.

Aonobu's plan assumed that Konoha's raiding party was relatively small. Attacking medical personnel was standard practice in war, but full-scale annihilation was rarely the goal. He believed his defensive net would be more than sufficient to repel the attackers. Even if they managed to break through, the remaining five squads would deliver a decisive blow.

It was this cautious mindset that marked Aonobu as a capable commander. By preparing for failure before even considering victory, he ensured that his defenses were as robust as possible.

Soon enough, the forward squads clashed with the approaching Konoha ninja. Unlike the large-scale battle at the front lines, these skirmishes reverted to the familiar rhythm of squad-based engagements.

In the forty-first year of Konoha's founding, the young Hayama Shirokumo had a new target. This time, he was coming for Suna's medics.