The War Spreads

Chapter: The War Spreads

Six months into the First Shinobi War, Konoha's forces were already stretched thin. The war had escalated beyond simple border skirmishes—now, it was full-scale conflict on multiple fronts. Sunagakure had deployed elite shinobi to raid cities in the Land of Fire and its neighboring countries, targeting supply lines and sowing chaos. Meanwhile, Kirigakure, ever opportunistic, sought to breach the Land of Fire's eastern shores. Thankfully, the Uzumaki Clan of Uzushiogakure, with their formidable sealing jutsu, had thus far blocked their advance, but even they were feeling the pressure.

Tetsuma sat in the Anbu headquarters, reviewing reports from the front lines. The situation was dire. The Hokage's forces were being forced into defensive positions, and if things continued at this rate, Konoha would suffer heavy losses before the year was over. He knew they needed to shift the momentum of the war, and fast.

He turned to his battalion captains. "We can't afford to let Sunagakure run unchecked. We need to disrupt their raids, cut off their supply lines, and make them bleed."

One of his captains, a veteran named Raido, nodded grimly. "Their elite forces are too well-coordinated. Standard ambush tactics aren't enough."

Tetsuma smirked. "Then we don't fight fair."

With that, he devised a new operation—one that would strike fear into the hearts of Sunagakure's raiding forces. The Anbu would not simply engage them in battle; they would hunt them down, eliminate their leaders, and leave the survivors to scatter in terror.

The chilling winds of late summer swept through the forests of the Land of Fire, carrying with them whispers of war and death. Tetsuma stood on a towering pine, his Anbu mask reflecting the pale moonlight. He had received intel about a group of elite rogue shinobi terrorizing border villages, striking down Konoha patrols with brutal efficiency.

He had no intention of allowing them to continue their rampage.

Tetsuma flickered through the trees, his senses honed, his mind calculating the best approach. These weren't ordinary missing-nin. They were survivors of past wars, remnants of defeated villages who had banded together, seeking revenge and profit in the chaos. Among them was a former Kumo jonin who specialized in swift assassination, a rogue Iwa earth-style expert, and a defector from Kirigakure's hunter-nin corps.

Tonight, they would die.

After trailing them for two days, he found their hideout—an abandoned temple deep in the mountains. From the outside, it looked deserted, but Tetsuma could sense the chakra signatures inside. Twelve shinobi. All seasoned warriors.

He activated his Lightning Release: Silent Current technique, shrouding himself in a layer of barely visible chakra that dampened his presence. Then, with a flicker, he was inside.

The first target never saw him coming. A single kunai to the throat, and the Iwa jonin collapsed without a sound.

The second barely had time to react before Tetsuma's lightning-infused blade cut him down.

By the time the alarm was raised, four were already dead.

The leader, a scarred Kumo defector, roared as he unleashed a storm of lightning. Tetsuma countered with his own—Lightning Release: Shadow Spear—piercing the man through the chest.

The battle was over in minutes. The remaining shinobi tried to flee, but Tetsuma pursued, cutting them down one by one.

As dawn broke, he stood amidst the ruins of the rogue cell, their bodies scattered like fallen leaves. Another threat to the Land of Fire had been eliminated. But Tetsuma knew this was just the beginning.

The war had only just begun.

needed reinforcements, but not just from Konoha. If they were to hold off both Sunagakure and Kirigakure, they would need their allies—the Uzumaki, the Sarutobi, and perhaps even the Hyūga—to fully commit to the fight.

The war was entering a new phase, and Tetsuma would make sure Konoha came out on top.