NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48 - Tsunade Arrives!
Today, Kaede only intended to strike once.
He brought his hand to his mouth—golden markings appeared around his eyes.
"Senpō: Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!" (Sage Art: Fire Style: Majestic Flame Annihilation!)
In an instant, a sea of flames hundreds of meters wide surged forward toward the border defenses.
The raging inferno devoured all vegetation in its path, exposing every hidden Konoha ninja.
"Suiton: Suijinheki!" (Water Style: Water Formation Wall!)
"Suiton: Daisui Shōha!" (Water Style: Great Water Surge!)
Many Konoha ninja panicked and attempted to counter with water techniques.
But against Kaede's fire release—bolstered by Sage Mode and almost akin to a kekkei genkai—their Suiton evaporated the moment it appeared.
The wall of fire engulfed every ninja in its path.
Most didn't even have time to scream—they were reduced to ash in moments.
The Konoha forces behind the frontlines watched in horror.
Terror swept through them—they turned and scattered in all directions without hesitation.
The firestorm crashed into the fortifications, utterly obliterating them.
Within several hundred meters, the dense forest was reduced to scorched red earth.
Kaede raised Kyōka Suigetsu and pointed forward.
"Your time has come. Kill!"
The 500 shinobi behind him roared and charged, chasing the fleeing Konoha ninja.
Kaede, meanwhile, simply closed his eyes and rested against his sword.
There was no need for him to deal with such small fry himself.
Why else would he have taken in the Takigakure ninja?
Konoha's forces were utterly demoralized. Faced with the pursuit of the Uchiha and Takigakure forces, they didn't even dare to fight back.
Though Kaede only had 500 ninja, they easily routed the 600–700 Konoha shinobi, who only knew how to flee.
The pursuit stretched over ten kilometers before Kaede finally ordered them to stop.
In that distance, another hundred Konoha ninja had died.
"This is the force they sent to stop me? Ridiculous."
Shaking his head, Kaede gave new orders:
"Establish control over every town within a fifty-kilometer radius."
"Send a team back to the Land of Waterfalls—tell the daimyō and the nobles to prepare to take over the administration of these towns."
His words stunned everyone.
One ninja stammered, "Clan head… you mean… we're going to occupy the Land of Fire?"
Kaede chuckled, "Of course."
"If we've conquered it, why would we give it back?"
Matsushiro Sakuto tried to muster his courage. "But… but that breaks the rules!"
In past ninja wars, the victor could loot and temporarily occupy enemy land, but when the war ended, the land was always returned to the original country.
That's why, despite years of bloody conflict, the borders of the great nations had never changed.
The invaders fought for resources. The defenders fought for their people.
But this so-called "rule"—to Kaede, it was a joke.
"There are no rules before me," he said coldly.
"From now on, I will make the rules of this world!"
His words ignited everyone's blood.
Right—why return the land? Just to preserve the authority of those useless daimyō?
No. The rules of the ninja world needed to change.
Within half a day, the Land of Waterfalls had taken over ten towns on the border of the Land of Fire.
And the news of the border's collapse reached Konoha almost immediately.
"Dammit! The Uchiha actually dared to invade the Land of Fire?!"
Koharu slammed the report on the table in fury.
Homura's expression was equally grim. He turned toward the Hokage's seat—where Tsunade now sat.
"Tsunade, give the order. Send troops to crush them!"
Two days ago, Tsunade and Jiraiya had returned. Jiraiya had stepped aside and Tsunade had been appointed the Fifth Hokage.
After a rushed inauguration, Danzo, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya had each left for the front lines, leaving Tsunade—who still suffered from hemophobia—to manage Konoha's administration.
Tsunade frowned. "How many shinobi do we have left?"
Homura responded, "Danzo took 2,000 to the Sunagakure front. Hiruzen took 2,500 to fight Iwagakure. Jiraiya brought 3,000 to the Kumogakure front."
"Counting the clans still stationed here, we barely have 2,000 left."
Tsunade shot Koharu and Homura a harsh glare.
"I've been gone eight years, and this is what you've done to our military?"
Koharu, annoyed by the accusation, snapped back,
"Don't forget the Uchiha uprising days ago. We lost over a thousand shinobi in that disaster!"
"Dammit!" Tsunade slammed her fist onto the table.
Then she barked, "Leave a thousand to guard the village. The rest come with me to the border!"
Homura paled. "You're going personally?"
"But your hemophobia—"
Tsunade waved him off. "If I don't go, who can stop Kaede?"
"And if I'm there, morale won't break the moment he appears. I'll handle the hemophobia."
Homura opened his mouth but found nothing to say.
He knew she was right. Danzo, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya were all at the other fronts.
Only Tsunade remained.
And with her being from the Senju clan, her presence alone would boost morale.
At the very least, it would prevent the kind of collapse seen in the last encounter with Kaede.
Tsunade waved wearily. "Go make preparations. I'll depart shortly."
Koharu and Homura hurried off to mobilize troops. They also had to convince the major clans to send reinforcements.
Once alone, Tsunade let out a bitter laugh.
"Konoha… what a shattered mess you've become."
Her hands clenched tightly as she thought about the secrets she'd recently uncovered.
Those old men had ruined the village.
And it was their constant suppression that had pushed Kaede to rebel.
After the Third War, Tsunade had been so disgusted by the system that she wandered the world.
If not for Konoha's current peril, she never would've come back.
"When the war ends…"
Her eyes were filled with murderous intent.
She would purge the village.
Even if that meant turning on her own teacher.
Soon after, the reinforcements were ready.
The major clans had cooperated—for they knew this war would decide Konoha's fate.
And so, Tsunade led her army and departed in grand fashion.
She didn't know it yet, but this journey would make it almost impossible for her to return to Konoha again.
…
(End of Chapter)
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