Tsunade managed to mass-produce the antidote by the third day.
At last, they had a way to suppress the long-range inhaled poison. However, it was useless at close range. The concentration was simply too high; by the ti the antidote could take effect, the victim would have already collapsed.
This was why Kitahara Kaede had to stand at the very front. He was the only person on the entire battlefield who could breathe the sa air as Hanzo and remain completely unscathed.
The battlefield was situated in the upper reaches of the river valley. Hanzo stood atop the head of his summoning beast, Ibuse. Rain dripped from the filtration tubes of his breathing mask as he looked down upon the Hidden Leaf's front lines.
The defensive line had stabilized, and morale was worlds apart from where it had been a week ago.
Intelligence from the rear had confird one thing: the blonde dical ninja had recently broken Chiyo's poison on the western front. No wonder the poison mist fortifications he took such pride in were being forcibly torn open by hundreds of mollusk summons and mass-produced antidotes.
Two of the Village Hidden in the Rain's supply lines had been severed. Reinforcents had been delayed for three days with no sign of arrival.
Hanzo understood that the foundations of the Village Hidden in the Rain were too shallow. He had never harbored delusions of annexing the Land of Fire's territory from the start of the war. This rain-soaked land needed prestige—a reputation that would make the Five Great Nations wary and provide the Village Hidden in the Rain with the political leverage to survive in the cracks between giants.
Even if the price was brutal, soone had to shoulder that infamy.
"Lord Hanzo," a Rain Jonin whispered from behind him. "The Hidden Leaf's main force is assembling. Should we—"
"I see them."
Hanzo tightened his grip on his kusarigama.
Across from him, Kitahara Kaede stood atop the most prominent rock of the front line. The torrential rain lashed against his face.
"Rember, Ibuse needs five minutes to recharge after every poison discharge," Kaede said, staring at the dark purple defensive line ahead. "I'll go forward and tie him down for those five minutes. You guys lead the push from the flanks."
Jiraiya grinned, running a thumb across his teeth to tear a small bloody gash. "You got it."
Tsunade didn't waste words. She said softly, "Take care of yourself."
Mud erupted under Kaede's feet as he shot forward like a bullet.
Ibuse's massive jaw swung open, and a tide of purple poison mist surged forth, blotting out the sky. Without a mont's hesitation, Kaede dove straight into the fog.
Tearing through the curtain of poison was a heavy chain imbued with wind pressure, sweeping viciously toward his face. He dodged, and in the sa motion, the Chidori Sharp Spear condensed and extended from his palm.
A blinding bolt of lightning thrust directly toward the deep blue armor ahead.
Sparks exploded. A massive recoil surged through the spear's shaft. Kaede's hand trembled from the impact, and he forced himself to shift his weight, sliding backward to dissipate the energy.
Hanzo held his kusarigama, his eyes flashing with intrigue above his mask. This kid wasn't just immune to poison; his strength and reflexes far exceeded those of any youth his age.
The sickle swung again in a wide arc, chopping downward. Simultaneously, the chain whipped around to seal off his retreat.
Kaede dropped his center of gravity, sliding perilously beneath the blade. Lightning flared violently in his right fist as he launched a strike directly into Hanzo's blind spot.
*Boom!*
The residual power of the Chidori slamd into the armor. Hanzo's stance didn't budge an inch; he countered with a heavy downward elbow strike.
The force was imnse. Kaede had no choice but to cross his arms to protect his head. He was hamred back several steps, his calves sinking deep into the muddy water.
Hanzo did not press the advantage, instead drawing his kusarigama back to his side.
Kaede steadied his breathing and swallowed the tallic taste of blood in his mouth. He had gambled correctly. Every one of Hanzo's strikes was heavy, but there was no killing intent.
The Village Hidden in the Rain could not sustain this war of attrition; a retreat was inevitable. However, as a shinobi who stood at the pinnacle, Hanzo needed to have the final word over the Hidden Leaf before withdrawing. He needed a dignified way to end the battle.
Just then, Ibuse's jaw snapped shut. The poison dissipated.
"Now!"
Thick smoke erupted on the left flank as Gamabunta crashed onto the battlefield with a thunderous roar.
"Fire Style: Great Fla Bullet!" Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head, weaving signs. Flas mixed with toad oil transford into a colossal dragon of fire that lunged toward the high ground.
On the right flank, flashes of light flickered. Hundreds of Katsuyu clones leaped over the defensive line, precisely attaching themselves to the poisoned Hidden Leaf shinobi. The green light of the Mystical Palm Technique rged into a sea of healing, completely eliminating their rear concerns.
Lightning. Fire. A dical network.
Hanzo stood his ground, taking in the coordinated actions of the three. With a reverse flick of his wrist, he struck Kaede in the chest with the blunt back of his sickle.
Kaede was sent flying backward ten ters, using the muddy ground to slide and bleed off the montum. It was a clumsy landing, but he managed to stand straight.
The fire exploded twenty ters away from Hanzo. He watched the three of them for a long ti through the rain.
"To think you could actually keep up with my strikes," a deep voice bood, drowning out the sound of the rain. "It has been many years since I've seen youths capable of standing before ."
Hanzo lifted his kusarigama with one hand.
"From this day forward, the three of you shall be known as the Three Legendary Sannin."
Smoke filled the air. Ibuse's massive body sank into the earth. The Rain forces retreated with incredible speed, vanishing into the veil of rain in an instant.
Only the torrential rain remained in the valley.
***
As night fell, a rain-proof tarp was rigged over a pile of firewood in the rear camp, and the flas finally roared to life. Occasionally, a drunken Chunin could be heard singing at the top of his lungs.
Kitahara Kaede sat to the side, idling with two dice he had borrowed from sowhere.
Footsteps stopped beside him, and Tsunade sat down. Her gaze fell on the dice in Kaede's hand, watching them in silence for a few seconds.
"Want to bet?"
Having been tense for so long, she suddenly wanted to use a familiar ga to feel human again.
"Bet on what?"
"If you lose, you have to say sothing you'd normally never say, even if you were beaten to death."
Kaede turned to look at her. "Deal."
The two dice clattered onto the table, rolling a few tis.
Kaede: Three.
Tsunade: Five.
She arched an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in her expression. "Speak."
Kaede remained silent for two seconds. The orange glow of the fire hit the side of Tsunade's face, defining her sharp profile.
"If I weren't so reluctant to leave you behind at the front, I wouldn't bother caring about this rotten shinobi world."
The surroundings were noisy. The laughter of the camp and the sound of rain blended together. But between the two of them, it suddenly beca so quiet that they could only hear the crackling of the firewood.
Tsunade's hand jerked, knocking against the edge of the table. The winning die vibrated, rolled twice, and stopped at the corner of the table.
A deep flush rapidly spread across her fair neck, burning all the way up to the tips of her ears.
"You..."
"You told to say it," Kaede replied in a flat tone.
Tsunade whipped her head around, staring intently at the campfire. Her chest heaved with uneven breaths. It took a long ti before she found her voice again.
"When this war is over... what kind of life do you want?" she asked softly.
Kaede looked up at the rain dripping from the canopy.
"A small courtyard. I'll grow so fruits. I want soone I love to cook for every day, and I'll let her scold and nag every single day without talking back."
Tsunade turned her head, her pupils reflecting the flas and sothing else. "And then?"
"That's enough."
Just as her red lips parted to speak—
"Hey! What are you two hiding over here for?"
A Chunin who had just finished his shift waved from a distance, holding half a bottle of sake. "There's booze over here! Co and drink!"
The words caught in Tsunade's throat were forced back down. She stood up abruptly, her fingers awkwardly tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"I'm going to sleep."
She turned and walked toward the dical tent. After a few steps, she suddenly paused.
"I didn't realize you cheated even with borrowed dice."
Before Kaede could respond, she quickened her pace and walked away, her footsteps slightly uneven.
Kaede watched her retreating figure.
He reached out and gathered the two dice from the table.
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