Spring of the 46th Year of the Konoha.

  The Iwagakure and Sunagakure secretly formed an allied ninja army. ōnoki personally led 5,000 Iwagakure shinobi, while Ebizō led 3,000 Sunagakure shinobi.

  This alliance of 8,000 ninjas unched a surprise attack, invading the Land of Fire from the border of the Land of Rain. Their sudden assault crushed the Konoha's border defenses, leaving Jiraiya severely injured.

  If it hadn't been for Danzo causing trouble in the Land of Rain and taking the brunt of the initial attack, combined with Orochimaru's timely support, Jiraiya might not have survived.

  At the same time, no one expected this: despite the Third Raikage still recovering from his injuries, Kumogakure secretly deployed 3,000 ninja troops as well, invading the Land of Fire from the Land of Frost.

  In an instant, the Land of Fire's borders were engulfed in chaos. Orochimaru's forces left vulnerable on both fnks without support, now faced the possibility of being caught in a pincer attack by the combined forces of the Sand, Rock, and Cloud ninjas.

  Ultimately, Orochimaru made a decisive move, abandoning the forward positions and retreating to defend Kikyo Mountain, where he reorganized the defensive line.

  ...

  Kikyo Mountain - Konoha Encampment.

  "The entire front line has colpsed. If we hadn't retreated in time, our losses would have been catastrophic!"

  "The Rock, Sand, and Cloud ninja alliance has formed an offensive-defensive pact. Although we've lost our forward positions, we've concentrated all our forces at Kikyo Mountain."

  In the command tent of the Konoha, a rge map was unfurled, marking the deployment of the Rock, Sand, and Cloud armies.

  The faces of the Konoha ninja in the tent were grim. Tsunade, who had rushed over from the Land of Fields to provide reinforcements, smmed the table in frustration.

  "From the strategic map, we could theoretically cut off the Kumo ninja's retreat and isote Ebizō's Sand ninja forces. But in reality, our ck of manpower makes such a task impossible!"

  They were already stretched thin. The Mist ninjas were attacking the Land of Whirlpools, and although the Konoha was known as the strongest ninja vilge in the world, facing the combined forces of four major vilges simultaneously was pushing their limits.

  Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes showed no sign of defeat despite their setbacks. Calm and hoarse, he pointed at the map and expined the situation.

  "Kikyo Mountain is our st line of defense. If it falls, the Land of Fire will have no natural barriers left. The battlefield will spread across the entire country…"

  In the original timeline, the Battle of Kikyo Mountain was initiated by the combined forces of the Sand and Cloud vilges, with the Rock ninjas notably absent. From the geography, it could be deduced that the Rock ninjas had withdrawn from the war after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, which is why they didn't participate in the Kikyo Mountain battle.

  But this time, due to changes in the timeline, the battle erupted earlier—and now the Rock ninjas were involved as well.

  "How do we fight this? The Cloud Ninja has two forces—one is already at our doorstep, and the other is tying down our troops in the Land of Fields. Even if we cut them off here, the Cloud Ninja can retreat to their vilge via the sea from the Land of Frost.

  The Sand ninja, led by the elderly Chiyo commanding 5,000 troops, have joined forces with Ebizō's 3,000.…"

  Tsunade frowned deeply. The Rock, Sand, and Cloud vilges had combined their forces: 3,000 Cloud ninjas, 3,000 Sand ninjas, and 5,000 Rock ninjas—over 10,000 ninjas total. This represented nearly half the military strength of any single major ninja vilge.

  And that didn't even account for the forces tying them down in the Land of Fields and the Land of Rivers.

  "Our defensive forces in the Land of Fields and the Land of Rivers are stuck. Here at Kikyo Mountain, we have only 5,000 or 6,000 ninjas. Even with reinforcements trickling in from the rear, we'll barely have 7,000 or 8,000 at most."

  Tsunade's expression was heavy as she turned to Orochimaru, describing the dire situation. The Konoha was critically short on manpower.

  With two fronts to defend, they had already committed 8,000 troops, leaving them unable to maneuver. On top of that, they had to contend with the Mist's offensive and maintain defenses throughout the Land of Fire.

  It was clear that the four great ninja vilges had deployed less than half of their total forces, yet their combined effort was already forcing the Konoha to fight with everything they had.

  "We cannot retreat!"

  A hoarse voice rang out. Danzo, his face full of frustration and covered in bandages, stood firm. He had only narrowly escaped from the Land of Rain earlier.

  Jiraiya, heavily bandaged but stabilized, gnced at the blonde figure nearby and sighed.

  "Tsunade, it's thanks to you. Without you, we'd have been done for this time."

  Jiraiya let out a long sigh, exchanging an awkward look with Danzo. If Danzo hadn't taken the brunt of the attack earlier, Jiraiya might not have made it back alive.

  "No wonder the four great ninja vilges made such a big show at first, only to hold back like they were all talk. It turns out they had this strategy pnned all along."

  Jiraiya's frustration was palpable. Initially, the Cloud Ninja seemed to be holding back, while the Rock Ninja's advance was slow and cautious, tricking the Kona into thinking the vilges were still acting independently.

  But it was all a ruse. The Sand ninja fought desperately from the beginning, while the Mist ninja's assault on the Land of Whirlpools distracted the Konoha's attention.

  Everyone thought the Rock and Cloud vilges were waiting for the Konoha to exhaust its strength. No one expected them to execute a hidden pincer attack.

  "Damn ōnoki…"

  Danzo coughed, his frustration evident. He had nearly been surrounded and killed.

  "Report! Lord Uchiha Shirou has arrived with reinforcements!"

  "Nara Cn reinforcements have arrived!"

  "Sarutobi and Uchiha squads have arrived!"

  One by one, reinforcements from within the Land of Fire continued to pour into Kikyo Mountain. Larger forces like Uchiha Shirou's unit of over 100 elite ninjas joined, as well as smaller three-man squads returning from missions.

  The Konoha ninja at Kikyo Mountain finally began to breathe easier as the reinforcements trickled in.

  Kikyo Mountain, a natural barrier spanning the Land of Fire's borders, became the focal point of the battle.

  In the command tent, as more reinforcements arrived, the atmosphere lightened slightly. Several jonins gathered, including Uchiha Shirou, who sat alongside the Sannin—a position that reflected his strength and status.

  "Shirou, the situation is…"

  Seeing Shirou's arrival, the heavily-armored Tsunade nodded solemnly and immediately began expining the situation, pointing to the map.

  This scene surprised many Konoha ninjas, hinting at a closer retionship between the Uchiha and Senju cns than rumors suggested.

  Shirou, calm and composed, surveyed the battlefield situation. Though it seemed bleak, his sharp eyes quickly identified the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

  "The situation hasn't reached its worst yet."

  Hearing this, the jonin present were puzzled, though Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, seemingly in agreement.

  Pointing at the map, Shirou expined:

  "Our disadvantage lies in the losses at the front line and our smaller numbers. However, the Sand and Cloud ninjas are divided, and their supply lines are stretched thin. Even the Rock ninja, despite their strength, are spread across the Land of Grass…"

  "By tightening our defenses and fighting on home territory, we still hold some advantages. If this turns into a prolonged conflict, the internal divisions among the three allied vilges will inevitably surface."

  Though he didn't eborate further, Orochimaru smirked and added:

  "In a stalemate, the cracks and distrust among the three vilges will only grow. And with our mastery of space-time ninjutsu, the advantage in a prolonged war lies with us."

  The discussion in the command tent wasn't groundbreaking but served to stabilize morale.

  At this stage, the war had devolved into a pure battle of attrition—who could outst the other in terms of manpower and supplies.

  In such a contest, the Konohagakure, with its unmatched economy and popution, held the upper hand. They just needed to survive the first wave of assaults.

  ...

  At this time, in the camp of the Three Great Ninja Vilges Alliance. The Iwagakure and Sunagakure forces unched a surprise attack from the direction of the Land of Rain, and with the addition of Kumogakure, this allied battle achieved a brilliant victory, completely breaking Konoha's frontlines. For the first time, they even pushed into the territory of the Land of Fire.

  "Now is not the time to celebrate. Although we have the advantage in numbers, when it comes to Konoha's high-level combat power, we may not have a guaranteed victory!"

  In the command center of the Three Great Ninja Vilges Alliance, compared to the excitement of the allied ninjas, ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, wore a grave expression.

  The more crucial the moment, the more cautious one must be!

  Ebizō of Sunagakure nodded lightly in agreement and said in a serious tone:

  "That's right. As of now, we have not inflicted any major damage on Konoha's forces. Our so-called brilliant victory is more the result of misleading them with information. And Orochimaru's decisiveness—he immediately abandoned the border once he sensed danger—shows their resilience.

  More than half of Konoha's elite Jōnin come from the great ninja cns. That's not something we can easily compete with."

  Although the number of Jōnin in the Five Great Nations may appear simir on paper, the quality is an entirely different matter. Konoha's Jōnin could easily crush any single vilge, and even two combined wouldn't make them back down.

  "Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga—Jōnin from these three great Kekkei Genkai are extraordinary, especially the Sharingan. It can hold down at least two opponents of equal strength. Then there are the Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, and Aburame cns with their secret techniques…"

  As Ebizō solemnly went over the intelligence of Konoha, it became clear that even knowing their strengths didn't solve the problem. Amid the chaos of battle, Konoha could always adjust its manpower seamlessly.

  In short, their strength was overwhelming!

  ōnoki had personally come to the frontlines this time. Alongside him was Ebizō from Sunagakure and the young candidate for the Fourth Raikage, A, from Kumogakure. Though young and brash, A was unafraid of his seniors. He let out a cold snort and decred:

  "What is there to fear? No matter how strong Konoha is, do you think they can dominate all three of our vilges at once? And don't forget, Kirigakure is still at their back. Konoha is caught in a precarious position now!"

  The alliance hadn't expected their pn to succeed so spectacurly, pushing the war to this stage in one fell swoop.

  Initially, they had intended to hold back some of their strength, but now even ōnoki frowned slightly, realizing that things might have gone too smoothly. This wasn't necessarily a good thing.

  Konoha would undoubtedly dig in and defend fiercely. Moreover, at this point, ōnoki couldn't even leverage the other vilges in the alliance.

  The situation had reached a delicate bance. All three vilges knew the alliance would colpse instantly if anyone started pying dirty tricks in secret. This was precisely what Konoha wanted—and what they feared most.

  "Enough! I'll be frank this time."

  ōnoki blew out his mustache in frustration and gred at the arrogant young ninja from Kumogakure.

  "None of us want to miss this opportunity. Keep your subordinates in line, and we'll unch a joint attack on Konoha.

  If we give Konoha even a moment to catch their breath, do you think they'll leave us another chance?"

  ōnoki's words carried a warning tone as he gnced meaningfully at the Kumogakure forces.

  The three vilges had teamed up despite their mutual animosity and grudges, and now that they had pushed into the Land of Fire, the prize was within sight. If they could take Kikyo Pass, the riches of the Land of Fire would be theirs for the taking.

  The temptation of greed drove the leaders of the three vilges to suppress any other thoughts. Nothing was more enticing than sinking their teeth into the Land of Fire.

  "Kikyo Pass has already been stabilized by Konoha. We'll have to fight them head-on now!"

  "Head-on, huh? Konoha may have more Kage-level fighters and Jōnin, but with the combined might of our three vilges, we're not at a disadvantage…"

  ōnoki let out a cold ugh. "Iwagakure is no pushover either…"

  As the three vilges secretly prepared their strategies, news of the situation sent shockwaves through the ninja world.

  Konoha had delivered impressive victories in the past, but now doubts began to arise. After all, intelligence errors and strategic missteps were always possibilities.

  But this time, against four major vilges, Konoha had been pushed into the Land of Fire in such a short time.

  The ninja world was shaken. Konoha seemed on the verge of colpse.

  Perhaps the so-called leader of the Five Great Nations wasn't as strong as everyone believed.

  ...

  Kikyo Pass.

  Inside Orochimaru's tent, dim lighting shone on mysterious jars and containers, casting eerie shadows. Orochimaru's sickly, raspy ugh echoed as he stared at the rare research materials collected from the battlefield.

  "Shirou-kun, these are all precious research materials obtained from the battlefield. The ninja world holds so many secrets—chakra, the origin of sage techniques, and even the chakra of the tailed beasts I acquired earlier… Shirou-kun, take a look at this document."

  With his unhealthy smile, Orochimaru slowly pushed a scroll toward Shirou. When Shirou lowered his head to examine it, he froze.

  Meanwhile, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with anticipation and excitement.

  "Shirou-kun, what do you think of my research? Or rather, what do you have to say about it?"

  At that moment, Shirou lifted his head, genuine shock evident on his face—not the slightest hint of pretense. He was truly astonished by Orochimaru's research.

  "I have to admit… this is the idea of a genius madman!"

  Shirou's answer caused Orochimaru's sickly smile to contort with excitement. As expected, Shirou-kun was a kindred spirit.

  "Hehe, a madman and a genius! Shirou-kun, I like you more and more."

  Orochimaru's research direction was so radical and unconventional that he knew it would never be accepted by the world. Yet even he, who seemed so detached, detested loneliness.

  Both of them gnced briefly at the tent's entrance, aware that someone was standing outside. But Orochimaru caught up in his excitement, paid no attention.

  "Shirou-kun! What do you see in my research?"

  For once, Orochimaru's sickly face showed a rare look of eager anticipation. This was not the Orochimaru of the future who would sever all ties and disregard public opinion. Deep down, he still feared rejection and disapproval.

  Shirou took a deep breath and raised his head. Under Orochimaru's intense gaze, he slowly uttered two words. Upon hearing them, Orochimaru froze.

  "Eternal life. What I see in this research is the path and hope for eternal life!"

  At that moment, it was as if Orochimaru's very soul trembled. His expression was frozen in shock, and a single crystal-clear tear slipped from the corner of his eye—a tear born of being understood.

  "Hehe… hahaha…"

  The next moment, Orochimaru burst into maniacal ughter, his serpentine eyes filled with a predatory gleam as he stared at Shirou. A madman's genius—he truly understood!

  In this moment of recognition, it felt as though his soul had found a like-minded companion. Orochimaru couldn't hold back his hoarse ughter.

  "Hehehe, Shirou-kun! You're truly remarkable. You saw eternal life in my research!"

  This idea, once it took root, could not be suppressed. Orochimaru pointed excitedly at the scroll, expining his reasoning.

  "I've studied the origins of chakra extensively and found that it emerged during the era of the Sage of Six Paths, no more than a thousand years ago… But sage techniques are even older…

  And the tailed beasts? They seem to have appeared suddenly in the Sage's era. Yet the legendary sage has vanished, while the tailed beasts remain. Why? Through my research, I discovered that their energy bodies are composed purely of chakra and soul…"

  Watching Orochimaru's excitement, Shirou suddenly understood—it was the immortality of the tailed beasts that had inspired Orochimaru.