In the forest, Iwagakure's ninja were advancing their battle lines. Hanzō of the Salamander stood atop a tree, watching. By his side were Amegakure's ANBU. He hadn't brought many with him this time.
"Hanzō, are we really going to help Iwagakure?"
"I just don't understand why you're joining the war."
Hearing the question, Hanzō gave a cold smile.
"Do I need to report my decisions to you?"
"N-not at all!"
The response made the ANBU tremble. In Amegakure, Hanzō was akin to a god—no one dared question his words.
Hanzō didn't press the matter further. Instead, he gazed into the distance, a sharp gleam in his eyes.
He had his own calculations. Konoha, though strong, faced enemies that outnumbered it several times over in every war. This time, it was being attacked by Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure in succession. Even though the situation was holding, the war consumed more than just ninja—it was draining supplies too.
The Land of Fire was vast and rich, but not limitless. Besides, Hanzō had heard rumors that the Fire Daimyō had other intentions. If true, Konoha would be threatened on all fronts.
Making a move now might lead to great gains. And with Ōnoki promising him supplies, the opportunity was simply too tempting.
"Keep a close watch on the battlefield," Hanzō ordered the ANBU. "We don't have many men, so wait until Iwa takes the lead before we act."
He was here to help, but he wasn't stupid. Konoha had Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the Twin Stars—no way he'd risk overextending his forces.
...
At the same time, battle erupted throughout the forest. The entire woodland turned into a warzone. Both sides engaged in squad-based combat, with skirmishes breaking out everywhere.
"Roar! Damn Yellow Flash! Come out if you've got guts!"
"Hmph!"
Two furious roars shook the battlefield. The next instant, the Four-Tails Son Gokū and Five-Tails Kokuō appeared, their overwhelming aura sweeping across the area.
Their rage exploded from within.
Seeing both appear at once, Kazuyama stood beside his elite teammates and couldn't help but smirk.
"Minato, what exactly did you do to them?"
"They really hate your guts, huh?"
Minato smiled, casually flipping his special kunai, his eyes gleaming with battle spirit.
"Enough, Kazuyama. Why so chatty on the battlefield?"
"If you slack off, I'm not paying for your explosive tags."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at the annoying brat next to her. He was actually cracking jokes at a time like this.
Kazuyama chuckled and vanished in a blink.
"Kazuyama's on the move. Let's get started."
"This forest is huge, but we can't let the Tailed Beasts go on a rampage."
Jiraiya clenched his fists, brimming with fighting spirit.
"Alright, let's go. Minato, you take one. We'll handle the other."
The trio sprang into action.
"Summoning Technique!"
Two massive clouds of smoke burst into the forest. Katsuyu and Gamaken appeared on the battlefield.
Jiraiya stood atop Gamaken's head.
"I'm counting on you, Gamaken. We need to stop one Tailed Beast!"
"I'm clumsy, but I'll do my best."
Gamaken, a toad from Mount Myōboku and brother to Gamahiro and Gamabunta, wasn't as sharp as the others, but he was powerful and favored defense. Wielding his steel fork, he stared at the two Tailed Beasts in the distance.
Katsuyu joined them, though Tsunade herself didn't appear atop her. After all, her primary role was to command and heal; she wouldn't enter the first wave.
"Hmph!"
Without hesitation, the two Tailed Beasts, having suffered too many setbacks, immediately began gathering Tailed Beast Balls. Terrifying chakra surged into the air.
Seeing this, Jiraiya's face twitched.
"Damn it, that's not fair! They're starting with Tailed Beast Balls?!"
"Minato! Hurry!"
Even with Gamaken's incredible defense, Jiraiya doubted they could withstand two blasts. The power of those things was insane.
Minato didn't disappoint. Just as the Tailed Beast Ball was about to be completed, the Four-Tails vanished in a flash. Only the Five-Tails remained, continuing to charge up.
"Nice! Good job, Minato!"
"Gamaken! We'll block that one!"
With one ball down, Jiraiya's confidence surged! He didn't mind taking a hit—after all, Tsunade was here. And if he got injured, well... ahem, not the time for that.
Focus on the battle.
Suddenly, Jiraiya's vision warped—then, a violent jolt.
"Whoa! What did I land on?"
Boom!
Gamaken's dopey voice and a heavy crash sounded at the same time.
"Hehehehehe..."
Amid sinister laughter, Jiraiya took in the scene. He and Gamaken had fallen from the sky, smashing straight onto the Five-Tails.
Gamaken, one of Mount Myōboku's biggest toads, had given the beast a full-on body slam. The Five-Tails was slammed into the dirt, hard.
"Bastards!"
Its Tailed Beast Ball was seconds from launching—only to be crushed beneath Gamaken's rear.
"Kazuyama! You punk!"
"Gamaken-san! Attack!"
Jiraiya was fuming, but he had to admit—it was brilliant. They interrupted the Tailed Beast Ball and landed a clean hit.
Gamaken swung his steel fork with all his might, striking Five-Tails in the head. Jiraiya followed with a Great Flame Bullet.
[Ding! Detected host using Jiraiya and Gamaken to ambush Five-Tails Kokuō. Surprise toad cavalry strikes from the sky, infuriating Five-Tails to the max and scaring Jiraiya witless. Dual impact highly effective!]
[Ding! Special Reward: Kenjutsu! Ittō-ryū: Cowardly Lion!]
Kazuyama was completely dumbfounded. Ittō-ryū? Shishi Sonson? Wasn't that from some green-haired swordsman's moveset?
[Ding! Host, you're overthinking it. Please check your technique's name: Ittō-ryū, Cowardly Lion! Not Lion's Song!]
As for the effect... please try it out yourself.
Kazuyama was left in a daze. Cowardly Lion? What the hell is that? Just how cowardly did he have to be to get rewards like this? Why are all his rewards such crap?
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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