Back in Konoha, Hiruzen read the report with a stern expression—the Third Kazekage had died under mysterious circumstances. With Suna already at war with Iwa, and all their borders heavily guarded, the blame inevitably fell on Konoha, a mere observer in the conflict.
Under political pressure, the Fire Daimyo was forced to invest heavily in Suna, pouring millions of Ryo and resources into the embattled village.
In retaliation, Suna declared war on Konoha—but their position was pitiful. They couldn't pass through the buffer nations and were forced to traverse a sliver of the Land of Rain's territory.
The Sand Village mobilized 5,000 shinobi for this offensive, but Hanzo's relentless pressure never ceased. Seeing an opportunity, Hanzo pushed deep into Wind Country's territory, forcing Rasa into a desperate solo stand against Ame's forces.
Now bogged down in guerrilla warfare, Suna had no choice but to withdraw 4,000 troops from the Konoha front—leaving their already precarious war effort in shambles.
Kaji moved like a shadow—his movements nearly impossible to track. Wherever darkness stretched across the vast forest, he emerged, always accelerating.
His current mission was to reinforce Jiraiya and Orochimaru on the Sand's rear flank. Not long ago, the Sand Village had diverted 4,000 troops to the Ame front, but they were still on the move.
Konoha had unleashed its three strongest weapons for this operation. The mission was simple: "Kill if you can, hold if you must. If neither is possible, retreat and wage guerrilla warfare."
Kaji wasn't far now. His seniors had already engaged the enemy army. From a distance, one could see a 30-meter-tall serpent and a 20-meter battle-ready toad, fully armed, cutting through everything in their path.
Orochimaru smiled the entire time, even as the Sand commander hurled empty threats. The reality? 200 Sand-nin had already fallen to the two Konoha elites. And with their summons fighting, their chakra reserves remained untouched.
The Sand shinobi made a calculated move—unleashing a storm of ninjutsu upon Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
The toad reacted instantly, summoning a massive metal umbrella that blocked the entire assault.
But this was all part of the plan.
By the time Jiraiya and Orochimaru looked up, the Sand-nin were already charging—mere seconds away from impact.
Then—
BOOOOOOOM!
A 20-meter-tall shadow Chimera, its back writhing with monstrous tentacles, slaughtered a thousand shinobi in an instant.
Jiraiya sighed in relief. Orochimaru grinned in delight.
The remaining Sand-nin, realizing Yin-release attacks and physical damage had no effect, switched to wind and fire techniques—but on the surface, it seemed useless. The shadow beast showed no signs of weakening, let alone dying.
Shikaji landed beside his older brothers. "Hope I'm not late. You two holding up?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Good timing."
Orochimaru smirked. "Can we send them packing now?"
Kaji nodded.
With that, the two dismissed their summons.
Kaji placed a hand on Orochimaru and Jiraiya's backs—a dark membrane enveloping them.
"This'll protect you from hidden attacks and poison. The Hokage's orders are to force a full retreat—make them abandon the Ame front and leave it to Hanzo."
Orochimaru took the right flank, Jiraiya the center, and Kaji the left.
"Whoever gets the least kills buys drinks and food When we are free again."
Then—Kaji vanished.
A thunderous crash erupted in the heart of the Sand army still fighting the Chimera.
Orochimaru, not wanting to bankrupt himself, moved next.
And Jiraiya—went last.
The left flank of the Sand army trembled as Kaji Nara Sarutobi stepped forward—alone against 3,200 shinobi.
The air itself seemed to darken around him, shadows stretching unnaturally, as if the forest itself bowed to his will. He didn't rush. He didn't flinch. He simply smiled, cracking his knuckles.
"Let's make this quick."
The Left Flank – Kaji's Domain
The Sand-nin hesitated. They had heard the rumors—the Shadow Monarch, the boy who fought like a demon in the dark. But seeing him now, standing so casually before them, some wondered if the stories were exaggerated.
They were wrong.
Kaji's hands flickered in a single seal.
"Shadow Possession: Thousand Threads."
From beneath their feet, tendrils of pure darkness erupted, snaking up legs, torsos, arms—paralyzing hundreds in an instant. Those caught screamed as their own shadows betrayed them, forcing their hands toward their comrades.
Chaos.
Sand shinobi slashed at their own allies, kunai sinking into flesh before they could even process the betrayal. Kaji didn't move. He didn't need to. His shadows were his limbs, his will made manifest.
A jonin roared, breaking free with a Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, scattering the tendrils—but it was too late. Kaji was already upon him.
A single palm strike to the chest.
The man didn't fly back.
He sank—into his own shadow, screaming as it swallowed him whole.
Kaji exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Next."
The Sand forces regrouped, forming a giant sealing array—Sand Binding Prison. The ground beneath Kaji shifted, grains of sand coiling like serpents to trap him.
He smirked.
"You really think sand can hold a shadow?"
His body dissolved into darkness, slipping through their grasp like smoke. He reappeared behind their formation, hands already weaving.
"Shadow Style: Eclipse Fang."
A monstrous wolf of pure shadow burst from the ground, its maw wide enough to swallow ten men whole. It tore through their ranks, its form shifting, reforming each time a Sand-nin tried to strike it down.
But Kaji wasn't done.
He raised a hand.
"Summoning: Razorclaw."
A 5-meter-tall squirrel, its fur streaked with silver and claws gleaming like steel, landed beside him with a thud. It chittered, rubbing its head against Kaji's shoulder affectionately before launching itself into the fray, moving faster than any beast its size should.
Razorclaw wasn't just a summon—it was his first, a companion since childhood. And it fought like a demon.
Claws sheared through armor, tails slammed shinobi into the earth, and its sheer speed made it nearly untouchable.
Kaji watched, arms crossed, as his two forces—the shadow beast and his oldest friend—tore through the Sand's left flank.
The Right Flank – Orochimaru's Playground
Orochimaru laughed as the Sand forces charged him.
"Oh? You think numbers matter?"
His hands moved in a blur.
"Summoning: Triple Rashomon."
Three gigantic demonic gates erupted from the earth, flattening dozens as they rose. The Sand's momentum shattered—literally—as their front lines crashed into the unbreakable barriers.
Orochimaru didn't stop.
He leaped onto the central gate, tongue flicking out in delight as he formed another seal.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serpent."
A hurricane of cutting wind, shaped like a monstrous serpent, ripped through their ranks, severing limbs, shredding flesh.
A Sand jonin, bleeding but defiant, spat fire at him.
Orochimaru caught the flames in his palm, absorbing them with a smirk.
"Cute."
Then—his neck stretched, his jaw unhinging like a snake's, and he sank his fangs into the man's throat.
The jonin collapsed, skin turning purple as venom liquefied his veins.
Orochimaru wiped his mouth, grinning.
"Next."
The Center – Jiraiya's Symphony of Destruction
Jiraiya, meanwhile, was having the time of his life.
"Alright, kiddos! Let's dance!"
He slammed his palms together.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground beneath the Sand army melted, swallowing hundreds into a bottomless bog. Those who struggled only sank faster.
A hail of kunai came at him—but Jiraiya just grinned wider.
"Fire Release: Flame Bomb!"
A sphere of superheated fire detonated mid-air, incinerating the projectiles before they could reach him.
Then—he moved.
A punch sent a Sand chunin flying through three of his allies. A kick shattered ribs. A headbutt knocked out a man twice his size.
Jiraiya wasn't just strong—he was brutal in close combat.
And when the Sand tried to regroup, he clapped his hands again.
"Summoning: Gamahiro!"
The 20-meter battle toad landed with an earthquake-like impact, his massive spiked club already swinging.
CRACK.
An entire squad vanished under the blow.
The Turning Tide
Between Kaji's shadows, Orochimaru's serpents, and Jiraiya's raw power, the Sand army broke.
What had been 4,000 strong was now barely 1,000, scrambling back in full retreat.
Kaji watched them flee, his Chimera dissolving back into darkness.
"That's it?" He sighed. "I was just getting warmed up."
Orochimaru licked blood from his fingers. "Disappointing."
Jiraiya stretched, cracking his neck. "So… who's buying drinks?"
Kaji smirked. "You are."
Jiraiya groaned. "Damn it."
As the last of the Sand forces vanished into the distance, the three stood together—victorious, unstoppable, and utterly bored.
Konoha's message had been sent.
The Sand would not return.
And Hanzo?
He'd have his hands full with what was left of them.