Saigoji Youmu's gaze remained calm as he asked, "How is the battle situation in Konoha?"
Tsunade, arms crossed, nodded.
"Very good. If there are no surprises, we should claim final victory."
But then she hesitated.
"But…."
Saigoji Youmu caught the concern in her expression.
"You're worried about Hanzō of the Salamander?"
Tsunade sighed.
"Yes. His threat is too great."
Saigoji Youmu chuckled.
"Hanzō is strong, no doubt. But even he can't change the situation in the Land of Rain alone."
His eyes swept over Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
"I could take care of him for you, but something tells me you wouldn't want that."
Orochimaru smirked, flicking his tongue across his lips.
"Heh. The so-called 'Demigod of the Ninja World'?" His golden eyes gleamed with hunger. "I've wanted to test myself against him for quite some time."
Jiraiya grinned.
"With the three of us together, we might just pull this off."
Tsunade clenched her fist.
"Yeah. It's not in our nature to back down before a fight."
The three Sannin acknowledged Hanzō's power. But fear? That was something else entirely.
Saigoji Youmu shrugged.
"Since you're all determined, I won't interfere."
After discussing further strategies, the five of them left the village.
The war between Konoha and Amegakure had reached its final phase.
Neither side wanted to prolong the conflict:
Konoha, despite its strength, didn't want to get stuck in the Land of Rain's endless battles.
Hanzō, on the other hand, was already fighting Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure at the same time. He needed Konoha out of the picture to ease the pressure.
Thus, both sides agreed—a decisive battle would determine the outcome.
Most of Konoha's forces had moved two days prior, but Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had remained behind—waiting for Saigoji Youmu.
Now, it was time to rejoin the army.
Konoha Camp—an empty battlefield.
"Sneaky Snake Hand!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Orochimaru's snakes lashed out, but—
Before they could reach their target, an icy blade pressed against his neck.
Surrounding them were the frozen corpses of countless summoned snakes.
Orochimaru sighed.
"As expected of Youmu-kun. I concede."
It had been a week since Saigoji Youmu arrived at the camp. Today, Orochimaru had finally challenged him—and was swiftly defeated.
Saigoji Youmu smirked, lowering his sword.
"You were holding back."
Orochimaru shrugged.
"Some of my jutsu aren't meant for friendly matches."
Many of his strongest techniques were forbidden for a reason—they inflicted severe damage on the user as well.
At this point in time, Orochimaru had not yet fully succumbed to darkness. He had no intention of using those jutsu against a comrade.
Even so, he suspected—
"You held back even more, didn't you?"
Saigoji Youmu said nothing. He only smiled.
Orochimaru sighed.
"Do you want to continue?"
"No." Orochimaru shook his head. "I have a war council with Jiraiya."
"Understood. I'll check on Konan's training with Tsunade."
Click. Click. Click.
With a flick of his wrist, Saigoji Youmu froze the battlefield, encasing the fallen lions in ice before leaving.
Orochimaru watched his back silently.
"...Youmu-kun."
He remained still, deep in thought.
Then, as Saigoji Youmu vanished from sight, Orochimaru whispered:
"I hope we don't become enemies in the future."
Then, his body sank into the earth, disappearing into the shadows.
Elsewhere in the Konoha Camp—
This was where Tsunade lived.
At the moment, she was teaching Konan how to climb trees using chakra control.
"Very good."
She nodded approvingly as Konan easily scaled the tree trunk.
"Come down now."
"Yes, Master Tsunade."
With a light step, Konan leaped from the tree, landing gracefully.
At that moment—
"Konan. Tsunade."
Saigoji Youmu's voice rang through the air.