The battle raged on, encircling Tsunade at its center.
The Konoha shinobi fought to protect her, while the Kumogakure forces also needed her alive. Their objectives partially aligned, but ultimately, they were at odds—cooperation between them was impossible.
On the other hand, Sasori's goal was far simpler: to kill Tsunade. If the Kumogakure shinobi stayed out of the way, he would've even adjusted his puppet strikes to avoid them altogether.
But after a few failed attempts, Sasori realized that the Kumogakure ninja were far from passive. They constantly interfered, blocking his strikes at critical moments. Losing patience, he unleashed his human puppets without restraint, aiming to wear down everyone on the battlefield.
As the fighting dragged on, pressure mounted on both sides. Sasori's puppets felt no pain, no fatigue—just husks of flesh powered by chakra cores. They never tired, never faltered. But the Konoha and Kumogakure shinobi were human. As their physical and mental strength waned, their coordination began to slip.
Konoha's side was especially strained. Another jōnin had been gravely injured, and their numbers were thinning.
If not for the Hyuga clan's strong defenses and their Byakugan, which allowed them to cover blind spots and reinforce weakened lines, the formation would've collapsed already. They were sacrificing everything just to hold the line.
Still, they clung to a sliver of hope.
They believed that Orochimaru, who had departed not long after them, might arrive soon. His presence could turn the tide.
All of the Konoha shinobi present had witnessed the brutal Battle of Kumogakure firsthand. None of them doubted Orochimaru's strength.
---
"Shisui," Orochimaru said coolly, a faint smile curling his lips, "I told you—we must wait."
Though he smiled, his gaze was ice-cold, sending a chill through those around him.
Moments ago, Shisui had tried to rush to the battlefield, ignoring Orochimaru's command. If Tagorihime hadn't used senjutsu to suppress the area and restrain him in time, they might've been exposed.
Now, Shisui's feet were bound to the earth, fixed in place by her jutsu. Yet his eyes never wavered as he faced Orochimaru.
"If we don't act now, Kakashi and the others will die."
During the battle with Kumogakure years ago, Kakashi had saved Shisui's life. There was no way he could just stand by and watch him die now.
Yes, there was personal debt—but at the core, Shisui simply could not accept Orochimaru's cold strategy. Sacrificing his comrades to let the enemy weaken each other? That was unthinkable.
To Orochimaru, it might be a clever move—"the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind"—but Kakashi and the others weren't pawns. They were living people. Comrades. Friends.
The other three jōnin felt the same, even if they didn't voice it as directly as Shisui.
"You're still young," Orochimaru said with a slight shake of his head, seeing the conviction in Shisui's eyes. "You think the world is simple—but it's not."
In Orochimaru's mind, Tsunade was the only one that needed protecting. If Kakashi and the others died while the bounty hunters and the Eight-Tails jinchūriki fought it out, it would technically save him the trouble of dealing with them.
But this time, that wasn't his intention.
The real reason he hadn't made a move yet was because something about this situation felt wrong. The battle hadn't gone the way he anticipated. Too many variables. Too many unanswered questions.
And most glaring of all?
Shizune Kato had been completely overlooked.
The two S-rank rebels, Sasori and Kakazu, had come with a single purpose: to take Tsunade's life. After learning of her blood phobia, it seemed that the Shizune was unnecessary. But why was Kumogakure involved in this?
Did they really think Tsunade could be coerced into healing the Fourth Raikage simply by exploiting her fear of blood?
Even if Tsunade were cured, with no leverage left in her hands, didn't they fear the possibility of both her and the Raikage dying together?
Orochimaru found it hard to believe that Kumogakure hadn't considered this—especially since the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, seemed far from ignorant.
Orochimaru had already observed that while Killer Bee appeared brash and reckless, he was actually quite meticulous and aware of his surroundings. This was evident in their previous battle.
Moreover, in the current melee, Killer Bee's strength seemed questionable.
Though he had single-handedly halted the S-rank rebel Kakuzu and caused considerable disruption to Sasori by forcing him to defend with the Third Kazekage puppet, something felt off.
Kakashi and the others could hold on a bit longer, and Orochimaru was confident he could save them when the time came.
---
From Shisui's perspective, the injuries were serious, but not debilitating. To him, it was no worse than stubbing a toe on a table—painful, yes, but far from life-threatening.
Orochimaru glanced briefly at Shisui, but his gaze quickly shifted away. He had no time to worry about that now. His priority was to assess the situation more clearly.
However, the battlefield was anything but predictable. The situation was rapidly changing again.
---
Back in the Konoha ninja team, another jōnin had been struck by the puppet senbon, his body bruised and poisoned. He collapsed, unable to fight any longer.
Unlike Kumogakure, Konoha shinobi weren't as adept at lightning-based techniques. They had to rely on ninjutsu and physical combat against the human puppets.
In an instant, Hyuga Hizashi, using his Byakugan, spun in a defensive arc, creating a protective circle. The force was so intense that all enemies within range—senbon, kunai, and puppets—were knocked back, creating a temporary gap in the battlefield.
But while his move had created some breathing room, Hizashi was already fatigued. He couldn't be proud of the result. Though his chakra wasn't entirely depleted, without the support of his comrades, he could only watch as the situation deteriorated.
They couldn't hold on much longer.
Sasori, seeing the opening, knew it was time to escalate. He'd already poisoned one of Konoha's jōnin, and now he unleashed his full strength, sending his human puppets to tie up the Kumogakure shinobi while he focused on wiping out Konoha's forces.
---
Hyuga Hizashi, feeling the pressure mounting, used his "Revolving Heaven" once more, desperately blocking the relentless attack. But inside, he felt despair creeping in.
His technique could only last a few more times, but the puppets showed no signs of tiring—they seemed endless.
Why hasn't Orochimaru-sama arrived yet? Hizashi thought, his mind racing. Neji... this might be it for us.
---
But just as things seemed hopeless, Tsunade, who had remained still until now, suddenly sprang into action.
Her gaze hardened as she scanned the battlefield, determination flashing in her eyes. Without hesitation, she raised her two index fingers and inserted them into her nostrils. Blood poured out, but it wasn't enough—this was just to dull her sense of smell and hearing. The pain was a mere distraction.
From her sleeve, she pulled a row of silver needles and, with a swift motion, drove them into the pressure points of her brain.
The pain was unbearable—like magma flowing through her nervous system.