For Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade's sudden arrival felt like a double-edged sword—a "chicken rib" of a situation that was as awkward to keep as it was to discard.
Had there been no threat of a Tailed Beast rampage, Tsunade's arrival with the antidote would have been a monumental boon, potentially securing a total victory for Konoha. But with the Five-Tails now running wild, the strategic value of the antidote had plummeted.
Worse yet, without the cure, Hiruzen could have used "lack of medical resources" as a valid excuse to order an immediate withdrawal. Now that the antidote was physically present, if he ordered the abandonment of the poisoned shinobi who were still clinging to life, it would deal a devastating blow to his reputation as Hokage.
The rampaging Five-Tails, of course, had no intention of sympathizing with Hiruzen's dilemma.
After living carefree in the wild for centuries, it had been unceremoniously snatched up by a long-haired man who used Wood Style and stuffed into the belly of a shinobi. Whether its brothers could tolerate such humiliation, the Five-Tails certainly couldn't.
Under the previous layers of suppression, it had been willing to cooperate with its Jinchuriki host just to enjoy a fleeting moment of exercise. But now that it had tasted true freedom, there was no way in hell it was going back into that cramped, suffocating seal.
The massive beast tore through the crowd. Knowing that these "rats" possessed formidable strength and bizarre sealing techniques, it caused just enough chaos to vent its spite before immediately turning to flee. Revenge was tempting, but the allure of freedom was far stronger.
Just as Roushi had feared, the Five-Tails' breakout immediately affected the Four-Tails. Seeing its sibling make a run for it, the red ape felt the same yearning for liberty.
Fortunately, Roushi was far more experienced than Han. Sensing the shift, he immediately began suppressing the beast with everything he had, shouting for the Sealing Corps to assist.
"Body Flicker Jutsu!"
Hanzo, spotting the Four-Tails wavering, wasn't about to let the Hidden Stone regain control so easily. He flickered across the battlefield, diving straight toward the Iwa Sealing Corps.
The Hidden Sand, whom he had contacted previously, still hadn't made a move. Hanzo realized then that he had likely been played by Suna. But at this stage, there was no turning back.
His best strategy now was to ensure the Four-Tails also broke free. By turning the battlefield into a three-way chaotic brawl, he could deal a crippling blow to both Konoha and Iwa, ensuring they wouldn't have the strength to retaliate against the Hidden Rain later. Furthermore, if both beasts escaped, the Hidden Rain's chances of capturing one for themselves would skyrocket.
He had been stiffed by the Sand, failing to achieve his goal of crushing the two great powers in one fell swoop, but capturing a Tailed Beast would be a more than adequate consolation prize.
To pull this off and retreat safely, however, he realized he might need to take a page out of Suna's book of treachery.
With the Five-Tails gone, Ohnoki was naturally frantic, though he felt little regret.
Risk and reward were always two sides of the same coin. Since he had made the gamble, he had the stomach to face the consequences. But seeing Hanzo acting as the opportunist—attacking the Sealing Corps and trying to lay hands on the Four-Tails—made the Tsuchikage's hair stand on end with rage. His nose turned a bright, furious red.
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
In his fury, he didn't hold back, launching a devastating beam of pure light.
The other Iwa shinobi, realizing Hanzo's intent, swarmed the Rain-Grass alliance. Some engaged Hanzo directly, while others threw themselves into the path of incoming attacks, using their bodies as shields to buy precious seconds for the Sealing Corps.
"Lord Third! Intelligence from the village—the Hidden Sand has torn up the treaty. They've launched a fresh invasion through the Land of Rivers. Additionally, the Uchiha guarding the coast report that the Hidden Mist is stirring, sending scout teams to infiltrate and gather intel."
While Hiruzen watched the Five-Tails vanish and the Iwa and Rain forces tear into each other over the Four-Tails—wrestling with whether to intervene and claim some spoils—Minato appeared before him. The young man's face was pale with urgency as he delivered the two pieces of devastating news.
"What?!"
The "Will of Fire" was the last thing on Hiruzen's mind now. If Konoha ceased to exist, the Will of Fire was just smoke.
Suna's shameless betrayal and Kiri's opportunistic movement created a crisis that, if mishandled, could spell the end of the village. Even a "starved camel" like the defeated Suna was a giant compared to minor players like the Rain or Grass.
"Sensei, the situation is critical. It would be best if you returned to the village immediately to take command," Jiraiya suggested, his expression grim as he overheard the report.
"But here..."
"Leave this to us," Orochimaru said, stepping forward with a solemn nod.
However, his eyes kept drifting toward Minato. It was clear that the young man's mastery of the Flying Raijin had sparked a profound—and perhaps dangerous—interest in the Sannin.
"Sensei, Iwa has lost the Five-Tails and they're currently locked in a death match with Hanzo. Unless Ohnoki has truly lost his mind, their priority will shift entirely to recapturing their beast. We only need to maintain a perimeter and monitor them," Jiraiya added, seeing Hiruzen's hesitation.
"Very well. I'm leaving this front in your hands."
Hiruzen finally nodded, looking at his students—the trees that had grown strong enough to support the village—with a mixture of pride and relief.
"However, Ohnoki is as stubborn as they come. There's no guarantee he won't launch an all-out offensive just to settle the score. I'll take the Hokage Guard with me, but I won't strip any more troops from this line."
Hiruzen paused, glancing at the battlefield where his old rival was still trading blows with Hanzo.
"Sensei, Sakumo performed brilliantly against the Sand. Perhaps you should recall him to the village as well," Orochimaru suggested, his gaze landing on Sakumo Hatake, who was currently busy rescuing the wounded.
"Agreed," Jiraiya added. "You should take Sakumo's team as part of your escort. Since Minato has mastered the Flying Raijin, he can always teleport back here to notify us if things take a turn for the worse."
"Yes... that is a sound plan."
Hiruzen looked at Minato, his mind racing. He hadn't expected the boy to actually master the Flying Raijin so quickly. In his heart, Minato's value had just skyrocketed.
He was a talent that needed to be kept close—and groomed carefully.