Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 24 The Army Sets Off

A large crowd gathered in front of the gates of Konoha Village.

But unlike the usual hustle and bustle, the atmosphere at this moment was solemn and dignified.

The First Legion, about to depart for the front lines of the Land of Rain, is making its final assembly here.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and several Chunin under their command who served as support and logistics personnel.

At the very front of the group, three young people with distinct styles attracted everyone's attention.

"Hehe, Tsunade, from today onwards, I'm the commander, so you have to listen to me!"

Jiraiya, dressed in a brand-new combat suit with a huge scroll slung across his back, stood with his hands on his hips, winking at Tsunade with a smug look on his face.

He felt that the Hokage-sensei appointed him as the team leader because he valued his heroic spirit and leadership qualities.

His response was Tsunade's fist, which was already clenched so tightly it was cracking.

"Commander? You idiot?"

A cross appeared on Tsunade's forehead, and her golden ponytail swung angrily. "I'm warning you, Jiraiya, if you dare to act recklessly on the battlefield, I'll be the first to beat you into a pig's head!"

"Oh dear, Tsunade, how can you say that? We're comrades now, we need to stick together!"

Jiraiya grinned and moved closer.

"Get out of here!"

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud and a scream, Jiraiya flew more than ten meters away in a familiar parabola before crashing heavily to the ground.

The ninjas who were seeing him off couldn't help but laugh when they saw this scene.

These two clowns haven't changed a bit even now.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, seemed to have seen nothing, standing alone to the side, silently examining the various bottles and jars in his ninja tool bag.

Those bottles contained his latest research findings: healing potions, nerve-numbing toxins, and experimental products whose effects he himself hadn't fully understood yet.

His golden snake eyes showed no tension about the war, but rather a hint of excitement.

War means a large number of wounded and a large number of special cases.

For him, the battlefield was the best laboratory.

Just as the scene descended into chaos, a figure appeared silently before them.

It's Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He wasn't wearing the heavy Hokage robes, but rather a smart black ninja outfit, with a gentle smile on his face.

"teacher!"

Tsunade and Orochimaru immediately stood at attention and respectfully greeted him.

Jiraiya, who was dazed and confused from the fall, scrambled over, stood at attention, his face bruised and battered, but his expression was unusually serious.

"It seems you did a good job preparing before setting off," Sarutobi Ken said sarcastically, glancing at Jiraiya's miserable state.

Jiraiya scratched his head, chuckled awkwardly, and didn't dare to reply.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept across the faces of the three of them.

Jiraiya is passionate and impulsive, but in crucial moments, he possesses an immense energy that can inspire others.

Tsunade, kind and resilient, will be the team's most reliable shield with her medical ninjutsu and superhuman strength.

Orochimaru, calm and intelligent, his mind and endless stream of mysterious ninjutsu will be the team's sharpest weapon.

Each of them has a fatal flaw, but when they come together, they can unleash unimaginable power.

"I don't have much to say."

Unlike other elders, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't give them any instructions about being careful or making sure they came back alive.

Because he knew that to a ninja, these were all nonsense.

He simply looked at the three disciples in front of him and spoke slowly in a meaningful tone.

"Remember, you are one."

"On the battlefield, the only thing you can unconditionally trust is each other's backs."

After saying that, he turned around and gestured that they could leave.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were all taken aback.

They never expected that the teacher's farewell would be so simple.

But the phrase "you are one" was like a seed, deeply imprinted in the hearts of each of them.

The three of them exchanged a glance, and for the first time, they saw a different emotion in each other's eyes.

"Set off!"

Jiraiya roared and was the first to run out of the village.

Tsunade and Orochimaru followed closely behind.

Their figures quickly disappeared at the end of the road.

……

Several days later, at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

The incessant rain washed the whole world into a hazy gray.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of damp earth and decaying leaves, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

"This awful weather is really annoying."

Jiraiya wiped the rain off his face and said irritably.

They had set up a makeshift camp here and patrolled for several days, but hadn't seen a single enemy.

The entire border was eerily quiet.

This feeling is even more unbearable than directly charging into enemy lines to fight.

"Stop complaining."

While drying her wet clothes with chakra, Tsunade said irritably, "Quietness is what indicates a problem. Do you think this is a picnic?"

"Of course I know it's not a picnic!"

Orochimaru, who had been silent all along, stretched out his pale, slender finger, dipped it in some dirt, smelled it, and then licked it with the tip of his tongue.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

Tsunade looked at him with disgust.

"There are trace amounts of toxins remaining in the soil."

Orochimaru's golden snake eyes narrowed slightly. "Moreover, the flow of chakra in the air is very abnormal. This place is like a spider web that has already been laid out, waiting for us to walk right into it."

Upon hearing the word "poison," both Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions instantly turned serious.

They may not be as strategically as Orochimaru, but they are just as sharp in their combat instincts.

They also sensed that danger lurked in this seemingly peaceful forest.

The oppressive atmosphere caused all three of them to abandon their usual demeanor and cautiously observe their surroundings.

The rain is getting heavier.

Raindrops pattered on the leaves, making a rustling sound that drowned out all other sounds in the forest.

Just then.

Orochimaru, who was scouting ahead, suddenly stopped and abruptly raised one hand.

This was the agreed-upon signal for their team to stop advancing.

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya asked in a low voice.

Orochimaru didn't turn around, but spoke slowly in an extremely cold voice.

Something's up.

"Three teams, twelve people in total."

"They are flanking us from three directions."