Hokage: Ryo's Path

Sakumo and Jiraya were waiting for Ryo’s arrival. The Sand Ninja have been really provocative on many occasions today. But Sakumo’s camp had no medical team on their side so they could only take those provocations and wait.

As soon as Ryo entered the camp, he was called to Sakumo’s tent.

“Ryo, you’re finally here. We have no time for rekindling. Let’s cut to the chase, what is the status of your medical team?” Sakumo asked.

They are Ok, we’ve had only a few injuries, and they are tired. We encountered a Sand Ninja Squad on the way here, but that’s been dealt with already. We had no casualties.” Ryo briefed Sakumo in on the state of his team.

“Good! Let your men get some good rest tonight, for tomorrow we’ll be facing the Sand.” As soon as Ryo realized that the sand Ninja were in a good condition, he decided to go to battle.

“Were you so worried?” Ryo somehow felt that looking at Sakumo and Jiraya.

“Oh Ryo you have no idea. These days before you came, there have been provocations every day, and occasionally the Sand would send a puppet master attacking us. Without the presence of medical Ninja to detoxify those who were poisoned, we didn’t know if we could win this battle. Morales were low, but now that you guys are here, we must take this battle”

“Is that so? Then Sakumo San, what are your plans?” Ryo asked.

“According to the Intel we have from our Hyuga and Aburame Ninjas, the Sand camp has two strong Kage class fighters. One is the 4th Kazekage, and the other is old master Chiyo. Tomorrow I’ll try to deal with Chiyo and Jiraya will take on the Kazekage.”

“Sakumo San, how about the rest of their troops? Are there no tactics planned?”

“Tomorrow, the battlefield will be the Wind country’s sand desert. We’ll be able to rely on the Hyugas’ Byakugans so we don’t get ambushed, but it won’t be easy to ambush people in their own terrain.” Jiraya answered him.

“You are right Jiraya, and we have to fight tomorrow. We do have your medical team to save our men on the spot. Konoha’s Ninjas’ overall level is superior. As long as we find a way to deal with poisoning, we are bound to win.” Said Sakumo.

Ryo is not good at arguing. The battle tomorrow will surely be fierce.

In the Sand camp, the 4th Kazekage and Chiyo were discussing the plans for tomorrow. While there were the Aburame and the Hyuga clans on Konoha’s side investigating, the sand naturally had their own means of obtaining information.

As soon as Ryo’s team reached the camp, the 4th Kazekage received the news.

He speculated that the medical team is going to follow Jiraya who arrived earlier, on the same route that he took.

Originally, the 4th wanted to use the absence of a medical team to find a way to attack those in the camp and dispose of them by the way of poison, either himself or by the hands of Chiyo, but the Byukugan and the Aburame’s insects were enough to prevent any sudden attacks.

He wanted to avoid a battle in Konoha. He knew that with no terrain advantage, the Sand village doesn’t stand a chance.

There was nothing else for him to do but to harass Konoha’s camp while sending a strong team to ambush the medical squad in order to kills as many as possible of its members.

Seeing that the whole medical team didn’t carry any victims, he realized that the team he sent has failed.

“Rasa, it seems like your plan has failed!” Said Chiyo when learning about the Intel.

“Yes! I suspect that even their medical team had another Kage tier Ninja protecting it!” Said the 4th, with a gloomy face.

“Well, that might be the case indeed. But the ninjas we sent were no Genins. Could the medical team go through unscathed when attacked by 6 Jonins and many Chunins? Maybe they just never caught the medical team at all?!” Chiyo was trying to analyze the situation.

“That’s impossible. Tanaka was on the mission, and he’s one of the best Sensor Ninjas in the whole village.” The 4th rejected Chiyo suggestion.

“Then there is yet another Kage tier Ninja on their side! Who do you think that could be Rasa?”

“It can only be the eldest son of the 3rd Hokage, or maybe this uprising new disciple of Jiraya named Minato Namikaze. I feel it’s the latter!” Said Rasa.

“Minato Namikaze? It that the brat who learned the 2nd Hokage’s Flying thunder god?” Chiyo wasn’t as impressed with Minato, but she knew that he learned such a great technique.

In the early days of the 3rd world war, Minato was not as famous. But when they knew that he had improved the 2nd’s Flying Thunder God, they knew that he was already on the level of a Kage.

“This kid aside, Sakumo Hatake will be mine tomorrow. You deal with Jiraya.” Chiyo was looking for revenge for her son and her daughter in law. She’s been dreaming about this day for years.

“Well, tomorrow the big battle will take place in the desert. I’ll be able to use my Gold Dust technique, and I’m getting better with it. I will not lose!”

Chiyo nodded and left the 4th’s tent.

The next day, Konoha’s camp got busy in the morning, and the atmosphere was really tense. Ninja’s quickly gathered and Ryo’s medical team was on standby.

“Getting off!” With Sakumo’s order, most of Konoha’s Ninjas set foot on the battlefield.

The yellow desert’s sand was in the way blocking their vision. Around Konoha’s army, the Aburame’s insects were hovering, and the Hyuga’s were watching their surroundings with their Byakugans.

“Sakumo Sama, Jiraya Sama! Not too far from us there are many Sand Ninjas!” The Aburame clan members received the warning from their insects and immediately reported it to their leaders.

“Stop! Hyuga Shinobis, look around and see if there is an ambush waiting for us!”

After investigating, the Hyuga members of the squad found no trace of an ambush. Sakumo gave the order to advance until the two forces met in the desert.

“Are you the 4th Kazekage?” When the two sides met each-other, Jiraya asked the red headed Ninja in the lead.

‘’Cut the crap! Sakumo Hatake, DIE!” the 4th Kazekage had no chance to answer, as Chiyo jumped on Sakumo.

But he wasn’t going to be explaining anything either, he also directly attacked Jiraya!

When the commanders started fighting, their troops followed, colliding as well. The 1st battle of the 3rd world war has begun!