Naruto: Promotion is my Ninja Way

"Help me!"

"Somebody help me, please!"

"Ahhhhh!"

Killer Bee looked desperately at the approaching Cloud ninja and shouted frantically, the continuous agony coursing through his body nearly causing his spirit to completely collapse under the strain.

As the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Killer Bee was extremely well-known among all Cloud ninja. After all, he regularly caused various disturbances throughout the Hidden Cloud Village - holding impromptu rap concerts in the middle of busy streets, practicing his swordsmanship in inappropriate places, and then, without fail, getting thoroughly beaten up by the Fourth Raikage for his antics.

Such scenes had become a familiar sight over the years.

Killer Bee, who was so incredibly high-profile and passionate about his rap music, was truly one of a kind in the Hidden Cloud Village. Because of this, every Cloud ninja immediately recognized that the battered, beggar-like figure who had appeared on their battlefield was actually their own Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!

But how had the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki ended up here, in the middle of their war zone?

Had both Jinchuriki been deployed for this conflict?

Who could possibly be powerful enough to hunt down Killer Bee and leave him in such a desperate state?

A flood of urgent questions raced through the minds of every Cloud ninja present, but there was no time to seek answers now.

Even though this war had become a complete disaster for their forces, they absolutely could not afford to lose their Jinchuriki. The Cloud ninja immediately began moving toward Killer Bee's position, determined to cover his retreat at any cost.

At this critical moment, the outcome of the entire war had become secondary. What truly mattered now was protecting Killer Bee from whatever terrifying pursuer had driven him to this state!

"It's Master Killer Bee!"

"Killer Bee, over here!"

"Charge forward! Stop those Konoha dogs! Nothing can be allowed to happen to our Jinchuriki!"

"Killer Bee-sama, run for safety!"

Toshiro, who had been standing on higher ground commanding the overall battle, felt his scalp prickle with dread the instant he saw Killer Bee suddenly appear in the center of the active battlefield!

Why was Killer Bee here? What had gone so terribly wrong with their mission?

"Everyone move out! Immediately! Bring Killer Bee back safely!"

"Move faster!"

The field commander would never permit anything to happen to Killer Bee, no matter what the cost!

Losing this war would be embarrassing and costly, but ultimately survivable.

However, if anything tragic happened to their Jinchuriki under his command, all of Toshiro's lifelong honor and reputation would be completely destroyed. The only honorable path left would be ritual suicide to atone for such a catastrophic failure!

There was no time for proper formation or careful tactics now. No one cared about potential casualties anymore. Every single Cloud ninja charged forward with desperate determination!

Even Toshiro himself, the supreme commander on the front lines, abandoned his command post and joined the desperate charge!

The Cloud forces began surging forward like an unstoppable tidal wave of humanity.

However, their target wasn't the Konoha forces they had been fighting all night. Instead, they were rushing toward Killer Bee's location with single-minded focus.

Killer Bee forced himself to tap into his remaining strength reserves and pushed his battered body to move even faster. In the blink of an eye, he managed to race past the Cloud ninja who were coming to support him.

"Go! Don't look back!"

"Protect Master Killer Bee at all costs!"

"Whoever is chasing him, kill them!"

Killer Bee looked back at the Cloud ninja who were rushing toward Shihouin Naraku without any regard for their own lives, all for the sake of protecting him. Although his heart ached with guilt and gratitude, he resolutely continued his retreat toward the main body of Cloud forces.

Shihouin Naraku, who had been pursuing Killer Bee relentlessly throughout their chase, was still in excellent physical condition. After all, Kurikara was constantly helping him recover both consumed chakra and physical stamina during their running battle.

Looking at the large number of Cloud ninja rushing toward him with suicidal determination, Naraku gripped Kurikara tightly in his hands. Flames exploded beneath his feet as he dramatically increased his speed once again. In an instant, he entered an ultra-high combat state and crashed into the Cloud army like a human cannonball.

"BOOM!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Ahhhhh!"

"Where is he? Where did he go?"

"Where's the enemy?"

Shihouin Naraku moved like a swimming black dragon, weaving effortlessly between the Cloud ninja formations. Every swing of Kurikara claimed another life with deadly precision.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM!"

Instantaneous Fire Style jutsu exploded throughout the crowd, sending one Cloud ninja after another flying through the air before they crashed back down to the unforgiving ground.

Shihouin Naraku used his overwhelming strength and fearless courage to strike terror into the hearts of many Cloud ninja, causing them to hesitate and falter in their attacks.

Everything was happening so incredibly fast that the Konoha forces, who had been fighting all through the long night, had already come to a tacit agreement with the Cloud ninja to pause hostilities and prepare to resume fighting at dawn.

But just as the Konoha ninja were about to withdraw for some much-needed rest, they witnessed this explosive new development.

"Turn around! It's Lord Naraku!"

"Don't retreat! Keep attacking! Lord Naraku is fighting alongside us!"

"Run faster, before those Cloud bastards can surround Lord Naraku!"

"Speed up! Move faster!"

The Konoha forces, who had been looking forward to a brief respite, had barely caught their breath when they discovered that the person being surrounded by enemies in the center of the battlefield was actually their own supreme field commander. Without hesitation, they immediately turned around and rushed back into the fray.

"What? Naraku is here?"

Nara Shikaku squinted through the darkness, trying to see clearly. It was the darkest moment before dawn, making it difficult to make out exactly what was happening in the center of the chaotic battlefield.

"It's definitely Lord Naraku!"

"That's him, no doubt about it!"

Hyuga Hiashi and Yamanaka Inoichi spoke simultaneously, their voices filled with certainty.

Hiashi relied on his powerful Byakugan to see through the darkness, while Inoichi used his exceptional sensory abilities to confirm Shihouin Naraku's distinctive chakra signature.

"This is completely different from our original battle plan," Nara Shikaku said with a frown. This unexpected development hadn't been part of their carefully laid strategy, but he immediately understood the implications. If their commander was fighting on the front lines, how could they possibly stand back and watch?

"Our Supreme Commander is in battle!"

"All Konoha forces!"

"CHARGE!"

The Konoha ninja poured forward like a devastating flood breaking through a dam.

Because the Cloud ninja forces were focused entirely on attacking Shihouin Naraku, and because of Naraku's deliberate tactical maneuvering, the Cloud troops were actually positioned with their flanks exposed toward the Konoha side.

The charging Konoha forces struck like a raging torrent, instantly cutting through the Cloud formation and dividing their army into two separate, isolated parts.

After Shihouin Naraku joined forces with the main Konoha army, they quickly destroyed one portion of the divided Cloud forces, then turned their combined might against the remaining Cloud ninja.

The Cloud forces, who had already achieved their primary objective of rescuing Killer Bee and felt some relief, naturally couldn't withstand such a fierce and coordinated assault. They were defeated almost instantly.

Just like that, with one side pursuing and the other desperately fleeing, the Konoha forces led by Naraku completely drove the Cloud ninja out of the Land of Hot Water.

The momentum of their victory was so great that they even scattered the border defense troops of the Land of Lightning in one decisive sweep, occupying a significant portion of Lightning Country territory!

It was only at this point that Shihouin Naraku finally ordered his victorious troops to halt their advance.

Breaking through and occupying the border of the Land of Lightning was a rather unexpected development that no one had planned for.

Shihouin Naraku immediately sent urgent intelligence reports back to Konohagakure, informing the village leadership of this dramatic turn of events.

Strategic Planning Session

In the temporary command center, Shihouin Naraku, Nara Shikaku, and the other staff officers were working frantically to address countless urgent matters.

There were so many critical preparations that the Konoha forces needed to complete before the Land of Lightning could organize an effective response to their unexpected invasion.

"Let's distribute our frontline bases according to this pattern," Naraku said, pointing at various locations on the detailed map spread before them. "We're going to face an extremely violent reaction from both the Land of Lightning and the Hidden Cloud Village. If we position our forces this way, it will be convenient to provide mutual support when the counterattack comes."

"This deployment makes excellent sense," Nara Shikaku nodded in agreement, studying the proposed positions carefully. "Although it requires more manpower than we might prefer, it's exactly what our situation demands. The main challenge will be maintaining communication between the various bases and keeping them supplied with food and weapons. If we dedicate too many people to these logistics tasks, our frontline strength will suffer."

"That won't be a problem," Naraku replied confidently. "Let's assign these support duties to the Chunin who are experiencing their first major battlefield deployment. The level of combat we're going to face next isn't suitable for inexperienced fighters anyway."

"Excellent idea!" Nara Shikaku agreed, then raised another important concern. "Should we consider moving our field hospital forward into the Land of Hot Water? That way wounded ninja could receive treatment much closer to the action."

Naraku considered this tempting proposal carefully before shaking his head in rejection.

"Although we've successfully occupied the Land of Hot Water, our control has many gaps and weak points throughout the territory.

Ninja warfare is built around infiltration, stealth, and surprise attacks.

If we establish our field hospital in the Land of Hot Water, we'll need to assign large numbers of ninja to guard it constantly, and frankly, we don't have enough personnel for that kind of commitment.

The main field hospital will remain safely in the Land of Fire, but we can establish a temporary treatment facility in the Land of Hot Water.

This forward station will focus primarily on emergency treatment for critically wounded ninja, while those with lighter injuries or who are in recovery will be transferred directly to the rear for comprehensive care."

"Let's implement that plan immediately!"

"Agreed!"

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