The Rain Village garrison base.
A jonin rushed into the command center.
"Hanzō-sama, tonight our troops encountered multiple Konoha Inuzuka squads. They've caused considerable casualties. Most of them were genin, but the number of losses can't be ignored. The full count isn't finished yet, but the estimate is no fewer than four hundred."
"Hmph, how petty. On a battlefield where tens of thousands clash, a mere few hundred people amount to nothing. But since they've made their move, they'll definitely leave behind flaws. Send the infiltration unit. Tomorrow morning, I want to eat breakfast at their base."
Hanzō looked at the scroll in his hand and spoke casually.
"Yes, Hanzō-sama."
After the jonin left, Hanzō stood up and looked toward the pitch-black sky.
"As expected, only by starting a war will you great nations truly consider our opinions. Hmph… the rotten Five Great Nations. One day I'll drag every one of you down."
A breeze passed through, stirring the scroll behind Hanzō.
On it was the symbol of the Stone Village.
...
Half the night had passed.
The Inuzuka squads all returned, bringing back more than three hundred corpses.
The other ninja in the camp sighed in amazement.
"As expected of the Inuzuka clan—over three hundred kills, and they even brought the bodies back. And not a single casualty on their side."
A young Uchiha girl with a one-tomoe Sharingan looked at the Inuzuka clan receiving cheers.
Her eyes were filled with unmistakable envy.
"Alright, stop staring. Tomorrow it'll be our Uchiha clan's turn. But if you still can't learn Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, then even if the Uchiha receive applause tomorrow, it won't have anything to do with you."
Uchiha Kamito said.
"Hmph, mind your own business. A mere C-rank ninjutsu is nothing to me, Uchiha Yumi."
"Oh really? Then we'll be watching our future first female Hokage."
Hearing him mock her dream, Uchiha Yumi's face reddened slightly.
"Cut the nonsense."
Uchiha Raiden chuckled quietly from the side.
Youth really is wonderful. Back then, my wife and I were just like this…
Just as Uchiha Raiden was lost in his nostalgia—
"Raiden, come over here for training. You can't even understand such a simple three-stage strike. I seriously don't get how you people awakened three-tomoe Sharingan. Does the Sharingan not check the brain?"
Ugh. Department Head Kamito is still just as annoying. When I was young, I was far more likable than him.
...
While the Uchiha clan was training hard, at the gathering area of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans,
150 ninja of the Nara clan were carefully listening to Nara Shikaku's battle arrangements.
Fortunately, the Nara clan were all intelligent people. Nara Shikaku only needed to explain things once.
Damn you, Aburame Shiken. If you had something to arrange, why not tell our leader directly? Why drag me, a mere chunin, into this?
Especially when he saw Nara Shikakaku calmly sipping tea beside him, it made him even more irritated.
Damn Shiken, always screwing over his own people.
...
Inside the Konoha command center,
Orochimaru had already listened to Aburame Shiken finish explaining the entire plan.
Yes, yes, but—
"Shiken, your plan… did you forget to mention me?"
What kind of joke is this? Such a large-scale battle mission, and yet the nominal commander of the ninja army—me—isn't even included?
It's not like I'm Sarutobi-sensei…
Wait.
Why did I suddenly think of Sarutobi-sensei?
"How could that be? Orochimaru-sensei, your most important mission is to hold back that Kage-level powerhouse Hanzō. Just think about it—while you keep Hanzō tied down, he'll have to watch his subordinates die one after another, unable to save them even if he wants to. Doesn't that sound delightful?"
Aburame Shiken finally revealed a faint smile.
Delightful…?
Before, Hanzō did the same thing to us.
He blocked me, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, forcing us to watch our companions die in his poison gas.
But if the roles are reversed…
Hanzō, the losses I suffered in the last battle—this time I'll repay them all.
"Not bad. Very organized. Looks like tomorrow we'll finally turn the tide."
"Oh right, Orochimaru-sensei. Quickly have Tsunade-sama restore her chakra. Don't let her keep treating those wounded jonin. Send them back to Konoha. In a large-scale war, individual combat power barely affects the battlefield."
Uchiha Madara: That better be true.
"True. There's only half a night left. If Tsunade doesn't stop soon, she won't be ready for tomorrow's battle."
Orochimaru hurried out to find Tsunade.
At that moment, Inuzuka Ryoha walked in.
"It's done. All the corpses are dumped in that big pit. We even brought back the tails. The damp smell on their bodies nearly suffocated me. And they expect us to track people like that."
"Good. As long as everything goes normally tomorrow, your squad won't have anything to do. If necessary, you can rest for a day."
"This is a battlefield. Where do you think we are? Taking a day off? Give me this position. What if some fish slip through the net?"
"No way. You should circle around to their rear. If you get caught in the blast, that would be a huge loss."
"Damn, is that technique's range really that big? If it can reach here, then I might as well go wander around the Land of Rain and grab some spoils."
"Sure. Bring back some profit. Once war begins. Our funds burn up too fast."
"Leave the money-making to me. I'll definitely come back with overflowing pockets."
The two left the command center together.
Inuzuka Ryoha went back to rest, while Aburame Shiken walked toward the large pit where the bodies had been buried.
Aburame Shikuro was already there.
Dense sealing formulas surrounded the pit.
"How long will it take?"
"Around nine tomorrow morning."
"That's too slow. Can you make it faster?"
"I can, but the duration will be greatly reduced."
"That's fine. This area is still within the territory of the Land of Fire. If it turns into a permanent dead zone, that wouldn't be good."
"Understood. I'll speed it up."
Aburame Shikuro infused chakra into the sealing technique.
Inside the pit, purple insects began multiplying rapidly. Wisps of violet gas slowly rose upward.
"I'll leave it to you. I'm going to check on Shibi."
"No problem."
...
The next day.
Dawn arrived.
The first ray of sunlight shone across the earth.
And immediately, the sounds of battle erupted.
"Kill!"
"For Hanzō-sama—offer your hearts!"
"Kill!"
Three thousand Rain ninja charged toward the Konoha camp.
Another two thousand stood in formation behind them, ready to join the fight at any moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Huge chunks of rock suddenly crashed down into the Rain ninja formation.
Instantly, heavy casualties were inflicted.
"Everyone, evade!"
The commanding jonin carefully observed the scene ahead.
He spotted ten giants, hurling massive stones toward them.
"I-It's Konoha's Akimichi clan! Elite squad, charge with me! Take down those annoying oversized idiots!"
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
...
On Konoha's side,
Nara Shikaku watched the Rain ninja scrambling in panic under the barrage of rocks and smiled.
He turned to Inoichi and Chōza beside him.
"Battlefields are much better like this. Inoichi, Chōza—our old tactics were too primitive. Chōza, your clan excels in frontal combat, but the targets are just too big. Every time you get focused by enemy attacks. Now this is perfect—eight hundred meters away and we hit them first. They can't even touch us."
Akimichi Chōza laughed.
"Shikaku, however you want to fight, we'll follow your lead."
Nara Shikaku could only rub his forehead.
This level of trust… it's really heavy. Dad, did you go through the same thing back then?
"Shikaku, someone's charging at us. Most of them have a lot of chakra—quite a few jonin."
Yamanaka Inoichi said.
"Shikaku, Inoichi, Chōza—leave these people to us."
Hyūga Hiyasu stepped forward.
"Hyūga clan, with me!"