With Shukaku leading the charge, Hayashi tore through the front lines, cutting deep into the heart of the Iwagakure formation.
But once Roshi stepped forward to stabilize the defense, the Konoha forces resumed their advance.
This time, Sakumo led from the very front, charging straight into the enemy ranks like a piercing blade. The moment his White Fang short sword was drawn, his presence became elusive, appearing and disappearing in rapid succession, like lightning flashing through clouds.
Under Sakumo's lead, the Iwagakure forces quickly fell into chaos. Almost no one dared to challenge a man who had already built such a fearsome reputation early in the Second Great Ninja War.
Sakumo moved with steady precision, scanning the battlefield. Wherever his focus landed, a long arc of chakra-infused blade energy followed, cutting through enemies in an instant. The White Fang of Konoha carved a clear path forward.
Orochimaru did not remain in the rear like he had during the Battle of Mount Kikyo. With Shikumo and Shikaku coordinating the battlefield from behind, he personally led several hundred shinobi from another flank.
After advancing a few hundred meters, his pace slowed. He stopped actively hunting enemy shinobi and instead moved forward methodically, his eyes searching.
He was looking for the Iwagakure commander, Fūga.
Konoha already held the advantage in top-tier fighters, so Orochimaru felt no urgency. From time to time, he cast out ninjutsu with casual precision, striking down enemies without breaking stride.
Not far from him, two figures dressed in white and gray moved freely through the battlefield, cutting down opponents with ease.
Himeji, wearing her clan's white attire with her blue hair tied back, moved with remarkable agility. Kunai rained toward her, but her figure slipped through them effortlessly. Her movements were fluid and controlled, almost mesmerizing.
Each time, she infused chakra into her sleeves. As she spun, her Gentle Fist redirected incoming weapons, sending them flying back toward their owners.
The Hyuga clan's taijutsu was not overwhelming in raw power, but it was refined and precise. With each step, Himeji adjusted her posture, her palms striking vital points with pinpoint accuracy. One strike was enough to send an opponent collapsing.
An Iwagakure jonin spotted her and swung his tachi down.
In the next moment, he froze.
No matter how hard he tried, his blade would not descend any further.
Looking down in shock, he saw Sakumo standing lightly on the tip of his weapon.
Before he could react, his vision distorted.
A genjutsu.
To his right, a Konoha shinobi in a gray flak jacket looked at him coldly, her three-tomoe Sharingan slowly spinning.
Mikoto raised her hand slightly.
The tachi's hilt drove forward, piercing straight into the jonin's chest. Using the motion, she leaned back, narrowly avoiding several incoming kunai.
She landed lightly on her feet, her movement controlled and silent. With a flick of her wrist, six kunai shot outward.
Three Iwagakure shinobi behind her were struck before they could react, collapsing instantly.
Behind her, Himeji stepped in.
"Eight Trigrams Scattered Strike."
She deflected several incoming Earth Release attacks, shielding Mikoto.
Standing back to back, the two shared a brief smile.
Himeji then looked toward another Iwagakure jonin, clearly an elite based on his attire. Her expression turned serious as she raised a finger and motioned for him to approach.
The jonin hesitated, glancing at Mikoto behind her before forming hand seals rapidly.
He understood he might not win against both of them, but reinforcements would arrive soon.
Mikoto and Himeji had already noticed the gathering chakra signatures nearby. Still, they remained composed. Even if they could not win outright, their coordination ensured they could withdraw safely.
And they were not alone on this battlefield.
Elsewhere, Nawaki had a far more direct objective.
Unlike the measured coordination of Mikoto and Himeji, Nawaki moved with a singular focus.
His target was clear from the beginning.
Explosion Release user Gari.
Nawaki charged forward without hesitation, ignoring every other enemy in his path. Anyone who tried to stop him was struck down.
Years ago, when Nawaki, Hayashi, and Mikoto first stepped onto the battlefield, they had encountered Gari.
Back then, if Yura had not sacrificed herself, they might not have survived.
Yura had been younger than Nawaki was now. She should have had a future ahead of her, yet her life ended there.
That memory stayed with him.
Even as time passed and her face faded from memory, the desire for revenge only grew stronger.
At ten years old, he had felt something for her, something he could not fully understand. Now, all that remained was a lingering attachment and a need for closure.
Gari, however, did not recognize Nawaki.
He had heard of him, of course. The grandson of the First Hokage, a powerful shinobi who had already built a reputation across multiple battlefields.
But he did not understand why Nawaki pursued him with such intensity.
To him, it made no sense.
Of that past encounter, he only remembered Sakumo. Mikoto and Nawaki had not left an impression, and someone like Yura was long forgotten.
Nawaki closed the distance and drove a kick into Gari's chest before leaping back.
As the space between them widened to several meters, Nawaki formed hand seals. Chakra surged violently around him.
"Water Release, Great Waterfall Technique."
A massive torrent of water appeared instantly, crashing forward like a descending wall.
Gari's eyes narrowed as he took in the scale of the attack.
In a dry region like this, using Water Release already consumed significant chakra. Yet Nawaki's technique rivaled what most water-style specialists could produce near rivers or lakes.
A grin spread across Gari's face.
He had originally planned to face Sakumo, but eliminating the grandson of the First Hokage would be just as satisfying.
Chakra gathered around his arms as white vapor began to rise from his body.
"Explosion Release, Landmine Fist."
At the last possible moment before the waterfall crashed down, Gari stepped forward and threw a powerful punch into the oncoming torrent.