As Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Third Raikage closed in on one another at terrifying speed—like two ignited powder kegs hurtling toward collision—the massive tides of shinobi forces behind them crashed together with a thunderous roar.
"First wave—throw!"
From Konoha's ranks, a veteran jōnin commander bellowed.
In an instant, hundreds of genin on the front line raised their arms in unison. Countless kunai shot forward like a reverse swarm of black locusts, tearing through the air with piercing shrieks as they blanketed the advancing Kumogakure vanguard.
Each kunai carried an explosive tag tightly bound to its tail, the fuses hissing as they traced fleeting lines of fire across the sky.
"Scatter! Prepare Lightning Release!"
Kumogakure reacted just as swiftly.
A jōnin at the front barked the command, and their tight formation instantly dispersed as if combed apart.
At the same time, the chūnin and special jōnin in the mid and rear ranks had already completed their hand seals.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!"
Dozens—no, hundreds—of crackling blue lightning spheres and serpentine arcs of electricity surged forward, crashing head-on into the incoming storm of kunai.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
On Konoha's side, towering earthen walls rose in layers, while torrents of water manifested from nothing, forming spinning defensive barriers.
The next moment—
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!!!"
Explosive tags and lightning techniques collided violently in midair and across the front lines, detonating in rapid succession.
The deafening explosions merged into a symphony of destruction.
Flames and shattered lightning scattered wildly as shockwaves hurled dirt and debris into the air. Smoke and fire swallowed the battlefield in an instant, filling the atmosphere with the acrid stench of gunpowder and ozone.
But this—
Was only the beginning.
"Second wave—ninjutsu barrage! Target the enemy's mid-rear formation!"
"Kumogakure brats, taste this! Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Before the first exchange had even settled, the true backbone of both armies—the ninjutsu corps—
Hundreds of chūnin and jōnin unleashed their prepared techniques.
Flames, storms, lightning, and raging torrents—
B- and A-rank ninjutsu surged forward like monstrous rivers of energy, streaking across the darkened sky and crashing down upon the enemy's core formations.
The sunset twisted into grotesque, shifting colors.
The earth trembled beneath relentless detonations.
Blazing bursts illuminated faces—twisted, resolute, or consumed by battle madness.
The violent fluctuations distorted the air itself. Even ordinary kunai and shuriken were deflected or torn apart by the invisible turbulence.
The battlefield had become a merciless grinder.
Every second—
Some techniques were neutralized.
Others broke through defenses, erupting into showers of blood and flesh.
Screams, commands, cries, and the roar of ninjutsu—
Merged into the most primal, brutal symphony of war.
Amid the chaos—
Elite strike teams from both sides moved like poisoned daggers.
Under jōnin command, they exploited every weakness, tearing into flanks and driving toward vital points.
Close combat erupted.
Blades met flesh.
Bones cracked.
Short, stifled screams cut through the chaos.
Sparks from clashing weapons flickered in the smoke-filled dusk like dying stars.
The battle quickly descended into a bloody stalemate.
Konoha shinobi relied on discipline and refined techniques to hold the line against Kumogakure's explosive, lightning-enhanced taijutsu.
The Ino–Shika–Chō formation flashed into action—
Shadow Possession briefly immobilized a charging Kumogakure jōnin, only for the technique to be severed moments later by a lightning-fast strike from the flank.
Hyūga shinobi danced along the battlefield's edge, Gentle Fist sealing chakra pathways—
Yet even they were forced back by Kumogakure's ruthless, injury-for-injury fighting style.
Kumogakure pressed forward like wolves cloaked in lightning.
Blades carved through flesh. Blood sprayed in arcs.
A Konoha chūnin slit an opponent's throat—
Only to be struck in the ribs by a shuriken from the side. He stumbled—then was tackled down by another enemy.
They rolled in the mud—
Until a neck snapped.
A Kumogakure jōnin, wrapped in lightning, cut down two opponents in succession—
Only to be trapped by a Konoha veteran's fire technique.
His legs were bound by a hidden earth-style jutsu—
And in the next instant, he was riddled with kunai.
The ground beneath their feet was no longer earth.
It had become a dark red swamp—
Mixed with flesh, shattered weapons, burning cloth, and charred remains.
Every step risked slipping in blood—or crushing something unrecognizable.
The air grew thick—
Heavy with iron, ash, and the stench of ruptured organs.
In large-scale warfare, formations quickly collapsed into small-unit skirmishes.
Stamina and chakra drained rapidly.
After the initial surge of courage—
Fatigue set in like a creeping tide.
Arms grew heavy.
Hands trembled while forming seals.
Combat devolved—
From technique—
To survival.
Both sides fought with bloodshot eyes, numbed by slaughter.
Enemies blurred together.
Breathing turned ragged.
Many attacks were no longer meant to kill—
Only to buy a moment to breathe.
The battlefield shifted across kilometers.
At times, Konoha advanced.
At others, Kumogakure tore through their lines.
Neither side could secure a decisive breakthrough.
Like two wounded beasts—
Locked in the mud—
Clawing, biting, refusing to yield.