Outside Kikyō Castle, the Konoha vanguard had already reached the city walls.
Fierce winds carried waves of yellow sand across the barren land, lifting dry earth into the air and slamming it against the towering fortress walls. Beyond the city, Konoha's forces gathered in overwhelming numbers. Elite jonin from the Yamanaka Clan continuously transmitted orders and battlefield updates through the Mind Transmission Jutsu.
On top of the battlements, massive ninja tools stood ready. Every Sunagakure shinobi stationed there tightened their grip on their kunai, tension spreading silently among them.
In most ninja wars, both sides would meet head-on in open terrain, fighting until one side was completely wiped out or forced to surrender. But after Konoha advanced deep into the Land of Wind, the nature of the battlefield had changed.
Sunagakure had taken full advantage of the region's constant sandstorms, constructing tall defensive fortresses reinforced with large-scale ninja tools and puppets. Each stronghold functioned like a smaller version of the Hidden Sand Village itself.
This defensive strategy was the reason Konoha's advance had been so difficult.
A sharp eagle cry suddenly pierced the battlefield.
Moments later, Orochimaru and Tsunade appeared at the front lines.
Orochimaru wore a dark green flak jacket, his long black hair whipping violently in the wind. His usual cold expression remained, yet his presence brought an unexpected sense of stability to the troops.
Beside him, Tsunade stood with her arms crossed. Her golden ponytail, loosely tied, swayed with the wind, giving her a commanding and heroic presence.
With the arrival of the two commanders, the morale of the Konoha shinobi surged.
Today's assault on Kikyō Castle would be different.
Rather than relying on their usual tactics, Konoha adopted a combat approach more similar to Sunagakure's own methods.
Three hundred shinobi were deployed on each flank, charging forward to apply pressure. At the same time, a massive formation behind them revealed something Konoha rarely used in battle, catapults.
Months earlier, under Hayashi's suggestion, Orochimaru had ordered the construction of fifty of these siege weapons.
Each one typically required twenty strong shinobi to operate, launching massive boulders weighing several hundred jin. But now, each catapult was handled by a single towering shinobi wearing clothing marked with the red kanji for food.
They were members of the Akimichi Clan.
In addition, Earth Release users stood nearby to create ammunition, while Fire Release users ignited the boulders, turning them into blazing projectiles.
All the Konoha shinobi holding position watched in anticipation, eyes fixed on the sky as they waited for the first volley.
Someone suddenly shouted, "Konoha will win!"
The cry spread instantly, echoed by dozens, then hundreds of voices.
The first flaming boulder launched into the sky.
It arced high above the battlefield before descending toward Kikyō Castle.
Soon after, dozens more followed, streaking through the air like burning meteors.
The sight stunned many of the Konoha shinobi. It was not that they lacked large-scale weapons, but this level of relentless bombardment was something they had rarely seen.
Orochimaru allowed himself a faint smile. Without Hayashi's earlier suggestion, this tactic might not have been realized so soon.
The flaming boulders crashed against the battlements, smashed into the city, or struck the walls and rolled into the moat below.
The battlefield filled with thunderous impacts and roaring winds. The ground trembled as if the fortress itself were groaning under the assault.
Meanwhile, the six hundred shinobi advancing ahead of the catapults continued their charge, attempting to suppress the defensive fire from the walls.
Kato Dan, a jonin of Konoha, had known about the catapults long before the battle began. He understood their destructive potential better than most.
In his initial judgment, such overwhelming bombardment should have been enough to suppress the enemy completely, allowing Konoha forces to advance without resistance.
But reality proved otherwise.
As he charged forward, casualties appeared constantly around him. Massive kunai launched from the battlements tore through the battlefield. Some shinobi were struck directly, their bodies pierced by weapons over two meters long, pinned to the ground without a chance to move.
Even under heavy bombardment, Sunagakure's defenses remained organized. Their responses were steady, precise, and relentless.
Kato Dan felt a surge of respect. Under Chiyo's command, the defense of Kikyō Castle showed no signs of collapse.
This battle would not end easily.
He glanced toward a familiar figure in the distance, and chakra surged through his hands once more.
After this battle ended, he would finally confess his feelings to Tsunade.
With that thought, he pushed forward, breaking ahead of the formation.
He was not the only one.
Across the battlefield, countless Konoha shinobi fought with their own reasons driving them forward.
And just as many fell.
Some were struck in the chest by massive projectiles, their bodies dragged backward by the force before crashing into comrades behind them. The formation wavered, and those at the front quickly became targets for concentrated attacks from the battlements.
Still, no one stopped.
Ignoring the wounded and the fallen beneath their feet, the Konoha forces continued their advance.
Akimichi Choza roared, signaling the next phase.
The fifty catapults began to move forward, preparing for another round of bombardment. This time, the goal was not to destroy the walls, but to disrupt and divide the enemy forces inside.
Orochimaru listened as Inoichi Yamanaka relayed battlefield data directly into his mind.
Numbers filled his thoughts. Casualties, injuries, losses.
Within just two hours, hundreds had already died.
Orochimaru exhaled quietly and looked ahead.
The Konoha forces had finally reached the effective range for ninjutsu.
At this distance, Sunagakure abandoned their large weapons and switched to standard combat, throwing kunai and unleashing a variety of techniques. Some shinobi even leaped down from the walls to engage directly.
Konoha responded in kind, coordinating their own ninjutsu to maintain pressure.
Earth Release users burrowed underground, attempting to reach the walls and plant explosive tags to break through.
Orochimaru formed hand seals.
Summoning Technique.
A burst of white smoke erupted.
Two massive creatures appeared on the battlefield.
One was Manda, Orochimaru's enormous serpent. The other was a three-headed snake, equally imposing.
At the same time, Tsunade had already activated the Strength of a Hundred Seal, continuously supplying chakra to Katsuyu to support the wounded.
Under Orochimaru's command, the giant snakes moved forward, their massive bodies coiling as they climbed toward the fortress walls.
Their muscles tightened.
A harsh grinding sound echoed across the battlefield.
Then, with a thunderous crash, part of Kikyō Castle's wall collapsed into rubble.