Under Hayashi's guidance, Shukaku finally became his Summoned Beast.
Although the process had been somewhat violent and not exactly suitable for children, compared to how Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama once handled the Nine-Tails, Hayashi's method was far gentler.
He quietly murmured to himself, hoping that kindness would one day be repaid in kind within the shinobi world.
Now that Shukaku was under his control, Konoha could shift fully into an offensive stance. Everyone understood that relying on defense alone would never bring a swift end to war.
At this moment, both internal readiness and external conditions aligned perfectly. The timing was ideal for Konoha to launch a large-scale assault.
After several Jōnin meetings, Hayashi, Sakumo Hatake, Orochimaru, and Shikumo reached a unified decision. They would organize a decisive battle to crush Roshi and Fūga's Iwagakure forces in one overwhelming strike.
War, at its core, was about depleting the enemy's strength until they had no choice but to surrender.
Normally, achieving a decisive victory in large-scale warfare was extremely difficult. However, the situation with Iwagakure was different.
Although they had five thousand ninja, they lacked the strategic depth of the Land of Wind.
Sunagakure could endure multiple defeats and retreat as far as Mount Kikyo without immediately collapsing. Their territory allowed them to absorb losses without deciding the war outright.
Iwagakure did not have that luxury.
While the Land of Earth was vast, their forces were split across two fronts. The deeper Konoha advanced, the more vulnerable Iwagakure's supply lines in the Land of Grass became.
This was precisely why Ōnoki had sent Roshi to intercept Konoha's forces, even attempting to contain the conflict within the Land of Rain. The goal was simple, protect the logistics supporting the Land of Grass front.
Because of this, Roshi and Fūga could not afford to retreat. A defeat here would force their entire front line to withdraw back into the Land of Earth, creating a situation similar to past invasions that had nearly destabilized the region.
That outcome was unacceptable to Ōnoki.
Konoha Year 39, March.
The Land of Earth remained bitterly cold, with frost clinging to the ground before dawn.
Inside a tent at the Konoha encampment, candlelight flickered softly.
A massive blade, Samehada, rested on the table as a young man silently put on his Konoha Jōnin vest.
Outside, a young girl in gray leather armor stood quietly with her hands clasped, patiently waiting.
Elsewhere in the camp, Orochimaru, having stayed awake through the night, closed his research notes and stepped out of his tent.
Sakumo Hatake, already awake, finished a sequence of Hatake Sword Style movements before heading toward the main gate with his White Light Chakra Sabre on his back.
In the medical tent, Nawaki, who had been wandering around for half the night, suddenly stood upright and glanced at Nono, who was carefully wiping a kunai. She adjusted her glasses and gave him a gentle smile.
Each corner of the camp held its own quiet moment before the storm.
Hayashi, as the commander, secured his vest and slung Samehada over his back. He paused briefly before pulling open the tent flap.
The assault on Iwagakure was about to begin, only the first light of dawn remained.
Konoha chose a foggy morning to launch the attack.
Even so, an operation of this scale could not be completely hidden. It did not take long for Iwagakure to react.
Inside their main tent, a ninja rushed in.
"Lord Roshi, Konoha's army has arrived."
Roshi stood fully armored, his purple garments neatly arranged, his hair tied back. His expression remained steady, but his eyes burned with intensity.
"They've come at the right time."
A faint smile appeared on his face. He intended to prove his worth, to show Ōnoki that a Jinchūriki was more than just a weapon.
He was Roshi, not a tool.
"Prepare for battle."
His voice carried a hint of excitement.
"Yes, sir."
As the sky brightened, five thousand Iwagakure ninja surged out of their camp, forming an endless wave.
Among them stood Gari, his spiky yellow hair standing out like an explosion. His gaze was sharp, carrying a restless edge.
As a user of Explosion Release, he had long been regarded as a genius within the village. He once believed his future would lead him to compete for the position of Tsuchikage.
But that confidence had been shattered.
Years ago, during a mission in the Land of Rain, he encountered a young opponent who nearly killed him.
That person had since become known as Konoha's Lightning Flash.
Gari had been only fifteen at the time, already a Jōnin. Without Roshi's timely arrival, he would have died.
Even now, the memory lingered like a scar.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the approaching Konoha forces, searching for that figure.
But he was not there.
A trace of disappointment surfaced. Gari had hoped to settle that score in the chaos of battle.
At that moment, Fūga raised his hand.
The horns of Iwagakure sounded, signaling the start of the battle.
Their forces advanced like a tidal wave, moving from north to south with overwhelming momentum.
The two armies had clashed many times before. There was no need for words now.
Only combat.
Sakumo Hatake stepped forward, his silver hair catching the light.
"Kill."
The Konoha forces echoed him in unison.
"Kill!"
As Iwagakure's main formation advanced, two flanking units of two hundred ninja each moved into position. Specialists in Earth Release, they were prepared to defend against incoming ninjutsu while supporting the central assault.
Fūga narrowed his eyes.
Something felt off.
Hayashi, known as Konoha's Lightning Flash, was always at the front lines. Yet today, he was nowhere to be seen.
Just as the two armies closed in, a small black dot appeared in the sky.
It grew rapidly larger.
Soon, the outline of a massive hawk became visible, descending from above.
Standing atop it was a single figure.
Hayashi.
Fūga frowned.
"Is he attacking alone?"
The distance between the armies was still significant. If Hayashi descended now, he would be surrounded instantly.
The answer came moments later.
Hayashi leaped from the hawk, dropping from the sky like a falling moon.
Mid-air, he formed hand seals.
A dark pattern spread.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive yellow figure descended from above.
Fūga's voice trembled.
"This is…"
Boom!
Shukaku crashed into the Iwagakure formation, shaking the earth violently. Hundreds of ninja were crushed instantly, unable to escape in time.
Hayashi landed firmly atop Shukaku's head.
He spoke quietly.
"Shukaku, Wind Release, Crushing Sands."