Thank you guys for reaching the 200 stones, we´re also nearly at the 250. I´m planning to do a big release on my patreon tomorrow, so you´ll have like 80 available ahead of here. If you´re interested, dont forget to join. Starting next week I´m starting a new fanfic and it´s gonna be a much better one, so expect the unexpected. Thank you for all the support and peace for todaay.
"Damn it! There are just too many Cloud Ninja!"
In a damp, dark cave, Kuroda Hiroki tightly bandaged a deep gash on his right arm and slumped heavily against the cavern wall to rest.
Over the past few weeks, the Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Mist had escalated their violent confrontation along the coastline of the Land of the Moon. Both sides were continuously funneling forces into the region, resulting in countless, bloody small-scale assassinations.
To ensure absolute stability in their rear logistics lines, the Cloud Ninja command had dispatched elite hunter-nin to sweep the Land of the Moon and eradicate any hostile rebel forces.
Kuroda Hiroki's loyal rebel companions had all been systematically hunted down and slaughtered. He was the only one who had managed to survive this long, relying on his personal combat strength and his intimate familiarity with the local terrain.
Despite suffering such agonizing hardships, Kuroda Hiroki was not discouraged in the slightest.
An unforgettable, burning hatred for the Cloud Ninja fueled his every breath, providing him with endless motivation. Sitting in the dark, he even began to plan his grand return to power.
A true Ninja World War will break out any day now, and the Cloud will definitely be dragged into the meat grinder, Hiroki thought, his eyes gleaming in the dark. War inevitably breeds chaos, and that chaos will be my perfect opportunity to rise again!
"No, you won't get that chance."
Kiichiro suddenly phased right out of the solid stone wall beside him. Before Hiroki could even twitch, Kiichiro thrust his short sword directly into the rebel leader's heart, twisting the blade violently.
"You... Cloud Ninja... lackey..." Hiroki choked out, blood spilling past his lips.
Watching Kuroda Hiroki die with his eyes wide open in shock, Kiichiro leaned in and whispered softly, "Don't misunderstand. This isn't politics. This is a personal grudge."
Pulling his blade free, Kiichiro felt a massive, invisible weight lift off his shoulders. His parents in this life had been avenged.
"Alright, that's settled," Kiichiro sighed, wiping the blade clean. "Next, I need to keep making money, finalize a location for our secret base, buy laboratory equipment, and start recruiting loyal subordinates. The troublesome chores just never end."
In the 46th year of Konoha, the entire Ninja World was like a barrel of oil sitting over an open flame; everyone knew the spark of war was about to drop.
Based on the escalating border skirmishes, every military analyst predicted that the standoff between the Cloud and the Mist in the Land of the Moon would be the inciting incident that dragged the Great Nations into hell.
However, the reality shocked everyone.
After suffering the catastrophic internal rampage of the One-Tails, Sunagakure had been quietly recovering its strength for months. Operating in absolute secrecy, the Sand Ninja suddenly mobilized a massive army, bypassed the expected fronts, and launched a full-scale surprise raid directly into the Land of Fire.
With a single, blinding strike, the Third Shinobi World War had officially begun.
On the lush border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, a thousand heavily armed Sand Ninja stood in perfect, silent formation, awaiting their orders.
Pakura and Chisuke stood proudly at the very vanguard.
They were the spearhead unit. Pakura acted as the supreme tactical commander, while the perfect One-Tails Jinchuriki, Chisuke, was the ultimate siege weapon leading the charge.
After months of rigorous medical and combat observation, the Third Kazekage had officially confirmed that Chisuke was indeed a flawless Jinchuriki. He was capable of not only maintaining total mental suppression over the beast but also perfectly weaponizing its immense Chakra.
Consequently, with his military confidence fully restored, the Kazekage had immediately persuaded the Daimyo of the Land of Wind to fully fund a preemptive strike against the Land of Fire.
Master and disciple stood side by side. A warm breeze blew through Pakura's hair as she gazed quietly across the border toward the fertile, green expanse of the Land of Rivers.
"The Land of Rivers is currently under Konoha's military control and serves as their primary frontline buffer against us," Pakura stated coldly. "To successfully invade the Land of Fire, we must entirely crush the Konoha garrison forces here with absolute, overwhelming speed. We cannot give them a single moment to send for reinforcements."
Nonsense, Chisuke thought to himself. According to Kyosuke's intel in the dreamscape, Konoha has been bracing for an attack for weeks. They significantly reduced their active missions, recalled Jiraiya, and put their standing army on high alert.
Though Chisuke joked inwardly about the "surprise" element, his face remained deadly serious as he offered his teacher a confident vow.
"Don't worry, Pakura-sensei! I can already maintain a stable Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. I will absolutely crush all obstacles in our path and pave a road of blood for you!"
War was a horrific crucible of death and sorrow, yet it was also the ultimate stage where legends were forged. Both Pakura and Chisuke harbored massive ambitions. They wanted the entire Ninja World to tremble at the sound of their names!
"Move out!" Pakura ordered.
Upon receiving the command, Chisuke charged straight ahead, becoming the razor-sharp arrowhead for the entire Sand army.
"Enemy attack! It's the Sand Ninja! Defend the perimeter!"
"There are too many of them! They're officially starting a war! We must send word back to Konoha!"
There were barely a hundred Konoha border guards stationed at this outpost in the Land of Rivers. They were instantly overwhelmed by the sheer, terrifying volume of the Sand army. Even the messenger hawks released into the sky were systematically shot down by Sand archers, preventing any news from escaping the slaughter.
"Do not slow down! Keep charging!" Pakura roared.
After butchering the outpost, Chisuke didn't allow the army to rest for a single second. He maintained their full-force assault, leading the vanguard straight across the border and plunging directly into the Land of Fire!
Their second obstacle was the primary garrison fortress Konoha had established just inside their borders. This facility housed over two hundred shinobi, including several highly capable Jonin. Their defensive capabilities were vastly superior to the border outpost.
Though heavily outnumbered five-to-one, the Konoha garrison fought with desperate, suicidal bravery, and actually managed to temporarily halt the Sand Ninja's relentless advance at the fortress gates.
"Hmph! A futile, pathetic struggle!"
Seeing the Konoha ninja stubbornly holding the line while Sand casualties gradually ticked upward, Chisuke felt deeply dissatisfied.
This was his grand, theatrical debut on the battlefield. He absolutely had to deliver a flawless, awe-inspiring performance!
"Shukaku! Come out and run wild!"
Countless tons of sand rapidly erupted from Chisuke's body and the surrounding earth, swirling into a massive, towering construct.
A colossal, round body. Pale yellow sand. Deep purple, cursed markings. A massive, spiky tail.
The legendary One-Tails, Shukaku, had officially returned to the Ninja World, materializing right in the center of the battlefield.
"BWAHAHAHA! This Great Lord is finally out!" Shukaku roared, its voice shaking the very earth. "Kill! Kill! Kill! I'll slaughter all of you!"
As soon as it manifested, feeling the rush of combat and its powerful, physical body, the One-Tails laughed with extreme, manic arrogance.
The sand on top of Shukaku's head shifted, parting to reveal Chisuke. The boy's upper torso emerged from the beast's forehead, while his lower body remained perfectly fused with Shukaku's neural network.
Seeing that Shukaku was getting entirely too excited, Chisuke slapped the beast's sandy skull to remind it of the plan.
"Hey, hey! Your targets are the guys wearing the Leaf headbands! Do not step on our own people, or the Kazekage will lock us both back in that dark basement the moment this war is over!"
Shukaku snorted, highly annoyed by the reprimand.
"I know that, you nagging brat! Stop talking and just watch This Great Lord's magnificent performance! Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
Shukaku inhaled sharply, its massive belly expanding, and then spat out a highly compressed, titanic sphere of wind. The invisible cannonball shattered the fortress walls, uprooted ancient trees, and instantly pulverized a dozen Konoha shinobi who couldn't dodge in time.
Seeing this apocalyptic scene, the Sand Ninjas' morale skyrocketed into the stratosphere.
"Glory to the Kazekage! Behold our ultimate weapon, the One-Tails Shukaku!"
"It's unbelievably strong! A casual attack possesses the destructive power of an A-rank Ninjutsu! We are definitely going to win this war!"
"The rumors were true! Lord Chisuke is a perfect Jinchuriki!"
With the monstrous Shukaku acting as the battering ram to shatter the Konoha frontline, the battle became a complete massacre.
Under Pakura's flawless tactical command, the Sand Ninja rapidly expanded their battle lines, sweeping around the flanks to surround and butcher the routing Konoha survivors.
"How... how are we supposed to fight a monster like that..."
A young Konoha ninja dropped to his knees, staring up blankly at the mountain-like Shukaku, tears streaming down his dirt-streaked face. Having entirely lost his will to fight, he was casually crushed into paste by a single, sweeping slap from Shukaku's paw.
Minutes later, thanks to Shukaku's rampage, the fortress was reduced to a smoldering crater. The surrounding landscape was riddled with massive holes, raging fires, and a carpet of corpses.
"Damn it! We can't hold them back! Retreat! Fall back immediately!"
"We have to get word to the Hokage! We need the main army!"
"I'll hold the rear! The rest of you, run!"
The Konoha garrison suffered catastrophic losses. Their defensive line was completely shattered. They broke and fled in all directions, and the Sand Ninja eagerly gave chase, cutting them down as they ran.
"Ignore the stragglers!" Chisuke roared from atop the beast. "Keep following me! Advance! Advance! Advance!"
Having utterly crushed the primary obstacle, and amidst Shukaku's loud complaints about ending the fun too early, Chisuke deactivated the Tailed Beast Mode. Leaving the wounded behind for the medics, he rallied the Sand Ninja who were still in full fighting condition and continued their lightning-fast assault directly toward the heart of Konoha.
This was the absolute duty of the vanguard: break through all obstacles, maintain momentum, and never retreat!
Meanwhile, completely isolated from the horrific bloodshed occurring on the border, Kyosuke was currently sitting comfortably in a bustling Konoha barbecue restaurant.
Today, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, and the rest of their class had officially graduated from the Ninja Academy, and Minato had treated the team to a celebratory meal.
Watching the lively, peaceful scene around the grill, Kyosuke was filled with a strange, heavy emotion.
If the timeline hasn't deviated, the Sand Ninja have likely already breached the Land of Fire by now, Kyosuke thought, taking a sip of tea. The war has officially begun.
In this coming war, the lives of everyone sitting at this table would change irreversibly.
Kyosuke glanced across the table at the loud, obnoxious boy with goggles.
Especially you, Uchiha Obito. Will you still suffer that tragic fate? Will you still become the broken, world-ending villain you were in the anime? I'm honestly really curious to see how this plays out.