Under the premise that neither side wanted to fight but neither was willing to give up their gains, the final battle among the three western nations—Wind, Earth, and Fire—began.
And Rinjin happened to be caught up in this battle.
The forces of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru had merged into a larger unit.
On Konoha's side, the ninja forces were being reorganized, restructured, and divided.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were grouped into their own squad, both to maximize their individual strengths and to streamline the allocation of credit for their achievements.
Similarly, Iwagakure began its own reorganization, aiming to push the power of their Earth Release combination techniques to the limit.
Just as the two sides prepared for battle on the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Water, an unexpected third force entered the fray.
The ninja forces of Amegakure, secretly manipulated by Rii and led by Hanzō of the Salamander, arrived to mediate.
At the forefront stood the imposing salamander, while behind Hanzō was a group of red-haired ninjas carrying baskets. This peculiar sight made the Amegakure forces the most eye-catching presence on the battlefield.
As the two opposing sides prepared to clash, the red-haired ninjas began forming hand seals, leaving everyone utterly dumbfounded.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
...
With the repeated chants of this technique, towering waves over a hundred meters high surged along the battlefield's edges.
The next second, the massive waves roared forward, indiscriminately sweeping through the forces of the Wind, Earth, and Fire nations.
In an instant, the entire battlefield descended into chaos, with commanders from all sides scrambling to issue orders.
Iwagakure raised the ground beneath their feet, Suna blew wind against the waves, and Konoha employed a variety of techniques in disarray.
Meanwhile, the Amegakure forces, having unleashed their water techniques, casually slung their arms around each other's shoulders and began retreating across the water in an orderly fashion.
They were merely here to flood the field; as for actual fighting, that was a job for Lord Hanzō of the Salamander.
"Hey, Sixth Brother, have you watched the latest June anime releases?"
"Not yet! Where's the time? We've been busy preparing for war and practicing chakra nature transformations!"
"I've seen them! I've seen them! Evil King True Eye is the best! No arguments!"
"Stop it! My dead memories are suddenly attacking me again!"
...
With these incomprehensible remarks, the red-haired ninjas left just like that!
In the distance, Rinjin, hiding within the Konoha ranks, strained his ears to listen, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Ever since that brat Rii obtained his Rinnegan and started making black rods, the entire vibe of Amegakure had grown increasingly bizarre.
The television, which previously could only show shadow puppet plays, could now inexplicably broadcast anime!
What the heck was Evil King True Eye? A new Kekkei Genkai?
As Rinjin donned his metaphorical mask of pain, the three-way battle finally began.
With the rolling waves beneath their feet, the forces of the Wind, Earth, Fire, and Rain nations plunged into a heated conflict from the very start.
Rinjin, standing far behind the battlefield with his long-lost three disciples, observed the situation carefully.
On the battlefield, countless puppets clattered as they moved, spraying poisoned senbon indiscriminately at enemy ranks.
Ninjutsu of all kinds flooded the scene.
Uchiha ninja squads unleashed massive Great Fireballs against their foes;
Meanwhile, Iwagakure's ninjas worked together to elevate the ground, creating terrain advantageous to their side.
Watching the battlefield ablaze with fire, lightning, and chaos, Rinjin turned to the eager trio of Shikaku, Inoichi, and Chōza, and calmly asked:
"Do you want to give it a try?"
Hearing this, Shikaku and Inoichi nodded in unison.
Although Rinjin-sensei had been absent from the western front for some time, they had not slacked off in their training.
On the contrary, they were willing to do anything as long as it didn't involve sitting back down on tatami mats to study the ABCs.
Thus, under Rinjin's careful guidance, a brand-new Ino-Shika-Chō combination tactic was born.
Seeing the trio nod, Rinjin didn't hesitate to give his approval.
"If you want to go, then go! Back in the day, your senior disciples were also tempered in life-and-death situations!"
Hearing this, the three exchanged a look of excitement before rushing toward the battlefield.
However, they clearly knew their limits, stopping at the edge of the battlefield and using Konoha's forces as cover. The trio began forming hand seals rapidly.
Before long, Chōza Akimichi's body swelled rapidly, growing to the height of a three-story building.
Next, Shikaku Nara, crouching on the ground, formed hand seals as shadows extended from beneath him, climbing onto Chōza's massive form.
Finally, Inoichi Yamanaka placed his hand on the back of Shikaku's head, closing his eyes tightly.
Seeing this, Rinjin couldn't help but grin.
Good kids, have you already grasped my intentions? As expected of the brainy Nara clan!
As he marveled, the trio completed their combination. Shadows tethered the now-giant Chōza, who began rampaging across the battlefield like a human wrecking ball.
Not far away, Shikajō Nara, temporarily serving as the western front's strategist, watched the seamless cooperation of the three youngsters at the battlefield's edge with immense satisfaction.
In less than a year, these three brats had already developed a relatively effective combination tactic?
He had to admit, sending Shikaku and the others to train under Rinjin had been a wise decision!
As both the proud father and teacher watched the trio with gratified smiles, things started to go south.
The first to falter was Shikaku Nara, whose chakra couldn't keep up. He accidentally lost control, sending Chōza flying through the air.
And as luck would have it, Chōza's trajectory led him straight into the heart of the fiercest fighting.
What?!
Did the human yo-yo just go rogue?!
Watching Chōza fly farther and farther away, Inoichi and Shikaku froze, their mouths agape in shock.
Meanwhile, Shikajō Nara smacked his forehead with his palm, inwardly wailing.
How... how am I supposed to explain this to the Akimichi clan head?
I was planning to form a mutually beneficial alliance between our three clans!
But now you've flung their precious son into the heart of the battlefield—how am I supposed to forge any alliance after this?!
This is a disaster!
To make matters worse, with the battle raging intensely, Shikajō had no spare troops to rescue Chōza.
Even if he did, his professional ethics as a strategist wouldn't allow him to prioritize personal matters on the battlefield!
At this point, he might as well strangle his own son and offer him to the Akimichi clan as compensation! Personal agendas were absolutely unacceptable in wartime!
In mid-air, Chōza Akimichi, drained of chakra and heat, reverted to his normal size.
Originally preparing to high-five his two best friends in celebration, he froze as he noticed the carnage below.
Who... who am I?
Where am I?
Since when could I fly???
Even someone as thick-skinned as Chōza realized that things had gone slightly—just slightly—off plan.
As the bloody battlefield below grew closer and closer, Chōza couldn't hold back any longer. His lips quivered, and he burst into tears.
"Da... Dad! Save... me!"
His cries were so pitiful they could move anyone to tears.
Prompted by Chōza's wails, Shikajō, Shikaku, and Inoichi all looked toward Rinjin as if grasping at a lifeline. Their faces turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Only to see Rinjin, crouched in a corner, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds