Spring of Konoha Year 42.
Sunagakure brazenly invaded Amegakure, pulling back the curtain on the Third Great Ninja War.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure followed suit, launching their own offensives against Konoha.
...
Outside Amegakure, Rinjin and Sakumo, who had been about to clock out, stopped in their tracks and gazed toward the village's outer lake.
At the horizon where sky met water, distant roars accompanied rolling yellow sand as they thundered closer.
At the village gate, Sakumo's mind instantly flashed to the first lesson from guard training. Without hesitation, he dove headfirst into the guard station.
Moments later, a piercing, shrill siren wailed across all of Amegakure.
In an instant, countless people either poked their heads out of windows, rushed from their homes, or quickly donned combat gear...
On the top floor of Amegakure's tallest building, Rii stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, her face grave as she stared west toward the Land of Wind.
Behind her, Amegakure's leadership had already assembled—most with red hair.
"Lady First, I suggest we evacuate civilians to the shelters first!"
No sooner had he spoken than a middle-aged woman with dark red hair immediately frowned:
"I disagree!
Our village trains everyone for combat. Concentrating our weaker villagers just makes them sitting ducks if enemies infiltrate!
Lady First, I recommend deploying the Ninth Amegakure Squad—
have them spread throughout the village and prepare for enemy infiltration alongside the civilians!"
Before she could finish, the previous speaker immediately countered:
"You're underestimating the enemy!
We're facing Sunagakure—one of the Five Great Hidden Villages!
Based on intelligence from our scouts, Sunagakure's force requires our absolute best effort!"
As the two argued endlessly, an authoritative voice cut through the room.
"Enough! The sky hasn't fallen yet!
Have the prepared Sixth and Ninth Squads fall back to protect civilians.
My brother didn't establish this village for war, but to protect those worth protecting!
All leadership to the front lines—we go first. If we can't hold them, naturally someone who can will step up!
Civilians are the foundation of everything. We absolutely cannot let enemies raise their blades against non-combatants!"
Her roar echoed through the room. For the first time, this girl who had once been mischievous enough to give Rinjin splitting headaches displayed an incredibly fierce determination.
This opponent wasn't the exhausted Iwagakure from last time, but a well-rested, fully supplied Sunagakure.
Undeniably, even excluding Rinjin—that single-man village destroyer—Amegakure's strength was quite formidable.
But facing veteran powerhouse Sunagakure, their forces still seemed somewhat thin.
Amegakure was no longer the small, fragile village of old, which meant they couldn't call on the Lord Daimyo for every crisis.
This wasn't just Rii's thinking—it was the sentiment of every Amegakure villager.
Since the village's founding, the Lord Daimyo had already sacrificed too much to protect their peace.
Though the timing wasn't ideal, Amegakure had to bare her still-young fangs!
On the towering walls, Rii watched the approaching sandstorm, her eyes blazing with fury.
She'd thought Sunagakure would target Konoha as before.
But the moment they crossed the border from the Land of Wind, these damned wild dogs had unleashed the One-Tail Shukaku.
Their intent to attack Amegakure was crystal clear.
Current Amegakure could easily handle the surrounding smaller nations.
Ten squads, each with over five hundred members.
Even though most were Uzumaki clan members with massive chakra reserves,
facing over ten thousand Sunagakure ninja led by a Tailed Beast still seemed insufficient.
The Tailed Beast itself wasn't the real problem—the Uzumaki clan naturally countered all Tailed Beasts.
But a Tailed Beast coordinating with ninja had the flavor of combined arms warfare.
Sunagakure ninja could effectively prevent Uzumaki from approaching to seal the beast, while the Tailed Beast's power could be fully unleashed.
Ultimate weapons of war were no joke.
Meanwhile, Rinjin squatted ungracefully beside the guard station with his tea mug, showing no tension despite the tense, battle-ready troops moving around him.
With his level of power, numbers meant nothing.
To put it simply:
While others saw the Ten-Tails as the golden crown to Six Paths power, to him it was just a V8 generator.
So-called ninjutsu meant nothing before those rock-hard fists.
Grinning at the approaching sandstorm and the vague silhouette of the giant beast within, Rinjin sipped his tea and muttered quietly:
"My foolish little sister~
Your exam has arrived.
Let's see if you can turn in an answer sheet that satisfies your big brother~"
His expectations weren't high—just some decent resistance would do.
After all, Amegakure had only developed for a few years and couldn't compare to the Five Great Villages.
Outside the towering walls, Amegakure's forces had already formed their battle lines.
Facing a Tailed Beast that could raise sandstorms even over water, no one dared relax.
"Spread out!"
With a clear, commanding female voice, the entire formation quickly dispersed, moving to predetermined positions.
Drawing on the Uzumaki clan's extensive experience dealing with Tailed Beasts, the force rapidly deployed, securing advantageous terrain.
Closer...
Even closer...
The giant beast in the sandstorm revealed its massive form.
An earth-yellow, corpulent body covered in purple curse mark patterns, a spike-filled maw, and two rather cute little ears—
the One-Tail Shukaku.
Directly in front of Shukaku, Rii, Uchiha Kagami, and Hatake Sakumo faced the beast with grim expressions.
Against such a massive creature, Sakumo's options were limited.
But the current Shukaku wasn't that trash-talking beast, but Shukaku in Jinchūriki state.
Because of this, it retained intelligence and could coordinate with surrounding ninja.
Their tactical plan was simple:
Sakumo would handle the fodder guarding Shukaku;
Rii would taunt and tank while providing control;
Kagami would focus on damage output.
With a roar, Rii's entire body blazed with blinding blue lightning as she shot toward Shukaku like a thunderbolt.
Behind and to her sides, Sakumo and Kagami also sprinted across the water's surface, ready to strike.
At the village gate, watching this scene, Rinjin covered his forehead with his hand.
Great, this formation~
He'd originally thought Rii should handle damage, Kagami should pilot his "Gundam" as tank, and Sakumo should play assassin.
But instead, Rii had become the tank.
Well, aside from math problems, this girl was truly invincible.
On the battlefield, combat officially erupted.
Rii charged ahead, her years of Lightning Release Chakra Mode training now displaying unimaginable power. Her lightning-wreathed hands sent a blocking Sunagakure ninja flying a hundred meters with a single slap.
Kumogakure countering Sunagakure was no joke.
Meanwhile, Shukaku's eyes flashed with cunning intelligence as it took a deep breath and slapped its belly.
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
A sharp, piercing sound rang out as an invisible but forceful air projectile shot toward the trio.
On the water's surface, the charging Rii's hands blurred into afterimages.
"Water Release: Syrup Capture Field Cannon!"
In the next second, a massive, visibly viscous water projectile blasted out, directly intercepting the Drilling Air Bullet. Instead of exploding, it actually pushed toward Shukaku's direction.
This...
Sticky Water Release could actually counter Wind Release?
On the battlefield, Amegakure's morale soared instantly, with excited shouts rising from the crowd:
"There it is! Lady First's Street Thug Brawl Ninjutsu, First Form!"
What the hell "street thug"~
Rinjin darkened his face and looked around, ready to find a shovel to dig a hole and bury himself.
Too embarrassing!
However, the battle continued...
Rii never stopped once she started weaving signs—her hands moved so fast only afterimages remained.
"Earth Release: Heavenly Falling Brick!"
With a shout, a pitch-black space suddenly appeared directly above Shukaku.
Then a massive brick covered with symbols like "san," "∞," "%," "S," "∑," "1234" fell from the sky, heavily striking Shukaku's head.
On the battlefield, the troublemaker's commentary rang out again.
"There it is! Lady First's god-tier genjutsu Earth Release that gives you a headache just looking at it!"
Rinjin now had only one thought: drag this unfocused fighter out and hang him from the village walls to dry.
Just as Rinjin was utterly speechless, Kagami, following close behind Rii, suddenly brightened.
Shukaku was huge—while not sluggish to ordinary ninja, in Kagami's Mangekyō, its movements were slow as a crawling snail.
Seizing the moment while Shukaku was stunned by the brick, Kagami's four-bladed windmill Mangekyō spun rapidly.
In the next instant, green chakra enveloped his entire body as Susanoo directly entered its complete form.
He was already a grandfather, and though supported by Hashirama cells, his physical functions were far from their prime.
So a quick victory was the best choice.
The complete green Susanoo appeared, wearing a majestic tengu mask and wielding an enormous lance.
Brandishing the lance, Kagami struck while Shukaku was dazed, the sharp weapon piercing straight into the beast's belly.
Instantly, Shukaku took a heavy hit and toppled backward.
Meanwhile, around Shukaku, Sakumo wielded his short blade like a silver-white beam cutting through space.
He was definitely a Sunagakure-killer on par with the Third Raikage.
The Third Raikage relied on exceptional physique and thick skin, basically ignoring puppets.
But Dog-bro had maxed out agility, able to sever puppet masters' chakra strings while slicing their throats.
Using masterful combinations of taijutsu and ninjutsu Body Flicker, his battlefield mobility, evasion, and killing speed were simply incredible.
Meanwhile, Rii fully embraced the "kick them while they're down" philosophy, rapidly weaving signs while leaping high, her modest chest puffed out proudly.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning."
In the next second, Rii at Shukaku's head level spewed out a large cloud of gray, superheated smoke, instantly enveloping the beast's head.
"There it is! Lady First's..."
The commentator began his timely analysis, but before he could finish, a green flash interrupted him.
Moments later, a red-haired, shifty youth was hanging from Amegakure's city walls.
Watching the troublemaker with his mouth stuffed but still muffled protests, Rinjin clapped his hands irritably:
"I've been putting up with you for way too long!
This is war! War! Show some damn respect!"
The fierce battle continued.
Rii, Kagami, and Sakumo unleashed their power in succession, forcing Shukaku into continuous retreat with pained howls.
At the rear of the distant battlefield, in Sunagakure's command tent:
Ebizō watched the battlefield with a grave expression, anxiety flickering in his eyes.
He'd once advised his sister Chiyo not to attack Amegakure.
Anyone with half a brain knew Amegakure was trouble.
Near the end of the Second Ninja War, this unknown small village had beaten up Iwagakure.
Though Ōnoki had maintained strict information control after Rinjin's rampage, preventing any leaks,
Ebizō still sensed something unusual from Iwagakure's attitude.
Why would Iwagakure sign a peace treaty with Amegakure after simply being driven from Rain Country's borders?
Though the Iwa-Ame peace treaty wasn't public, Ebizō sensed something fishy.
He'd dealt with Ōnoki many times and understood this stubborn old peer quite well.
However, his sister Chiyo, blinded by hatred, wouldn't listen.
Her son and daughter-in-law murdered, their killer brazenly drinking tea and guarding gates at Amegakure—how could she endure it?
Now with her precious grandson missing too, her rationality was completely shattered.
Still, the one thing about this war that satisfied Ebizō was having the famous rising star Rasa as commander.
This genius from the Suna clan had restrained his revenge-obsessed sister and calmly prepared for war.
Just as Ebizō was deep in thought, the battlefield situation suddenly changed.
Chiyo's puppet master corps finally flanked the battlefield.
Purple poison gas spread everywhere, with various toxic hidden weapons filling the sky.
Uzumaki Akina, captain of the Second Sealing Squad blocking the puppet masters, decisively ordered a retreat.
Simultaneously, the First Water Release Squad rotated in, unleashing massive water techniques like they cost nothing.
For Amegakure's Uzumaki ninja, life was more valuable than chakra.
Before chakra ran out, any close combat was brain-dead stupid.
In the rear,
watching the precise, quick-reacting commander
and the disciplined, flexible troops,
Rinjin finally nodded with satisfaction.
"Now that's what I want to see~
What's so interesting about Rii's crappy street thug ninjutsu?"
As he spoke, the battlefield situation gradually shifted.
With large numbers of Sunagakure ninja advancing, their numerical advantage began showing. Many broke through the ninjutsu barrage and charged into Amegakure positions.
Meanwhile, at the battlefield's center, Kagami had blood slowly trickling down his eye.
This forty-year-old veteran was reaching his limit.
Rinjin, constantly monitoring the entire battlefield, naturally saw this scene.
Then Rinjin stood up, his smile gradually fading.
"Finally... is it my turn to take the stage?!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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