Ten days laterNinja Allied Forces
The six great nations, each leading their respective ninja divisions, arrived in grand procession outside the village of Konohagakure.
During this time, Hyuga Gakuya had been anything but idle. Not only had he personally overseen the anti-feudal revolution in the smaller nations, but he had also mobilized ten thousand puppets—an army that had been sitting in storage, gathering dust.
In truth, he had originally prepared a staggering one hundred thousand puppets for this war. But given the current situation, deploying ten thousand was more than enough.
This was the hidden trump card Hyuga Gakuya had been keeping up his sleeve. If his entire plan failed, he wouldn't hesitate to flip the table—crushing the Five Great Nations in one fell swoop.
Thus, aside from the two thousand-strong composite unit made up of ninja and samurai, the most eye-catching presence the Federation brought was this mechanical army of puppets.
On a high platform constructed in the Allied camp, Hyuga Gakuya stood shoulder to shoulder with the Five Kage, gazing solemnly at the thousands of shinobi gradually gathering below.
Their movements were swift and orderly. Tents were being pitched one after another, everything falling into place with mechanical precision.
Over a thousand tents spread across the land like pieces on a chessboard, perfectly spaced. All around, ninja troops moved busily, their figures weaving through the camp in a tense yet efficient flurry of activity.
And yet... the Federation's main forces had yet to appear.
The Raikage's fiery temper was immediately ignited.
His voice boomed as he turned toward Gakuya, clearly losing patience.
"Where the hell is your Federation's army? Still nowhere in sight! Are you trying to mess with us?!"
Hyuga Gakuya remained calm and collected, his voice slow and steady.
"They're almost here. Please, be patient, Raikage-dono."
The Raikage scoffed, his tone sharp with mockery.
"Hmph! I'm calling bullshit. You're stalling for time with empty promises and nonsense!"
Just then, the ground began to tremble—as if a massive, invisible hand had seized the earth and given it a violent shake.
From the distance, a cloud of dust rose high into the sky, turning the horizon into a thick yellow curtain that blotted out the sun.
And then... they appeared.
A colossal puppet army, surging forward like an unstoppable tidal wave.
...
The puppets came in all shapes and sizes, marching in carefully organized units.
Their synchronized steps and seamless coordination made it clear—this was no ragtag bunch of scrap-metal soldiers.
Ten thousand puppets. A number nearly equal to the entire Allied ninja force. The scale was jaw-dropping.
It meant that in a one-on-one scenario, even jōnin would have to cover for genin against multiple puppets at once.
The Five Kage and the gathered shinobi could only stare, dumbfounded. Their faces were etched with disbelief and profound shock.
The puppets marched with unwavering precision, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen. They looked like armored war machines—invincible, unyielding.
Each one emanated a terrifying pressure, as if they were moving fortresses of iron.
Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, couldn't help but marvel silently:
A puppet army of this magnitude… the Federation's strength is beyond imagination. This power… it's terrifying. Just how did they create something so monstrous?
The Mizukage, Mei Terumī, furrowed her brow slightly, her expression solemn.
No wonder they have the confidence to lead this revolution. With such overwhelming power, they're not to be underestimated. We've clearly misjudged the depth of their strength.
Gaara gazed at the sea of puppets, a chill running down his spine.
Thank goodness we're allies. If we were enemies… the Land of Wind might've been devastated beyond repair.
Beside him, Kankurō stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. He stared at the puppet army as countless questions spun in his mind.
How the hell did they pull this off? You can do this with puppets?! What powers them? Don't tell me each one has its own furnace inside? That'd be insane! The energy cost alone would be astronomical… So what the hell is Hyuga Gakuya using? What kind of technology is this?!
Try as he might, he couldn't begin to fathom how these puppets could function so smoothly, let alone on this scale.
...
The regular shinobi among the Allied Forces had already erupted into a storm of voices.
"My god... this is the Federation's power? It's terrifying...!"
One ninja spoke with a trembling voice, unconsciously tightening his grip on his weapon as sweat beaded across his forehead.
"We never even heard of this puppet army before. If we'd ended up their enemy… I don't even want to imagine the outcome!"
Another ninja's eyes were wide with fear, as if already envisioning the brutal clash that could've been.
"Thank heavens we're allies. With this kind of power on our side, maybe—maybe—we have a shot at victory."
A third murmured, eyes glinting with a fragile hope, though that glimmer was laced with deep anxiety about what was still to come.
"I still can't believe it. The Federation was hiding this kind of strength all along. We've been underestimating them from the start…"
One more couldn't help but sigh. Worry and anticipation for the future swirled inside every heart.
Cries of awe and wonder rippled through the Allied Forces. Every face bore a different emotion—but all were united in a deep, instinctive reverence for the Federation's puppet army.
...
Hyuga Gakuya looked over at the Raikage with a faint smile.
"So, Raikage-dono... what do you think of my Federation's forces?"
The Raikage frowned, falling into a brief silence before replying.
"I'll admit... it's impressive. Shocking, even. But on the battlefield, numbers and equipment alone don't guarantee victory."
Gakuya nodded slightly.
"Wise words. But then... what would you say truly does?"
He snapped his fingers.
In response, the massive puppet army began clearing the surrounding terrain in a smooth, disciplined motion—making space and setting up camp for the Federation's reinforcements.
The Five Kage on the platform stared with widened eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Are these really puppets?! Or people wrapped in iron plates?!
But no—there was no sign of life coming from them.
What kind of jutsu is this? Is it even possible for ninjutsu to reach this level?
...
Seeing the suspicion and confusion written across their faces, Hyuga Gakuya smiled and explained casually,
"There's no need to be so shocked. This isn't ninjutsu in the traditional sense. Rather, it's a fusion of advanced technology and ninja principles."
Of course, that was a half-truth at best.
While the Federation was technologically advanced, they hadn't reached the level of building autonomous robots on their own.
No—this was the power of Gakuya's Tenseigan.
----------------
Please check out my new fanfic "Starting as a Roger Pirates Apprentice" with a unique background of MC being an apprentice on Roger's ship. Recommended for reading
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (237 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)