Under the canopy of Tengen's Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees, the thousand-plus trapped Iwa ninjas struggled relentlessly against the attacking trees.
They also had to guard against assaults from Konoha ninjas.
As their numbers dwindled, the Iwa forces fell one by one. What might have been a victory for Iwa, who had committed the bulk of their strength to this battle, crumbled in the face of an unparalleled power.
No amount of cunning schemes or sheer numbers could stand against such terrifying might.
What could possibly stop this force?
The Iwa ninjas, ensnared in the Wood Release forest, were consumed by regret. Perhaps this attack on Konoha was a mistake, a complete and utter mistake.
They should never have come.
None of this had to do with Tengen or the Konoha ninjas.
The battlefield was always cruel, devoid of mercy or joy.
War displaced people, stripped of good or evil. Perhaps that was its ugly truth.
Farther away, Loess stared in stunned disbelief at the vast forest that had appeared in the distance, its edges stretching beyond sight. His initial plan to provide reinforcements faltered at the sight.
This forest wasn't the work of Iwa. It could only be Konoha.
"What… what is this?" The other Iwa ninjas gasped, equally shocked.
"Loess-sama, should we send reinforcements?" One ninja asked, though their remaining forces were sparse. Was support even feasible?
"Reinforcements?" Loess murmured, still fixated on the forest. "Konoha…"
"No need for reinforcements." A familiar voice interrupted as a figure descended from the sky.
"Tsuchikage!" Loess exclaimed, recognizing the floating figure of Ōnoki.
His ability to levitate gave him a clear view of the battlefield.
"Tsuchikage, what is this?" Loess asked, addressing his father formally in front of others.
"What is it?" Ōnoki's voice was grave. "If I'm not mistaken, it's the First Hokage's Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees."
"The First Hokage's Wood Release? How is that possible? Wasn't it said that no one in the Senju clan inherited that power?" Loess said, shocked.
"Could Konoha have been hiding someone like this?" Another Iwa ninja speculated.
"The power of the Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release, how could both reside in Konoha?" Loess said, incredulous.
In their era, Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju had subdued the entire ninja world. Now, both powers had resurfaced in Konoha.
"Besides Tengen, who is this Wood Release user?" One Iwa ninja muttered.
"We'll retreat. The identity of the Wood Release user will likely be revealed soon. For now, we wait." Ōnoki ordered.
"Tsuchikage, what about Rao and Han?" Loess asked.
"They're dealing with Tengen." Ōnoki replied, a troubling thought crossing his mind. "No… it couldn't be…"
"Let's go. Back to the village." Ōnoki said, waving his hand.
"Yes, Tsuchikage." The Iwa ninjas nodded. With such power at play, they lacked the means to rescue their comrades.
Their allies would have to escape on their own.
Thus, Iwa's campaign to crush Konoha ended anticlimactically.
The defeat was devastating. Nearly a thousand Iwa ninjas perished, drastically weakening their village, far worse than the losses suffered by Sunagakure. Moreover, their two tailed beast jinchūriki, Rao and Han, were captured by Konoha.
It was clear: Iwa could do little on this battlefield in the short term.
They needed to lick their wounds and recover from this grievous blow.
Though Konoha had also suffered heavy casualties, their losses paled in comparison to Iwa's.
At the border of the Land of Earth, Konoha established a new, more concealed command post, fortifying their defenses to the utmost.
They had previously detected Iwa's offensive, but the sheer numbers of Iwa ninjas, who ignored Konoha's sentries and pressed forward, overwhelmed them.
It was a strategy reliant on numbers to secure victory.
Yet, all of it was rendered meaningless by Tengen's terrifying power.
At the encampment, the atmosphere was electric, every Konoha ninja buzzing with excitement.
Most of their talk centered on Tengen, his capture of Iwa's two tailed beast jinchūriki, his use of formidable Wood Release techniques.
With the aid of his powerful Wood Release, he had annihilated hundreds, nearly a thousand, Iwa ninjas.
This was a true victory, surpassing even their triumph over Sunagakure.
For Iwagakure, it was a crippling blow.
News of Konoha's battlefield success was sent back to the village. It wouldn't be long before Tengen's feats shook Konoha to its core.
"Tengen-sama is incredible! Not only does he wield the Mangekyō Sharingan, but now he has the First Hokage's Wood Release!"
"Exactly! Wiping out nearly a thousand Iwa ninjas, Konoha has never seen such a victory."
"Maybe Tengen-sama is truly a child of the gods, or even the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths."
"With Tengen-sama, Konoha is blessed."
"With him, we feel so much safer. Tengen-sama is our guardian deity."
Around the encampment, ninjas whispered among themselves, certain this victory would be discussed for a long time.
Inside a tent, Hyūga Hizashi spoke up. "Tengen, that was extraordinary. To think you used such a powerful Wood Release technique."
"Good thing you're on Konoha's side." Yūhi Shinku added.
"You all flatter me. I might get arrogant." Tengen said with a laugh.
"Go ahead and be arrogant. Today, we celebrate!" Yūhi Shinku grinned.
"Tengen, you might just be Konoha's strongest now." Uzumaki Kushina said, smiling.
"Am I?" Tengen replied with a grin.
The celebration began.
***
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