One day earlier.
Tsunade suddenly appeared at the frontlines and personally led a counterattack. In a sweeping campaign, her forces overwhelmed the battlefield, defeating within 24 hours first a 5,000-strong army from the Land of Wind, then an 8,000-strong force from the Land of Earth.
Caught off guard, Wind and Earth suffered heavy losses and could only retreat defensively, pulling their lines back.
Taking advantage of this momentum, Fire Country launched its army toward Amegakure, preparing to seize this strategic location in one decisive push and end the prolonged war.
Realizing Fire's intent, Wind and Earth immediately dispatched all available troops overnight, determined not to let Fire succeed.
Meanwhile, caught between the armies of these three great nations, Amegakure under Hanzo's command fought tooth and nail, refusing to surrender even an inch of land.
Now, the four Great Ninja Villages—Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Amegakure—gathered outside Amegakure, as the final decisive battle was about to begin.
[Whoosh!] The sound of movement cut through the air.
After reading through the intelligence reports, the Ink Master rolled up the large scroll, then instructed Yahiko and Konan to pack up—they were preparing to leave.
"Are we leaving here already?"
Hearing this news suddenly, both felt reluctant.
Those peaceful, meaningful, and happy days were something they'd never known before. They regarded this little cabin by the riverbank as home, having left beautiful memories behind here.
Sensing their feelings, the Ink Master told them, "I'll take the house with us."
As soon as he spoke, right before their astonished eyes, he waved his hand, creating a ripple in space that pulled the cabin into Kamui's space.
Then, unfurling another scroll, he painted a giant ink bird and motioned for Yahiko and Konan to climb onto its back.
He decided to take the two kids straight into the heart of the battlefield. Exposing them to this experience would be a huge boost to their growth.
Several hours later.
The ink bird circled above Amegakure, wings slowly flapping.
"Oh my God, look at all those people!"
Riding atop the bird, Yahiko and Konan wore expressions of awe. Through the heavy rain, they peered down at the battlefield surrounding Amegakure, seeing endless masses of soldiers gathered below.
After being besieged for many days by the forces of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure, Amegakure's troops had been reduced to just 3,000. But though few in number, these remaining ninja were hardened veterans who could each hold their own against ten opponents. Relying on the complex terrain of their village, they used every means possible to defend their homeland to the death.
Outside the village stretched a vast open field.
At either end of this flatland stood opposing forces—the Konoha army numbering forty thousand versus the combined allied forces of Sunagakure and Iwagakure, which totaled eighty thousand strong, double Konoha's numbers.
Thus, the three powers formed a triangular standoff, none making the first move.
The atmosphere on the battlefield was grim and silent, the suffocating tension tightening nerves unbearably.
Under such conditions, even the smallest movement or whisper could become the spark to ignite an all-out war among the three factions.
Just then—
[Screech!]
The still battlefield silence shattered abruptly with a sharp cry from overhead.
The next instant—
[Shwaaap!] [Shwaaap!] [Shwaaap!]
More than one hundred thousand people raised their heads in unison, gazing up at the sky.
In this moment of collective attention, a giant ink bird descended from the heavens. It folded its wings and landed on a tall cliff at the edge of the battlefield.
The view here was excellent, offering an ideal vantage point to observe the entire battlefield up close.
Three figures stepped down from the bird's back.
Leading them was a muscular giant standing nearly two meters tall, with ox horns growing from his head, thick-set features, and a menacingly rugged appearance. By his side walked two children, a boy and a girl around ten years old—seeming like his young apprentices.
What they did next caught everyone completely off guard.
Under the eyes of over a hundred thousand spectators, the trio set up chairs, a table, and even an umbrella, then brought out fruits, drinks, snacks, and other refreshments, making themselves comfortable atop the cliff as if they had come just to enjoy the spectacle.
Seeing this scene unfold, shockwaves rippled through the armies of various ninja villages, triggering widespread murmurs and unrest.
Rain Village faction...
Hanzo stood on the newly constructed city walls, telescope in hand, observing Ink Master's trio for a while before slightly furrowing his brows.
He had absolutely no interest in figuring out the origins or intentions of these unexpected visitors—for him, anyone appearing outside Rain Village was an enemy, no exceptions.
No matter who the enemy might be, he would defend Rain Village with all his strength, living up to his title as Semi-God.
Sand Village faction...
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, had personally led this campaign, surrounded and protected by elders and jonin of Sunagakure like stars encircling the moon.
Over the past few years, Rasa had consolidated his authority, uniting the internal factions of Sunagakure and the entire Land of Wind into a powerful, cohesive force.
Now Rasa had grown a small mustache, appearing far more mature and increasingly resembling a cunning schemer.
"Chiyo, do you recognize this man? Do we have any intelligence on him?"
Noticing the arrival of Ink Master, Rasa casually asked Elder Chiyo beside him.
"I've never seen him before," Chiyo replied with a frown. "He doesn't seem to belong to any of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Perhaps just some arrogant outsider who wandered in without realizing the danger."
To show up and casually watch a battle like this—was he incredibly brave with amazing skill, or simply fearless of death?
"Never mind then, just a clown," Rasa waved his hand dismissively before shifting his gaze back toward Leaf's direction.
Leaf Village faction...
As the most powerful force stationed within the Land of Rain, Leaf's army gathered numerous experts under one banner.
Sakumo Hatake, the Sarutobi clan, the Aburame clan, the Ino–Shika–Cho alliance… apart from these renowned noble shinobi families were rising talents like Minato Namikaze.
At only fifteen years old, Minato had already earned himself the legendary title of Yellow Flash across the Land of Rain battlefield thanks to his peerless Flying Thunder God Technique, successfully executing multiple rescues, ambushes, and enemy eliminations that terrified countless adversaries. He stood out as the single brightest star among Leaf's rising generation.
However, neither Sakumo Hatake nor Minato Namikaze was the actual backbone of Leaf's forty-thousand-strong army.
But a woman.
Tsunade stood alone at the forefront of Konoha's battle line. Her gaze was firm, arms crossed, golden hair flying in the wind—she looked every bit like a goddess of war ready for battle.
"Tsunade-sama, the visitor's identity remains unknown. Should I send someone to make contact and determine their intentions?"
Sakumo Hatake quickly approached and asked for orders.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade cast her eyes past the battlefield toward the distant cliffs.
Huh?
Her eyes narrowed, and surprise flickered across her beautiful face.
Though the OxHorned man concealed his presence extremely well, Tsunade, drawing on the powerful sensory abilities of Sage Transformation, still detected an enormous, bottomless chakra within him.
At that moment, as if sensing Tsunade's gaze, Ink Master far away raised a hand in greeting, seemingly signaling they meant no harm.
"No need to interfere with them for now," Tsunade withdrew her gaze and ordered Sakumo Hatake. "Have the Intelligence Division monitor those three individuals, especially that tall man. Keep watch over his movements. As long as he doesn't involve himself in the conflict or oppose Konoha, it's none of our concern."
"Yes." After receiving the command, Sakumo immediately dispatched personnel to carry out the order.
However,
Not everyone could remain calm in the face of Ink Master's sudden appearance.
In Iwagakure's camp:
Standing before tens of thousands of troops were Tsuchikage Onoki and his son, Kitsuchi. The former stood only four foot three inches tall, while the latter reached seven foot two inches. And yet, they really were father and son.
"Father, that man is the killer we've been hunting for days."
Kitsuchi pointed with a thick finger toward the distant Ink Master, his voice heavy with anger. "Not long ago, this person entered a town under Iwagakure jurisdiction, took away those two youths beside him, and killed one Jonin and six Chunin from our ranks."
"So he's an enemy then?"
Onoki snorted coldly upon hearing this. "Daring to kill Iwagakure ninja and then coming here in mockery—this is clearly treating us with utter contempt. Kitsuchi, take immediate action and capture him!"
"Yes!"
Kitsuchi replied firmly, stepping decisively forward from the ranks. He rushed directly toward where Ink Master and the two youths beside him stood.
Whoosh!
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Kitsuchi alone crossed the wide battlefield, rapidly closing in on the distant cliff.
At this moment, Ink Master also responded.
He stood up, leaped down from the cliff, and despite his towering frame, landed as light as a feather. Then, with swift movements like a hawk taking flight, he charged forward to meet the approaching Kitsuchi head-on.
From above, two figures started from opposite ends and finally converged at the center of the battlefield. About ten paces separated them as both stopped simultaneously, entering a tense standoff.
"Do you know why I'm here looking for you?"
Kitsuchi stared at Ink Master, his voice low and filled with oppressive energy. Though the opponent was tall and imposing, Kitsuchi wasn't intimidated—he loomed twenty centimeters taller and could easily look down at him.
"I do."
Ink Master remained expressionless, simply replying with two words.
"I never wrong innocent people. So let me ask again — was it you who killed our Iwagakure ninja?"
Kitsuchi stared intensely at the Ink Master, asking slowly and clearly.
"Yes."
The Ink Master still answered briefly, but added this time, "They attacked first. I had no choice but to fight back."
But Kitsuchi clearly wasn't buying what the Ink Master said.
At this moment, in such a setting, even if the other party was telling the truth, he would still take this person back to Iwagakure for interrogation before making any judgment.
Therefore, between the two men, there was actually nothing more to be said.
Only fists could speak.
Outside the battlefield, various forces were also watching this battle about to erupt.
People were curious about the Ink Master's background and eager to see just how strong he really was. After all, this was a war zone — showing up with snacks and a seat like you're watching a show was nothing short of an insult to the great ninja villages.
Kitsuchi, as the Tsuchikage's son and Iwagakure's super genius, had gained fame throughout the world of shinobi at a young age. Several years ago, he had even spared young Minato Namikaze during a battle.
Now, he had become the second-in-command of Iwagakure in all but name. People say his ninjutsu could split the earth and shake mountains; those fists wrapped in rock could smash everything blocking his path.
Onoki wore a confident smile, eagerly anticipating his son's performance.
In his opinion, unless a Kage-level expert personally intervened, Kitsuchi was invincible.
Further away from the battlefield.
Danzo Shimura led several Root subordinates hiding in the woods, secretly monitoring activity from Ame Village, unnoticed by anyone.
Danzo's eyes remained fixed on Tsunade. Witnessing how much she was loved and respected by Konoha's ninja filled his eyes with jealousy and irritation.
But at this moment, Danzo was also drawn by strange happenings on the battlefield and turned his gaze toward where Kitsuchi and the Ink Master stood facing each other.
Rustle... rustle...
The rain began falling harder.
Swoosh!
The Ink Master removed the large scroll from his back, spread it open, and quickly extended several octopus-like tentacles from his sleeve, drawing swiftly across the paper to summon several fierce tigers.
Hit first. Hit hard.
"Roar!"
Several ink tigers roared loudly, charging wildly across the surface straight at Kitsuchi.
This novel yet ferocious ninjutsu caused many ninja from different villages to change expressions dramatically, knowing they couldn't withstand such power directly.
"This is the technique that killed our jonin?"
Kitsuchi muttered to himself, then narrowed his eyes and rapidly formed hand seals.
Ka kaka.
A layer of yellowish rock covered half his right arm, instantly thickening his entire arm significantly.
[Earth Release: Rock Fist]. This technique, passed down from Onoki to his son, turned his fist into solid rock, greatly increasing its hardness and weight. It packed unstoppable power.
"Haaah!"
Letting out a sharp cry, rather than dodging the fiercely charging ink tigers, Kitsuchi instead actively rushed forward to meet them head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each punch he threw shook the air itself; the tremendous destructive power exploded the ink tigers on impact, splattering ink everywhere like an ink storm falling to the ground.
It was over in less than ten seconds.
Kitsuchi, like a tyrannosaurus in human form, tore apart those tigers with his bare hands while remaining completely unscathed.
"Nothing special."
Kitsuchi said coldly, raising his fist and stepping slowly toward the Ink Master.
Seeing this, everyone watching from the battlefield's edge wore expressions of disappointment. They had expected an epic battle, only to find it was a one-sided domination.
"Did the Ink Master's jutsu... get countered?" Yahiko and Konan held their breath, nervously watching the battlefield, deeply worried about their teacher.
"He truly is my son," Onoki said proudly, his eyes gleaming with pride and warmth.
"Kitsuchi from Iwagakure is a formidable enemy. We must find a way to eliminate him."
Sakumo Hatake murmured, a glint of coldness flashing through his eyes as he tightened his grip on the White Fang short blade.
"It won't end that easily."
Only Tsunade simply shook her head, clearly skeptical of Kitsuchi's strength.
Indeed.
As the threat approached, the Ink Master stayed composed, already planning his next move. He once again dipped his brush into ink, channeling ten times more chakra-infused ink than before. Instantly, he summoned forth a giant from his painting.
"Roar!"
This black giant pounded its chest and let out a mighty roar toward the sky. After stepping out from the painting, its height rapidly increased to ten meters, resembling a magnificent mountain peak.
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