"Kill!"
Steel clanged through dense fog as Uchiha and Senju forces pushed past scattered Genin toward the enemy ahead.
Clink-clink-clink...
Blades struck cleanly where flesh should have been. Instead, metal met metal with every jab to the chest and gut.
At last, the deception stood exposed. These weren't Water Kingdom puppeteers. The illusion shattered in the chaos of combat.
"It's the Bamboo Cutter clan!"
Warning cries came too late for those caught flat-footed. Bone erupted from flesh-long spurs slicing upward through attackers before they could even scream. The Bamboo Clan pressed forward with no hesitation, blood soaking down their armored limbs.
Pfft!
Spikes burst out of their backs and arms, catching anyone within reach. The retaliation was weak-blades bouncing off bone plates dense and slick with chakra-reinforced strength.
Screams mixed with crunching impact. Some of the Konoha ninja chose to detonate their own charges rather than retreat.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
Burst after burst cracked through the mist. Metal clashed... then silence followed. A few had survived-but not many.
Jie jie jie...
Cackling filtered through again from the survivors of the Bamboo Clan, their warped laughter drawing chills from those listening.
No one ran anymore-not after seeing what they were up against. Fear turned into rage fast.
"Bastards! Hiding behind tricks? I'll blow you into pieces!"
Hands reached for seals-but leaders stepped in immediately.
"Stop! Our people are in that fog! You'll kill them too!"
"Tch-damn it!"
Frustration twisted through them until voices rang out from behind.
"All Genin! Listen up!" the Uchiha commander barked. "All Wind, Water, Fire types ninjas, deploy ninjutsu immediately! Thunder and Earth types, hold for emergency use!"
He continued without stopping for breath.
"Burn your chakra if you have to! Just clear this damn fog! Leave fighting to us Uchiha and Senju!"
Orders cut through panic like wire through paper. Genin scrambled into formation by element type and began weaving hand signs.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
Tunnels of water roared forward, clearing space with sheer force. The waves absorbed moisture-heavy mist as they moved-breaking up dense vision blocks long enough for some breathing room to form.
"Fire and Wind-now!"
Wooooosh!
Bursts of heat lit the battlefield. Wind roared behind fire pillars, clearing smoke while casting bright orange hues across the field ahead.
One glance was enough-the enemy filled that gap in staggering numbers.
"Too many..."
It dawned too late on the Uchiha strategist what had just happened. The Bamboo Cutter Clan had served as disposable bait-and the Mist's main force now surged up behind them in full charge formation.
"How did they convince those lunatics to run suicide ops...?"
It didn't matter anymore.
Dozens fell in under five seconds from earlier explosions-but wave after wave crested from behind at deadly speed. They closed distance quicker than shouting orders could spread.
"Shit-!"
More than one Genin turned and tried to retreat instinctively-and slammed into rising earth walls that cut off every exit path.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Slabs of dirt exploded upward, forming make-shift barriers between each advancing side. It wasn't perfect-but it bought seconds at best.
"Over the wall!" came the roar from Mist leadership nearby.
With no wind to push fog back-the Mist nin wore the shadows comfortably. They jumped onto the wall's edge-only to find crimson Sharingan eyes waiting for them at the top.
"We hold this line! Kill them!"
Swords clashed again-screams followed instantly as blood misted from above.
-
Inside the operations tent, Nawaki paced restlessly near maps and dispatch scrolls as bursts of explosions echoed faintly through the fog-sealed canvas walls. Nothing penetrated outside but muffled booms and screams-not chakra-not even sensory techniques could pass through it anymore.
"Hell with this-I'm heading out!"
He was halfway toward the flap when Fugaku's footwork intercepted him immediately.
"Hold it right there."
Nawaki scowled. "I'm not gonna stay here while everyone dies out there!"
Fugaku crossed his arms. "You're commander-in-chief right now, and if you die, it won't matter how good I am or how many plans we have left."
Nawaki shook his head quickly. "You're gonna be Hokage anyway-my life changes nothing-"
Slap!
Fugaku's hand cracked across his cheek hard enough to stagger him sideways. Gasps filled the tent immediately as every head turned their way.
"If you're ready to throw your life away over some self-pitying bullshit-then hear this first: if you die because of that-I won't become Hokage either."
His Sharingan flickered open-red glare burning into Nawaki's eyes as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Understand?"
"...I do..." Nawaki said carefully, rubbing his cheek where it smarted. The slap had worked better than any lecture could've.
Thinking quickly now instead of emotionally, he glanced over toward Kakuzu-Akira's designated bodyguard-and raised his hand toward him instead.
"Uncle Kakuzu, you've fought beside Akira... you must know what kind of plan he'd use out there-"
Boom!
Before he finished, fresh explosions erupted closer than before-followed by multiple tremors that rolled underneath their feet and snuffed every word from his mouth after that point.
Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom-
Nawaki froze in place as realization sank in fast and hard: the front line might have already broken open.
Kakuzu pulled off his robe wordlessly-revealing tight black threads winding over muscular arms and across stitched seams along his limbs and chest. Patchwork flesh squirmed faintly beneath each seam as though preparing itself for battle.
"Stop asking questions." Kakuzu's tone was flat as stone. "I won't be around to babysit anymore."
Black tendrils pushed out from inside him in every direction as chakra flooded his limbs without restraint.
"Earth Grudge Fear."
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