An hour later the group finally reached their destination.
It was the first time Hayashi had ever seen such a majestic canyon.
From his high vantage point, he watched the gorge stretch for several kilometres. The canyon walls were jagged and composed of loose, crumbling rock that would slow even a skilled shinobi's climb. Only a narrow passage wound its way through the canyon, and it had long since been sealed and fortified by Sunagakure. Yunlu Gorge was easy to hold, and difficult to assault, a defender's dream.
If such a place existed on Earth, it might resemble the Wall in the far north, towering and forbidding.
And if fewer than a hundred members of the Night's Watch could hold back a hundred thousand wildlings, then three hundred Sand shinobi defending this gorge did not seem an impossible task.
Once inside the canyon, Hayashi stepped forward with Rasa's written order in hand and smoothly took command of the Sand forces stationed at Yunlu.
"Distribute the shinobi. Each squad should consist of one jonin, two chunin, and three genin. Position yourselves to guard every potential climbing point the Leaf forces might attempt," he instructed.
Standing at the canyon rim, Hayashi gave these orders to the Sand shinobi who were still under his genjutsu. Only a superficial layer of their memories and awareness had been altered, they still moved and acted like they normally would, capable of understanding and obeying straightforward commands.
Once the deployment was complete, Hayashi gazed down into the gorge, feeling a quiet weight in his chest.
"What's troubling you? After talking to that Sand girl, are you feeling sympathetic?" Mikoto asked, standing beside him.
Among the girls in their group, Mikoto was the one who understood Hayashi best. She could tell what he was thinking from a slight shift in his expression.
"No," Hayashi replied softly, eyes fixed on the canyon below, "A shinobi must not be weighed down by sympathy."
That had been the first lesson Orochimaru had ever taught him, and over the years Hayashi, Mikoto, and Nawaki had kept that principle close to their hearts.
Hayashi remembered telling Orochimaru once that he wanted to change everything, even if force was necessary. But force alone would never be enough. Out in the world, there were threats beyond understanding, challenges that could shatter illusions of peace in an instant.
The sun was high in the sky, and under its scorching heat Hayashi felt certain that any reasonable commander from Konohagakure would never choose this hour to attack.
Perhaps decades in the future, someone might, but shinobi from the Second and Third Great Shinobi Wars had endured even harsher conditions. They had lived as true fighters, survivors in every meaning of the word.
And then there was Naruto Uzumaki, the so‑called Child of Prophecy, renowned across the ninja world for his strength yet never once credited with taking a life in combat despite all he had been through. Even dangerous foes like Kakuzu had required formidable efforts to defeat, and foes like Pain and Obito had ultimately abandoned their plans after confronting Naruto's resolve.
Still, preparations had to be made.
The canyon was immense, and controlling only the high ground would not guarantee effective detection of an approaching force. Even with some intel specialists deployed, they needed broader coverage.
Thanks to Hayashi's orders the Sand shinobi scattered quickly. The jonin took up wide patrol routes, using their experience to scan the terrain and react quickly if enemies appeared, while the lower ranks stood ready to call for reinforcement.
"The terrain here is treacherous, any Leaf shinobi trying a direct assault will pay dearly in manpower," one seasoned Sand chunin observed as he spoke with a comrade.
"So… do you think the Leaf Village actually has the strength to attack?" the younger chunin asked.
"They do," the seasoned one nodded, "We are only three hundred strong. If the Leaf are determined to take this position by force, they could succeed."
"But that seems unlikely," he continued, "I've heard that the Third Hokage is wise and compassionate. At least orders that feel like suicide missions never come from their command. In terms of humanity, Konoha has always stood first among the Five Great Shinobi Nations."
"So what will they do then?"
"I'm not their commander, how should I know?" his comrade shrugged.
Just then, the best scout in their ranks called out from a distant rock face.
"Leaf shinobi approaching!"
The shout caused every jonin, chunin, and even the younger genin to fall silent. Some of the genin looked visibly tense, unsure and scared.
"Remain calm," Shinra said, stepping forward to reassure a group of trembling genin. His composed presence was like a balm to their shaken spirits.
Under his steady voice the young shinobi gradually regained their composure.
Shinra moved from one small group to another, soothing fears as though there were no threat at all, displaying the kind of leadership that made others feel safer simply by standing beside him.
Many jonin who had heard of Shinra before could not help but think, Is this calm and gentle man really capable of leading in battle?
There was no time to dwell on it further, and it was undeniable that his composed manner brought order where there had been fear.
They waited, eyes locked on the distant approach of the Leaf forces. Meanwhile, Hayashi's true body had already fallen back far from the canyon with Mikoto for safety. His Shadow Clone remained at the gorge's edge, supervising the positioning of the large ninja weapons.
These devices had been developed by Sunagakure to counter invasions from other ninja forces: revolving barrels that launched windmill‑shuriken, long tubes that unleashed charged fire blasts. Against jonin their impact was limited, but for chunin and genin, they were devastating tools.
If the Leaf forces tried a straight‑on frontal assault the casualties would be enormous.
Despite that, the Leaf shinobi halted their advance about a hundred metres from range, stopping before they came within striking distance.
"Cover your ears," Hayashi said, having dispelled his disguise at last. Mikoto also released her Transformation Jutsu and obeyed, pressing her hands tightly to her ears.
At that moment Hayashi detonated the Intertwining Explosive Tags he had placed among the Sand ninja positions. These forbidden explosive seals, written into the scrolls by the Second Hokage, unleashed their chain reactions of explosions in a violent bloom across the battlefield.
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