At the end of the day, the Sky Ninja Village was merely a mid-tier power. Aside from their flight capabilities and their Aerial Fortresses, the individual strength of their shinobi was significantly inferior to those of the Hidden Leaf.
The moment the Konoha Sannin and a dozen elite Jonin stormed the decks, the countdown to the Sky Ninja's extinction began.
Aoyama Gosho, a Konoha Jonin, used a Substitution log as a stepping stone and deployed a grappling hook to snag a seam in the fortress's underbelly. He hauled himself up, sprinting along the hull until he vaulted onto the main deck.
He had just cleared the railing when a hatch hissed open, and a group of Sky Ninjas poured out. They locked eyes—enemy identified. Without a second of hesitation, they lunged at each other.
Aoyama habitually flicked four shuriken as an opener while drawing the ninja blade from his back. He braced himself for a parry-and-riposte, but then he froze.
All four shuriken hit?
"Izumi-kun!" one of the Sky Ninjas behind him let out a grief-stricken roar, brandishing a pair of jutte as he charged Aoyama.
So slow... and that stance is a mess. Is this a Genin? Aoyama thought.
Despite the confusion in his mind, his hands didn't waver. Parry, block, bind, twist, and finally—thrust. He run the second ninja through the throat, withdrew his blade in a blur, and executed a diagonal kesagiri slash that nearly split the third man in two.
"You bastard, die!" a fourth ninja, dressed in more elaborate gear, began weaving hand signs.
Aoyama dropped his sword and mirrored the seals. When he finished and raised his right hand to aim, he was stunned to find the Sky Ninja was still only halfway through his sequence.
Sky Ninja: How is he so fast!? Aoyama: How is he so slow?
Water Style: Water Pistol Jutsu!
The Sky Ninja's head snapped back as the high-pressure jet struck him, and he slumped to the deck like a discarded sack of flour.
"A Chunin? He didn't even try to dodge the first shot," Aoyama muttered to himself, his hands already blurring through the next set of signs.
More Sky Ninjas surged from the hatch. Seeing their comrade on the ground, they turned pale with horror. "Lord Kagura! An elite Jonin—downed just like that!?"
Aoyama Gosho: "..."
Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
A massive torrent of water erupted from his mouth, washing the cluster of bewildered Sky Ninjas back into the cabin. A few unlucky souls were swept clean off the fortress, plummeting into the dark.
Ever since the conflict began, the Sky Ninja and Konoha had engaged in a "non-contact" style of aerial raiding. This had led to massive misconceptions on both sides.
Until the Leaf actually set foot on the fortresses, the truth hadn't set in.
Sky Ninja: These aren't the Leaf ninjas I heard about! Why are they so strong!? Konoha Ninja: Wait... are the Sky Ninja really this weak?
As Tetsumaru's flying swarm surrounded all three fortresses, the Sky Ninja's morale disintegrated. If they took to the sky, the bugs shot them down. If they stayed on deck, the Leaf Jonin slaughtered them. There was no way out.
Even Tetsumaru was surprised. The various toxic insects he had deemed "obsolete" three years ago were performing with devastating efficiency. Much like when he had first graduated, a tiny dose of neurotoxin was all it took to drop a Sky Ninja.
Once the decks were cleared, the Leaf ninjas encountered a bit of resistance. The interior of the fortresses was narrow and riddled with mechanical traps.
But it was only a "bit" of trouble. While the Sky Ninjas knew the layout and could use the traps, they were even less accustomed to close-quarters indoor combat than the Leaf were. The cramped terrain neutralized their numerical advantage and magnified the gap in individual skill. The casualty ratio between the two sides only grew more lopsided.
"Hey... you still alive?"
The bald commander sat in his command chair, clutching a bulky radio. "Don't play dead. Report in."
"I'm here," a voice crackled back. "The Village Head is dead. I, Zanzanmaru, have taken command."
"Ah... so he's gone ahead of us, then?" The bald commander's voice dropped an octave. "Always was a reckless fool."
The leader of the third fortress interrupted, his voice a low, furious growl. "What do you want? Make it fast—I have to get back to the fight."
"We've lost. I propose we trigger the self-destruct."
Zanzanmaru was outraged. "Why!? If we blow the cores, there's no hope left! If we keep fighting, we might still break through!"
"Impossible. The enemy still has those giant locusts in reserve. They're holding back only because they don't want to hit their own people."
"The moment we try to leave the Leaf ninjas behind and make a run for it, they'll carpet-bomb us. Look at the state of my fortress—you know what that kind of firepower does."
What? Self-destruct? Tetsumaru, listening in via his bugs, panicked. What about my deep-space fleet!?
Suddenly, a new voice broke into their channel.
"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!" it was a Leaf ninja—Tetsumaru himself, broadcasting through a bug near their radio. "The Explosive Flight-Locusts aren't that strong! The damage to your fortress was mostly caused by your own main gun exploding! You can totally make it!"
"We're being bugged! You bastard!!"
The bald commander ignored the intruder and shouted to his peers, "Don't hesitate! If we don't blow them now, our technology falls into the hands of the Leaf! That's the real end of our people!"
The leader of the third fortress understood instantly. The bald commander, like himself, had likely hidden the "seeds" of their civilization elsewhere. The Sky Ninja's only edge was flight and the fortresses; that tech could never belong to Konoha.
"I understand. Farewell."
Zanzanmaru, however, lacked that conviction. "You're insane! All of you! I won't do it! My family is on this ship! Don't even think about—"
"Heh. You don't want to die? That isn't your choice to make."
"Do it!" "Execute!"
After a brief, violent sound of scuffling and blades, a new voice spoke: "Sirs, we have control of the bridge."
"You heard the command. Initiate."
"Yes, sir."
It's over. My deep-space fleet is gone.
"Lord Hokage, did you intercept that transmission?" Tetsumaru asked over the link.
"I heard it, Tetsumaru. Good work."
"Everyone, retreat immediately! The enemy is self-destructing!"
"Hiro, Yoshito, O—the enemy might be bluffing to cover an escape. Release the Explosive Flight-Locusts. Level them."
This time, the Konoha ninjas had moved the explosive bugs within close range. Within fifteen seconds, the first wave of giant locusts slammed into the decks.
The explosions were the final push. The Sky Ninja who had just executed Zanzanmaru had been wavering, considering a final breakout attempt. But as the fortress groaned under the fresh bombardment, he closed his eyes and keyed the core.
Through his Domain Field Barrier, Tetsumaru sensed all three cores hitting critical. He slapped a hand over his face.
You idiots! Why are you so eager to kill yourselves? You could have at least TRIED to run!
My explosive bugs aren't even that powerful! The shaking is just because you're a floating rock without a foundation! It's basic physics!
As the Leaf ninjas scrambled to safety, the Aerial Fortresses began to glow. A soft, milky-white light bled from every seam, hatch, and breach. Then, in three successive, silent flashes—like miniature solar flares—the fortresses vanished.
The center of each fortress simply ceased to exist, leaving behind perfectly smooth, spherical voids in the air. Deprived of their cores, the remaining stone shells disintegrated and rained down onto the hills.
Was that a nuclear reaction? No... it was something more.
The blast was hotter than a nuke, but the energy was perfectly contained; aside from the photons, nothing escaped. It suggested spatial technology or an absolute matter-energy conversion.
How did these guys develop this? Tetsumaru wondered. Did they just 'reckon' it into existence? Like Orks? 'I fink dis rock should fly, so it duz?'
No. Even "Ork logic" requires a foundation of knowledge. If a person is truly ignorant, they don't even know what to imagine.
Such a waste. All that tech, gone. What a loss... what a massive loss.
Tetsumaru stomped his feet in frustration. But as he paced, he noticed something on the ground: scattered fragments of white and blue biological tissue. He quickly scooped them up and sealed them into test tubes.
Win some, lose some.
Katsuyu's discarded, neutralized flesh was a prize of its own.
"Konoha Jonin, why are you collecting my remains?" A soft, melodic voice made Tetsumaru jump.
A hand-sized slug crawled over to him, her two eyestalks peering curiously at him and his tubes.
Tetsumaru recovered quickly. He decided honesty was the best policy with a Sage. "I am deeply curious about your division and healing capabilities. I wanted to collect a few samples for research. Would that be alright?"
He stared at the slug, his heart racing. Even if he was just a Shadow Clone, dying was an unpleasant experience he preferred to avoid.
"Mm. These fragments are too small; I can no longer feel them. They are no longer a part of me. You may have them for your study."
"Really? Thank you, Lady Katsuyu. Truly."
"I only ask that if you discover anything interesting, you share the results with me. Do not keep them secret, okay?"
"I promise. Any breakthroughs will be reported to you. But... how shall I contact you?"
If I could get a summoning contract, that would be the dream.
"It is simple. My contractor is Lady Tsunade. Give your results to her, and she will pass them to me."
"Understood. I will begin immediately."
"It's a promise, then." The tiny Katsuyu wiggled her stalks and slid away.
Samples in hand, Tetsumaru's mind was already racing.
What could he do with Katsuyu's cells? Well, you couldn't eat them—that was for sure. But the potential was limitless.
This was Senjutsu-enhanced biomass. It was fundamentally different from ordinary flesh. If he could analyze the genetic markers for her infinite division and reorganization, and transcribe them into his Brain Worms, he couldn't imagine the heights he could reach. At the very least, his Broodmothers would take a massive leap toward becoming true "Zerg" hives.
He could even build "Splitting Insects" based on her biology—perfect candidates for "Hero" units.
Furthermore, as a mollusk capable of total cellular reorganization, Katsuyu lacked a traditional centralized brain. Her entire body thought and remembered; her flesh was both muscle and mind. This was a trait shared by two legendary creatures from his past life: Parasyte and the Guyver bio-armor.
Parasyte tech was trash, but the Guyver—the Bio-Booster Armor—was exactly what he needed. Could he cultivate a chakra-based biological armor that worked like a real Guyver?
If he succeeded, he could finally burn his hideous Attached Insect Limbs Bio-Armor. After all, Katsuyu's aesthetic was at least a "passing grade." He could finally reclaim his core principle: Coolness is Combat Power.
He had been stuck with that creepy bug-suit for a year because he lacked a replacement powerful enough to keep him alive in a Kage-level fight. Ever since he'd been forced to show it to the Kazekage, the urge to upgrade had become an obsession.
The Sky Ninja Village was wiped out in a single stroke.
In truth, their invasion was just a minor interlude in the Great War, but the timing had been catastrophic for Konoha's strategic goals. It had cost them the chance to finish off the Suna.
Sunagakure had been on the verge of death, but as long as they were breathing, they could recover—and they were doing it fast.
While Konoha was busy swatting "flies" in the sky, Suna had concentrated its forces to hammer the Iwa army in the Land of Bears. They were fighting like cornered animals, clawing back their territory.
This resilience was the hallmark of a Great Hidden Village. This was where the Land of Rain had failed; Hanzo could win every battle, but while his enemies stayed fresh, the Rain was slowly bled dry.
The Sky Ninja incident felt... wrong.
They were weak. Their only advantages were stealth and flight. They were always destined to lose a sustained war. The fact that they were forced to show their ultimate hand after only three weeks proved it.
Konoha hadn't needed to recall ninety percent of its army. Especially given how powerful the Third Hokage's combo-ninjutsu was. He could have finished the fortresses alone.
Bringing the entire army home to create an "Absolute Defense" was overkill. It made no sense.
Was the Hokage stupid?
No. Tetsumaru concluded it was selfishness.
By leaving only a skeleton crew on the front lines and bringing every Jonin back to the village, the Hokage had created a stage. He opened the battle with a jutsu that left everyone speechless, demonstrating his overwhelming power to the entire village.
By the next morning, tales of Hiruzen Sarutobi's might were on every tongue. The propaganda machine was once again screaming "The Strongest Hokage in History," and a new generation—who had never seen Hashirama or Madara—believed it.
The timing was perfect. Orochimaru and Sakumo Hatake were on the verge of the greatest achievement in history—the destruction of a Great Nation.
By manufacturing a "crisis" with the Sky Ninja, the grand triumphal parades were cancelled. The headlines about "Suna's Fall" were replaced by "The Hokage's Five-Element Masterpiece."
In reality, one coincidence is a fluke. Two is suspicious. Three or four? That's a plan.
Tetsumaru felt a wave of disgust. He didn't want to fight for the Hokage anymore. It was all so... greasy.