"Seiji, get ready. Have the drone units begin suicide strikes."
"Order the armored units to contract formation and push in from the left flank."
Kakashi's voice remained calm and steady as his eyes scanned the battlefield.
"They have overwhelming numbers, but they're underestimating us. In reality, only the forces in the eastern sector, roughly a few hundred thousand, can effectively engage us right now."
"Once they react, we shift to another sector."
He paused slightly, then glanced at Hagane Seiji.
"How do you think we should handle this?"
It was clearly a test.
Seiji lowered his head and thought for a moment before answering carefully, "I think we can use the Chain Formation and the Golden Lock Formation."
"The Chain Formation will allow us to engage quickly. Once the enemy reacts, we can reorganize and transition formations. The Golden Lock Formation can amplify our overall combat strength several times over."
Kakashi nodded, but then shook his head.
"You're not entirely wrong… but you're not correct either."
Seiji blinked, confused. "Why, Kakashi-senpai?"
"You're still too rigid in your thinking," Kakashi replied calmly. "Under normal circumstances, your plan would work. But you haven't learned to adapt."
"It looks effective on the surface, but it would drag us into a war of attrition. The moment a Six Paths-level opponent joins the fight, we lose the initiative completely."
"With their numbers, if we get stuck in that kind of battle… we'll be worn down and crushed."
Seiji fell silent.
Kakashi continued without waiting for a response.
"This is your first instinct, and that's fine. But think about it. If a Six Paths-level enemy charges in with overwhelming power, how do you respond?"
Without giving Seiji time to answer, Kakashi went on.
"We use the Eightfold Dragon Lock Formation, combined with the Boulder Formation."
Since the development of chakra-link techniques, formations had evolved far beyond their early, crude forms.
At first, they simply pooled chakra to increase raw power. But over time, countless specialized formations were created, each focusing on different aspects such as offense, defense, speed, and coordination.
Their efficiency, responsiveness, and versatility had all improved dramatically.
Even a single jōnin, in the later stages of development, could contribute meaningfully within a large-scale formation.
"The Eightfold Dragon Lock Formation is more flexible and effective than the Chain Formation," Kakashi explained. "The Boulder Formation balances offense and defense, and more importantly, it links well with the Dragon Lock Formation."
"It ensures we won't be forced into a passive position later."
Then, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"But before all that… I quite like something Naruto once said."
"When poor, use tactical infiltration. When rich, use firepower saturation."
Kakashi's eyes sharpened.
"Mobilize all armored units. Have the rocket divisions provide full fire support, then advance."
"I have only one requirement."
"Empty every last round of ammunition."
The order rang out across the battlefield.
Seiji's eyes lit up with excitement. He hadn't expected Kakashi to take such a… ruthless approach.
But the shinobi forces didn't feel fear.
If anything, they were exhilarated.
"Fellow shinobi, I've been ready for this. I'll go first!"
A shinobi roared as he piloted his aircraft straight into the sky.
"I'm coming too! Without Naruto-sama, I would've died long ago in some forgotten corner of the world!"
"No need for more words. I'll go ahead and die first as a show of respect!"
Countless figures rose into the sky.
In an instant, the heavens were filled with light, like a field of blazing stars.
Even in the vast universe, such a sight was rare.
In the distance, artillery units were already deployed across elevated terrain.
The order had been given.
And then, the sky erupted.
Endless shells streaked across the heavens, forming a dazzling, almost beautiful glow.
But the moment they fell, that beauty turned into devastation.
Explosions roared across the battlefield.
Fighter units unleashed payloads of specialized munitions. These were not ordinary explosives, but high-density chakra energy bombs designed specifically for enemies of this level.
After all, these White Zetsu were far from ordinary. Each one possessed at least jōnin-level strength, and among them stood members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
The bombs detonated within their ranks.
Only then did the enemy begin to realize the severity of the situation.
Massive craters erupted across the land, each spanning hundreds of meters.
And there weren't just a few.
There were over a hundred thousand.
The sky itself seemed to collapse under the weight of the bombardment.
Electromagnetic bombs followed, slamming into the battlefield as arcs of lightning erupted instantly, tearing through everything in their path.
The bombardment fell like endless rain.
So dense… that there was no room to dodge.
After the first wave of destruction, the Ōtsutsuki side finally reacted.
One after another, they began deploying defensive techniques. Some used large-scale ninjutsu barriers, while several Ōtsutsuki directly unleashed Shinra Tensei, repelling the incoming attacks.
But the result was almost absurd.
The deflected bombardment scattered in all directions, crashing down into the surrounding White Zetsu ranks.
Some White Zetsu had barely survived by erecting their own defenses, only to be wiped out by their own side's counterattacks.
Others were caught in the indiscriminate shockwaves and died without accomplishing anything.
Seeing this, the shinobi forces couldn't help but exchange knowing smiles.
No one held back.
The artillery barrage intensified.
They all understood one thing clearly: the more damage they dealt now, the greater their chances of survival later.
A second wave of bombardment roared across the sky.
From the distant high ground, artillery units continued firing relentlessly, targeting the enemy's rear lines.
They aimed to blanket the entire battlefield, over and over again, leaving no safe zone.
But the Ōtsutsuki were not fools.
They quickly adapted, dispersing their forces while coordinating large-scale combined ninjutsu to intercept the bombardment.
Kakashi observed the shift and immediately made his decision.
Continuing like this would yield diminishing returns.
He raised his hand.
"Prepare to engage."
The bombardment slowed as the shinobi forces transitioned into direct combat formation.
At the same time, the Six Paths-level Ōtsutsuki, who had initially intended to let the White Zetsu exhaust their enemies, were now seething with anger.
The attacks hadn't truly injured them.
But they had humiliated them.
And that was unacceptable.
"I'll handle this," one of them said coldly. "Let these insects understand that the dignity of a god cannot be defiled."
He stepped forward, his gaze locked onto the advancing shinobi forces.
The remaining Ōtsutsuki kept their attention fixed on Kakashi and Hagane Seiji, ensuring they couldn't interfere.
But they had misjudged the situation.
Kakashi had no intention of stepping in.
The battlefield itself… was already part of his plan.
The Ōtsutsuki raised his hand, gathering an immense amount of chakra.
Flames condensed violently, compressing into a single point until they formed a blazing sphere of destructive energy.
Without hesitation, he hurled it forward.
A grin spread across his face.
In his eyes, everything ahead of him would be erased in an instant.
But the next moment, his expression froze.
Every shinobi on the battlefield was suddenly cloaked in chakra.
High above, an enormous chakra arrow took shape, radiating overwhelming power.
Whoosh!
The sound of the air being torn apart echoed across the battlefield.
The massive flame sphere was struck head-on.
It shattered instantly.
The energy collapsed and dissipated, unable to withstand the force of the attack.
But the arrow did not stop.
It continued forward.
Straight toward the Ōtsutsuki.
By the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late.
A massive hole had been carved through his abdomen.
A strange, unstoppable force began eroding his body from within.
His expression twisted in disbelief.
And in the blink of an eye, his life faded away.
(End of Chapter)
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