In the sky, destruction and ruin seemed to have become so cheap.
The Elbaf Spear, mixed with Wind Release Chakra, collided with the Yasaka Magatama and the Roaring Thunder Sword, then shattered. The residual shockwaves of the attack spread everywhere.
At the center of the battlefield, Sato Sakura became berserk, beginning to reveal the terrifying power of the Land Giant Beast Behemoth, empowered by the earth itself.
Wearing her iron sand armor, she used her Haki-clad claws to push over Itachi's Susanoo, grabbing Sasuke while hardening herself against the baptism of lightning.
After slamming the two together, she unleashed a flurry of punches at them, tearing apart Itachi's Susanoo and shattering Sasuke's Haki.
"Your daughter is also one of those... ability users?"
Seeing the battle become this intense, even though the flood of destruction had already descended from the sky, Kakashi was no longer in a hurry.
After all, when the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. No matter how your techniques destroy the world, so long as he leads his men back and puts Sakura in front to protect them, what can you do about it?
"Yes, that child's ability is much more precious than mine. It's a mythical beast!"
Sakura smiled and raised a finger. Chakra from her feet penetrated deep into the earth, creating a large number of tree seeds, which she then stimulated to take root and sprout.
Amidst the earth-shaking roar, beneath Konoha's fortress, countless plants grew. The magical tree from another world that had borne countless lives, the Sun Tree Eve, rapidly grew, its gorgeous colors spreading to the surroundings.
In an instant, together with other flowers and plants, it transformed the entire encampment into a wondrous fairyland, hiding each tent beneath flowers and branches.
—Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees.
In that instant, the whole world seemed split into two parts: inside and outside. No matter how the storms and thunder outside raged, no matter how violent the earthquakes caused by the impact were.
Whenever the residual waves were about to enter the encampment, their energy would be drawn away by the flowers blooming on the vines and trees, using that energy to bloom even more flowers on the vines.
"Tch, isn't this a bit too flashy?"
Kakashi scanned the encampment that had nearly become a flower garden with his dead fish eyes. With its concealment completely ruined, any enemy who wasn't blind could basically identify at a glance that something was wrong here.
"It doesn't matter. After these two idiots caused such a scene, did you expect our position to remain hidden?"
Sakura yawned and walked toward the tent on her own. "Oh, and I'll leave Itachi and Sasuke to you, Kakashi-sensei. When they're recovering, be sure to put them both in the same tent!"
"Tsk, tsk, you demon!"
Kakashi crossed his arms behind his head, glanced at the girl entering the tent to rest, and sighed with emotion.
After the roaring gradually subsided, he led the Ninjas out of the camp to search for the two figures.
…
On the other side, the northern battlefield of the Land of Frost.
With the assistance of various Chakra mechanized units, the Kumogakure's Ninjas advanced their battle line to the central part of the northern Land of Frost.
Using a rift valley as the dividing line, they and the Iwagakure's Ninjas each occupied half of the northern territory of the Land of Frost.
Late at night, a small cluster of firelight lit up at the bottom of the rift valley. Several people wearing cloaks descended from the cliffs into the valley floor.
"Oh, Father, you've finally come to your senses! What kind of ambush are you setting up for those Kumogakure bastards?" The young woman walking at the end raised the hood of her cloak, revealing a youthful and bright face.
Kurotsuchi was very excited. Since the war began, they from Iwagakure had retreated again and again. To achieve such results on the battlefield while outnumbering the enemy several times over… if word got out, they would surely be ridiculed by the entire Ninja World.
Fortunately, the old bastard at home had finally come to his senses and decided to lead them here to set an ambush, to fight a beautiful turnaround battle and restore Iwagakure's prestige.
Just as the young woman was fantasizing about defeating Kumogakure, annexing Sunagakure, punching Kirigakure, stomping on Konoha, and unifying the entire Ninja World, a discordant note awakened her.
"Your ambush won't work on us, you know! You idiot, you bastard!" A dark-skinned, burly man with both arms raised high in a dab gesture sent taunts toward Kurotsuchi.
"Ha? Kumogakure!"
Kurotsuchi reacted quickly, pulling kunai and shuriken from the Ninja tool pouch at her waist, warily staring at the several Kumogakure's Ninjas before her.
If she wasn't mistaken, the bastard who had just insulted her with rap should be the overall commander of Kumogakure's offensive… the acting Raikage, Killer B?
"Stop it, Kurotsuchi. We're not here to fight today!"
Kitsuchi, walking in front of Kurotsuchi, extended his arm from beneath his cloak, blocking her figure.
"I recommend you listen carefully to your father, baby~" Still using his frivolous rap, B walked up to the group.
"B, since when have you been in contact with Iwagakure?"
Darui, who had followed his superior to the rift valley, was equally shocked, his eyes wide open as he turned to B.
"Heh heh, who knows? Perhaps it was much earlier!" Kitsuchi, who had been silent, answered Darui for B.
"What exactly is going on?" (x2)
Seeing the tacit understanding between the two, Kurotsuchi and Darui couldn't help but ask.
Both of them, as reserve talents for the next Kage of their respective villages and absolute core figures in their political circles, had no idea that the highest commanders of their own forces had already made contact with the enemy general.
So the question is, given the troop strength invested by Iwagakure and Kumogakure in the southern part of the Land of Frost, if they aren't there to fight each other, could it be that they are going to attack Konoha?
Wait, that's not to that extent, right?
The answer is, yes, it is to that extent.
Very much so!
While Kurotsuchi and Darui were still confused, the two commanders-in-chief had already exchanged opinions on how to launch feigned attacks, release false intelligence, and from which direction to launch a surprise attack on Konoha's border, signing a temporary alliance agreement.
Then, each carrying the results of their exchanged interests that would satisfy their own higher-ups, they returned to their military encampments beyond the rift valley.
"B, didn't you say A-sama's incident had nothing to do with Konoha?"
On the way back, Darui followed behind B and asked in confusion.
"Indeed, it had nothing to do with them, but..."
The combination of dark skin and goggles made it impossible to see B's expression, but he no longer used his frivolous rap for this passage.
What does it matter what is right or wrong?
When facing interests between nations, all personal emotions of love and hate can be cast aside.
This is what he, as the acting Raikage, should do now… protect the interests of the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure by any means necessary, regardless of the cost.
And at present, attacking Konoha to plunder money, grain, Ninjutsu, and various expensive commodities is the greatest benefit that Iwagakure and Kumogakure can find for their own villages.
Hearing the implication in B's words, Darui fell silent for a moment, then reached out and patted his shoulder. "You've worked hard!"
In this oppressive atmosphere, the two returned to the Kumogakure forces. Then, following the previously exchanged military nodes, they began to arrange the subsequent feigned attacks.
Simultaneously, in highly confidential troop redeployments, Kumogakure and Iwagakure each pulled about five thousand Ninjas to form a combined army.
Before the first wisp of ice and snow arrived with the sea breeze, they successfully crossed the central region of the Land of Frost and reached the border between the southern Land of Frost and the Land of Fire.
—They were at the gates!