Chapter 63: Earth and Fire
In the early days of Konoha's year 38, the Second Great Ninja War was escalating. The Stone Village's initial surprise attack had allowed them to establish a foothold in the Land of Fire, a thorn in Konoha's side. After their advance team was crushed by Hanzo of the Salamander, the Hidden Sand had finally regrouped and was now massing its forces in the lands of Rain and Rivers.
Concerned that Tsunade was too young to command, Konoha's leadership had sent Koharu Utatane to the front lines. To counter the Sand, Konoha was forced to open a second front.
Facing the threat of both the Sand and the Stone, Konoha had to go all-in. The village's war machine was running at full capacity, and it was then that the world saw that Konoha's reputation as the strongest of the hidden villages was not an empty boast. The various clans put aside their differences and united against the common enemy. The mature Ninja Academy system provided a steady stream of low-level ninja, and Konoha seemed to have strength to spare, even while fighting two great villages at once.
And as everyone was wondering when the Cloud and the Mist would enter the fray, Konoha's secretly planned counter-attack began.
"Danzo," Hiruzen said, "I'm leaving the village in your hands." He was not in his Hokage robes, but in combat gear.
"May your battles be victorious!" his subordinates chanted in unison.
With a determined expression, Hiruzen nodded, formed a one-handed seal, and used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu, disappearing from his office. He reappeared in the front-line war camp.
"Lord Hokage!" a Nara clansman greeted him.
Hiruzen waved him off. "What's the situation?" he asked, his voice low.
"The general offensive is about to begin. All combat units are in position."
Meanwhile, Onoki was listening to a report. With Jiraiya's unit gone from the Land of Grass, the Stone's supply crisis had been somewhat alleviated. He was already thinking about his next move.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside his tent.
"What is it?!"
"Lord Tsuchikage!" a ninja reported, his voice filled with panic. "Konoha has launched an attack! There are a lot of them! The front-line scouts were almost completely wiped out! It's a general offensive!"
"What?!"
Onoki immediately rushed out. A slab of rock broke free from the ground and carried him into the sky.
From his vantage point, he could see the intense fighting in the dense forest below. Unlike in the Land of Earth, where he could see for miles, the thick forests of the Land of Fire severely limited his aerial reconnaissance advantage. But from the sheer scale of the battle, he could tell this was a major attack.
"They've come to die?"
Onoki quickly descended back to the camp. "Konoha has launched a general offensive!" he ordered. "All units, defend your positions! ANBU and Explosion Corps, provide support!"
The Stone had been encamped here for some time. Though their strategy had been to continue their advance, they had also used their Earth Release to build a network of defensive fortifications. It would not be easy to break through.
"And you, my lord?"
"I'm going to send those Konoha bastards to the underworld!"
He shot back into the sky and flew towards the battle.
He soon spotted a group of Konoha ninja attacking a Stone position. He flew high above them and, unnoticed, formed a spire with his hands.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A massive cube appeared, trapping a number of the Konoha ninja. As members of the advance team, they knew what this meant. A look of despair crossed their faces, and then they were reduced to molecular dust. A violent explosion followed, sending the surrounding ninja flying.
A few of them threw various jutsu at Onoki, but he easily dodged them. The rest scattered and fled.
Onoki sneered and continued to use his Dust Release, picking off the Konoha squads one by one. Ordinary ninja were helpless against it.
"Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Suddenly, several black shadows shot out from the forest, aiming for Onoki's shadow on the ground. It was a secret art of the Nara clan, but it was aimed at the shadow of the rock he was standing on.
"I was prepared for that!"
Onoki abandoned the rock and summoned another to his feet. It was a strategy he had prepared long ago. He then fired another Dust Release at the source of the Shadow Imitation, killing an unknown number of Konoha ninja.
But switching rocks had still momentarily disrupted his movement, and it was all the opening his opponent needed.
"Ninja Art: Triangle Seal!"
Three identical Hiruzen Sarutobis, launched into the air by their comrades, appeared around him. A green, four-sided pyramid materialized, trapping him and slowly lowering him to the ground.
"Earth Release: Stone Fist Technique!"
Onoki's right hand was suddenly encased in a thick layer of rock. He slammed his fist into the green barrier. The impact was so great that it sent a shockwave that knocked the Konoha ninja below off their feet. But the barrier held.
Flying high in the sky gave him excellent mobility, but it also limited the power of his Earth Release jutsu.
Just as he was about to use a more powerful technique, the real Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in combat gear, shot out from the dense forest. Onoki braced himself, but Hiruzen just shot past him.
"What?!"
As they passed, Hiruzen shot him a cold glance and then continued deeper into the front lines.
More "Hiruzens" followed, bypassing Onoki and charging at the Stone positions.
"Five-Style Great Combo Jutsu!"
Five "Hiruzens," each using a different elemental release, unleashed a massive, wide-range attack. The entire Stone position was instantly engulfed.
Onoki was furious. He had thought his defenses would inflict heavy losses on the arrogant Konoha ninja, but in a moment of carelessness, he had been trapped.
"Dammit! Earth Release: Golem Technique!"
A massive stone giant rose from the ground, crushed the sealing barrier in its hand, and then opened its palm, revealing Onoki standing on it.
Nearly a dozen Hiruzens looked up from the shattered remains of the Stone's defenses at the Tsuchikage on the golem's hand.
The Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage, facing each other from afar.
In the distance, on the edge of the battlefield, Dana watched the shattered landscape and the two opposing Kage.
"Impressive," he murmured. "The Third Tsuchikage and the Third Hokage in their prime are not to be trifled with. I had hoped the Stone would be the first to attack, but it seems Konoha has made the first move. We were a step too slow."
"My lord," one of his subordinates said, "the battle is spreading in our direction. What are your orders?"
"On a battlefield of this scale, we can't influence the outcome. But it does give us an opportunity."
Dana took one last look at the battlefield and then turned to leave.