Even if words alone couldn't truly lift morale, one thing was certain...
Once these people witnessed what real strength looked like, their spirits would recover on their own.
That was precisely why Shiki released a basic wave of Conqueror's Haki.
Not aggressively.
Not oppressively.
Just enough.
The pressure washed over the battlefield like a sudden storm wind, raising goosebumps along every spine present.
Shiki didn't blame them.
If he were standing in their position—facing overwhelming numbers with only a fraction of the force—he would hesitate too. This kind of deployment was little different from marching straight into death.
The shinobi exchanged glances after feeling that invisible pressure.
No one spoke.
But without hesitation, they all followed behind Shiki.
Under Hyūga Hiashi's guidance, the unit advanced toward the encampment of Iwagakure.
"L-Lord Shiki!"
After advancing several hundred meters, Hiashi suddenly halted and pointed forward.
About a hundred meters ahead, vague outlines of tents and defensive formations were visible among the rocky terrain.
"That's Iwagakure's camp. The Third Tsuchikage is stationed there."
The border of the Land of Earth was dominated by jagged cliffs and exposed stone. There were no forests, no cover—nothing that could be used to conceal a large force.
Shiki stood at the front of the formation and calmly looked toward the enemy camp.
"Hm."
Hiashi hesitated, then asked carefully,
"Lord Shiki… do we engage directly?"
Not only Hiashi—every shinobi nearby was watching Shiki now.
They all knew the gap in strength was enormous.
But this was still a battlefield.
If Shiki gave the order, they would charge without hesitation—life and death be damned.
"No need."
Shiki smiled faintly.
Honestly, the looks in their eyes were a little too decisive. It was as if they'd already prepared themselves to die.
He didn't explain further.
Instead, he slowly reached behind him and drew his swords.
"Let me greet Iwagakure first."
A faint gleam flashed along the blades.
For a brief moment, some even wondered if it was their imagination but the twin swords in Shiki's hands, seemed to breathe.
A sharp, overwhelming sword aura spread outward.
It wasn't something you could look at directly.
"Is that Lord Golden Lion…?"
"I heard his swordsmanship rivals the late White Fang of Konoha."
"This is my first time seeing it in person…"
Quiet murmurs rippled through the ranks.
Most of them only knew Shiki's reputation.
Very few had actually witnessed his strength firsthand.
Among the crowd, a silver-haired boy wearing a mask stared intently at Shiki.
"Kakashi,"
the boy beside him—goggles perched on his head—asked curiously,
"How do you think Lord Shiki's swordsmanship compares to your father's?"
"…Shut up, Obito."
Kakashi Hatake clearly had no interest in answering.
"Tch."
Under normal circumstances, Obito would've fired back immediately. After all, this wasn't the first time he'd been brushed off like that.
But this was a battlefield.
So Uchiha Obito merely turned his head and looked toward the girl standing nearby.
"Rin!"
He clenched his fist.
"No matter what happens… I'll protect you!"
Even if something happened to him, he would never allow Rin Nohara to be harmed.
Rin smiled gently in response.
"Obito, this is a battlefield. You need to protect yourself too."
"Y-Yeah!"
It was such a simple sentence but to Obito, it felt like the goddess herself had spoken.
She cares about me…!
That realization alone was enough to make his blood boil with excitement.
He almost wished the battle would start immediately.
"Lord Shiki…?"
No one cared about the murmurs anymore.
All eyes at the front were locked onto Shiki, waiting to see what he intended to do.
"Lion Might."
Shiki's gaze sharpened.
An indescribable pressure erupted from his body.
In the next instant, both swords flashed.
"Slicing Wave."
Under countless stunned gazes...
A golden sword slash nearly a hundred meters long tore through the air, roaring straight toward Iwagakure's camp.
"…What—"
They were dumbfounded.
This kind of attack…
It was the first time they had ever seen anything like it.
Even Kakashi Hatake froze.
This level of sword pressure...
His father couldn't do this.
Wherever the slash passed, solid rock cliffs were cleaved apart like paper.
By the time it reached the enemy camp, the area was practically flattened.
There was no need to think too deeply about the outcome.
Caught completely off guard, a large number of Iwagakure shinobi were swept away instantly.
"Soo strong…!"
"So this is the Golden Lion!"
"With him as commander, we can't lose!"
Confidence surged through the ranks.
Just as Shiki expected—
Words could only go so far.
Only absolute strength could truly ignite morale.
Moments ago, doubt still lingered in their hearts.
Now?
They looked at Shiki as if defeat itself had become impossible.
"Which bastard attacked my village?!"
A furious roar echoed across the battlefield.
From the devastated camp, a small figure shot into the sky, floating mid-air.
It was Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, wielder of Dust Release.
Originally, after learning that Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze had withdrawn from the front, Ōnoki had been planning a counter-offensive against Konoha.
But before plans could even be finalized—
Their camp was struck first.
Shiki hadn't concealed himself at all.
Ōnoki's gaze locked onto him instantly.
"Brat!"
"Who are you?!"
Shiki calmly sheathed his swords and looked up at the floating Tsuchikage.
"Shiki. Supreme Commander of Konoha."
Then, without emotion, he continued,
"I suggest Iwagakure withdraw several kilometers."
"…You little—!"
Ōnoki's eyes twitched.
Withdraw?
That was the same as admitting fear.
Behind Ōnoki, survivors gathered rapidly—
Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki.
Along with elite shinobi and those who had barely survived Shiki's slash.
Their gazes burned with hostility.
"Lord Shiki—"
Hiashi leaned in to whisper urgently.
Even after that devastating strike, Iwagakure still outnumbered Konoha several times over.
But before he could finish
Shiki raised a hand.
"Enough."
"I don't feel like listening right now."
"…Understood."
Hiashi fell silent.
Even knowing the odds, he and the others were already prepared to die if necessary.
High above, Ōnoki took in Konoha's situation clearly and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"So this is all Konoha has left?"
"Less than a thousand shinobi?"
"You might as well surrender!"
The laughter echoed mockingly across the field.
Ōnoki had heard of Shiki—the so-called Golden Lion.
But honestly?
He hadn't taken the name seriously.
So what if he was strong? Iwagakure wasn't some village that could be pushed around.
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