The morning mist hadn't yet cleared when several squads of fully equipped ninjas gathered at the Konoha village gates.
Night and Nawaki, carrying their gear, stood among the ninjas about to deploy. They looked exceptionally young in the crowd.
Tsunade came to see them off. Looking at the two boys heading to the battlefield, she felt a mix of emotions.
"Alright, Sis. I'm going to be the man who becomes Hokage! Don't worry about me." Nawaki puffed out his chest and declared confidently.
Watching Nawaki plant such a massive death flag, Night practically saw the word "DOOMED" floating above his forehead.
Tsunade feigned heartiness and patted her brother's shoulder. "Go on. Don't embarrass Konoha."
Just as Nawaki was about to say something else, Night grabbed him.
Please shut up! Stop using your supernatural ability to summon death! One flag might be survivable, but if he kept stacking them, the Grim Reaper would show up personally to collect his soul.
After speaking to Nawaki, Tsunade looked at Night. She tossed him an ancient-looking ninja sword.
"This belonged to my Granduncle (Tobirama Senju). Consider it compensation for breaking your sword yesterday. Don't disgrace it."
Night caught the sword. Just touching the scabbard, he could feel the sharpness within. Even after years of disuse, the blade radiated a chilling aura.
"This... is too precious." Night hesitated. This was the Second Hokage's personal weapon.
Tsunade waved her hand, turned around, and walked away, her figure disappearing into the morning mist, brooking no refusal.
At that moment, the Jonin leaders for each squad arrived from the Hokage Tower. A man with standard Jonin gear and pure white eyes stopped in front of them.
"I am your Jonin leader, Akira Hyuga." His voice was calm and flat, his white eyes revealing no emotion.
After a brief introduction, the team moved out, heading toward the battlefield in the Land of Rain.
Before leaving, Night looked back. The stone faces of the First, Second, and Third Hokage seemed to look down on the village in the morning light, solemn and majestic.
But Night thought: Beneath this peaceful morning, how many undercurrents are flowing?
Danzo must be losing his mind over his looted base. The Uchiha Police Force and the villagers were increasingly at odds. And now, they were stepping into the "meat grinder of the ninja world"—the Rain Country battlefield.
Days later, the scenery began to change. The lush forests of Fire Country gave way to rugged terrain, and the humidity in the air increased significantly.
Nawaki's initial excitement was ground down by the exhaustion of the long march.
"Stay sharp. Conserve your stamina," Night warned him, speaking like a veteran. "This is just the beginning."
Night was extremely vigilant. Since leaving the village, he kept his basic sensory perception active, even if he didn't use the full Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
Plus, with a Hyuga Jonin leading them, they were effectively the scouts for the main group, constantly checking the terrain and for enemy presence.
They camped by a stream as they neared the war zone. They ate soldier pills and drank stream water, forbidden from lighting fires.
Around midnight, a tired Nawaki woke Night up for his shift.
Standing guard, Night felt the heavy clouds above. The air smelled of wet earth—a storm was coming.
Before the rain fell, Night's expression hardened. His senses picked up numerous chakra signatures far beyond the range of small animals, quietly closing in.
"Something's wrong." He woke Nawaki and Akira Hyuga with a serious look.
Akira didn't waste time asking why. Veins bulged around his eyes as he activated his Byakugan, scanning the dense forest across the stream.
Under the Byakugan's penetrating vision, the approaching ninjas had nowhere to hide. Confirming the threat, Akira looked at Night with surprise, impressed by the Genin's sharp senses.
Since other squads were camped nearby, Akira ordered the two to hide and sent several Shadow Clones to warn the others.
By the time they were ready, the enemy squads were right on top of them.
"Heh. Rookie Konoha squad?" The leader of the Hidden Stone ninjas sneered at the seemingly defenseless camp.
He signaled his subordinates to approach using Earth Style stealth.
But when they infiltrated the tents, they found them empty. The entire camp reeked of a trap.
"Bad! It's a setup!"
Before he could finish, a wave of scorching fire engulfed the lead Stone ninjas. They opened their mouths to scream, but the flames swallowed their voices, leaving only the smell of burnt flesh.
After the strike, Night retreated rapidly, avoiding a direct confrontation.
The gruesome death of their comrades enraged the remaining Stone ninjas. Over a dozen figures burst from the shadows!
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears!"
Sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground, forcing everyone to dodge. Akira Hyuga moved like lightning, his Gentle Fist shattering the incoming stone spears with precision.
"Nawaki, watch out!" Night shouted, throwing a kunai to force back a Stone ninja attempting a sneak attack.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Nawaki formed seals instantly, raising a wall of water to block shuriken from the right.
Night drew the sword at his waist. The blade glowed with a faint blue light. He clashed with a Stone ninja charging with a sword, sparks flying.
Thanks to the skills from Kushimaru and his recent training, Night's swordsmanship was sharp and precise. Within a few exchanges, he cut down his opponent.
Akira's Byakugan controlled the battlefield. "Three o'clock! Two enemies forming seals!"
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
Night jumped back instantly as Nawaki's Water Style hit, interrupting the enemies' jutsu.
The battle turned into a stalemate. The Stone ninjas tried to use numbers to pressure them, but the other Konoha squads arrived just in time, threatening to encircle the Stone force.
Just then—
"Earth Style: Mobile Core!"
The entire battlefield shook violently, like a massive earthquake! The ground rose and fell crazily, altering the terrain in an instant and physically cutting off the Konoha reinforcements.
A small figure floated silently above the battlefield.
The Stone ninjas, previously struggling, suddenly burst with morale, looking up with fanatical worship.
No words were needed. Only one person in the ninja world could fly and master Dust Release—the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki the Fence Sitter.
After changing the terrain, he hovered there, hands behind his back. His immense Kage-level pressure suffocated the battlefield.
"Hehehe... For the distinguished Tsuchikage to attack Genin personally, isn't that a bit beneath your status?"
Accompanied by a raspy voice, a cold, slimy chakra aura permeated the air.