Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
In the west of the Land of Fire, near the border with the Land of Rivers, Konoha set up camp.
A team of thousands had gathered for war, and naturally, they brought a large amount of supplies.
Considering all aspects, the camp was designed to be quite large.
In the command tent, Hatake Sakumo, the commander-in-chief of the front line, was studying the terrain on the sand table while analyzing the intelligence collected in the past few days. "In other words, the group of White Zetsu troops has disappeared, right?"
He asked the staff officer beside him.
This position had actually existed for a long time, but in the era before Ishigami Hara, it played little role.
However, after Ishigami Hara came to power, he reformed a series of positions, including that of staff officer.
The current staff officer held several roles, functioning as both the strategist and advisor for the front-line commander, with a team of several members. "Yes, based on intelligence received two days ago, no trace of them has been found so far," a Nara clan staff officer said.
The atmosphere in the command tent was tense.
After all, the war had already begun.
Every decision made here would influence the future situation.
It was necessary to be cautious.
"What about the losses on the front line?" Hatake Sakumo asked.
As the leader of Anbu over the years, he had experienced numerous events, both large and small, which had kept him calm in most of the situations. With his experience in command, although he sensed the situation might be unfavorable, he did not seem worried.
With between five thousand and ten thousand troops, Hatake Sakumo believed the advantage was on his side. After all, the more than five thousand shinobi brought this time were the village's elite forces.
"The losses were minimal. Only two teams lost contact; the rest brought back information," the man said.
Hearing this, Hatake Sakumo nodded slightly, his expression calm, showing no concern over the loss of the two teams.
However, those who knew him well understood that his calmness masked a quiet sorrow for his fallen comrades. Hatake Sakumo had always been a deeply compassionate person towards his companions.
"Let the returning teams rest," he said.
"Yes! It has been arranged."
"Good. Send ten teams to the Land of Rivers. I need detailed information on the current situation there, as soon as possible," Hatake Sakumo ordered.
"Yes, I will arrange it immediately."
Hatake Sakumo remained vigilant about the 10,000-strong White Zetsu army.
Although a full-scale war had not erupted, localized conflicts had been frequent over the past few days.
The pattern was that when Konoha teams encountered White Zetsu, they either escaped or perished.
There was no other outcome, and this was not the first time it had happened.
"We are less than 50 miles from the Land of Rivers. Those White Zetsu came from there. They should have arrived by now, but they suddenly vanished, which likely means they have other plans."
Hatake Sakumo pointed to a location on the sand table and said, "That is the route they must take."
"If they want to enter the Land of Fire, they can't bypass it."
"After all, there is a patrol team assigned by Lord Orochimaru further north, and we exchange information daily."
"Since there has been no movement from Lord Orochimaru's side, it means the 10,000 troops did not go around from the back, so they will definitely appear here."
As he spoke, he paused to consider. "The White Zetsu have a powerful ability to conceal themselves, making it difficult for ordinary people to detect them, but the movement of 10,000 troops will certainly create some disturbance."
"Notify the Inuzuka clan ninjas and have them patrol this area in advance."
"Yes!"
An Inuzuka clan member within the staff group immediately accepted the command and began making arrangements.
Not everything could be considered, but it was prudent to prepare for every foreseeable situation. With Hatake Sakumo's experience, these precautions would likely minimize errors.
As he anticipated, near the junction of Amegakure, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Fire—closer to their camp—the movements of the White Zetsu were indeed detected.
It was already a day later when they were discovered. Thanks to early preparations, Hatake Sakumo immediately led the team to that area upon receiving the news.
This time, more than 4,000 shinobi from the camp were mobilized, leaving nearly 1,000 as a defensive force.
In terms of decisiveness, Hatake Sakumo, as the leader of Anbu, was naturally unwavering. He was not one to stay on the defensive. Rather than waiting, he preferred to take the initiative.
The movement of over 4,000 people was naturally significant. Fortunately, being shinobi, their travel speed was swift. Even so, concealing the presence of such a large force was challenging.
However, this was a frontal conflict, so stealth was less of a concern. Once the White Zetsu army was located, the course of action would be straightforward—an all-out confrontation.
After the journey, by the time they reached their destination, it was already late at night.
Under the moonlight, Hatake Sakumo frowned and immediately summoned the patrol team.
...
"Is there any movement here?" he asked.
The team leader replied, "Yes, the White Zetsu were spotted ten miles away, then disappeared again."
"Ten miles away?"
Looking in the direction indicated, ten miles ahead lay a range of mountains, not very high—the tallest peak only about a hundred meters—but stretching endlessly.
Compared to the mountains, this area was a plain. The Land of Rivers, with its many mountains and rivers, often had such terrain.
"Have the Hyūga shinobi start reconnaissance in that area, and gather all shinobi proficient in Earth Release."
"Yes!"
Someone immediately took the order and swiftly made the arrangements.
There were quite a few Earth Release users—over 800 in number, with varying levels of proficiency. Even the least skilled were at the Chūnin level, who comprised the majority of the team.
With over 800 shinobi assembled, Hatake Sakumo pointed toward the distant hills. "The White Zetsu are likely hiding over there."
"No matter what their intentions are, we need to force them out."
"You've received training in joint ninjutsu over the past few years."
"I need you to use Earth Release to destroy those mountains."
"Can you manage that?"
The shinobi of Konoha had evolved significantly.
Since Ishigami Hara came to power, not only had Konoha's departments been reformed, but the shinobi themselves had undergone changes.
The greatest change was the retraining of Konoha shinobi, focusing on battlefield coordination, particularly joint ninjutsu.
To this end, Hara had made significant innovations and developments in the five elemental releases.
After receiving the command, the Earth Release users quickly coordinated. Nearly a hundred stepped forward as leaders, and one issued the combat orders.
"Begin!"
In the next moment, nearly a hundred shinobi performed seals simultaneously. After completing the sixth seal, they paused, allowing the rest of the shinobi to catch up. After the sixth seal, everyone completed the remaining seals together.
"Earth Release : Super Earth Rockfall Technique!"
They shouted in unison.
Immediately, the ground rumbled, and the sky seemed to collapse!
Boom!
Violent tremors shook the ground beneath their feet. Farther away, under the moonlight, mountains crumbled, triggering continuous earthquakes. The distant earth heaved like a massive wave, and the mountains shattered instantly, collapsing swiftly and sending massive debris flying.
A terrifying impact erupted from beneath the earth, akin to a volcanic eruption, obliterating everything in its path.