Four identical Kajis materialized across the smoke-choked battlefield, their silhouettes cutting through the haze like knives. Below them, the Third Raikage stood encircled by what remained of Iwa's main force - thousands of bloodied shinobi tightening the noose. Kaji's eyes narrowed as he formed the hand signs for his most devastating technique.
"Shadow Summoning: Chimera of the Apocalypse!"
The ground trembled as a monstrous three-headed beast of pure darkness erupted from swirling shadows, its maws dripping void-black saliva that dissolved stone on contact. Simultaneously, dozens of lesser shadow creatures - panthers with glowing red eyes, serpentine tendrils that slithered between enemies' legs, and winged horrors that blotted out the sun - joined the fray.
The Raikage, his lightning cloak flickering weakly from days of continuous combat, let out a hoarse laugh that carried across the battlefield. "About damn time, Shadow Monarch!" With renewed vigor, he launched himself at the nearest Iwa battalion, his black lightning reducing entire squads to charred skeletons mid-scream.
From the dying light of sunset, 4,000 Konoha-Kumo shinobi emerged as if stepping through a curtain of darkness itself. At their head, Shikaku Nara observed the chaos with clinical detachment, his shadow already extending across the corpse-strewn field.
"Phase one," he murmured, and the very earth beneath Iwa's western flank came alive. Shadows coiled around ankles like vipers, dragging screaming shinobi into the ground where their muffled cries were abruptly silenced. An Iwa jōnin managed to form a single hand sign before his own shadow turned against him, black spikes erupting from his eye sockets.
"Please... mercy!" begged a young Iwa chūnin as he crawled over his dismembered comrades. His plea ended in a wet gurgle as a shadow panther tore out his throat.
Three thousand allied forces rose from a colossal shadow that blanketed the eastern plains. Darui, his Storm Blade humming with pent-up energy, surveyed the panicking Iwa forces with cold efficiency.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus," he intoned, and hell descended. Blue-white beams bisected men mid-sprint, cauterizing wounds as they went. One Iwa medic stared dumbly at the smoking hole where her torso had been before collapsing.
"Fall back! Fall—" A squad leader's order turned into a scream as his own shadow wrapped around his face, tendrils forcing themselves down his throat until his stomach ruptured from within.
From the shadow of a shattered mountain emerged 4,000 fresh troops led by A, the future Fourth Raikage. His lightning cloak burned brighter than his father's, each movement leaving afterimages of crackling energy.
"YOU WANTED WAR?!" A bellowed as he plowed through Iwa's northern vanguard, leaving a trail of shattered bodies in his wake. An Iwa barrier team raised trembling hands to form defenses, only for A to literally punch through their stone walls - and through the chest of the shinobi behind them.
The survivors broke ranks, only to find their retreat cut off by Kumo's infamous Killer Bee, whose eight swords became a whirlwind of dismembered limbs. "Ya fool ya fool!" he rapped while casually decapitating two fleeing chūnin.
The Tsuchikage hovered above the slaughter, his aged face contorted in rage. "Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World!" he screamed, unleashing his most devastating technique. The glowing cube descended toward the Raikage's position—only to be intercepted by a 200-meter Shadow Gate that swallowed the technique whole.
From the gate's depths emerged half-digested Iwa shinobi, their bodies fused with shadow matter, still screaming as they crawled toward their former comrades. The psychological toll was immediate - entire companies dropped their weapons and ran, only to be picked off by Kaji's shadow archers.
As dusk fell, the Third Raikage stood atop a hill with Kaji, surveying the field of carnage. Below them, the Shadow Chimera still gorged itself on the remains of Iwa's forces, its three heads occasionally fighting over particularly large groups of survivors.
"You've made monsters of us all," the Raikage murmured, watching as a squad of Iwa shinobi impaled themselves on their own kunai rather than face the shadow creatures.
Kaji's smile never reached his eyes. "War is the only monster here. We're just its most effective weapons."
In the distance, Ōnoki's retreating figure disappeared over the horizon, pursued by Kaji's shadow ravens. The message was clear - this defeat was just the beginning.
The combined forces of Konoha and Kumo had annihilated all 10,000 Iwa shinobi, plunging the Earth Country into unprecedented chaos. As Ōnoki retreated beyond the sea, Kaji dispatched his shadow hawk to monitor their movements across the waters.
With the Third Raikage requiring days to recover from his exhaustion, Kaji approached the heir apparent. "You're A, the Raikage's son, correct?" he said, extending his hand. "We haven't had proper introductions - I'm Shikaji." Their grip locked like two forces of nature acknowledging each other's power. "Given your father's condition, I need you to assume command and reorganize our frontline forces. I require meditation to recover my chakra reserves. Can I entrust this to you?"
A's nod carried the weight of mountains. The young man known as the Shadow Monarch had proven his worth this day, and the future Fourth Raikage would not dishonor that trust. Without another word, A turned to his new duties, barking orders to medics and squad leaders with the authority of a born commander.
Two Hours Later
Within the command tent's flickering lamplight, Kaji and the recovering Raikage shared soldier's rations and medicinal tea. Kaji traced their position on the tactical map. "The timing was optimal, but I question the strategic impact. Ten thousand dead... will this truly break Iwa?"
The Third Raikage's chuckle rasped like gravel. "You've erased two generations of their fighting force today. But their current reserves remain intact in the village." He drained his cup in one gulp. "Ōnoki will recall every retired shinobi and academy student, but their combat effectiveness will be pitiful. Expect guerrilla strikes - nothing more."
Kaji nodded. "Orochimaru and Jiraiya reinforced Darui on the Kiri front. By now, they've pushed the Mist back to the sea." His finger tapped the coastline on the map. "An assault on Iwa is too risky - the distance favors their defenses, and Ōnoki will be waiting for vengeance."
"But Kiri..." The Raikage's eyes gleamed like stormclouds. "Their fragile alliance reforms by the day. After this two-front humiliation, their Daimyo must be furious."
Kaji met his gaze. "Return to Kumogakure when you've recovered. Mobilize for an invasion of Kirigakure. Konoha will maintain our defensive perimeter here." The unspoken understanding hung between them - the Land of Water's resources would feed Kumo's recovery, while Konoha secured their new alliance.
Outside the tent, the mournful cries of crows carried over the battlefield, feasting on the remnants of Iwa's shattered dreams of conquest.