Under the thick veil of night.

Pale moonlight shone down upon Konoha.

In every corner of the village, shadows and cold glints flashed intermittently, accompanied by a chorus of screams echoing from all directions. The cruel essence of war was laid bare.

In a desolate, ruined area within the village.

Sand shifted and flowed with a low, rhythmic sound. Deep within a massive crater, two colossal beasts stood locked in a standoff, silent and motionless.

In a hidden corner far away, the Konoha ninjas who had been observing the situation turned pale.

After all, watching the battle between these two giants at such close range filled them with a profound sense of powerlessness. Facing such terrifying creatures, these small, insignificant beings could not conceive of any way to respond.

The overwhelming offensive power and destructive capabilities displayed by every movement of the two beasts left them stunned, while simultaneously casting a heavy, lingering shadow over their hearts.

Hiding there, they all shared a single thought!

They hoped these two monsters would destroy each other; after all, even if their entire group swarmed them, they would be nothing more than appetizers for these beasts.

Yet, the current situation seemed disappointing. The giant bear appeared completely outmatched by the power of the One-Tail, being beaten one-sidedly in a miserable fashion.

If things continued this way, the battle would likely end before the Third Hokage could arrive.

At the mere thought of the One-Tail Shukaku's terrifying destructive power, the face of a middle-aged Konoha ninja grew grim.

However, at that very moment.

"Captain Morita, th-that guy is moving again!" a ninja observing the scene said, his face drained of color.

"What!?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged ninja with a solemn expression looked over immediately, praying that the giant bear could hold on a little