On the other side, a great battle in the Land of Wind was about to erupt. After days of small-scale probing attacks, both sides had located the enemy's main encampment.
Konoha's main camp was set up on the summit of Mount Kikyo, with various Konoha camps and outposts stationed along the slopes and at the foot of the mountain.
Inside the tent on the summit, the jonin were discussing the upcoming battle.
"The Third Hokage has sent word from the village. He hopes we can bring this battle to a swift end. The Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning is already showing signs of restlessness."
After speaking, Nara Shikaku turned to Yamanaka Inoichi and nodded.
"Inoichi, tell everyone about the intelligence we received from the village."
"The intelligence indicates that the Hidden Cloud Village has been buying large quantities of ninja tools in the Land of Iron, while the Land of Lightning has been transporting large amounts of food into the village. The ninja there are training harder, too. All signs point to the Hidden Cloud Village preparing to join the war at any moment."
After hearing Inoichi's report, all the jonin frowned.
Only one person in the tent remained calm and relaxed, sitting in his seat. His thoughts had already drifted to the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. I wonder how things are going over there.
As far as Li Yu was concerned, he could bring the Third Shinobi World War to an end quickly if he wanted. Hadn't he been lying low all this time for Lord Madara and Black Zetsu? If he didn't play along with their grand performance, how could he find Lord Madara's exact location?
Li Yu couldn't interfere with the scheme Uchiha Madara had set up for Obito, lest he draw Black Zetsu and Lord Madara's attention. He also had to make them believe their plan was going smoothly, so they would let down their guard.
Knowing the original story, how could Li Yu not make good use of it? A hunter needed enough patience to wait for his prey to take the bait, then strike a fatal blow and claim what he wanted.
Li Yu had been coveting the Uchiha for a long time. At the thought of Uchiha Madara, drool threatened to escape the corner of his mouth.
Seeing that Li Yu still hadn't offered an opinion and seemed lost in thought, Akimichi Choza nudged him with an elbow and whispered,
"Nawaki, are you finding Shikaku and Inoichi's talk boring? Listening to them has made me hungry."
Snapping back to his senses, Li Yu promptly sucked in his drool and played along with Choza to defuse the awkward moment.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm hungry too."
"Let's go hunt some game later. I haven't had grilled meat in ages."
Nara Shikaku noticed two people whispering to each other during the meeting and said, somewhat irritably,
"Choza, what do you think of the situation?"
Called on to speak, Akimichi Choza rubbed his belly and answered with a simple-minded look.
"I think this battle has gone on a little too long. We've used up a lot of ninja tools and food, so we need to keep the supplies coming and make sure they're safe."
Li Yu was surprised. Akimichi Choza's build and smile make him seem kind of simple-minded. He clearly cares a lot about food, yet when it's time to speak, he still manages to make a good point.
He'd just been talking to me about delicious food, yet he'd responded so quickly. Li Yu smiled and dubbed him "Scheming Fatty."
"No, no, that's a bit too harsh. He's got a lot going on beneath the surface."
Hearing Choza's answer, all the jonin nodded. Nara Shikaku then turned his gaze to Li Yu.
Li Yu knew it was his turn to speak and cleared his throat a few times. Just then, the ground shook violently. The tremor was unmistakable.
"What happened?"
"Quick, let's go take a look!"
The jonin rushed out of the tent.
They looked out and saw a vast mass of Gold Sand surging in from the side like a tsunami, rushing toward the foot of Mount Kikyo.
The Gold Sand was aimed perfectly at the Konoha camps at the foot of the mountain.
"Damn it, we're under attack!"
"Large numbers of Sunagakure ninja are moving in from the other side!"
Sweat beaded on Nara Shikaku's forehead as he urged them on.
"Go save them! Organize everyone's retreat and get them out of the Gold Sand's path!"
Yamanaka Inoichi hurriedly formed Hand Seals and used a communication jutsu to warn the ninja below to get clear of the Gold Sand.
The jonin rushed down the mountain toward the camps. Only Ino-Shika-Cho and Li Yu remained where they were.
Though Nara Shikaku was anxious to go rescue the others, as the commander, he had to stay put. He planned to use their high ground and direct the troops with Yamanaka Inoichi's communication jutsu.
The tsunami of Gold Sand swept forward, smashing through one camp after another and burying people beneath its golden waves. People could be seen struggling and shouting in the sand.
"Help!"
"I don't want to die!"
"Someone, please save me!"
Large numbers of Chunin and Genin rushed out of the camps and fled in panic. The Gold Sand churned across the ground in the distance, and they could hardly outrun it.
Li Yu could already tell how fast the Gold Sand was moving. It was too late to make it down the mountain on foot, and the sand was racing straight toward the densest cluster of Konoha tents.
Watching this, Nara Shikaku grew as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. He turned to the unruffled Li Yu and asked,
"Nawaki, you're still here? What do you think?"
At the words "What do you think?" Li Yu suddenly felt as if he'd been asked, "What's your take on this, Hōtarō?"
Li Yu's eyebrows twitched three times before he turned and replied,
"This is extremely dangerous."
"In my opinion, there's only one word for it."
"Fight!"
As soon as he said it, Li Yu vanished in a flash, using the Flying Thunder God to appear beside Uzuki Yugao at the foot of the mountain.
When they saw Li Yu, they calmed down and called out together, "Sensei!"
"Asuma, the battle is about to begin. Look after the two girls. I'll go stop this Gold Sand."
He turned and charged straight toward the golden waves. The Gold Sand was hundreds of meters away and dozens of meters high. From the summit, it had looked one way, but facing it head-on was entirely different. Its oppressive force made it feel impossible to stop.
At the very back of the fleeing Konoha ninja, three people were panting as they ran for their lives. One member of the squad was a short-haired girl who had only just graduated. She tripped and fell behind.
The two teammates ahead immediately doubled back and helped her up.
"Qingqing, don't give up! Keep running!"
"You two go! Leave me behind!"
"We can't abandon you!"
Seeing this, Li Yu gripped a Specialized Kunai and tossed it. His hands were already forming Hand Seals.
The kunai passed by the three and stuck diagonally into the ground. A flash of light followed, and Li Yu shouted,
"Earth Release: Multiple Earth Style Wall!"
Dropping to one knee, he slapped both hands onto the ground. Dozens of thick earthen walls rose in a formation, thrusting up from the earth.
Where Li Yu stood, the golden light reflected from the Gold Sand had bathed him in sunlight. Now, a shadow fell over him, blotting out the sky.
The Gold Sand slammed into the walls with several deafening crashes. After breaking through a few, it finally lost its momentum. Then came the rustling sound of sand.
The three fresh graduates of the Ninja Academy stared with their mouths shaped like O's, eyes shining with admiration. They didn't seem to have the slightest sense that they'd just escaped death.
"So amazing!"
The ninja still running in the distance stopped one after another to watch.
"Who's that? That Earth Release jutsu is incredible!"
"Was that a group using Earth Release together?"
Li Yu pulled out his kunai, rose to his feet with a flourish, and leaped up to the top of the earthen wall. He shouted to the Konoha ninja below,
"Listen up! I'm Senju Nawaki, a Konoha jonin. I'll handle this side. A large force of Sand ninja is approaching from the other side, so get ready to fight!"
After speaking, he hurled a kunai toward the spot where the Gold Sand jutsu had been used and stylishly disappeared with the Flying Thunder God.
"Is he from the Senju Clan?"
"So cool!"
Seeing what had happened below, Nara Shikaku watched as the golden sea stopped short of the densely packed Konoha camps and breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was a close one. Otherwise, our losses would have been catastrophic."
"He's gone to face the Fourth Kazekage alone. We need to pick up the pace on our end, too."