The battle entered its third day. Both sides had committed tremendous effort, and everyone understood that it was nearing its final stage. If they still could not settle the outcome, they would have to accept a result in which both sides lost.
Amid the sounds of fierce fighting, blood flowed without cease, from enemies and allies alike. It would not stop until the battle finally ended.
In battles between ninja, elite fighters remained crucial. New ninja tools such as the Explosive Cannon could not yet erase the disparity in top-level combat strength. Still, compared with the past, they had certainly narrowed it. At the very least, elite ninja no longer dared charge headlong across the front lines with impunity.
How many people in the Shinobi World could survive a sustained bombardment from Explosive Cannons? Even elite ninja faced the same danger. In a sense, this was progress. If more powerful, easy-to-use new ninja tools appeared in the future, the role of elite ninja would diminish further. They might never again be able to decide the outcome of a war single-handedly.
The sector Hatake Sakumo was responsible for primarily faced the puppet corps of Sunagakure Ninja Village. Chiyo commanded that force, which naturally included her son, Liu. Nursing a grudge over his wife's "death," Liu had attacked Sakumo's sector several times over the past three days, though he had never committed his full strength.
Sakumo understood that this was because the Sunagakure Ninja Forces had not yet decided to launch an all-out assault. Despite his grudge, Liu did not dare defy orders and throw everything he had at Sakumo. Doing so could disrupt the army's overall strategy, and even Chiyo's son might not be able to shoulder that responsibility.
Now, however, neither side had much strength left. The final clash was