Raikage A stood on the scorched battlefield, a vast crater blasted out by a Tailed Beast Bomb beneath his feet.
With his arms folded across his chest, he watched the Konoha ninja retreating in panic in the distance and gave no order to pursue them.
Instead, he murmured:
"Konoha's northern front has completely collapsed. Their remaining main forces are pinned down in the northwest and southwest."
"If we strike straight into the northwestern battlefield now and attack alongside Iwagakure from both sides, Konoha's Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, won't escape even if he grows wings!"
He turned, his gaze sweeping over the two thousand elite Kumogakure ninja behind him.
"Leave five hundred men to continue plundering the Land of Fire and make a show of force along the way."
"The rest of you, head south with me at full speed. Our target is the Iwagakure Battlefield!"
"Yes!"
The ninja answered in unison, their voices resounding across the land.
Two days later.
On the northwestern battlefield, in the hills where Iwagakure and Konoha faced off.
The two sides had already fought fiercely for an entire day.
The slopes were littered with craters blasted out by ninjutsu and broken kunai.
Konoha's position was on the southern slope, with several defensive lines built around the terrain.
But after days of bitter fighting, those defenses were on the verge of collapse.
Hiruzen Sarutobi personally held the front line, wielding the Adamantine Staff as he fought Iwagakure's Five-Tails Jinchuriki.
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, was a burly man clad in red Steam Armor, scorching steam radiating from his entire body.
He had already entered Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Hiruzen formed hand seals, and an enormous fire dragon erupted from his mouth, surging toward Han with waves of scorching air.
Han