Seeing that the war between the Wind and Rain Kingdoms had broken out, the nobles of various countries agreed to launch a joint war. Each country assembled its army to prepare to attack the Land of Fire.
In the council chamber of the Land of Lightning, all eyes were fixed on the Third Raikage A, A. This ninja, renowned for his ferocity, slowly clenched his fist, his Chakra rumbling like thunder. " Daimyo of the Land of Lightning! The Kumogakure will gather its entire army of 600,000 elite ninja, along with millions of samurai from the noble families of the Land of Lightning. I, A, hereby swear—we will raze the Land of Fire to the ground and annihilate the Konoha! We will make them pay the price in blood for their atrocities!"
"Good!" The Daimyo clenched his fist excitedly. "From this day forward, the Land of Lightning enters a state of total war! All nobles must fully cooperate, contributing money, manpower, and supplies! Anyone who dares to slack off will be subject to military law. This is a true war of life and death; it's either victory or...!"
"The Rai Clan of Mist Lightning Valley is willing to contribute three million taels of gold and provide fifty thousand clan ninjas and one hundred thousand elite warriors!"
"My Kaze Clan of Cloud Lightning City contributes 20,000 elite ninja soldiers, 100,000 warriors, and a year's worth of provisions to supply an army of one million!"
"Our Yi clan of Raize Fort offers up our ancestral Lightning Release technique for the entire army to study, and also provides 30,000 elite ninjas, 200,000 samurai, and 3 million units of grain!"
Hundreds of noble families, large and small, from the Land of Lightning began to express their opinions, and the massive war machine slowly began to start. Inside the council hall, strategic maps were unfolded, and generals began to discuss marching routes; logistics officials calculated food and fodder needs; the intelligence department began deploying spies, and the diplomatic department began contacting allies...
However, amidst this tense preparation, no one noticed that in Yin Shadow corner of the council hall, a White Zetsu, disguised as Yin Shadow, was quietly lurking. It meticulously memorized every word and every detail, transmitting the Land of Lightning's war plan to the Land of Fire in its entirety.
The calm before the storm is always fleeting. While the Land of Lightning's millions of troops began to assemble, the Land of Fire was also making its preparations. A life-or-death battle for supremacy in the Shinobi World was about to erupt on this Hokage continent...
Meanwhile, in the Land of Wind, a fierce wind whipped up sand and gravel, whistling like blades across the vermilion corridors of the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. As the last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon, the iron beast-headed lampstands lit up one by one, illuminating the council hall as bright as day. The Daimyo of the Land of Wind, Nobuno Hiratsuru, sat on a sandalwood throne carved with ninja tortoise patterns, his brocade robe embroidered with sandstorm totems in gold thread billowing with his slightly trembling body. It was too humiliating; they hadn't even won against the Land of Rain, their 300,000- Shinobi World army had been driven back by 200,000 ninja.
Below, kneeling representatives of seventy-two noble families, their armor and swords gleaming coldly in the candlelight. Among them, the elderly patriarch of the Red Sand Clan suddenly staggered forward two steps, his snow-white beard glistening with sweat. "The ninja army of the Land of Rain actually boasted that they would invade the Land of Sand, and they even slaughtered all the prisoners. How could this be? Have they gone mad?" His voice trembled with tears, and the ivory tablet in his hand clattered to the ground.
A chorus of gasps filled the hall. Someone knocked over a teacup, the scalding tea staining the carpet. Nobuno Hiratsuru raised a hand to silence everyone, his aged voice carrying an unprecedented chill. "The news is indeed true. The entire Shinobi World is laughing at us. We even wanted to attack the Land of Fire, but we couldn't even defeat the Land of Rain." He paused, a cold glint in his eyes, " The Land of Rain's massacre of our prisoners is just as intolerable as the Land of Fire's massacre of its nobles. Both countries must perish."
The Kazekage, Shamon, emerged from the Yin Shadow, the Gold Dust patterns on his black hunting robe shimmering in the Kakkō. This thirty-year-old Second Kazekage possessed eyes as sharp as a hawk's. "Your Excellency, we underestimated our enemy this time. Land of Rain and we have lost 100,000 ninja. With the full support of all nobles, our Sunagakure will be completely freed from Konoha's control. I can mobilize all 500,000 Sand shinobi troops; annihilating the Land of Rain absolutely no problem, but facing the ever-powerful Land of Fire..." His words were cut short by a furious roar.
"I've been discussing this with the nobles all night!" Nobuno Hiratsuru slammed his fist on the table, causing the gilded incense burner to shake violently. "The 200,000- Guardian Ninja, the 3 million-strong samurai army, including Onmyoji and sorcerers, along with all the weapons and provisions, are all under the Lord Kazekage!" He scanned the nobles below, their expressions varied. "Not to mention, we'll be joining forces with other countries to send troops. A conservative estimate is 30 million troops pressing on our borders. There are even nobles within the Land of Fire who are our inside agents. With this inside-outside attack, I don't believe the Land of Fire can withstand it!"
The Akasuna clan chief was the first to kowtow. " The Akasuna Clan is willing to offer its thousand-year-old secret puppet army, the Hiruko Armor sufficient to equip an army of 100,000, 20,000 clan ninjas, 200,000 sand samurai, and 3 million catties of grain!"
The Wind Eagle Clan Chief then rose, the ten Kunai at his waist jingling. " The Wind Hawk Clan has 10,000 ninja soldiers, 150,000 elite warriors, and 10,000 divine Beast God, with its own provisions, and is ready to march to the front lines at any time!"
" The Sato family lord of Crescent Valley said: Crescent Valley's grain reserves can support an army of one million for three months. In addition, we will provide 20,000 elite ninjas and 100,000 sand warriors!"
The head of the Tetsumon family, who controlled the Iron Sand mine, declared, "From this day forward, we will mine Iron Sand at full capacity, ensuring a continuous supply of weapons. We will deploy 30,000 ninjas and 150,000 samurai. Food supplies are to be provided by ourselves!"
Amidst the rising and falling cries of the thousand-year-old nobles urging for battle, Shamon knelt on one knee, his right hand pressed to his chest. "I, the Second Kazekage Shamon, hereby swear: If I cannot pacify the Land of Rain and conquer the Land of Fire, the entire Sand Clan is willing to commit seppuku in repentance!" His Kageko stretched long on the wall, resembling a giant beast baring its fangs.
Three days later, banners blotted out the sun over the desert outside Sunagakure. Five hundred thousand Sand shinobi, clad in reddish-brown armor and wielding Kunai coated with poisoned Iron Sand, stood in neat hourglass formation. Two hundred thousand Guardian Ninja and three hundred thousand clan ninja wore chainmail with gold trim, their waists adorned with wind swords specially forged by the Daimyo. Five million samurai wore straw hats, their long swords gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Standing on the viewing platform made of Gold Dust, Nobuno Hiratsuru gazed at the vast army, a tear glistening in his eye. He slowly unfurled a scroll filled with blood-written oaths and proclaimed them aloud to the swirling yellow sand, " The Land of Wind swears not to rest until the nations of Rain and Fire are destroyed in this battle!"
His response was a deafening roar from millions, a wave of sound sweeping across the desert like a hurricane, stirring up countless grains of sand that flew towards the Land of Rain...
Deep within the Hidden Stone City of the Land of Earth, in a secret chamber adorned with intricate rock patterns, Jūni rock lamps cast a dim, yellowish glow, illuminating the room in shifting light. The heavy stone door slammed shut, and over sixty nobles, dressed in magnificent attire and bearing family crests, sat around a massive obsidian round table, the air thick with tension and solemnity.
"Gentlemen!" The silver-haired nobleman at the head of the group slammed his hand on the table, his jewel-encrusted sleeves making a crisp sound as they swept across the surface. " The Land of Fire's actions are a disruption of the entire Shinobi World's order. Now the Land of Earth is fighting on two fronts, Land of Demons needs 200,000 ninja troops stationed there. Madara Uchiha has also led 200,000 ninja to the Land of Rain. That leaves the entire Sunagakure with less than 100,000 ninja, including many of our own. This is the best opportunity to destroy Tian Uguisu and regain control of the Land of Earth." His voice echoed in the secret chamber, his eyes burning with fury.
"That's right!" A nobleman dressed in a dark purple brocade robe, with a jade pendant symbolizing power hanging at his waist, stood up excitedly, his robe catching the wind. "The actions of the Land of Fire have threatened our personal safety and interests. Now, Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha control the Land of Earth. They are in cahoots with the Land of Fire. If we don't seize this opportunity and act now, the next noble to be annexed will probably be our Land of Earth! We must unite to resist the invasion of the Land of Fire and eliminate these two major threats, Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha!" He waved his arms, his emotions running high, as if he could already see the scene of fighting the enemy.
"However, confronting Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha is no easy task." A middle-aged nobleman with a gloomy face frowned and said slowly, "Their strength is too great, and the Iwa ninja forces are incredibly powerful, not to mention the Land of Fire's advanced technology. What makes us think we can contend with them?"
A brief silence fell over the room upon hearing this. Just as everyone hesitated, a lean, sharp-eyed old nobleman from the Land of Earth sneered, "Hmph, while Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha are strong, we are not without power. Our Land of Earth has a deep foundation; as long as we nobles unite, we can definitely fight them."
He surveyed the crowd, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. "Now, it's time to unleash the full power of our noble family! My Stone Family is willing to invest 5 billion ryo to recruit more ninjas and samurai and purchase supplies. Furthermore, our clan has 60,000 ninjas, many of whom are already in the Iwagakure army and ready to defect at any time."
"Good!" These words ignited everyone's fighting spirit.
"My family will also contribute one billion taels, and can provide 30,000 ninjas! One hundred thousand samurai, and three million taels of grain," another nobleman said loudly, his face full of determination.
"I will provide two million taels of grain and two hundred million taels of military funds, plus thirty thousand ninjas skilled in assassination, and one hundred thousand samurai!"
"My family is willing to contribute ten thousand ninjas proficient in Earth Release techniques, one hundred thousand samurai, and one billion ryo!"
In an instant, echoes of agreement resounded throughout the secret chamber as nobles pledged their support, contributing money, effort, and manpower. The figures for wealth continued to climb, and the number of ninjas also increased rapidly.
Just as everyone was engaged in a heated discussion, an Onmyoji dressed in a white robe and wearing a mysterious mask slowly rose to his feet. Intricate runes embroidered on the hem of his robe swayed gently with his movements, seemingly imbued with a mystical power. "My esteemed nobles,"
His voice was deep and solemn, "Our lineage of Onmyoji in the Land of Earth has always protected the peace of the Land of Earth. Now, the Land of Fire's Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha have occupied our territory and even threatened the nobles, controlling the Daimyo. We will not stand idly by. I will gather all Onmyoji and shamans. At that time, at least several hundred Onmyoji and shamans will join the battle. Our million-strong Protector Warriors will be assembled to fight, clearing the way for the Land of Earth and slaying Madara Uchiha and Tian Uguisu!"
These words immediately lifted everyone's spirits. The power of Onmyoji and Wizards was mysterious and unpredictable; with their addition, the chances of defeating the Land of Fire increased even further.
"Good! With the support of the Onmyoji, we are certain to win this battle!"
"That's right! Let those two great demon kings, Madara Uchiha and Tian Uguisu, know that the nobles of the Land of Earth are not to be trifled with!"
The nobles' emotions grew increasingly high, the discussions became more intense, and the various plans were constantly being refined. From the deployment of troops to the allocation of supplies, from the collection of intelligence to the formulation of tactics, every detail was repeatedly scrutinized.
After a full night of deliberation, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the cracks in the secret chamber, a massive and meticulously planned scheme had taken shape. The final tally indicated a force of 4.8 million, including 500,000 well-trained ninjas, over 4 million elite samurai, and thousands of mysterious figures comprised of Onmyoji and sorcerers. They would concentrate their forces to launch a frontal attack on Iwagakure, targeting Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha, who controlled the Iwagakure.
However, these nobles were unaware that in a corner of the secret chamber, on a seemingly ordinary rock, a White Zetsu lay prostrate on the ground, its body perfectly integrated with the rock, almost imperceptible. Its eyes gleamed with an eerie light, taking in every detail of what was happening inside. Soon, this information would be transmitted to Iwagakure through the White Zetsu's unique means, reaching the ears of Tian Uguisu and Madara Uchiha.
A cataclysmic war is about to erupt across the Shinobi World. The nobles of the Land of Earth are brimming with confidence, unaware that their every move has been exposed. Madara Uchiha, who initially intended to annihilate the Land of Rain in one fell swoop, has been forced to deal with the Land of Land of Earth nobles first, having received intelligence that the Land of Earth of Land of Rain nobles are on the move. Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents surge fiercely; the fate of the Shinobi World is about to undergo a tremendous turning point...