Senju Tenpuku arrived at Azure Dragon City ahead of the three million troops. He and Tenmei reminisced about his time in the Azure Dragon Corps.
The Azure Dragon Corps was established in the thirteenth year of the Konoha calendar, and Senju Tenpuku became Azure Dragon Corps first commander. He remained in command until August 1st of the twenty-third year of the Konoha calendar, when he stepped down as commander of the Azure Dragon Corps Senju Tenpuku Azure Dragon Corps and handed it over to his youngest son, Tenmei.
In the center of Azure Dragon Square that year, the army's dragon insignia gleamed with a bronze luster in the sunlight, the seals were neatly placed in a brocade box, and the military flag embroidered with a giant azure dragon was held by two soldiers, its tail swaying gently in the wind. Below the cliff, the scene was even more lively, with five hundred rune-infused mechs lined up at the foot of the mountain like an iron wall. Their jet-black armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, each one as tall as a three-story building and as big as a fist that could fit an adult. In the sky, three hundred rune-infused fighters circled in formation, their engines roaring so loudly that the cliff face trembled, and lightning flashed on their wings.
Senju Tenpuku turned around, his gaze falling on his youngest son, Tenmei. This current commander of the Azure Dragon Corps, dressed in a dark blue uniform, still couldn't conceal the composure in his eyes. Senju Tenpuku suddenly burst into loud laughter, his voice louder than the roar of fighter jets overhead, "Back when your elder brother had just taken the Hokage's chair, I asked him for all sorts of rune equipment for the Azure Dragon Army. Later, after the Scientific Research Department developed the rune fighters, I immediately asked your elder brother for ten ' Thunder Falcon Model One I' rune fighters. Your elder brother cried and said the finances were tight; the following year, I begged again, asking for fifty, and your elder brother again claimed there weren't enough craftsmen; later, I simply slammed the legion's budget report on your elder brother's desk, forcing him to sign it. That time, your elder brother's face turned green!"
Tenmei gave a helpless bitter smile, raising his hand to rub his temples—a gesture strikingly similar to how his elder brother handled government affairs in his youth. He quickly formed a hand seal, and a gust of wind carried a scroll into his hand. He unrolled the scroll, revealing it densely covered with red seals and black approvals. "Father, how dare you say that? For the past ten years or so, you've sent a monthly 'Memorial on Upgrading the Azure Dragon Corps's Equipment,' every word practically screaming 'I'll flip the table if you don't get the equipment'; and every quarter you've launched a 'surprise attack on the Hokage's office.' If you weren't my brother's father, the Anbu would have already taken you in for 'disrupting government affairs'."
"Hahaha!" Tenpuku laughed heartily, patting Tenmei on the shoulder so hard that Tenmei staggered. He said, " The Land of Fire's territory spans thousands of miles. To the east, it's attacked by the Land of Lightning, and to the west, by the Land of Wind. If it weren't for the Azure Dragon Corps's sharp blade keeping the Land of Lightning, that beast, in check, Konoha would be nothing more than a beautiful garden, left to be destroyed by these beasts!" He turned and picked up the Dragon Talisman, solemnly placing it in his youngest son, Senju Tenmei's, hand. He then patted Tenmei's arm. "From today onward, this sharp blade is entrusted to you. I hope you will make the best use of these divine weapons that your father begged for. You must not let the Land of Lightning run rampant in the Land of Fire. And you must not disappoint your elder brother. In the future, you also need to be a little thick-skinned. When it's time to ask the Hokage for equipment, don't be shy. Your elder brother is gone, but no one dares to disrespect the Ten Family!"
Tenmei held the cold dragon talisman, his palms sweating, but his back was ramrod straight. His eyes were full of determination as he looked at his father, but he was really not good at shameless things! Could it be that his father abdicated because he couldn't bring himself to do it in front of others? The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
When Tenmei succeeded as the commander of the Azure Dragon Corps, he was only twenty-two years old, and his face still carried a bit of youthful vigor. But no one dared to underestimate him. He had served as a teacher at a senior academy and had also created a legend at the Kage Academy: he completed ten S-level tactical simulation challenges in one day using " Multi Shadow Clone + Flying Thunder God ". He is still ranked first on the Kage Academy's tactical leaderboard.
On his first day in office, Tenmei slammed his fist on the wooden table in the legion headquarters, issuing the " Azure Dragon Order - Order No. 1." He personally posted the proclamation all over the Kage Academy's bulletin board, the black characters on the red paper standing out prominently. "From this day forward, the Azure Dragon Corps will no longer be ranked by seniority. Generals will be appointed based on their strength. The capable will rise, the mediocre will fall, and ninjas below the Elite Chunin will not be accepted. Those who rank in the top ten of the Kage Academy's overall evaluation for the same period will be directly granted the title of ' Azure Dragon Army,' with personal guards and real power!"
Only three days after the order was issued, the Kage Academy's training grounds were packed to capacity. Graduating students were eager to try their luck, outstanding students from previous years were pulling strings to find out, and even the academy's old janitor knew: the Azure Dragon Corps was about to undergo a major reshuffle.
The top graduate Uchiha Chichi, was the first to be called upon. This girl, dressed in grey, always hid half her face in her hood, yet her Genjutsu could confuse even the Kage Academy examiners, and her Space-Time Ninjutsu allowed her to instantly teleport within a ten-foot radius. Tenmei, seeing her demonstrate her " Genjutsu: Thousand Moon Mystery" in the training grounds, immediately appointed her. "Chief of Staff for Air Combat, you'll be in command of a hundred rune fighters. Dare to take on the role of Air Force General?" Uchiha Chichi pulled back her hood, her eyes gleaming. "Commander, give me three days, and I guarantee I'll know every fighter's flight path by heart!"
The top-ranked fighter in Taijutsu, Kyogoku Aoto, was even more terrifying. This kid was from a branch of the Kyogoku clan; his arms were a size thicker than an average person's, and a single punch could dent the steel-like surface of the training ground. When Tenmei challenged him to a mecha fight, he took a punch bare-handed, only taking three steps back, his fist still emitting white smoke. Tenmei immediately laughed, "You're the captain of the 'Mecha Assault Team' now! A hundred mechas are under your command. Next time, try to dismantle the Land of Lightning's Ironclad Legion!" Aoto scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "I promise I won't disappoint the Legion Commander!"
Uzumaki Honoka, stood quietly to the side, twirling a sealing talisman in her hand. Tenmei took her to see the heavy artillery regiment, she lightly touched the runes on the cannon barrels with her finger, and suddenly all 1,200 " Violet Thunder " cannons hummed simultaneously, their muzzles flashing with faint lightning. Tenmei's eyes lit up. "The rune circuits for the heavy artillery array are entrusted to you; that 'Flick of the Finger Thunder' skill is exactly what we need!" Honoka's cheeks flushed slightly, but she nodded vigorously. "I will definitely not disappoint the Legion Commander!"
For the next six months, Tenmei practically became a "regular" at the Kage Academy. He invited the genius from the Puppet Department to modify mecha joints, appointed the top student from the Medical Department as the director of the field hospital, and even poached the most cryptic and taciturn person from the Azure Dragon Corps's twenty generals, thirty-seven lieutenant generals, and one hundred and nine major generals—the commanding positions were almost entirely filled by energetic young academics, with hardly any veterans remaining.
His father was expending a frenzy to equip the Azure Dragon Corps, while he was expending a frenzy to recruit talent for the Azure Dragon Corps. Although the other legions and departments in Konoha were dissatisfied, they simply couldn't match his boldness; it was practically a complete overhaul of the Azure Dragon Corps.
The day the new organizational chart of the Azure Dragon Corps was posted, even the Fourth Hokage Kagami Uchiha, and other Konoha High Command came to see it. The chart was densely packed with text, and every item exuded an aura of "burning money," yet it also gleamed with a sharp edge that would make enemies tremble. As expected of Konoha's First Legion, other legions were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. These two, father and son, were too shameless; their combat power was several times that of the other legions.
The Ace - Azure Dragon Air Combat Brigade: 300 " Thunder Falcon Type III " rune fighters are the absolute air superiorities. Forged from mithril capable of conducting Chakra, their fuselages gleam silvery-white in the sunlight. With a wingspan of Jūni zhang (approximately 63 meters), they resemble a flock of giant birds blotting out the sun. Most formidable are the various rune attack arrays beneath their wings, Wind Release array. A pilot can instantly unleash an S-rank Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves; an invisible wind blade can slice through clouds a kilometer away, a feat even the Land of Lightning's large summoning beast, the Thunder Bird, dares not provoke. All pilots must be at least Kage Level shinobi.
Ace - Azure Dragon Mecha Division: Five hundred " Heavenly Chief Third Generation " rune mechs stood there, more stable than mountains. Each mech was ten zhang tall, covered with three inches of thick black iron heavy armor; even cannonballs would only leave white marks upon impact. Embedded within were hundreds of Chakra crystals, like miniature suns. Even pilots with limited Chakra could use these crystals to unleash S-rank Ninjutsu, and the sealing barriers they created could withstand all attacks below the Super Kage Level. The stronger the pilot, the greater the power they could unleash. The mech warriors were at least Elite Jonin experts.
The elite Azure Dragon Heavy Artillery Regiment: 1,200 " Violet Thunder " rune-inscribed cannons are even more terrifying. The cannon barrels are engraved with 3,600 Fire Style, densely packed like crawling snakes. The muzzles are dark and menacing, looking as if they're about to devour someone. The loader loads a solid shell, a ninja forms a hand seal from a distance, and the cannon roars to life, the lightning and Kakkō a continuous barrage capable of flattening a mountaintop. Its range reaches tens of thousands of meters. It truly lives up to the saying, "A single cannon shot can change the course of mountains and rivers."
Standard Equipment - Azure Dragon Armored Infantry Regiment: The soldiers' " Azure Dragon " rune-inlaid light armor looks thin, but the rune barrier can withstand A-rank Ninjutsu. The armor plates are cyan-green, and when the sunlight shines on them, they look like they are flowing with light. Their combat boots are inlaid with Wind Release runes, so they run with the wind in their feet. Their sword " Sky Splitter " is even more amazing. The back of the blade is inlaid with Wind Release runes, and when the sword is swung, it can unleash a three-zhang-long wind blade. It can cut down trees like tofu, and it makes a cracking sound when it cuts through enemy armor.
Standard Equipment - Azure Dragon Armored Chariot Battalion: Eight hundred " Racing Thunder " armored vehicles travel at extremely high speeds, reaching speeds of up to 600 li per hour. Mars fly as the wheels roll over the ground. Each vehicle is equipped with a repeating crossbow, which fires ten arrows with a single pull of the trigger. Each arrow is infused with lightning and fire, exploding upon impact. It is most effective against ground troops; once the arrow rain passes, everything is blown to smithereens.
These precious machines were all jointly developed by Konoha's Scientific Research Department and Rune Sealing Department. It's said their Chakra conductivity is over 92%, and building just three hundred of them drained Konoha's budget for several years. Some whispered, "This isn't an army, it's a mobile gold mine!" But Tenmei just sneered, "Can a gold mine stop an enemy? This is an iron wall protecting the Land of Fire!"
In the 26th year of the Konoha calendar, the Azure Dragon Corps's first full-scale live-fire exercise was a sensational event. On the training ground, rune-infused fighters weaved through the clouds, the sound of their footsteps shaking the ground, and the roar of cannons could be heard from hundreds of miles away. Senju Tenpuku stood on the viewing platform, accompanied by high-ranking officials such as Hokage Kagami Uchiha. These busy officials rarely had the opportunity to watch the exercise side by side like this.
Qianju Tianfu squinted his eyes and watched three "Thunder Falcon Type 3" fighter planes fly past the clouds at seven times the speed of sound, their wings piercing the air and screaming, and their tail flames dragged out three streaks of white smoke in the sky. He sighed softly, and Chi Xiao fell to the ground. He paused and said, "I remember when I led the old-style Blue Dragon Army to build a decent Earth Escape wall, and three thousand people had to make seals together, and everyone was sweating. Now a hundred mechas can easily complete it. Times have really changed."
Kagami Uchiha frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the mechs in the distance that were replenishing their Chakra crystals. " Tenpuku Tenfu, the more powerful the equipment, the more resources it consumes. These fighters consume Chakra crystals per hour, enough for ten Kage ninjas to replenish them in half a day; the maintenance costs for the mechs are astronomical. If one day Konoha's finances can't keep up, the Azure Dragon Corps, this overly sharp blade, might turn around and hurt itself."
These words were overheard by Tenmei, who had just stepped down from the command platform. His uniform collar was slightly dusty, but his posture remained ramrod straight. He saluted his father and brother and replied solemnly, " The Scientific Research Department has been planning what the Lord Hokage is concerned about for a long time. The Azure Dragon Corps has also added two new units, the ' Chakra Logistics Department ' and the ' Rune Economy Department,' to specifically research how to make equipment 'quickly replenish energy during wartime and absorb and convert energy on its own during peacetime.' For example, the Wind Release array of the fighter jets can now absorb wind energy and convert it into Chakra; the core crystals of the mechs are also trying to reuse the Chakra energy collected from the battlefield. The strength of the Azure Dragon Corps lies not only in its powerful weapons, but also in the continuous updates and innovations of the Konoha Scientific Research Department."
Upon hearing this, Kagami Uchiha suddenly grinned and patted Tenmei on the back. "Good lad, you've thought further ahead than I have! You know that just having the equipment isn't enough; you also need to know how to maintain it!" Kagami Uchiha also relaxed his brow, looking at the fighter jets and mechs practicing coordinated combat in the distance, and said softly, "If they can truly achieve 'self-sufficiency,' then this Azure Dragon Corps will truly be the guardian deity of Konoha."
The explosions on the training ground continued, but everyone on the viewing platform wore relieved smiles.
As the exercise drew to a close, the setting sun bathed the training ground in gold. Tenmei stood on the high platform, with twenty generals behind him and one hundred thousand Azure Dragon soldiers before him. Fighter jets flew overhead in formation, the sunlight reflecting off their wings so bright it was blinding; mechs knelt on the ground, their heavy armor gleaming a dark red in the sunset; soldiers held swords and spears, the flowing light on their light Azure Dragon armor forming a continuous line.
Tenmei took a deep breath, and his voice, amplified by Chakra megaphones, resounded throughout the entire arena, louder than cannon fire. "Fellow soldiers! Today's Azure Dragon Corps is not yesterday's Azure Dragon Corps! We no longer rely on sheer numbers to intimidate; we will rely on the superior quality of our ninjas and our advanced equipment to dominate the entire Shinobi World!"
He pointed to the fighter jets in the sky. "See that? One fighter jet can take on an entire squadron of fighters. That's called 'one man is an army'!" He then pointed to the mechs. "One mech can defend a pass. That's called 'one machine is a city'!"
The eyes of 100,000 soldiers followed his finger, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
" The Will of Fire is not just empty talk," Tenmei's voice grew even more impassioned, his fist slamming heavily onto the military insignia on his chest. "It must be protected by the swords in our hands, the fighter jets we pilot, and the artillery we control! From this day forward, the Azure Dragon Corps will stand once again on this land and in the heavens, with the sharpness of thunder and the will of iron!"
" Azure Dragon —Invincible!" Ten thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the high platform and echoing even from the distant Konoha Mountains. Fighter jet formations left blue trails in the sky, mechs roared, and cannons fired salutes into the air. Amidst the deafening sounds, the war drums of the old era gradually faded away, and the roar of engines of the new era resounded through the heavens.
Standing below the stage, Senju Tenpuku looked at his youngest son, who was full of vigor on the high platform, and suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears. He quietly wiped his face, straightened his back as he faced the high platform, just like when he first took over the Azure Dragon Corps.