Land of Fire, Konoha 27th Year, September Jūni, Northern Front of the Land of Iron War
Before the morning mist of September Jūni had fully dissipated, countless banners had already been erected on the plains bordering the Land of Iron. Five million soldiers stretched to the horizon like a black tide, among whom the three million noble legions clad in magnificent armor stood out—their armor inlaid with jewels, their banners embroidered with family crests, and the clinking of their gold ornaments as their horses trod across the grass drowned out the wind. The nobles of the Land of Iron, mounted on their tall horses, gazed at the distant defenses of the Land of Fire, their faces brimming with the arrogant confidence of victory.
"Five million against one hundred thousand? This battle is shameful." The Earl, who controlled the army, brandished his longsword inlaid with agate. " The Land of Fire's Kirin Corps? They're nothing but cowardly wimps who roll their Byakugan! Once we crush Konoha, the Land of Fire's gold, silver, mines, fertile fields, and beautiful women will all be distributed according to military merit!"
The marquis beside him licked his lips, staring at the bustling towns of the Land of Fire marked on the map. "I've heard Konoha's rune weapons are powerful? Hmph, just some fancy tricks! Our Land of Land of Iron relies on real, hard-fought skills! With thirty-seven samurai generals in command and five million troops forming an iron wall around them, they have no chance of escape!"
The daimyo of the Land of Iron stood on a high platform, looking down at his proud army, the katana at his waist trembling slightly. He had a nightmare last night, dreaming that blood-red eyes descended from the sky and devoured the entire army, but now, looking at the dark mass of people before him, the fear of the nightmare had long been replaced by greed—if he could win this battle, the Land of Iron could take the biggest slice of the pie from the Land of Fire and become the new overlord of the Shinobi World.
Meanwhile, in the Kirin Corps's position, Hyuga Reon stood atop the command tower. She wore a silver-white commander's uniform, her long black hair fluttering gently in the wind. Her Tenseigan emitted a pale blue halo in its eye sockets, her gaze piercing through the clouds, clearly revealing the deployment of five million enemy troops.
Behind her, on the battlefield, the engines of 100 Thunder Falcon fighters were warming up, and the " Fire God Explosive Bomb " under their wings glowed with an orange-red light; 100 Heavenly Chief Mecha were arranged in a square formation, with Bagua patterns engraved on the joints of the mechs, and runes flowing in the gaps; most impressively, there were 1,200 Thunder Artillery, their barrels like a forest, and the thunder runes on the cannons connected together, as if the ground was covered with giant silver snakes.
" Reon, the coordinates of all thirty-seven samurai generals of the Land of Iron have been locked." The voice of the Hyuga Clan came through the communicator; their Byakugan's vision gave them complete knowledge of the battlefield.
Hyuga Reon's voice was as cold as ice, yet it carried a power that pierced the heart. " Thunder Falcon fighter formation, target: Samurai General. Remember, Byakugan lock-on, precise decapitation."
The next second, 100 Thunder Falcon fighters swooped down from the clouds like silver lightning. The Hyuga Clan in the cockpit activated their Byakugan, their vision piercing through the enemy formation and locking onto thirty-seven samurai generals clad in special armor and surrounded by guards. Fire God Explosive Bomb detached from their pylons under the wings, trailing orange-red flames, flying towards their targets like precise meteors.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment. The warriors of the Land of Iron were still raising their swords and shouting, the nobles were still dreaming of the glory after victory, and the thirty-seven warrior generals were reining in their horses and drawing their swords, ready to give the order to charge. Then, explosions rang out simultaneously.
Thirty-seven fireballs exploded in the enemy ranks, the intense heat from the Fire God Explosive Bomb instantly turning the samurai general and his surrounding guards into charred remains. Armor melted in the heat, gems turned to ash, and even warhorses were reduced to charred skeletons. In the blink of an eye, the core command structure of the five million-strong army was uprooted.
"General! Our general is dead!" Panic spread like a plague, and the army, now without its commander, instantly descended into chaos. The once orderly square formations crumbled, and the noble legion's ornate armor, clashing in the confusion, became nothing more than a hindrance.
"Now!" Hyuga Reon's voice rang out again, "Mechs, activate Gentle Fist Mode!"
One hundred Heavenly Chief Mecha, like silver behemoths, charged into the enemy ranks with heavy steps. Unlike the mechs of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise Corps, the mechs of the Kirin Corps had Bagua runes engraved on their arms, emitting a pale blue light when activated. The mechs did not use ship-slaying swords or particle cannons, but instead transformed their fists into palms, accurately striking the charging warriors.
" Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms - Strike!" The mech's palm landed on the samurai's armor, leaving no mark, yet the force penetrated the armor and entered his body, shattering his internal organs. The samurai at the forefront suddenly coughed up blood, clutching his chest and collapsing. His armor was intact, but he was already lifeless. More mechs joined the battle, their palms flashing as samurai fell like wheat being harvested, each dying silently, only the blood continuously gushing from their mouths testifying to the terror of the Gentle Fist.
"Their armored attacks are no match for them! What kind of sorcery is this!" The nobles were terrified and turned their horses to flee, but were blocked by the fleeing soldiers who surged up behind them.
At this moment, the 1200 Thunder Artillery finally roared. The Kakkō spewing from their muzzles dyed half the sky red, and rune-infused shells rained down on the enemy ranks. Unlike the previous precision strikes, this bombardment covered the entire battlefield. The shockwaves from the explosions sent swathes of warriors flying, the intense heat cracked the ground, and even the hardest rocks melted in the fire. The Land of Iron's army screamed in agony under the bombardment, their formation completely collapsed, and the survivors fled frantically toward the Mount Kongo Fortress behind them.
Mount Kongo Fortress is the last line of defense for the Land of Iron. The mountain is steep, and the fortress walls are forged from millennia-old black iron, making them virtually indestructible. The defeated army poured into the fortress, attempting to hold out against the enemy by taking advantage of the terrain. But as soon as they closed the gates, the cannons of the Thunder Artillery turned towards the mountain.
Three rounds of artillery bombardment, just three rounds. The first wave of shells landed on the mountain, shattering the surface rocks; the second wave accurately struck the city walls, softening and deforming the black iron under the intense heat; the third wave hit the core of the fortress directly, and after the enormous explosion, the entire Mount Kongo was flattened, turning into a steaming basin. The fortress, the soldiers, and the fleeing nobles were all buried under rubble and lava.
Seeing the battlefield where even the mountains had been blasted flat, the remaining Land of Iron army completely lost the will to resist. Some threw down their weapons and knelt to surrender, while others threw off their armor and fled among the civilians. Those once arrogant nobles now scattered like stray dogs, some falling into lava in their panic, some being trampled to death by the fleeing soldiers, and some even drawing their daggers and committing suicide in despair, without even having time to say a last word.
In the hastily cobbled-together council chamber of the Land of Iron, the surviving ministers and nobles were ashen-faced. The daimyo of the Land of Iron looked at the surrendered soldiers and the burning town outside, then at the short sword in his hand, a symbol of the samurai spirit, and suddenly let out a bitter laugh. He abruptly drew the sword, held it to his own neck, his eyes filled with despair. "My samurai code, before the iron hooves of Konoha, is like a child dancing with a sword... The Land of Iron is dead!"
Blood splattered on the council table, and the daimyo's body crashed to the ground. The surviving nobles, witnessing this scene, descended into utter madness. An old nobleman suddenly screamed, "They destroyed our country! We'll make them suffer too!"
An old man dressed in wizard's robes flashed a sinister light in his eyes. Trembling, he pulled a black scroll from his robes. "Open the seal on the forbidden area! Activate the ' Gate of Hell '! Since we can't survive, let the entire Shinobi World go to Hell with us!"
Deep within the most secret forbidden area of Land of Iron, wizards pricked their palms, dripping their blood onto ancient stone tablets. As eerie incantations rang out, the ground began to tremble, and a massive black vortex slowly opened in the center of the forbidden area. From within the vortex came howling, ghostly roars, and countless ghostly warriors swayed within Uzumaki. The passage between the Shinobi World and Hell Teuchi.
Hyuga Reon stood atop the flattened ruins of Mount Kongo, opening her Tenseigan and gazing into the heart of the Land of Iron. A pale blue aura reflected the ever-expanding black vortex. She clenched her fist slightly, a hint of gravity flashing in her eyes. The Kirin Corps's victory had come swiftly, but unexpectedly, the despair of the Land of Iron would tear open a rift to an unknown world. The smoke of war had not yet dissipated, and an even more terrifying Yin Shadow had already begun to spread.