Inside the massive command center of the Allied Forces of the Land of Iron, Chakra- driven three-dimensional sand table flickered with a faint light, marking the enemy and friendly positions.
The Fourth Raikage A, stood in the main seat, his brow furrowed. Tsunade Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, Rasa, and other high-ranking Mifune surrounded him, the atmosphere heavy and tense.
"Based on information relayed by aerial reconnaissance dummy units and sensing units in various locations,"
Rasa pointed to several areas flashing red light on the sand table, his voice calm, " The White Zetsu army has split into multiple routes, advancing in a pincer movement from the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass, the Land of Hot Water, and other directions towards our allied forces' main defensive line. Their total number is estimated to exceed 80,000. Their movement methods are unpredictable; they can burrow underground and mimic human forms, making them difficult to detect with ordinary perception."
"Hmph, no matter how many grunts there are, they're still just grunts!" Raikage A clenched his fists.
"They shouldn't be underestimated," Ōnoki said in a deep voice. "While individual Zetsu might not be strong, their mimicry abilities can cause immense chaos, and they are immune to casualties, enough to deplete our forces. More importantly, Akatsuki doesn't only have these White Zetsu."
As if confirming his words, a communications ninja rushed in, his face pale. "Report! High-intensity, abnormal Chakra reactions have simultaneously appeared in the First, Third, and Fifth War Zones! Identified, identified as deceased ninjas! Including but not limited to: former members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Explosion Release Scorch Release: Pakura... and a large number of well-known powerful figures from the history of various ninja villages! They... they seem to have been resurrected by some kind of technique!"
" Impure World Reincarnation..." Tsunade spat out the words through gritted teeth, her face grim. "It really is that forbidden technique!"
" The Second Hokage's technique..." Ōnoki looked at Tsunade.
"The only one who can currently control it is Orochimaru, or his disciple Kabuto Yakushi... Have they partnered with Akatsuki?"
Tsunade, "Immediately notify all departments that when encountering Impure World Reincarnation, sealing them is the top priority! Avoid unnecessary head-on engagements as much as possible! Kakashi, notify the Sealing Squad to bring the maximum number of sealing talismans to support all fronts!"
"Yes!"
Kakashi accepted the order and left.
"The battlefield divisions have been clearly defined."
Raikage A pointed to the sand table, "The main forces of Kumogakure and Kirigakure, along with some Iwagakure and Konoha units, will engage the enemy forces along the eastern coast and the central plains. The main forces of Iwagakure and Konoha will deal with the northern mountainous and forested areas. As for the desert and Gobi regions in the southwest..."
He looked at Rasa.
Rasa stepped forward, pointing to a vast area representing the border of the Land of Wind and parts of the desert of the Land of Rivers: "This area is open and suitable for large-scale battles, and it also allows us to leverage our mobility and ranged advantages."
"This area is now under the command of the Sand Village Ninja Alliance of the Land of Wind. Commander..."
He paused, then looked at a silent figure beside him.
All eyes turned to her. Shira was wearing a dark gray commander's uniform specially made by Sunagakure, with a white short robe bearing the Sunagakure insignia over it, and the hilt of the " Blue Mountain Haze " sword was slightly visible at her waist.
He was tall and handsome, with a few strands of gray hair and eyes that were like swords about to be drawn.
Despite his youth, his composure, honed through numerous life-or-death battles and commanding a region, is already impossible to ignore.
"I, Jonin, Blue Mountain Haze of the Sand Sunagakure, will serve in Shira role," Rasa's voice was resolute. " Gaara will serve as the vice-commander, responsible for specific tactical execution and defensive support."
" Sunagakure will deploy its main forces, including new puppet units, air combat formations, and long-range artillery clusters, to completely crush, or even annihilate, a portion of the enemy's main force here!"
" Sunagakure kid, you've got a heavy burden to bear." The burly Raikage A looked at Shira, his eyes filled with scrutiny. "The opposing side doesn't just have White Zetsu; there will definitely be powerful Impure World Reincarnation users mixed in. The desert may seem like your home turf, but it could also become a trap for the enemy."
Shira met the Raikage's gaze, her voice clear and steady, neither humble nor arrogant. "The desert is the garden of the Land of Wind. We know every grain of sand and every gust of wind. Whether it's the White Zetsu's underground hiding place or the Impure World Reincarnation Reaper's immortality, they will all be buried before absolute firepower, precise hunting, and the Will of Sand. Sunagakure has this confidence, and it has this ability."
His words contained no arrogance, only a calm and confident assertion based on his strength, which made him all the more convincing.
Tsunade slightly, a hint of appreciation flashed in Mei Terumi Ōnoki narrowed his eyes, but the corners of his mouth turned up.
"Very good!"
Raikage A slammed his fist on the table. "Alright, all units, take your positions! Let those rats hiding in the shadows see the power of the Allied Shinobi Forces! Immediately issue orders to proceed with the planned deployment and advance to the designated positions! The great battle begins!"
The orders were like mountains, and the massive machine of the Allied Forces roared into action, rushing to their respective battlefields of life and death.
Southwest Desert Theater, Allied Forces Forward Command Heights.
A fierce wind whipped up yellow sand, lashing against the makeshift alloy bunkers and energy shields with a rustling sound. Below the highlands lay an endless sea of sand, its surface gleaming a dull yellow under the gloomy sky.
In the desert, the Sunagakure's forces have already deployed.
At the forefront is a flowing sand sea defense line directly controlled by Gaara, mixed with Shukaku 'Chakra, resembling a constantly undulating, writhing yellow Great Wall.
Behind the defensive line lies a steel jungle composed of hundreds and thousands of " Adamantine " heavy golems and " Sasori " self-propelled artillery pieces, their muzzles menacingly pointing into the distance.
On both flanks are highly mobile " Hound "-type medium-sized puppet troops and mixed formations of elite Sunagakure ninja.
High in the sky, several "Falcon"-style puppet formations and hovering platforms equipped with sensory ninjas circled and kept watch.
More than 5,000 Sunagakure, along with some Konoha and Iwagakure support troops, are on high alert here.
All eyes were focused on the figure standing on the high ground, his hand on his sword.
Shira looked down at the grim military formation below and took a deep breath of the crisp, sandy air.
He stepped forward, without using any amplification equipment, but his voice, under precise control of his breath, clearly spread throughout the entire position and even reached the ears of every Allied soldier.
"Fellow countrymen of Sunagakure! Comrades of the Allied Forces!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange penetrating power and a calming force, instantly overpowering the sound of the wind.
"Look behind you, and you see the newly formed oasis of the Land of Wind, the newly opened Sand Boat railway, villages where children no longer have to suffer from hunger, and homes where parents can sleep peacefully. Look beneath your feet, and you see the desert that nurtured the indomitable will of Sunagakure, the land that generations of ancestors defended with their blood and sweat."
He slowly drew the Blue Mountain Haze Sword from his waist. The blade gleamed with a cool luster in the dim light of the day, and the tip pointed diagonally at the blurry horizon where the sand dunes met the sky.
"And now, look there."
His voice suddenly turned sharp, with a metallic clang, "Look at what's surging forth beyond the horizon! It's a pale, twisted monster, devoid of self, knowing only destruction! It's a puppet that blasphemes the dead, toys with souls, and crawls out of its grave!"
"He's a madman hiding behind a mask, calling himself 'God,' and his delusional wish to drag the whole world into an eternal nightmare!"
"They brought war, they brought death, they brought a lie called ' The Eye of the Moon Plan '! They wanted to crush our will with fear, freeze our hope with despair, and use endless slaughter to prove their twisted logic that 'the world needs to be saved'!"
Shira's gaze was like lightning, sweeping across every face on the battlefield—whether young, weathered, tense, or determined.
"But I ask you— Sunagakure ninja, when have you ever bowed your head to fear? When have you ever succumbed to despair? What was it that allowed our village to be built from a barren desert?"
"Was it forbearance? Was it pleading? No! It was through generations of people, with their fists, with their blood, with an unwavering belief, that they painstakingly reclaimed their living space from the sandstorms, from enemy nations, and from the clutches of fate!"
His voice suddenly rose, brimming with immense power and passion:
"Today, those who stand here are no longer the Sunagakure who struggled for a sip of water and a grain of food! Today, we have a new home behind us, refined technology in our hands, reliable allies by our side, and flowing within us is the Soul of Sand—deeper than the desert, hotter than the raging wind!"
"We improve our golems not so they can lie rusting in warehouses! We lay tracks not so we can escape when the enemy comes! We cultivate oases not to leave them for monsters that only want to destroy everything!"
"We do all this to tell the world, to tell those lurking in the shadows—the ninjas of Sunagakure, the Land of Wind —that we can not only survive, we can thrive! We can not only protect ourselves, but also stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends and bury all invading enemies in this sands that gave us birth and nurtured us!"
"Comrades in the Allied Forces!"
He looked at the ninjas from Konoha, Iwagakure, and other villages gathered in the ranks, "You have come to protect your respective beliefs and homes. Today, this desert is our common battlefield! Behind us lies everything we need to protect!"
"Let the pallor of those White Zetsu be stained with the crimson of our blood! Let the spirits of those Impure World Reincarnation souls return to their slumber amidst our roars! Let that madman who calls himself a god see that the united will of mortals is enough to shake the heavens and defy so-called divine decrees!"
Shira raised her longsword high, the sound echoing across the land:
"In the name of the Sunagakure commander, with the blood of the Allied Forces warriors—in this battle, there is no retreat, only advance! Not an inch of ground will be yielded!"
"Comrades, we'll face life and death together! For our homeland, for our future, for everything we've created with our own hands, everything we will never allow to be taken away—"
" Sunagakure, attack!!!"
"Roar--!!!!!!"
A roar like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashed down, instantly dispelling all tension and unease and transforming it into a raging fighting spirit! The eyes of the Sunagakure ninjas lit up and turned red. They pounded their chest armor and struck the puppets beside them, letting out a unified roar.
The reinforcements from Konoha, Kumogakure, and other ninja villages were also filled with fervor, inspired by this powerful and proud declaration.
On the battlefield, countless young female ninjas gazed at the imposing figure standing on the high ground, sword in hand, seemingly one with the sand sea behind him, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration, excitement, and adoration.
"For Sunagakure!"
"For the Allied Forces!"
Bury them!
The will to fight has reached its peak!
Almost at the same time the roar resounded, a "white line" appeared on the distant horizon, at the dark junction of heaven and earth.
Immediately afterwards, the white line rapidly thickened and expanded, surging in like a pale tide bursting its banks! Tens of thousands of White Zetsu let out inhuman howls, running wildly across the sand on all fours, densely packed and stretching as far as the eye could see!
And in that pale tide, one could vaguely see some figures with exceptionally powerful auras and empty, lifeless eyes—powerful beings resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation!
Gaara slammed his hands onto the sand, Shukaku's Chakra erupted. " Sand Eye, activate! All units, lock onto targets! Ranged units, prepare--!"
On the high ground, the Shira Longsword pointed forward, and a chilling voice echoed throughout the army:
"All troops, prepare for battle!"
" Adamantine Group, full loading! Sasori Artillery, cover fire! Coordinates, 3-5 kilometers ahead, saturation fire—fire!"
Boom boom boom boom boom--!!!!!
The desert trembled amidst the roaring artillery fire and the howls of charging soldiers.
The Fourth Shinobi World War, in the southwestern desert region, has officially begun!