The desert night wind, carrying fine sand, howled outside the makeshift command tent erected by the Sunagakure Village.
Hoshino sat cross-legged in the center of the tent, with a black flag floating in front of him. The flag moved without wind, and countless distorted faces could be vaguely seen struggling and wailing within it, yet they could not make a sound.
"Three million, nine hundred and seventy-four thousand six hundred and twenty-one..."
Since the Shinobi Alliance invaded the Heavenly Martial Continent, this Soul Banner has devoured countless souls.
Imperial warriors, rebel fighters, and innocent civilians—at the moment death approaches, their souls are forcibly drawn to the nearby Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
However...
"Too weak."
A faint light emanated from Hoshino's fingertips, causing ripples to spread across the banner.
Millions of ordinary souls turned into gray mist that drifted within the banner, with only a dozen or so golden specks of light standing out conspicuously.
Those were the souls of Sword Saint, the Heavenly Martial XIII, and the other Martial Saint, which Hoshino used as the main soul of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. It's just a pity that the Heavenly Martial Empire didn't have a single Super Kage Level expert.
The current Ten Thousand Souls Banner appears powerful, with millions of living souls, hundreds of thousands of extraordinary individuals, and more than a dozen outstanding individuals at the Kage Level, but in reality, it is all bark and no bite.
In a battle at Hoshino's level, he probably wouldn't even be able to restrain the enemy.
The banner suddenly trembled violently.
The soul of Heavenly Martial XIII was raging wildly at the core, and this last emperor still maintained an astonishing willpower even after death.
Hoshino snorted coldly and slammed his hand down on the banner.
"Quiet."
The soul of Heavenly Martial XIII let out a silent roar before finally fading into oblivion.
At dawn, the Sunagakure camp was already bustling with activity.
Hoshino stood outside the command tent, watching squads of intelligent puppets preparing for battle.
The morning wind in the desert carries dry heat, whipping up fine sand particles that pat against your face.
"Lord Hoshino, the troops are ready." Baki walked over quickly, beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead.
"As planned, we will proceed towards Red Rock Canyon today."
Hoshino nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the camp and looking into the distance.
At the edge of their line of sight, a crimson cliff could be vaguely seen; that was their target for the day: Red Rock Canyon.
This is the last natural barrier leading to the heart of the Heavenly Martial Empire. The canyon is flanked by steep rock walls, and at its narrowest point, only three people can walk side by side.
"What is the situation with the garrison in the canyon?"
"According to the reconnaissance reports, there are approximately two thousand Imperial soldiers stationed at these locations, and they have set up rolling stones and oil traps." Baki unfolded the map and pointed to several marked points.
Hoshino took the map and carefully examined the markings on it.
The Red Rock Canyon is about 15 kilometers long, with the most dangerous part in the middle section. The imperial army had obviously been working here for a long time, and the fortifications were quite well laid out.
"Pass down the order; I will personally lead the charge."
Hoshino rolled up the map and handed it back to Baki, his black robe fluttering in the morning breeze.
Upon hearing this, Baki was taken aback. "My lord, the canyon terrain is treacherous; perhaps we should send the puppet troops..."
"No need," Hoshino Teuchi. "It's a good opportunity to test out the new technique I've been researching."
He walked slowly toward the outer perimeter of the camp, and the Sunagakure ninjas made way for him as the intelligent puppet army was already lined up.
"All troops, stand by." Hoshino ordered without turning his head, "Wait for my signal before proceeding."
Before he finished speaking, his figure had already appeared outside the Red Rock Canyon.
At the entrance to the canyon, the imperial guards were already on high alert.
Archers lay in ambush behind firing holes in the rock face, while the rolling stone mechanism prepared to fire.
Upon seeing Hoshino arrive alone, the garrison captain sneered, "You're asking for death! Fire!"
The gale swept past, carrying sand and gravel, but then strangely stopped when it came within three zhang of him.
The black robe remained motionless, as if it existed in another world.
"Let's begin."
Hoshino slowly closed his eyes, but the Nascent Soul within his body opened them. The reflection in its pupils was no longer a canyon, but countless overlapping dimensional lines.
The world changed dramatically at that moment.
The canyon is no longer a canyon, but a scroll painting unfolding before our eyes.
The rock wall turned into a translucent film, revealing the trembling trajectory of every grain of sand inside.
The defending soldiers turned into blurry shadows, their movements stretched into continuous afterimages, like slow-motion film.
Hoshino 'saw' more...
The threads of time crisscross the canyon, each second as clearly discernible as the veins of a leaf, the folds of space like ironed silk revealing the hidden patterns beneath.
Those meticulously laid traps are now nothing more than a few insignificant wrinkles on a piece of silk.
He gently plucked one of the 'threads'.
The canyon began to undergo a wondrous change.
The towering rock walls on both sides flowed slowly to either side like melting candles.
The hard rocks became soft, kneaded and reshaped like dough by an invisible hand; the narrow passages widened on their own, and the jagged rocks automatically arranged themselves into neat steps.
The defending soldiers were horrified to discover that their bodies were becoming transparent.
They could see the scene behind them through their palms, as if through a thin mist.
Some tried to escape, only to find their legs had become blurry shadows, each step leaving a long trail in the air.
Hoshino plucked the 'thread' again, and the entire canyon suddenly froze.
Birds froze in mid-air, sand and dust hovered before their eyes, and even the terrified expressions on the faces of the defenders were frozen into sculptures.
Only Hoshino can move freely in this still world; he is like someone strolling through a three-dimensional painting, casually erasing any discordant parts.
The rolling stone mechanism turned into fine sand and dissipated.
The kerosene trap disappeared like an erased pencil mark.
The arrow broke apart into countless points of light in mid-air.
When Hoshino withdrew his hands, time began to flow again.
The ninjas from Sunagakure were presented with a completely unfamiliar sight: the once treacherous canyon had been transformed into a wide passage, with smooth, mirror-like rock walls on both sides, and all defensive fortifications had vanished without a trace.
The defending soldiers stood there blankly, their weapons having turned to sand and slipped through their fingers.
The most chilling thing is...
The terrain of the entire canyon changes so naturally, as if it has remained the same for thousands of years.
There was no earth-shattering tremor, no dazzling light; it was as if someone had gently turned a page in a book, and the story became a new chapter.
Hoshino slowly descended at the entrance to the newly formed canyon, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner silently collecting the souls that had been erased during the spatial reorganization.
He then looked at the shocked Sunagakure troops, his voice eerily calm. "The road has been paved."
The Sunagakure forces advanced slowly amidst their shock.
The intelligent puppet army marched in unison, their metal feet striking the newly formed rocky surface with a crisp sound.
The passageway, modified by Hoshino, was incredibly flat, with smooth rock walls on both sides reflecting the morning light, making the entire canyon look like a crystal palace.
Baki walked at the front of the group, the map in his hand now meaningless.
He looked up at the top of the canyon.
What should have been a narrow sliver of sky has now become an open expanse, with sunlight streaming down without obstruction, dispelling the damp and chilly air that has accumulated in the canyon year-round.
"Unbelievable..." an Elite Jonin murmured, "Even the terrain has completely changed."
There was no resistance encountered.
Those surviving defenders had already abandoned their armor and sat slumped by the roadside, staring blankly at the passing Sunagakure troops, their very thoughts of resistance crushed by fear.
Morning mist shrouded the Iron Wall Fortress.
Moisture condensed into beads on the city wall, slowly sliding down the ancient stone bricks.
This once impregnable imperial fortress is now covered with the flags of the Shinobi Alliance, swaying gently in the breeze.
Inside the temporary command post on the east side of the fortress, Tobirama Senju stood before a huge military map.
The map is densely marked with the advance routes and occupied areas of each unit, and the green areas representing controlled zones have covered nearly 90% of the territory of the Heavenly Martial Continent.
However, there were still many scattered, scarlet lights in the area, which were all civilian resistance forces.
There's no threat, but it's troublesome!
creak--
The door to the command post was gently pushed open, and Tsunade walked in carrying a cup of hot tea. Her golden braids were loosely draped over her shoulders, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes.
"Stayed up all night again?"
She placed the teacup on the low table next to the map, the steam rising in the cool morning air.
Tobirama Senju the teacup through his fingers.
"The battle situation is clear, but the follow-up work is more complicated." He pointed to the northwest corner of the map, "That's where the civilian resistance is strongest."
Tsunade walked to the window and pushed it open.
The morning light poured in, illuminating the bustling scene inside the fortress.
Engineering troops are repairing damaged buildings, medical teams are setting up temporary clinics in the square, and squads of intelligent puppets are patrolling the streets.
"At least on the surface, they've begun to accept reality."
Tsunade watched as several local children curiously circled the puppet, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Tobirama Senju walked to her side, his gaze sweeping over the newly cultivated farmland on the outskirts of the fortress.
The farmers are learning new farming techniques under the guidance of the intelligent puppets, and the scene seems harmonious, but he notices that most of them still harbor wariness in their eyes.
"It's just a facade of calm." He took a sip of tea. "The empire has ruled this land for three hundred years; it can't be erased by a few victories."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the corridor.
Ōnoki floated into the command post, followed by two staff officers.
"Battle Report from the Northern Front"
He cut straight to the point, handing a scroll to Tobirama, " Kumogakure has taken control of all the major mining areas, but the local garrison has broken up into smaller units and switched to guerrilla warfare."
Tobirama unfurled the scroll and quickly scanned the information on it. "As expected. What are the casualties on Ai's side?"
"Slight."
Ōnoki floated to the map, his short fingers pointing at several marks.
"He employed a strategy of encirclement and division, focusing on protecting production facilities. However... the local civilians were not very cooperative, making intelligence gathering difficult."
Tsunade continued, "The medical team reported a similar situation. Many patients refuse treatment and are extremely resistant to the assistance of the intelligent puppets."
A brief silence fell over the command post.
All three knew that military victory was only the beginning; the real challenge was how to truly subjugate this land.
"How is the civil administration takeover plan coming along?" Tobirama Senju broke the silence.
Ōnoki gestured to his staff behind him to unfold another map.
"The initial plan is to divide the area into zones based on geography and culture, replace the high-level administration with a completely new administrative system, and gradually, taking into account transportation and resource distribution, temporarily divide it into seven major regions."
"Each of the five Council will be held by a ninja village, and the remaining two will be allocated among other forces within the Shinobi Alliance."
Tobirama Senju nodded, carefully examining the partition scheme and offering suggestions for adjustments from time to time, while Tsunade focused on the reconstruction plans for the medical and education systems.
The three engaged in an in-depth discussion of various details.
Before we knew it, the sun had risen high in the sky.
The noise outside the command post gradually increased as the various units began their daily routine reports.
"Any news from Hoshino?" Tobirama suddenly asked after the discussion had come to an end.
Tsunade her head. " Baki reported yesterday that he is still clearing out the remaining enemy forces in the southwestern mountains. The terrain there is complex, and the resistance forces are familiar with the environment, so progress is slower than expected."
Tobirama Senju nodded thoughtfully, then went down to speak.
"All occupied areas have entered a stabilization phase, with a focus on protecting production and living facilities. Advances are temporarily suspended pending the arrival of subsequent civilian troops."
Ōnoki and Tsunade nodded slightly, indicating that they understood.
Morning light streamed through the stained glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor of the command post.
Tobirama Senju placed the last file back on the table, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface, before breaking the brief silence with his voice.
"Speaking of which, where did Big Brother and Ban go? I haven't seen them much since the incident in Martial Capital."
Tsunade was organizing medical reports, looked up when she heard this. "Grandpa went to the eastern forest, saying he was going to study the local vegetation recovery."
"As for Madara Uchiha... who knows? He's probably somewhere complaining about being bored."
Ōnoki scoffed, "Those two are having a good time. We're busy as bees, while they just wash their hands of it after the battle."
"That's not entirely true." Tobirama Senju shook his head. "The Battle of Martial Capital was indeed quite brutal."
The city was almost completely razed to the ground. Although the Shinobi Alliance quickly launched a rescue operation, the number of casualties was still staggering.
Hashirama Senju went to the eastern forest, presumably to treat the civilians.
Just then, a commotion arose outside the window.
The three turned to look and saw the ninjas in the square making way for them.
Hashirama Senju's tall figure came into view, carrying a bundle of fresh herbs on his shoulder, and he was smiling and greeting the medical team ninjas.
"They're here!" Tsunade chuckled, opened the window, and called out, "Grandpa! Over here!"
Hashirama Senju looked up, waved, and strode towards the command post. The bundle of herbs swayed gently with his steps, releasing a refreshing scent.
As the door to the command post was pushed open, the scent of grass and trees from the woods wafted in first.
"You'd never guess what I found in the east!" Hashirama Senju's voice was full of energy, a stark contrast to the weary atmosphere in the room.
He placed the herbs on the table. "This plant can speed up wound healing, even better than our Military Rations Pill."
Tobirama Senju picked up a plant and examined it closely. "I've never seen one like this before. What's the yield like?"
"The entire valley is there! I've marked the location, wait..."
Hashirama Senju suddenly stopped speaking, his gaze falling on the shadows in the corner, where a deep voice came from.
"A boring discovery."
Madara Uchiha slowly stepped out of the shadows, arms crossed, his face bearing his usual mocking expression.
"Spot!"
Hashirama's smile widened even more. "You've come at the perfect time. I was just about to discuss something with you."