Land of Earth, northwest Gobi Desert.
At dawn, a tall shinobi was sprinting across the barren wasteland. His speed was so extreme that sand and dust were violently kicked up behind him, forming a long, rolling trail across the desert floor.
Strapped securely to his back was a specially built chair. Seated on it was a short man wearing a red headscarf and a green striped vest.
He was none other than the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.
Ōnoki sat upright, his gaze fixed on the endless, desolate horizon ahead. Despite the severity of the coming battle, his expression remained steady, almost detached, as though he had already weighed every possible outcome.
Only one guard accompanied him, Akise. Under Akise's protection, they were heading toward the Iwagakure forward encampment where the decisive battle would soon unfold.
With Ōnoki's abilities, he could have flown there directly. However, for this final confrontation, conserving chakra was essential. He needed to arrive in peak condition.
If nothing unexpected occurred, the war in the Land of Earth would end today.
Ōnoki leaned forward slightly and tapped Akise's shoulder, signaling that he could slow down if necessary. There was still time before the battle began.
Akise, however, silently shook his head and maintained his maximum speed. As the personal guard of the Tsuchikage, his stamina and endurance were extraordinary. This distance meant little to him.
Seeing this, Ōnoki said nothing further and lifted his gaze to the cold, empty sky.
Along the journey, intelligence reports had been delivered repeatedly via messenger falcons. Ōnoki would read them briefly, then destroy them without hesitation. He made no direct interference with the village's defense deployments or frontline operations.
To an outsider, his role might have appeared relaxed, almost as if anyone could sit in his position and manage things the same way.
But that assumption was wrong.
Everything necessary had already been prepared long ago. From this point onward, it was no longer about planning, it was about execution.
Ōnoki's fingers subconsciously brushed against the rough ropes securing his chair as he turned his thoughts toward Kumogakure.
This alliance with Kumogakure had been a last resort.
Originally, when he stationed troops at the border of the Land of Waterfalls, it was not only to guard against a surprise invasion from Kumogakure. It was also part of a larger strategy, sending forces through the Land of Waterfalls during the peak of war to strike directly into the Land of Lightning and avenge past losses from the Second Great Ninja War.
However, Konoha's overwhelming rise had completely disrupted those plans. One after another, they had crushed Kirigakure and Sunagakure with absolute force. The balance of the shinobi world had shifted faster than expected.
Even though Ōnoki harbored deep hatred toward the Third Raikage, he had no choice but to cooperate, even at a heavy cost to Iwagakure.
Because alone, Iwagakure could not defeat Konoha.
As for joining forces with Konoha against Kumogakure, that was never an option.
Ōnoki did not fear Kumogakure, he hated them. But Konoha inspired something far more dangerous in him, caution and unease.
Kumogakure possessed strong military power, yet it lacked the ability to dominate the Five Great Nations. Konoha, however, had shown the potential to do exactly that. With the emergence of the so-called Konoha Lightning Flash, that threat had become even more obvious.
Thus, Kumogakure would serve as a sharpened blade, one pointed directly at Konoha.
If Konoha fell, the fertile Land of Fire would be like an undefended prize waiting to be carved apart.
There was no doubt the Third Raikage, a fierce and aggressive man, would be eager to strike as well.
After roughly two hundred miles of travel, the distance was not particularly taxing for elite shinobi.
By the time Ōnoki arrived at the Iwagakure encampment, a group of jonin had already assembled outside the command tent.
He waved off formalities and stepped directly inside.
Inside the tent, chairs were arranged in a circle, with no distinction in rank. At the center lay a cloth map spread across a table, detailing the northwestern region of the Land of Earth.
Ōnoki got straight to the point.
"Has the Third Raikage arrived?"
Kitsuchi shook his head. "No sign of him. Our scouting units have expanded search coverage for over a hundred miles, but there is still no trace."
Another jonin added, "Our intelligence source in Kumogakure reported last night that the Third Raikage was still in the village. Could he be…"
The implication was clear. They suspected Kumogakure might be stalling or intentionally misleading them.
Ōnoki calmly dismissed the concern. "That will not happen."
He continued, "Since he has not arrived, we will not wait. When the battle begins, he will appear when it is time."
Ōnoki stood up.
Around him, the gathered shinobi, from elite jonin to the proud clan members, all straightened their posture. Even Kitsuchi adopted a serious expression.
Ōnoki's voice deepened.
"I know you are all exhausted. But today is the final battle."
"If we win, Hiruzen Sarutobi will be forced to return the benefits we lost during both Great Ninja Wars, in full. And more importantly, we will remove Konoha from its position above us."
"This is the moment we have been waiting for. I am counting on all of you."
At the Konoha encampment, a raised platform stood overlooking the battlefield. Four commanders were present, but only one stepped forward to address the troops.
Tsunade.
Wearing standard gray combat armor, she raised her arm and pointed toward the distant Iwagakure position.
"This is the final battle in the Land of Earth. To defeat Iwagakure, many of us will die here. Some will never return to Konoha."
"I want everyone to return alive, but war does not work that way. If you are here, you are already prepared for death, otherwise you would not have come."
Her tone sharpened slightly.
"But I will say this clearly. There are only two things you need to remember today."
"From the moment we are born, death is certain. But I refuse to accept that we should die in some forgotten wasteland like this. If we must die, then we die in Konoha. We die in our home."
"And when is the right time to die? Not here. Not now. It is when you have seen your children grow, when you have watched them become genin, then chunin, and one day jonin, step by step."
Her words cut through the air like steel.
Six thousand Konoha shinobi surged forward as one, moving like a vast flood breaking loose. Traps scattered across the battlefield were instantly overwhelmed and rendered meaningless.
Opposite them, eight thousand Iwagakure shinobi advanced in full force.