The Warring States period never rested. The Senju and Uchiha carved their legends in blood, and now the Amamiya and Kaguya clans had taken up the same cursed stage. Every skirmish, every clash of chakra and steel, only deepened the chaos that swallowed the land whole.
Half a month earlier, the Amamiya Clan had formally declared war on the Kaguya. Their first major battle—fought through the dense woods of Changbai Forest and the cold slopes of Kasebi Ridge—ended in a decisive Amamiya victory.
Riding that momentum, they allied with the Katori Tribe and launched another strike along the Kamikawa River. The Kaguya defensive line there crumbled under relentless pressure, their water-based tactics finally undone by superior coordination.
From that point, the Amamiya patriarch—Amamiya Gen—never allowed the Kaguya a moment's rest. With their backs pressed to Kasebi Ridge, the Amamiya launched constant raids and ambushes, forcing the proud Kaguya to bleed for every inch of ground.
Meanwhile, the Katori Tribe dominated the upper Kamikawa, their control of the river current giving them an edge over the downstream Kaguya forces. The Kaguya were forced to split their troops to hold the line. The balance of the war—once even—was tipping fast.
By early July, the stalemate snapped. After ten tense days, the Kaguya Clan finally abandoned their cautious defenses and went for broke.
On the third day of the month, they mobilized nearly all remaining forces for a massive, all-out offensive.
The Amamiya coalition saw it coming. When word reached the main camp, Amamiya Raizen stood before the map of Changbai Forest, eyes gleaming with that familiar mix of fatigue and fire.
"The final battle's coming," he muttered. "So let's make sure we're the ones who walk away."
He raised his hand and issued orders to the entire camp.
"The army will be split into three divisions. The first division—our main force—will engage the Kaguya head-on. The second, smallest unit will move on both flanks to encircle the enemy. The third will hold the rear and reinforce whichever side starts bleeding too hard."
He jabbed a finger at the map. "I'll lead the first division. Hatake Gintama takes the second. Amamiya Kiyomasa leads the third. Everyone else—either join the defense or protect the camp. Got it?"
"Yes, Patriarch!" hundreds of voices shouted back in unison.
Soon the forest echoed with movement. Over four hundred shinobi—Amamiya, Katori, and allied clans—marched through the trees, their armor rattling like storm wind through branches. Another hundred medics and logisticians followed behind, ready to treat the wounded the moment steel met flesh.
The Kaguya, of course, weren't blind. Scouts had already noticed the Amamiya movement and reported back. In their own camp, Commander Kaguya Takemoto stood grim-faced before his men.
"The Amamiya coalition is on the move," he said.
A lieutenant stepped forward. "Preparations are complete, Takemoto-sama."
"Good," the commander sneered. "Let them come. We'll show them what it means to face the bones of Kaguya."
At dawn, mist coiled through the trees. Raizen crouched among the shadows, eyes fixed on the enemy fortifications ahead—two layers of wooden barricades and shallow trenches.
"Only two lines of defense?" he whispered. "Either they're overconfident, or they're baiting us. Great. Classic Kaguya."
He exhaled once, slow and deliberate. "Too late to second-guess it now." Then, with a grin that was equal parts exhaustion and madness, he raised his hand.
"Attack!"
Dozens of Amamiya shinobi burst from the treeline, kunai flying in synchronized arcs. Metal glinted in the morning sun before vanishing into the Kaguya ranks. The air trembled—
—and then the explosion charms ignited.
BOOM!
The battlefield erupted. Smoke and dirt flew as the front line of the Kaguya defenses disappeared behind fire and dust. But the Kaguya were veterans; they ducked into trenches like shadows slipping under water, their formation intact.
"First unit, counterattack!" shouted a Kaguya captain.
A new storm of kunai whistled out—each one wrapped with its own detonation tag.
"Earth Release—Wall Formation!" Raizen barked immediately.
Dozens of Amamiya ninjas slammed their hands onto the ground. Earth chakra surged, and massive stone walls erupted from the forest floor, shielding the army as explosions hammered against them. Smoke rolled through the trees, the scent of scorched soil filling the air.
Behind the cover, Raizen's eyes narrowed.
"Let's see who cracks first," he murmured, gripping the kunai in his hand. "Because I'm done playing defense."