War leaves no room for luck.
Just as the Third Raikage, A, had predicted—not only was a surprise attack impossible, even the abnormal gathering of Kumogakure's squads within the Land of Hot Water failed to escape Konoha's sensory network.
After receiving the newest wave of intel, Senju Mori quickly issued his orders.
He pulled back most of the scattered shinobi squads and reorganized them into the original First and Second Combat Units, while deploying sensory ninja around the perimeter of the Konoha camp to monitor and defend.
They were prepared at every moment for Kumogakure's massive assault.
Kumogakure's forces for this war were roughly equal to Konoha's—around 1,300 shinobi.
This was, after all, most of the manpower the Third Raikage could mobilize while still maintaining internal stability in the village after the brutal coup they had recently endured.
However, because of their earlier squad-level losses, Kumogakure now had slightly fewer jōnin than Konoha.
Kumogakure completed their assembly during the night. At first light, they crossed the border, and by early morning the next day, their army appeared outside the Konoha encampment.
Although he had already been informed, the sight before him still made the Third Raikage feel the urge to start cursing.
"The prestigious Senju of the Forest, feared throughout the shinobi world... how did they produce such a treacherous, despicable bastard?!"
Leaving aside all the vicious traps they had run into along the way—the Konoha camp itself had been built by the river, with its flank protected by a wide, fast-flowing current.
In front of the camp lay massive Earth Release defensive structures, reinforced with specialized sealing techniques, forming a fortress wrapped in layer upon layer of protection.
Konoha had naturally long been aware of the incoming enemy, but they showed absolutely no intention of marching out to confront them.
Countless Konoha shinobi stood silently atop the stone walls like unmoving statues, packed densely together, weapons glinting coldly under the rising sun.
And although the ground surrounding the camp looked flat, A knew very well that anywhere beneath the surface could be stuffed with explosive tags or rigged with lethal traps…
Staring at this impenetrable-looking Konoha stronghold, then looking back at his own army, the Third Raikage squeezed out one word from between his teeth:
"Attack."
At the command, countless Kumogakure shinobi surged forward.
Dozens of Earth Release specialists rushed to the front and immediately launched a large-scale joint ninjutsu:
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave!"
The ground ahead instantly liquefied into mud, surging forward like rolling waves. Hundreds of explosive tags buried outside the Konoha camp detonated in a chain reaction, erupting in earth-shattering blasts.
Kumo shinobi burst through the clouds of dust, charging across the scorched, cratered battlefield toward Konoha's defenses.
Unlike the hidden traps beneath the ground, Konoha's fortifications were reinforced with sealing techniques. Kumogakure's Earth Release couldn't break them directly—they would need overwhelming destructive ninjutsu to smash through.
And compared to Earth Release, the majority of Kumogakure excelled in Lightning Release.
Thunder roared as countless arcs of lightning crackled wildly, slamming into the outer layers of Konoha's stone walls. Thin cracks began to spread like spiderwebs.
At the same time, Konoha launched their counterattack.
Fire Release shinobi, led by the Uchiha clan, leapt onto the high walls.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Massive, blazing fireballs shot outward like a meteor shower, crashing down upon the charging Kumogakure forces. Countless shinobi who failed to dodge were incinerated into charcoal. The air instantly filled with the sickening stench of burnt flesh.
Even with the extraordinary power of ninjutsu, Senju Mori had never expected that pre-built fortifications alone would be able to completely stop the Kumo shinobi assault.
But it was clear that those fortifications created more favorable terrain for Konoha shinobi, provided a safer environment for them to perform jutsu, and heavily drained the chakra of the attackers.
That was enough.
The deaths of their comrades did not instill fear in Kumogakure. More and more shinobi charged forward, dodging the raining fireballs as best they could while unleashing a second wave of lightning attacks.
"Rumble—!"
Under the relentless bombardment of lightning, the outermost layer of stone finally collapsed. But what appeared before the Kumo shinobi was not the Konoha camp—rather, a second wall of stone, slightly shorter than the first.
The Uchiha clan had already withdrawn from the ramparts. Hidden behind the second wall—out of sight of Kumogakure—the Earth Release specialists of the Senju clan knelt on one knee, pressing both hands firmly to the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
In an instant, countless razor-sharp stone spears burst from beneath the earth!
Screams erupted in unison.
Compared to fireballs launched from afar, an attack that erupted directly beneath one's feet was far more lethal.
Many Kumo shinobi had their feet or thighs skewered, while others were run completely through—bodies lifted into the air by the spears and left dangling high above the ground.
Blood streamed down the stone spikes, staining the earth a deep red. The scene resembled a hellish forest of impalement.
"Stand aside!"
A thunderous roar exploded across the battlefield—so loud that even in the chaos, every Kumo-nin heard it clearly.
A golden bolt of lightning approached rapidly from the distance. Wrapped inside that lightning was the massive, muscular man who led them—their Kage, the Third Raikage, A.
A could no longer remain idle!
The brutal casualties had far exceeded his tolerance.
Who knew how many more layers of this cursed stone wall were waiting for them? He could not allow his shinobi to continue dying pointlessly in this meaningless siege.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
Golden lightning erupted violently from his entire body, transforming him into a streak of thunder that tore through the air, ignoring all attacks, and slammed brutally into the second stone wall!
"Boom—!"
The wall—sturdy enough to withstand an entire wave of Kumo's combined attacks—shattered instantly, blasting open a massive hole in the center. The Konoha shinobi behind it were launched into the air like severed kites.
"OHHHH—!"
The morale of Kumogakure soared, erupting into deafening cheers. Raikage-sama's overwhelming strength ignited their blood, and they surged toward the opening he created.
A did not stop.
His leg muscles tightened again, and his massive right hand extended forward, four fingers pressed tightly together.
"Hell Stab — Four-Finger Nukite!"
With the power of the four-finger nukite, A charged like an enraged bull, smashing a section of the third stone wall and revealing, beyond it—Konoha's camp, covered by a shimmering transparent barrier.
Within seconds he had broken through two layers of fortifications. Lightning crackled wildly around him as the Third Raikage A threw back his head and roared: