At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, two worlds collided.
The Land of Fire, lush and prosperous, stood in sharp contrast to its neighbor. The Land of Wind was barren, harsh, and unforgiving an endless sea of sandstorms, scorching heat, venomous creatures, and thirst that could break the will of any ordinary soul. Life there was survival itself.
And yet, despite such misery, the Land of Wind had one advantage no one ever wanted it.
Who would want endless sand and poisonous scorpions for spoils? As the saying went: even a chicken bone still has some meat on it, but the Wind Country? Keep it. You can play with your sand yourself.
But instead of accepting peace, the Land of Wind had another habit self-destruction.
Despite lacking soldiers, equipment, and resources, despite having the weakest of all tailed beasts, the One-Tail, they just couldn't stop starting wars. They fought again and again, stubbornly, recklessly, as if the very act of fighting proved their worth.
After all, every motivational quote said it effort doesn't guarantee success, but not trying guarantees failure.
And so, from the day the ninja villages were founded, the Land of Wind had always been the one to start the fight. No one else ever bothered to attack them first.
This time was no different.
"Is this the border? It's so desolate…"
Uchiha Saku spat out a mouthful of gritty sand, rubbing his face in irritation. "Ugh, every breath tastes like dust. I can't even talk without swallowing sand!"
"Then stop talking and put this on."
Uchiha Retsu tossed him a pair of goggles.
Saku grimaced. "These look ridiculous! No way I'm wearing that it ruins my Uchiha image!"
"Suit yourself. When the next sandstorm blinds you, don't come begging me for another pair."
"Enough fooling around," Fugaku cut in, his tone sharp. "Put them on. The wind here is no joke. The sand will tear at your eyes, and if your vision falters even for a moment, you're dead. Remember, our strength lies in our eyes. Lose your sight, and you lose more than half your fighting power."
He looked over his men. "A ninja's life is precious, and you only get one. Don't lose it to arrogance."
"Yes, Captain, I understand. But… why not wear masks too?" Saku asked curiously.
Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "What are you, Kakashi? You think a mask will make you cool? Try using Fire Style while wearing one and see how fast you burn your own face off."
Smack!
Saku yelped, clutching his head. "Ow! Stop hitting me, Captain! I'll get dumber at this rate! And who's Kakashi anyway?"
Before Fugaku could answer, a flash of movement appeared before him. A long-haired Hyuga with pale, pupil-less eyes appeared and bowed.
"Captain Fugaku, we've located the enemy one kilometer ahead. Commander Shikaku requests you to begin the operation as planned."
Fugaku nodded firmly. "Understood."
As the Hyuga ninja vanished back into the dunes, Saku muttered under his breath, "Ugh, acting all high and mighty. If it weren't for you insisting, Captain, I wouldn't take orders from those "
Smack!
Another hand chop silenced him.
"Before remembering you're an Uchiha," Fugaku said coldly, "remember that you are a ninja. Our duty is to obey orders and complete the mission. The battlefield doesn't care about pride or titles. Victory isn't about who commands it's about who survives!"
He turned sharply, his voice rising. "The glory of the Uchiha isn't in how many wars we lead, but in how many enemies tremble at our name! Do you understand?!"
"Understood, Captain!!"
For a brief moment, Fugaku almost smiled. All those war dramas he'd seen in his past life had finally paid off.
He raised his hand. "Move out!"
The wind howled across the desert. Even though this was still the Land of Fire's territory, green had all but vanished. The horizon was nothing but gold and dust. The green flak jackets of Konoha's forces stood out vividly against the sand easy prey for sharp-eyed watchers.
"Enemy attack!"
The alarm rang out from the Sand's ranks. Their infiltration plan was ruined. Abandoning stealth, the Sand shinobi readied their weapons.
Smoke burst into the air as sealing scrolls detonated in unison. Puppets of all shapes and sizes appeared before the Sand shinobi, hovering like demons on invisible threads.
This was the Sand's puppet corps deadly, precise, and feared across the continent.
Fighting puppet masters was a nightmare for close-range fighters. You never knew which joint would open to fire poison needles or gas. Even if you destroyed a puppet, as long as the master lived, it could still be used its fragments dancing in the air, turned into weapons once again.
The only way to deal with them was either overwhelming destruction or killing the puppet master before he could react.
And who better suited for that than the Uchiha? Their fire and illusion techniques could pierce through puppets and minds alike. Against them, the Sand's puppets were nothing but toys waiting to burn.
The two armies faced each other in the roaring wind. The puppet corps activated their weapons, ready to strike
Then, the desert floor erupted.
Dozens of Uchiha heads rose from the sand, eyes blazing red beneath their goggles.
"Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!"
Flames burst from their mouths in perfect unison. The blazing spheres merged midair, fusing into a single massive inferno that rolled across the dunes like a tidal wave of fire.
The heat shimmered through the desert air, and the world itself seemed to ignite.
The Sand's puppet corps was engulfed in the storm of flame.
The first battle between Konoha and Sunagakure had begun.
The Third Great Ninja War's new front had been opened in fire.
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