Chapter 114: The Beginning of the War
A fleet of more than a dozen ships, styled like pirate vessels, surged through the southern sea near the Land of Waves.
Perched on a tree branch, Ryosuke slowly stood up. His sharp eyes pierced through the misty landscape, locking onto the advancing fleet.
Unlike before—when caution and stealth were crucial—this time, he didn’t care about being discovered. He boldly examined every chakra signature on those ships, laying bare their presence with unrestrained perception.
The invading force made no effort to hide. Their purpose was clear—land fast and attack hard. Secrecy was no longer part of their plan.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
"Alert the other forces immediately!"
On the island, the Hyuga clan had been closely monitoring the southern sea. The moment the warships appeared on the horizon, they sprang into action, swiftly spreading the warning.
Ninjas clad in Konoha vests and forehead protectors began leaping into the ocean like falling dumplings. They landed atop the water with precision and raced across its surface toward the threat.
Konoha, Sunagakure, the Hot Spring Village, the Snow Ninjas...
From the cliffs south of the Land of Waves, representatives from various allied forces looked down at the chaotic scene below. Despite the gravity of the moment, many of them wore strange, almost amused expressions.
This was supposed to be a war demanding intense preparation and discipline. Yet now... it felt like they were watching a poorly staged play, performed by a band of overconfident amateurs.
They already knew what was coming. Intel had revealed that the enemy would try to disguise themselves as Konoha shinobi in an attempt to sabotage the alliance from within. Knowing this, even the usually stoic Ryosuke found himself calmly observing, with a trace of sarcasm in his smirk.
As for the enemy? Neither the Fourth Raikage nor the Third Tsuchikage knew much about the island’s current state. All they had was a rough map and a basic understanding of the allied layout. Despite embedding three jonin-level spies in the alliance, intel had dried up after the major powers arrived on the island.
"How did they detect us so fast? Their range of perception is abnormally large," muttered the Third Tsuchikage, eyes narrowing as the outline of the island became clearer.
Standing at the bow of the ship, he frowned. "Are there sensory ninja that sharp in the Land of Bear or the Hot Spring Village?"
Despite the ships being made of special materials meant to suppress chakra signatures, the moment the enemy ninja jumped into the water and advanced toward the coast, they had exposed themselves to the sensory barrier set by the defenders.
"It’s... faster than expected," the Fourth Raikage admitted, his arms crossed.
"But the alliance is still fragmented. They’re like loose sand—one strong wind from us and they’ll scatter."
Even so, a flicker of unease crossed his eyes. Like Ōnoki, he kept his doubts buried beneath a hardened façade.
"There was already internal conflict. Remember, those rebel ninjas who killed Gato wore Konoha headbands. It might’ve already shaken the alliance’s foundation before we even arrived."
His optimism was forced—meant to steel the hearts of those around him more than himself.
Still, attacking Konoha and Sunagakure directly while trying to turn their allies against them was no small feat. The real challenge was to discredit the two villages in front of the rest of the alliance.
But the time for second-guessing had passed.
"No matter what happens, we must succeed today." Ōnoki’s expression hardened, his voice resolute.
Even with doubts lurking in the back of their minds, both leaders had committed. They were here, on the front lines, and there was no turning back.
The Fourth Raikage scanned the endless horizon again and asked quietly, "Do you think... they’ll show up?"
Ōnoki remained silent for a beat before replying, "Perhaps..."
While the two Kage conversed, their troops were already executing the assault. Under their captains’ command, the invading ninja sprinted across the sea, chakra flowing under their feet.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" shouted several voices at once.
Ninjas adept in water-style jutsu rapidly formed hand seals. They didn’t wait to land on the island to begin their assault—they unleashed it from the ocean, aiming to obliterate defenses before setting foot ashore.
Their mission wasn’t capture. It was destruction. Sabotage under the guise of Konoha shinobi. No civilians, no restraints. Just chaos.
The sea became their greatest weapon, amplifying the power of their water-based attacks.
Chakra flared and connected among the troops, and from beneath the waves, a colossal dragon surged forth—formed entirely of seawater and chakra.
Its serpentine body twisted beneath the surface before rising with a thunderous roar, like a monster from legend.
The beast exploded from the ocean floor, its massive head bellowing as it barreled toward the Land of Waves.
Each of its whiskers was finely sculpted by the chakra control of high-level ninja. This wasn’t a normal jutsu—it was a collective masterpiece of destruction, capable of wiping out the island in one strike.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!"
On the cliffs, the Allied Ninja Forces didn’t back down.
From Konoha to Sand Village, their coordinated counterattack began.
A crimson fire dragon blazed into existence, even more imposing than the one used during the previous battle. Its flames were fanned and intensified by the wind-style jutsu from the Sand ninjas.
On one side, the deep blue water dragon roared with oceanic might. On the other, a raging inferno surged forward like a living comet.
Both beasts—born of chakra and myth—hurtled toward each other.
For a heartbeat, the world held its breath.
An ear-splitting explosion ripped through the sky. The shockwave flattened waves, trees, and eardrums alike. It was like the heavens themselves were howling at mankind’s folly.
Both forces were caught in the blast. Many of the Kumo-Iwa coalition were thrown off balance, some losing control of their chakra and plunging into the sea. On the cliffs, allied ninja were knocked back by the force, some hitting the ground hard.
The two massive jutsu had canceled each other out in the air, sending superheated seawater raining down like a scalding monsoon.
No one flinched. No one screamed. No one ran.
Everyone had come prepared to die.
Then, with howls of fury and blades drawn, the Kumo-Iwa Alliance ninjas surged forward, scaling the cliffs like an unstoppable tide.
The Allied Ninja Forces stood tall at the top—red-eyed, weapons at the ready.
And so, at last, the war began.
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