Outside Amegakure.
A vast, flat expanse of earth rose up as the forces of Iwagakure assembled in tight formation, ready for battle.
It wasn't as if Rie lacked chances to snipe at them.
On the contrary, she'd had countless opportunities to ambush or harass the enemy, but she let them all pass.
This was Amegakure's battle to prove itself.
If they could defeat Iwagakure head-on, the name of Amegakure would echo across the entire ninja world.
At the village's edge, atop a hastily-raised earthen wall, Rie stood in a form-fitting black combat suit that showed off her lithe figure.
A blue robe fluttered open atop it, its long hem snapping in the wind.
Behind her, Kagami watched the distant Iwagakure troops with a grave expression, the three tomoe of his Sharingan slowly spinning.
Amegakure's fangs were bared at last.
On the wall, the faces of the red-haired Uzumaki were no longer relaxed.
Amegakure was a land of peace, a sanctuary for the Uzumaki Clan—it would not be defiled.
If war was what they wanted, then they would fight until one side was utterly crushed.
If they won today, one day their blades would reach the gates of Iwagakure itself.
Ōnoki had completely underestimated both Amegakure's resolve and its strength.
Atop the tallest tower in the village, Rinjin sat cross-legged, his gaze deep and fixed on the horizon.
The Iwagakure forces meant little to him; he was waiting for the true masterminds lurking in the shadows to reveal themselves.
He'd already made sure little Mei and little Kakashi were safe—no need for distractions this battle.
Finally, as the sun rose again, the assault of Iwagakure began.
Countless rock ninja formed ranks, launching a barrage of tiny stones toward Amegakure from afar.
"Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique!"
A thunderous, unified shout echoed out.
The pebbles grew as they flew, swelling into boulders a meter across, raining down in a dense storm on Amegakure's defenses.
Rie's expression didn't flicker—her face was icy cold.
"Defend!"
Her sharp voice rang out.
In the next instant, a squad of red-haired shinobi stepped forward, hands flashing through seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Instantly, torrents of water erupted skyward, forming a barrier before the defenders.
The boulders crashed down, smashing into the water shield, but failed to break through.
The Uzumaki Clan—beyond their legendary sealing arts—were famous for their monstrous chakra reserves.
With the water wall holding the stones at bay, Rie remained calm and issued her next order.
"Suiton!"
At her command, dozens of Amegakure shinobi stepped up and formed seals in perfect unison.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Their shouts merged into a single battle cry.
In a land surrounded by water like Amegakure, Water Release techniques could be unleashed to their fullest.
The edge of the village lake surged, water erupting upward in violent geysers, the surface rising rapidly.
Across the field, Iwagakure's commander barked orders, telling his men to raise more earth in a desperate attempt to block the towering waves.
But in that moment, Rie, Kagami, and the hidden Hanzō of the Salamander all made their move.
The giant salamander Ibuse burst from below the water, slamming its forelimbs onto the surface and unleashing a torrent of poisonous smoke.
On the high wall, Kagami leapt forward, dark green bones sprouting around his body.
Muscle rapidly layered over the bones—a fully-formed Susanoo emerged.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Still airborne, Susanoo spread its hands, launching a scatter of spinning magatama.
Seeing her comrades take action, Rie flashed a wild, almost fanatical grin and vaulted toward the Iwagakure lines.
The wind howled, blowing back her bangs to reveal the purple Rinnegan hidden beneath.
"Every grain's got mud, who wants your sack of rice!
Alright, add water!"
With her cryptic, half-mad muttering, a wave of overwhelming repulsive force crashed down from above.
In an instant, a massive pressure slammed into every Iwagakure ninja, sending them flying.
Of course, with only a single Rinnegan, Rie couldn't match Nagato the "table-clearing master."
But it was enough—her Shinra Tensei shattered Iwagakure's formation.
From the high platform, Amegakure shinobi poured down the walls after Rie, raining onto the field like dumplings dropped into a pot.
With a single move, Rie had split the battlefield in two.
Hanzō and Uchiha Kagami, already in position, each pinned down a chunk of the Iwagakure forces.
Finally, the Amegakure ninja swept through, cleaning up the battlefield.
This strategy both minimized Amegakure's losses and maximized their strengths.
Against Iwagakure's numbers and their mastery of coordinated tactics, dividing the field let Amegakure create local advantages—overwhelming the enemy piecemeal.
And with the Uzumaki Clan's bottomless chakra, they could drag the whole war into a quagmire.
Amegakure's determination was no bluff.
From Rie to every last shinobi, they were ready to grind Iwagakure into the ground.
One battle wouldn't decide everything.
The real goal was to wear Iwagakure down, so that one day their armies could march right up to Iwagakure's gates.
If they were going to fight, they'd make sure to leave Ōnoki with scars deep enough to haunt him every time he heard the word "Rain."
In the heart of the battlefield, Rie cackled wildly, her hands a blur as she unleashed jutsu after jutsu, like she had chakra to burn.
She did, in fact—her reserves were monstrous to begin with, and now, with Hashirama's cells boosting her, she didn't even need to think about conserving energy.
"Heh heh heh~
You bunch of damn neighbors! Eat my Water Release: Giant Spit!"
...
Watching Rie laugh like an absolute madwoman, Rinjin atop the tower found himself reflecting deeply.
Maybe... maybe he shouldn't have taught that girl arithmetic?
No, no, that couldn't be it. This wasn't a math problem—he refused to take the blame.
Uh... maybe it was because she grew up in the Senju household.
Yeah, that was it. The Senju family's upbringing was clearly the problem.
Just look at Tsunade—a gambling addict with a temper.
Exactly! The Senju are cursed. My teaching is just fine.
Down on the battlefield, Kitsuchi, acting as field commander, roared in frustration.
He was completely tangled up with Rie, unable to help his scattered Iwagakure troops.
"Get out of my way, you crazy woman!"
"Get your grandma's leg! You're a grown man, but you talk like some whiny toddler!"
"Damn you! Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Kitsuchi flashed through hand seals, sending chunks of earth flying.
Rie didn't flinch. She slammed her hands onto the water's surface.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Blocking the Earth Dragon Bullet, Rie let a mocking smile curl her lips.
"Just you wait, little baby!
Dare to invade my Amegakure—when I get to your Hidden Rock Village, I'll tear that dump to pieces!"
Not far away, Kitsuchi scowled, his face twisted with frustration.
"Pot calling the kettle black! You were the one who sent assassins to our village first!
Our whole intelligence division was wiped out, and you stole all our intel!"
At that, Rie let out a sharp, derisive laugh.
"Amegakure needs your intel? Don't make me laugh!
Enough talk! Banshō Ten'in!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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