"OPEN FIRE—"
The camouflage was thrown off hundreds of cannons in the main army's position, and they opened fire at once. The smoke from the black powder, an invention yet to be perfected in the Demon Slayer world, instantly blanketed their ranks.
The shinobi of the Hidden Cloud, who had just been celebrating their perceived victory and were pressing their main force forward, were met with utter catastrophe.
Seeing the black lumps arcing through the sky, everyone knew they were more than simple iron balls.
"Defensive jutsu!" Darui roared.
Numerous shinobi capable of defensive techniques immediately used Earth Style jutsu. However, it was useless. Against World War I-era artillery, one or two A-rank jutsu were not enough to block the barrage, unless it was a super-massive defensive technique.
BOOM!
"Second round, volley fire!"
BOOM!
"Third round, fire!"
A storm of cannonballs hammered against the various Earth Style defenses. Some held, but others shattered on the first impact. The ones that did hold were obliterated by the second and third waves of the long-range artillery assault. The Hidden Cloud forces were completely stunned.
The ground was ravaged by smoke and fire. The devastation wrought by several hundred cannons was unimaginable, blanketing the entire battlefield in a massive, overlapping kill zone. The Cloud shinobi suffered heavy casualties.
However, it wasn't over. On Nagi's command, the samurai of the main army began to reload, preparing for a second bombardment.
At this critical moment, Darui disregarded the unspoken rule against casually using Tailed Beast Bombs in war and yelled at a young woman beside him:
"Yugito! Target the enemy's main force in the rear! Use a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"Understood!"
Yugito, in her Tailed Beast form, immediately fired a Tailed Beast Bomb toward the samurai's main army. Accuracy didn't matter; the blast radius was large enough that it couldn't miss.
BOOM!
A mushroom cloud slowly rose into the sky. The hundreds of cannons Nagi had positioned in the center were instantly vaporized by the explosion of super-dense energy.
Nagi glared at the Fourth Raikage. "Fourth Raikage A, since you're using Tailed Beast Bombs, then don't blame me for what comes next."
He didn't feel any particular sorrow for the dead samurai of the Land of Iron—a commander cannot afford sentimentality—but the use of a Tailed Beast Bomb was something he could not tolerate.
Tens of thousands of meters up, hidden within the clouds, the Sky Fortress, under Nagi's command and Nakime's control, began to extend its menacing cannon barrels.
The ultimate weapon of the Sky Ninja, the war fortress, finally revealed its true face. Its massive chakra cannons preheated and then returned fire, unleashing a blast toward the Hidden Cloud forces below with power no less than that of a Tailed Beast Bomb.
BOOM!
Another mushroom cloud bloomed, but this time it wasn't over the previous position. It was centered on the main army of the Land of Lightning. The first artillery barrage had wiped out their vanguard, and now the Sky Fortress's chakra cannon had annihilated their main force. A worthy trade.
The moment the Sky Fortress appeared, all the samurai of the Land of Iron began a full retreat. Nagi had instructed them beforehand that if the fortress opened fire, it meant the war had escalated. They were to withdraw immediately, as the ensuing battle would be fought with map-clearing attacks they could not survive.
"Fourth Raikage A, I wanted to abide by the rules of the shinobi world, but you just had to give me a surprise! Hahahaha! You want to compare Tailed Beast Bombs? You want to see who has the bigger map-clearing attack? Who's afraid of who? BRING IT ON!" Nagi roared with maniacal laughter.
A Tailed Beast could only fire one Tailed Beast Bomb at a time. But the Sky Fortress, a city of war, was equipped with over a hundred chakra cannons of various sizes.
Under Nakime's precise control, they fired in three consecutive volleys, indiscriminately bombarding the Hidden Cloud forces below. The ground was thrown into chaos, a river of blood flowing through the carnage. Unfortunately for them, none of them could fly. All they could do was grit their teeth and watch their comrades die from the heavensent assault.
"Yugito! Shoot that flying fortress down!" Darui shouted. They had no choice. If they were even a second too slow, every Cloud shinobi on the ground would be dead.
"I know!" Yugito had begun charging her power the moment the Sky Fortress fired its cannon. In just over ten seconds, a second massive Tailed Beast Bomb was aimed at the flying city.
"Can't dodge it," Nakime said calmly to Nagi's shadow clone, her head lowered as she played her biwa.
Inside the Sky Fortress, Nakime had absolute control. But outside, maneuvering such a massive object to dodge a high-speed Tailed Beast Bomb was impossible.
"Don't worry, the original is here," the shadow clone said with a faint smile.
On the ground, the real Uchiha Nagi had sensed Yugito's intent the moment she began aiming at the sky. If she blew up his precious fortress, he would die of heartache. He instantly used the Flying Thunder God technique to teleport on top of it.
WHOOSH—
The massive Tailed Beast Bomb shot straight toward the floating fortress. Nagi once again took out two kunai marked with Flying Thunder God seals.
Overlapping layers of black sealing formulas appeared in the void, forming a giant net of tadpole-like runes that enveloped the Tailed Beast Bomb, sucking it into a space-time rift. It then emerged from his other Flying Thunder God kunai, aimed directly at Yugito.
"Oh, no, no! Yugito's 'bout to feel the pain I once knew!" Killer Bee covered his face, unable to watch.
The Fourth Raikage, A, was also twitching, helpless. He couldn't fly.
A Tailed Beast Bomb was incredibly fast, but it required time to charge. Yugito had just fired hers when she saw an identical black sphere flying back at her. As it drew closer, she felt the chakra signature was eerily familiar.
Oh, crap! Isn't that the Tailed Beast Bomb I just spat out??
BOOM!
A third mushroom cloud rose on the battlefield.
Tailed Beast Bombs, a rare sight even in the Great Ninja Wars, had now been seen three times in one day.
After the blast, Yugito was severely injured and forced out of her Tailed Beast state. Being able to create a Tailed Beast Bomb didn't mean you could take one. It was like a shinobi casting a Great Fireball Technique; it didn't mean they wouldn't be harmed if it was reflected back at them.
"Yugito!" "Darui!"
Raikage A's eyes were practically splitting with rage, but he was powerless. He couldn't fly.
"Bee! Fire a Tailed Beast Bomb at the fortress! Don't worry about the power, just make it fast!" A suddenly turned and shouted at Killer Bee.
"Huh? But big bro, he'll just use the Flying Thunder God to send it back at us, just like he did to Yugito," Killer Bee said, scratching his head in confusion.
"That's why I'm telling you not to stop! Darui and the Anbu strategy team have studied it. The chakra required to transport a Tailed Beast Bomb with space-time ninjutsu is several times greater than the chakra needed to create one."
A's strategy was simple: a battle of attrition. Transporting objects of greater mass with space-time ninjutsu required more chakra. And for something as unique as a Tailed Beast Bomb, the chakra cost was several times higher.
Minato Namikaze had effortlessly teleported the entire Nine-Tails outside the village. But just teleporting a single one of its Tailed Beast Bombs had nearly exhausted his chakra—and he had the reserves of a Hokage.
Poof!
After a puff of smoke, Killer Bee, now in his full Tailed Beast form, nodded and opened his mouth, aiming at the Sky Fortress. Yin and yang energy began to converge into a ball. He fired a smaller Tailed Beast Bomb. In his full Tailed Beast form, he was faster and the charge time was shorter.
Hm?!
Nagi watched the smaller Tailed Beast Bomb fly toward him and used the same trick, redirecting it toward the remaining forces of the Hidden Cloud.
BOOM!
Another scene of chaos and destruction. A was so angry his hair and beard stood on end, but he still roared, "Bee, don't stop! Continue!"
Those who seek great things cannot be bothered by small details. A few sacrifices were nothing. If they held back now, they were truly finished.
Killer Bee fired another Tailed Beast Bomb. It was now a contest of chakra. The Eight-Tails' chakra reserves were second only to the Nine-Tails.
Nagi realized what was happening. He sent this Tailed Beast Bomb back at Killer Bee, but Bee had anticipated it and fired another one. The two Tailed Beast Bombs collided in mid-air. Another mushroom cloud.
BOOM!
He had lost count of how many Tailed Beast Bombs had been fired, but Killer Bee kept going. Nagi understood his opponent's intention: to outlast him in a battle of chakra. Transporting a high-density energy attack like a Tailed Beast Bomb consumed several times more chakra than creating one.
Nagi glanced at the ground below. What should have been a proper ninja war had been completely upended by map-clearing attacks.
"Nakime, take the Sky Fortress back. I'm going down to deal with those two."
It was clear now. Killer Bee wanted to force him down from the sky for a ground battle. He could either abandon the Sky Fortress and fly away, watching his newly founded Swordsmith Village be destroyed, or he could go down and fight them head-on.
Of course, there was another option: ignore them completely. You do your thing, I'll do mine. He could fly to the Hidden Cloud Village and unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb there. But that would be pointless. If his own village was reduced to rubble, destroying the Hidden Cloud would be meaningless.
Nagi leaped from the Sky Fortress. While still in mid-air, he began to transform, taking on his Gundam form. What was the final stage of a ninja war, after all? It was to sortie in a Gundam.
The Susanoo, in its Gundam state, landed heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Across from him stood the Eight-Tails in its full form, and beside it, a Fourth Raikage who was on the verge of going berserk.
"Bee, let's get him together!"
"Alright, big bro! Wanna hit him with another Tailed Beast Bomb first?"
"No more talk! Let's go!"
A giant Tailed Beast and one of the strongest and fastest humans on the planet, both among the most powerful beings in the ninja world, were now teaming up to take down one man.
"Hmph! Tailed Beast Bomb, Tailed Beast Bomb, now it's my turn!" Nagi formed a hand seal, and with a puff of smoke, the Three-Tails, which he had kept sealed in the Sword of Totsuka, appeared on the scene.
"Fourth Raikage A, I have another gift for you. I hope you'll accept it." Nagi threw out a scroll. After the smoke cleared, a coffin emerged. From it, an Edo Tensei figure walked out.
"F-Father??" The Fourth Raikage, A, stared blankly at the reincarnated form of the Third Raikage.
Then, he erupted in rage. He remembered. Edo Tensei. A forbidden jutsu from Konoha, developed by the Second Hokage. This vile Uchiha was desecrating his father's soul.
"Uchiha Nagi, you're dead—"
"Hmph. Go on. A touching scene of filial piety. Let's see what this devoted son of yours will do." Nagi didn't release the control over the Third Raikage's consciousness. Otherwise, he'd be the one getting attacked.
Unfortunately, this was Orochimaru's 2.0 version, not Kabuto's 3.0. It was impressive if it could even bring out a tenth of the original's power. But with its infinite regeneration and limitless chakra, the Edo Tensei body could fight Raikage A to a standstill. A, after all, didn't know any sealing jutsu.
Under Nagi's control, the Third Raikage charged at his own son. Nagi, meanwhile, had his Susanoo mount the Three-Tails' shell.
Then, they began to merge.
The Three-Tails Armored Susanoo appeared.
"Uh, what's that? His Susanoo is covering the Three-Tails' body?? Oh NO, Eight-Tails, looks like we've got trouble!" Killer Bee grimaced. The Three-Tails plus a Susanoo. A turtle shell on top of a turtle shell. This had to be the ultimate, 999+ defense in the entire ninja world.
Among the nine Tailed Beasts, each had its own unique characteristics and abilities. The Nine-Tails had the most chakra. The Eight-Tails was the strongest in single combat because it had arms, legs, and eight tentacles. Some could fly, some used water, some used fire. But in terms of defense, it was, of course, the turtle.
The Three-Tails' chakra couldn't compare to the Nine-Tails', and its fighting ability was inferior to the Eight-Tails', but its defense was the strongest. And now Nagi had encased it in a Susanoo.
The Eight-Tails charged, pummeling the Three-Tails with heavy blows from its two massive fists.
"Hahahaha! Killer Bee, you idiot!" Nagi roared with laughter. It was just as he had predicted. The Three-Tails' shell was invincible. Combined with the Susanoo, it was like a five-layered Rashomon Gate.
Killer Bee, in his Eight-Tails form, hammered away for a while before using his tails and tentacles to wrap around the Three-Tails. The Three-Tails fought back with its own three tails.
The two behemoths were locked in a tangled, artless brawl. Still, it was a battle of gods, a clash of Gundams.
Nagi took a moment to check on A and saw that the Third Raikage had already been shattered and was now regenerating. As expected, a tenth of his power was far too little. If this was Kabuto's 3.0 version, with ten-tenths of his power, the Third Raikage would have likely killed A already. Since that was the case, Nagi decided to add more fuel to the fire.
"A, I have two more gifts for you!"
Nagi threw out a second scroll. Two more coffins appeared. From them emerged two men with whisker-like marks on their faces: Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
"I'm curious. Two Kage of the second generation fell at the same time back then. I wonder if the people of today have the strength to challenge them?" With that, Nagi released the consciousness of the Gold and Silver Brothers.
"Kinkaku, Ginkaku, your enemy has arrived. He is the Fourth Raikage, A."
Sometime earlier, he had interrogated the Edo Tensei forms of the brothers and learned that there had been no victor in that battle long ago. The Gold and Silver Brothers had ambushed the Second Raikage. Tobirama Senju, unsure of the situation, had retreated with his Konoha forces.
Then, the brothers killed the Second Raikage and pursued Tobirama. After a great battle, both sides were grievously wounded. Tobirama was defeated first. Just as the Gold and Silver Brothers were about to claim victory, the Third Raikage arrived, the oriole stalking from behind. The heavily injured brothers were killed.
Subsequently, Tobirama also died from his wounds. Later, the Land of Lightning returned Tobirama's body, which was how Orochimaru had gotten his hands on it for the Edo Tensei.
Now, the Gold and Silver Brothers were here, old and new hatreds ready to be settled.
"Haha! Killing the son of the Third who killed us? Interesting. Very interesting!" "Gaga! Big brother, let's send this father and son duo to their reunion!" the Gold and Silver Brothers cackled, licking their lips in excitement.
The two then transformed into their Tailed Beast states. The Kage-level powerhouses who had once killed the Second Kage of two different villages had joined the battle.