The ANBU camp was silent.
Commander Yellow Dog stood at the front, facing all the assembled ANBU operatives.
"The war in the Land of Rivers has lasted six months.
Sunagakure, the weakest of the Five Great Villages, has lost over a thousand shinobi during this time.
When Kirigakure declared war on us, Konoha was forced to fight on three fronts.
Both sides have now reached their limits.
The brutal war has dragged on long enough—both sides want an end.
And so, the Sand has chosen to gamble everything on one decisive battle.
There will be no sabotage, no assassinations, no delaying tactics—
both sides will throw in all they have.
Hippo Squad and Yak Squad, you'll join me at the main battlefield.
Fox Squad, you're assigned to the Yoshimizu River front, supporting Vice Commander Hatake Sakumo on the flank.
ANBU have two missions in this battle:
One—record everything. Every detail of the battlefield. We are the Hokage's eyes.
Two—at the crucial moment, we enter the battlefield and fight on behalf of the Hokage.
We are the Hokage's personal blade. His vision.
We are the embodiment of his reach and power.
All squad leaders—collect every last explosive tag and kunai in inventory. Distribute everything."
Yako noticed something odd.
Yellow Dog kept emphasizing "Hokage," but never once mentioned Danzo, the actual head of ANBU.
'He's ambitious,' Yako thought. 'Definitely gunning for more than just command.'
Purple Cat's squad arrived, lugging crates of gear and tags.
Yako led his team out of the camp, heading for the flanking army's assembly point.
All around, Konoha was mobilizing. The camp swelled with shinobi, creating organized chaos.
Yako noticed uneasy whispers in some units. He turned to Purple Cat.
"Has something changed recently? Why are some shinobi… distracted?"
Purple Cat leaned in.
"Captain, last night… Commander Shikakaku abolished the Jutsu Merit System. Some civilian ninjas are worried now. They fear they'll lose access to suitable jutsu."
Yako stiffened.
'Right before the final battle, Shikakaku chose to publicly break with Sakumo… by dismantling his signature policy?'
The Jutsu Merit System, which Sakumo introduced, was meant to standardize jutsu access based on contribution and aptitude. Civilian-born ninjas relied on it for fair opportunities.
Now it was gone.
'Is this because of those rumors? About the Nara manipulating comrades with shadow jutsu?'
Whatever the cause, it was clear:
Nara Shikakaku and Hatake Sakumo were no longer allies.
Outside the camp, final deployment orders were given.
Two main forces formed:
Shikakaku and Tsunade led the main front.
Sakumo led the flanking division.
Even Tsunade had donned her battle gear, shifting her shoulders as if unused to the weight of the flak jacket.
She looked toward the few remaining Senju shinobi among the ranks.
Most were in the medical corps, but these few would bleed on the front lines.
'Tsunade silently vowed to nominate them for jōnin after this battle—if they lived.'
Yako moved quickly to catch up with the flanking division.
Though Fox Squad was independent and not under Sakumo's command, they would move in parallel.
Below, the Yoshimizu River roared.
On both sides of the riverbank, Sand shinobi surged north, trying to flank the Konoha main force.
And finally—at the midpoint of the river—both armies clashed.
Yako found a rocky high point on the western side of the river.
From there, he used a telescope to monitor the battle.
The enemy commanders were a husband-and-wife duo:
Elite Jōnin Takuji and his wife, leading Sunagakure's puppet forces.
Takuji was a prodigy—
Mastered puppet theory by age 5.
Created a puppet praised by the Second Kazekage at age 6.
Graduated early at age 7.
Became a jōnin at age 11.
His opponent?
Hatake Sakumo.
Another prodigy—hailed by the Second Hokage himself.
'This is the moment,' Yako thought, 'where genius proves itself.'
'Only one survives. The other becomes a stepping stone.'
Takuji and his wife launched toward Sakumo.
Takuji threw out ten puppets like kite strings flying through the sand.
He had already mastered the one-finger-per-puppet technique.
They varied in form:
Defensive types,
Ones wielding giant hammers,
Agile speedsters the size of children.
His wife controlled six more puppets, moving with surgical precision.
Yako watched closely. These weren't the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets, but they were no less menacing.
Then—a flash of white.
A sharp gleam on the riverbank.
Sakumo's technique!
Chakra Crystallization Technique.
He compressed Lightning Release chakra until it crystallized into physical form—
a blinding white short blade, humming with lethal force.
He struck.
Two puppets split instantly—
The Golden Ironwood exteriors cracked like brittle wood.
Their steel skeletons were cleanly severed, glowing red at the cut like molten iron.
'Too effective,' Yako noted.
Against Sakumo, the puppets looked like toys.
Takuji had expected strength—but not this.
Still, he didn't panic.
He extended two fingers, reattached chakra strings.
Even the halved puppets moved independently.
Each fragment became a weaponized trap, continuing the assault.
Sakumo was besieged.
One man against a storm of blades.
Every puppet that broke became shrapnel, with traps in its chest, limbs, and joints.
Yako shifted his view toward the broader field.
On Konoha's side: 10 squads, about 600 shinobi.
From the Sand: 500 shinobi, with 300 puppet masters.
Each puppet master was worth three normal shinobi.
The terrain favored the Sand—
Their masters hid in gorges, while puppets launched from high ground to strike Konoha's soldiers.
Nearby, Purple Cat carefully logged the battle, recording data squad by squad.
These reports would later be cross-referenced with after-action reviews to determine reward assignments.
Outstanding individuals would receive special commendations.
The battle fell into stalemate—
Corpses rising, numbers falling.
Yako clenched his fists.
'If Sakumo suffers a pyrrhic victory, it won't matter if he kills Takuji.
With the Jutsu Merit System gone, any loss of momentum will destroy his political standing.'
He lowered the telescope.
"White Ram, Blossom Deer—stay here and protect Purple Cat.
Keep recording the battle.
I'm going to do something…
to break the deadlock."