As the trio crossed the border into the Land of Fire, the surrounding landscape began to shift noticeably.
The lush broadleaf forests of Konoha gradually thinned, giving way to stretches of low shrubbery and bare, gray-black rock. The humidity was suffocating—each breath felt like gulping down icy fog.
The rain grew heavier.
If Konoha's rain was a gentle, lingering thread, then the Land of Rain's was a storm of needles—countless icy pricks that drilled into the bone, relentlessly lashing this mourning land.
"This place... feels so suffocating," Minato murmured as they moved.
He tilted his head, trying to pierce the thick clouds in search of sunlight—but all he saw was endless gloom.
"Eyes front," came Fugaku's clipped voice. He didn't turn around. "We've entered enemy territory. Every stone here might be hiding a rogue ninja eager for your head."
Minato chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "Lighten up, Fugaku-senpai. If you stay wound too tight, you'll actually react slower when a fight breaks out."
"Only weaklings think that way," Fugaku shot back coldly. "An Uchiha's focus never breaks."
Tetsu followed silently, refraining from joining the exchange.
His attention was locked on the environment.
If Fugaku relied on the Sharingan's insight, and Minato trusted his reflexes, then Tetsu approached the battlefield like a scientist—analyzing it with detached precision.
The terrain had clearly shifted from flatlands to rolling hills. Shale and sandstone dominated the area—fragile formations prone to landslides.
The wind blew from the northwest. As it tunneled through narrow valleys, it doubled in speed—a Venturi effect.
That meant kunai thrown against the wind would lose range, while Fire Release techniques from the downwind side would gain power.
Tetsu came to a stop by a damp cliff face and crouched, fingers brushing a patch of moss.
"Hey! What now?"
Fugaku appeared beside him in a flash, brows furrowed. "First you're digging up weeds, now you're poking at moss? Are we on a sightseeing tour, Nishikawa?"
Minato paused behind them, looking slightly worried. "Did you notice something wrong?"
"Not wrong—just confirming our coordinates."
Tetsu stood and flicked mud off his hands, then pointed to the cliff wall. "This species of moss only grows on the leeward side of rocks and is sensitive to residual chakra. Look here—"
He indicated a faint yellowed patch.
"This area's moss has withered and shows radial scorch marks. Most of it's been washed away by the rain, but the pattern is clear—it's not natural."
He delivered his conclusion calmly: "There was a battle here about three days ago. Someone used Lightning Release. The current traveled down the wet cliff, killing the moss. Judging by the radius of damage, the user had chakra reserves at least on a Chūnin level."
Fugaku's Sharingan narrowed slightly.
He stepped in, scrutinizing the barely visible burn pattern. Without Tetsu's remark, even he—with his dōjutsu—might've missed it mid-sprint.
"...Hmph."
Fugaku's expression softened just a hair, though his tone remained barbed. "A clever little trick. But after-the-fact analysis won't help you survive a real fight. The enemy's long gone."
"No, senpai."
Tetsu shook his head and looked toward the narrow gorge ahead—a slit in the mountains barely wide enough for two people.
"This confirms that the path ahead is a known ambush zone used by Iwa-nin or Ame-nin. Lightning Release users are suited for paralysis and surprise attacks. If I were in charge, I'd pair them with Earth Release users to seal the route."
Fugaku fell silent for a moment.
He studied the boy with the low chakra reserves, and—for the first time—did not scoff.
"If it's an ambush point, we move faster."
He turned, palm resting on his tool pouch. "Triangle formation. I'll take point. Minato, left flank. Tetsu, right. If we're attacked..."
His eyes sharpened, murderous intent spilling out.
"Forget tactics—just kill them."
"Understood." Minato's boyish warmth vanished in an instant, replaced by a shinobi's edge.
Tetsu nodded silently, hand dipping into his pouch to grip his custom-made tools.
Just charge through, huh? That's a luxury only geniuses have, Tetsu thought.
The rest of us... have to be a little dirtier.
The three of them blurred into motion, darting into the mouth of the narrow gorge.
Rainwater gushed down the cliff walls, pooling into a muddy stream at the bottom.
The canyon loomed high on both sides, blotting out what little light remained. Darkness pressed in like a weight.
The wind howled like a trapped beast.
This place was made for ambushes.
Tetsu ran while building a three-dimensional model of the terrain in his head.
Something's off with the echoes.
His eyes widened.
"Stop!"
Tetsu's sharp bark cut through the rain.
"What now?" Fugaku grumbled—but even as he spoke, he obeyed on instinct, halting instantly.
Minato froze a heartbeat later, scanning their surroundings. "Tetsu?"
"The wind's wrong."
Tetsu's gaze was locked on a seemingly normal boulder field ahead. He spoke fast and clear: "There's abnormal scattering in the air currents. Something's blocking airflow—either an invisible structure or someone altered the terrain with chakra!"
He barely finished when—
BOOM!!!
A thunderous roar erupted, validating his warning.
The cliff walls—solid just moments ago—cracked and crumbled. An avalanche of boulders and mud came crashing down, aiming to bury them alive.
This wasn't a natural landslide.
Behind the tumbling rocks, shapes emerged from the shadows—shinobi with Iwagakure forehead protectors, hands forming Earth Release signs.
"Earth Style: Rock Lodging Destruction!"
Fugaku's expression turned dark.
"Damn it—they really were lying in wait!"
But he didn't panic.
His Sharingan spun wildly as his hands flew into seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A roaring sphere of flame shot upward, trying to stall the incoming debris—but against tons of stone, it was like a candle against a wave.
And just like that—
The battle had begun.
No warning.
No time to prepare.
Only blood, stone, and fire—falling from the heavens in a rain-soaked gorge.