After a night's rest, Fugaku had mostly recovered by the next morning.
It was still dark when he got out of bed.
Though he had woken early, Duy was up even earlier.
After eting up with Duy, who had just finished his morning training, the two of them gathered the Konoha forces.
Everyone knew in their hearts that the battle with Iwagakure was about to begin.
"You go ahead."
Duy took a step back, letting Fugaku take the lead. Though he was the senior, this ti, Fugaku was the true commander.
Besides, Duy didn't care for formalities. As far as he was concerned, the only thing that mattered was winning the war.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Fugaku smiled at Duy before stepping forward and addressing the gathered troops in a loud, clear voice.
"Warriors of Konoha!"
"I don't need to tell you what cos next—you already know."
"That's right. We will crush Iwagakure and take the Land of Earth!"
"The hatred between Konoha and Iwagakure needs no explanation."
"How many of our comrades have fallen at the hands of the Iwa ninja?"
"How many of them were your brothers? Your closest friends?"
"These countless blood debts—tell , will you seek vengeance?"
Fugaku's voice grew louder with each sentence, his emotions visibly rising.
Yes, when it ca to Konoha shinobi slain by Iwa ninja, no clan had suffered more than the Uchiha.
Back then, his uncle had pinned all his hopes on Tsunade, sending nearly all of the Uchiha elite into battle.
They had fought against the Iwa forces led by Rōshi within the Land of Earth, suffering devastating losses.
How could he not hate them? How could he not be filled with rage?
"We will avenge them!"
"We will avenge them!"
The Konoha shinobi roared in unison, their voices crashing like waves.
Fugaku's emotions were infectious. Many thought of the loved ones they had lost to Iwagakure, and silent tears stread down their faces.
"We traveled all the way from Konoha for this battle, didn't we?"
"I have faith in your strength."
"Do you have faith in yourselves?"
Fugaku's voice trembled slightly from his rising emotions, but it only made his words more compelling.
"Yes!"
A thunderous response erupted from the crowd, so loud that even birds flying overhead were startled.
"Very well."
"Today, we will make Iwagakure pay dearly for their past cris."
"We will show them that the blood of Konoha shinobi is never spilled in vain."
"Show them your courage, display your strength, and make them tremble beneath our feet!"
"The very land of the Land of Earth will bear witness to our victory!"
Fugaku swallowed, steadying himself as his tone beca more composed.
As he spoke, he raised his clenched right fist high into the air and swung it downward, igniting the fighting spirit of the Konoha forces.
"Victory!"
"Victory!!"
"Victory!!!"
Soone started the chant, and soon the entire Konoha army was swept up in it, their voices echoing across the battlefield.
"Alright, that's enough."
Seeing the fervor growing dangerously intense, Duy worried soone might lose control on the spot.
Stepping forward past Fugaku, he raised his right hand and gently clenched it.
As if by magic, the deafening shouts gradually quieted, and all eyes shifted to him, waiting for his next words.
"I know you're all eager."
"But before we charge in, I have sothing to say."
"Yesterday, Lord Fugaku took down Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchūriki in the Land of Waterfalls."
"You all know what that ans."
"This war is ours to win."
"So draw your blades and prepare to feel the thrill of youth!"
Duy's words weren't as rousing as Fugaku's, but his unwavering confidence instilled an unshakable sense of reassurance.
"Follow into battle!"
A chorus of blades rang as they were drawn from their sheaths.
With a sweeping motion, Fugaku signaled the charge—like a commander raising a banner to lead thousands.
The Konoha shinobi surged forward, an unstoppable force, rushing toward the Iwa camp like arrows loosed from a bow.
...
"Lord Tsuchikage, the Konoha shinobi are attacking!"
At the sa ti, an Iwa scout, keeping close watch on Konoha's movents, relayed the urgent report to Ōnoki.
"Hmph, they've lost their patience already."
"Pass down my orders—et them in battle."
Ōnoki had expected Fugaku to bide his ti for a few days, but he hadn't anticipated such an imdiate offensive.
There was no hesitation in his eyes now—only smoldering anger that demanded release.
"Yes, sir!"
With his command, the entire Iwa camp burst into action.
Thanks to their prior preparations, the Iwa combat forces assembled in record ti.
There was no need for further pre-battle speeches.
Ōnoki led his troops forward, following their planned formation, charging head-on into the fray.
In a battle between two warriors of equal skill, the braver one prevails.
War is, and always will be, the most rciless grinder of flesh and bone.
The mont the two opposing forces ca into each other's sight, the battlefield was consud by the song of blood and steel.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
What was ordinarily a simple C-rank jutsu beca sothing far more terrifying when unleashed in unison by a large group of Konoha shinobi.
Countless massive fireballs streaked across the sky like a teor shower, rging into an overwhelming wave of flas that engulfed the battlefield.
It was as if the very air had been set ablaze, threatening to consu everything in its path.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Iwa's Water Release users were too few to mount a full defense, forcing them to rely on Earth Release as their primary counterasure.
Towering water walls rose like shields, managing to block a significant portion of the flas.
But as the explosions rippled through the battlefield, earthen barriers cracked and crumbled under the sheer force of the attack.
Still, they had managed to withstand Konoha's initial onslaught.
As the distance between the two sides shrank, close-quarters combat beca inevitable.
The Uchiha led the charge, dashing forward like lightning, leaving even their fellow Konoha shinobi behind.
Their Sharingan glead like crimson beacons, illuminating the battlefield with an eerie brilliance.
With the Sharingan's unparalleled perception, the Uchiha swiftly turned the tide.
The Iwa shinobi in the vanguard didn't even have a chance to react before they were struck down.
So Uchiha calmly withdrew their bloodstained blades from fallen foes, fresh crimson still dripping from the steel.
Others delivered precise, fluid strikes across their enemies' throats—clean, efficient, and lethal.
With overwhelming skill and unshakable pride, the Uchiha dominated the battlefield, striking fear into the hearts of the Iwa shinobi.
"Not bad."
Fugaku smirked in satisfaction.
The Uchiha Clan was his greatest pride.
Their fearless charge, their overwhelming strength—it all filled him with deep satisfaction.
Across from him, hovering in midair, Ōnoki watched the scene unfold with a grim expression.
But there was nothing he could do.
At monts like these, the weaker side had no choice but to endure.
He couldn't bla the Uchiha for using their Kekkei Genkai to their advantage—he wasn't that naive.
Yet at the sa ti, he hesitated to target Konoha's ordinary shinobi, knowing full well that doing so would only invite disaster upon his own forces.
It was an unspoken rule of the battlefield, one that both sides had seemingly accepted.
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