On the other side of the battlefield, the Iwagakure–Kusagakure Allied Forces had no intention of charging head-on. Instead, they hunkered down between the surrounding hills, poised and ready for battle.
The Konoha–Sunagakure Allied Forces pressed forward, closing the distance until a signal rang out. Kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags arced through the air in a great wave, like a long, narrow storm cloud blotting out the sky.
But the defenders were prepared. Under the firm command of their senior shinobi, the Iwagakure–Kusagakure alliance raised wooden shields, counter-tools, and layers of ninjutsu.
The barrage rained down upon them, but the damage was minimal and only a handful of unlucky shinobi fell.
Almost immediately, their counterattack came. A deadly hail of steel and paper bombs whistled back across the field, its ferocity no less than the assault just unleashed.
The Chūnin and Jōnin of Konoha and Suna hastily formed seals, answering with barriers and counter-jutsu. But because they were on the offensive, their formations were looser, their guard less complete. Losses mounted.
By now the distance was too tight for more volleys. At shinobi speed, any closer and the fight would descend into chaos. Still, the Konoha–Suna troops gritted their teeth and continued their charge.
That was when the trap was sprung.
The ground shuddered as over three hundred Earth Release shinobi of Iwa and Kusa simultaneously slammed their palms into the dirt. At their center stood Kitsuchi, the commander, pressing his hand firmly against a detailed blueprint etched into the soil.
The battlefield roared to life. With a thunderous rumble, walls of earth, some ten meters high, others towering several dozen, erupted from the plains.
In mere moments, the open terrain had transformed into a sprawling labyrinth, stretching for miles in every direction, swallowing the allied army's line of advance.
Confusion rippled through the Konoha–Suna ranks. The charge faltered, then slowed to a halt. The shinobi stared at the maze of stone before them, bewildered.
The commanders wasted no time. Orders rang out: "Stop the advance! Retreat immediately!"
The troops pulled back.
But just as they did, a fresh storm exploded from within the maze. Kunai, shuriken, tags, and even sharpened stone projectiles came screaming out from the walls and hidden angles. Any hesitation was fatal. Shinobi fell where they stood, caught in the crossfire.
At the command post, Orochimaru, Uchiha Gen, Baki, and Pakura gathered, their faces grim.
"What do we do now?" Baki demanded, his expression dark.
The maze wasn't much trouble for elite Jōnin—they could scale or bypass the walls with ease. But for the Genin, the terrain might as well have been a prison. Their chakra control simply wasn't refined enough to move freely over such obstacles.
Forcing them into the labyrinth would be suicide; ambushes, traps, and encirclements would bleed them dry.
Orochimaru's golden eyes flicked sideways, narrowing on Gen. Even he had no immediate solution.
Gen, however, only smiled faintly. "The Iwa–Kusa commanders are shrewd. I'll give them that. This maze gives them an advantage." His tone sharpened. "But they've overlooked something."
Baki frowned. "Overlooked what?"
"They overlooked me."
The words were spoken softly, but the weight behind them was absolute.
Gen turned to Baki. "Lead the Suna forces wide. Flank them and cut off their escape."
"Surround them? What are you planning?" Baki asked, wary.
"No time to explain. You'll understand soon enough. Do you think I'd gamble with the fate of our alliance?"
Baki hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Pakura, with me."
But Gen stopped him. "Leave Pakura here. I'll need her."
Baki scowled, but obeyed, leading the Sunagakure division into motion. The Iwa–Kusa forces, unsure of the enemy's intentions, held position inside their earthen fortress.
Pakura's eyes glittered with curiosity. "What are you going to do?"
Gen's smile deepened. "If they want to turtle up, we'll drag them out." He raised his voice. "Kyouki!"
"Here, Master."
From Gen's sleeve, the tiny form of Kyouki tumbled out and expanded rapidly into his full size—a living storm cloud, swirling with latent power.
"Let's take the fight above."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a rare grin. "Excellent."
With a fluid leap, he landed atop the cloud. Pakura followed, her initial shock melting into eager anticipation.
Gasps spread across the battlefield as shinobi watched the three rise into the air, Kyouki carrying them skyward until they hovered nearly two hundred meters above the maze. At that height, most ninjutsu fell short. Even long-range techniques would be slow enough to dodge.
"Kyouki," Gen commanded.
"Understood, Master."
The pure white cloud churned, darkening to a pitch-black storm mass. It spread outward rapidly, swallowing the skies over the entire maze. Sunlight vanished. The battlefield plunged into gloom. Within the thunderhead, blue-white lightning writhed like serpents, weaving a dense net of power that lit the heavens in terrifying flashes.
Every shinobi who looked up felt their hearts constrict.
The pressure was suffocating.
On the maze's highest ridges, Kitsuchi, the Five-Tails' jinchūriki Han, and the Iwa commanders stared grimly at the storm. None of them had anticipated this. Was such power even human?
"Kitsuchi," Han rumbled, "should I try a Tailed Beast Ball?"
The commander's eyes gleamed. "If you can strike them down, victory is ours. Kill the three of them, and the war will be decided today. The death of Orochimaru, Pakura, and Gen will ripple across the shinobi world."
Han studied the roiling thundercloud. "I can't pinpoint them. A small Tailed Beast Ball would be too easy to miss. I'd need to fire a full-sized one, but charging it will take time… and even then, the cloud's too wide. I may not hit them at all."
"Do it," Kitsuchi pressed. "We'll cover you. We can't stay on the defensive forever."
"…Very well."
With that, the Iwa elite dropped from their vantage points, retreating to avoid the lightning strikes already arcing down.
Above, inside the storm, Orochimaru and Pakura marveled at the view. The sensation of standing amidst the heavens, the storm at their command, was unlike anything they had ever known.
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips. "How enviable. It's like a god passing judgment upon mortals."
He had known his disciple's homies were growing stronger, but Kyouki was beyond expectation, Uchiha Gen's most terrifying creation yet. Born from a natural thunderstorm, Kyouki commanded true lightning; pure, untainted by chakra, immune to absorption or suppression.
Compared to Shuryu, who had grown steadily since his birth in a forest fire, Kyouki's destructive potential was simply greater.
Pakura's eyes shimmered as she gazed at Gen, admiration burning openly in her expression.