Iwagakure's attack! (Part 1)

Under the veil of twilight, the rugged terrain of the Hidden Grass became a silent witness to the steady, ominous march of Iwagakure's forces.

Three nights ago...

The two, Kage leading the attack against Konoha, Ay, and Ōnoki, had a meeting with Yui Uzumaki and her unknown assistant.

Ay, who has been chosen to lead the second attack, stands before his allies. He has a cast wrapped around his hand as he explains where and when the attack will occur. 

"Konoha and its forces believe that they can anticipate our attack. Even with your assistance, our forces don't have enough numbers to do significant damage," he says, looking intently into Yui's eyes.

Yui scoffs at Ay's desire to appear unfazed by her Sharingan: "You still fear the return of Ryuu Uchiha. Even if he comes back, the Kuroganebi are capable of fighting and killing the nine-tailed beasts. Even one of them will be enough to win this war."

"Hmph." Ay scoffs, "Despite what you showed us, and despite my feelings towards Konoha, we should all be aware of their danger. Besides the Legendary Sannin, Konoha now has the strongest generation of shinobi in ages. We will need more than a fairytale monster to defeat them."

With a quick flick of her finger, Yui calls in her masked assistant and whispers something in his ear. After confirming his orders, the masked man makes hand seals and vanishes into smoke.

"Fine." She says, returning her bored expression to the Kage before.

"If it is numbers you want... numbers you will have."

Ay and Ōnoki exchange glances and grin. Knowing enough numbers and strength, even the tremendous hidden leaf can and will fall.

Within those three days, Kumogakure and Iwagakure's forces doubled more than once, and prisoners, criminals, and crime Lords crawled from every shadow to take a bite out of Konoha and Kirigakure. Sunagakure remained neutral, choosing only to refuse entry to either fighting village.

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According to their plan, Kurotsuchi is on her way to collect yet another ally. During the evening, leading the vanguard was Kurotsuchi, the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage, her expression a mask of determined focus. Behind her, elite shinobi of the Stone move with disciplined silence, their eyes fixed ahead, where the shadow of the Kannabi Bridge loomed like a sleeping giant.

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Kurotsuchi halted. She raised a hand for a momentary pause. "This is it," she murmurs, her gaze sweeping across the dim landscape. Kannabi Bridge. Once we cross, there's no turning back."

Her second-in-command, Akatsuchi, steps beside her. "The scouts report Konoha's forces haven't mobilized here yet. We have the element of surprise."

"Good," Kurotsuchi nods, a glint of strategy behind her eyes. "But stay alert. Konoha is cunning. They might be expecting us to think that."

As if on cue, a series of subtle, almost imperceptible signs disturbed the night's calm. There was a slight rustle in the bushes, a faint shift in the wind. Kurotsuchi tensed, sensing the presence of hidden watchers. "Show yourself!" she called out into the darkness, her voice carrying a sharp command.

Figures emerge from the shadows but aren't dressed in Konoha's uniform. Instead, they wear the Hidden Grass's uniform. They are allies due to circumstance, not by choice. Their leader, a tall ninja with a scar, greets them, saying, "We've been waiting for you. Konoha's forces are spread thin. However, your passage through here can be negotiated."

Kurotsuchi narrows her eyes, sensing the unspoken threat beneath the words. "And what's the catch?" she asks, her tone icy.

The ninja smiles, showing his predatory nature. "We'll offer you safe passage in exchange for a share in the spoils of war. We also want to pick any technology or weapons you seize from Konoha."

Behind Kurotsuchi, her forces are tense. However, when she raises her hand, they understand the signal and decide to wait. "Agreed. But if you betray us, Iwagakure's wrath will be the least of your worries," she warns.

The shinobi smiled and extended their hand for a handshake, but Kurotsuchi refused it with an attitude.

As Kurotsuchi's hand hovered, refusing the handshake, the air between them shimmered with an uncanny distortion. Her eyes widened in realization as the Hidden Grass ninja before her blurred, their features melting away into the night. The world spun the scene, unraveling like threads pulled from a fabric of lies.

'What's going on?' She wonders as she stands there, helplessly watching the ominous scene.

In an instant, the negotiation, the alliance, and the entire meeting dissipated into thin air, a mirage crafted from the deepest recesses of her mind.

Kurotsuchi gasped, the sudden shift, in reality, stealing the breath from her lungs. She was no longer standing on neutral ground, making deals under the cover of night. She was in the middle of Kannabi Bridge, the clamor of battle filling her ears, kunai raining down like a deadly storm.

"Huh?" Kurotsuchi eyes widened, 'Genjutsu!'

Finally, Kurotsuchi realizes what happened as she starts to see her fallen allies.

"Akatsuchi!" Her voice was a mix of panic and command, barely audible over the din of warfare.

"I've got you!" Akatsuchi's voice boomed, close and reassuring. His massive frame shielded her from the onslaught, quickly forming hand seals. 'Earth style: earth dome jutsu!'

The ground beneath them quickly curves into a dome surrounding them and their remaining allies in a dome of earth.

Cling! Multiple shuriken and kunai connect to the giant dome, failing to hit their targets.

"Are you alright?" Akatsuchi asks, his breath running low as he holds the dome together.

Kurotsuchi nervously scratches her arm, the feeling of embarrassment overcoming her usual confidence as she answers, "Yes, but... Genjutsu. When was I captured?"

"We suspect this was Itachi Uchiha. We still haven't found his exact location. However, we were able to keep our position, holding back the leaf shinobi until reinforcements came back, thanks to you, of course. Unfortunately, even after you used lava release, Konoha's reinforcements arrived, and..." Akatsuchi clenched his fist painfully. I should've known they were coming."

Boom!

Multiple thunderous explosions happened all at once.

"Ah! What was that?" Kurotsuchi questions,

"Oh! Right!" Akatsuchi smiles as he remembers something. Akatsuchi looks at Kurotsuchi joyfully, "Deidara senpai was called to the battlefield! He's our reinforcement."

"Huh?!" Kurotsuchi's eyes widen in a mix of shock and anger.

"Deidara?!"

Akatsuchi nods, "Tsuchikage sama called specifically for Deidara senpai. He said he should buy time."

"You idiot! How can you forget such key information?!" She asks while shaking Akatsuchi aggressively.

"That should be enough time." Akatsuchi releases the earth dome, "Be ready!" He says as the dome begins to release slowly.

"We should give Deidara senpai some space. Things will get real messy soon enough."

Just as he says, a loud whistling sound is heard through the air. Kurotsuchi looks above; her eyes widen as she sees a giant white and pale bird falling.

"Take this! C3!"

The skies light up as multiple explosions detonate all at once.

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi both take cover, facing the explosion.

'Tch! How bad are things?' Kurotsuchi questions herself, 'To think the old man would send Deidara of all people.'

Above them, Deidara laughs hysterically while riding on top of a bird.

"This is true art! True art is...

An explosion!"

Multiple shinobi were running away, trying to escape Deidara's range.

Leaf shinobi and mist shinobi both wear the same uniform. Dozens of them were running, soaring through the forest, when suddenly-

Boom!!

The ground opens up with massive explosions. In the thick of chaos, as the ground and sky melded into one infernal attack, the shinobi from Leaf and Mist were cornered, their ranks dwindling with every detonation Deidara orchestrated from his vantage point.

The battlefield is chaos, the air thick with the sounds of explosions and the cries of the wounded. A Leaf shinobi's voice rises above the blasts, "This is madness! How can we fight an enemy that turns the ground beneath our feet into a trap? If we can't get through this until Obito sama returns, we're screwed!"

Beside him, a Mist shinobi, her gaze fixed on the seemingly endless path of destruction ahead, responds grimly, "Deidara of the Akatsuki... I've heard the stories, but this is... he's turning the battlefield into a minefield!"

The group of shinobi retreats, their movements urgent and desperate, a tactical necessity that feels more like a march into oblivion. 'We haven't been able to get past a certain range... we still don't know where his traps are located.'

"Listen!" another Leaf shinobi, older and visibly seasoned by countless battles, calls out to the group. His voice cuts through the battlefield, commanding attention. "The path ahead it's laced with those damned clay spiders of his. Retreat further, and we're just as dead."

The group's mood sours with despair. They look at each other nervously. The situation is dire. They can either advance and face Deidara's relentless assault or retreat and be met with hidden explosives that promise a swift demise. 

The Mist shinobi speaks up, her voice laced with a determination that belies the hopelessness of their predicament. "Running blindly will only lead us to our graves. We need a strategy."

The older Leaf shinobi nods, his mind racing through the tactics he has learned and taught, searching for inspiration in the dark. "There's only one way through this... we must clear a path without triggering those explosives. Sensor types, can you identify the locations of the clay spiders?"

A few nod, stepping forward. Their concentration is palpable as they extend their senses, trying to discern the hidden threats among the foliage and earth.

"We'll need a diversion," another suggests, eyeing the skies where Deidara's mocking laughter still echoes. "Someone to draw his attention while we push through the cleared path."

The Mist shinobi is hesitant: "And risk more lives?" This is a grim acceptance of their reality.

"Not more lives," the older shinobi counters with a grave tone. "A feint. We don't need to engage him directly; make him think we are."

Understanding dawns on the faces around him. It is a sliver of hope, a strategy fraught with danger but one that offers a slim chance of survival.

"Form teams," he commands, his authority unquestioned. "Sensors and demolitions, you're with me. We're clearing the path. The rest, prepare the diversion. Remember, our goal is to survive, not to take down Deidara. Not today."

A newfound resolve fortifies their spirits as they split into their assigned roles. The path is dangerous and potentially fatal, but it is a path they have to carve together, shinobi of Leaf and Mist united against a familiar foe.

As the teams move into position, a sudden, unexpected blur of motion dashes through their midst. The figure moves with such speed and purpose that the gathered shinobi barely have time to register his presence before he's gone, a fleeting shadow that brushes past them like a whisper of wind.

"Sorry, I'm late." He says before running straight into the feared battlefield full of explosive spiders; now that everyone can see him, they all widen their eyes gratefully,

Obito Uchiha has arrived.

One of the big three of the leaf village, now facing Iwagakure's most potent rebel!