At this moment, Shin was unaware that the battle he had orchestrated was about to shake far more than just this batch of new recruits' worldview.

High above in the sky, a blond-haired little boy sat atop a giant clay bird, watching the scene unfold below.

It was none other than Deidara.

After witnessing the previous battle, he had long been enamored with the art of war practiced by Akatsuki. Now, suspended in the air, even though the scene below looked like an ant colony scrambling from his vantage point, it didn't stop his blood from boiling with excitement.

"As expected! I knew it! This is art!"

On the ground, both sides were using wood swords instead of metal weapons, engaging in an intense clash. The commander was Sanda.

He was one of Shin's earliest subordinates, a loyal follower who had received significant training from him in both swordsmanship and tactics.

As the battle began, he methodically issued commands. "Form ranks! Defensive formation!" His subordinates moved quickly, each one knowing their exact position.

Initially, the commander of the opposing side, Tsuchi, dismissed this as theatrics. As a veteran jonin, he couldn't hide the contempt in his voice. "Formation? What a joke!"

He turned to his fellow jonin. "Let's show them' what real ninja can do!"

Together with other jonin, he launched a reckless charge.

Before their the other side could fully form their ranks, they managed to achieve several impressive early victories, earning cheers from the new recruits watching from the sidelines.

However, Shin remained unfazed, watching from his position with analytical eyes. "Their coordination is decent, and their skills are passable. Not bad."

Did I accidentally recruit the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Earth? He watched as they executed another perfectly timed assault.

This revelation amused him. In a world as chaotic as this, it seemed as though talent would come knocking on his door as long as he focused on cultivating his own nation.

Despite hardly putting effort into the Land of Earth, he had somehow managed to rope in twelve elite jonin. This was indeed a pleasant surprise.

Nearby, the ninja responsible for counting the new recruits couldn't hide his anxiety. "Aren't you worried at all? What if the new recruits win?"

Shin simply smiled. You truly underestimate the transformation of Akatsuki.

---

In the battlefield, Sanda held the line alone, his wood sword becoming a blur as he fended off a combined assault by multiple jonin.

This single-handed defense allowed his forces to form up their ranks behind him.

The new recruits failed to realize that from this moment onward, the scales of victory were already tipping. They saw only one man holding back their elite, not understanding the machine being assembled behind him.

"Reconnaissance Unit, lock targets! Support Unit, commence targeting! Assault Unit One and Two, maintain defensive positions! Mobile Unit, prepare to assist!" Sanda's commands rang out clear and sharp.

Once the formation was complete, the synergy of the ninjas' tactics began to display astonishing power.

No matter what clever tricks the new recruits attempted, they could not escape the cross-detection of the Reconnaissance Unit's twenty experienced ninja.

These veterans also employed a special tagging jutsu developed by Shin using sealing techniques. Once an enemy was marked with a red target, the Support Unit would immediately follow up with attacks.

"Wind Style: Air Bullet!"

Twenty ninjas from the Support Unit executed a wind attack in synchronized groups of five, their chakra perfectly aligned.

Zing zing zing!

The dense wind bullets formed continuous lines in the air, accurately eliminating new recruits one by one under the guidance of the Reconnaissance Unit.

Bodies dropped to the ground as the training weapons found their marks, leaving welts that would remind them of this lesson for days to come.

"Dammit! Are they mechanical puppets? How can their jutsu synchronization be so precise?" a recruit shouted as he barely dodged a wave of wind bullets, only to find himself in the path of another barrage.

"Captain! What are you doing, Captain? My squad leader's down! Who do I listen to now?" Panic began spreading through the ranks as their chain of command crumbled.

"Do something! Stop them!" The cry came from multiple voices.

As the enemies showed just how disciplined and heavily armed they were, the gap between them and the green recruits just kept growing. When battles got bigger, all the cracks in the old ninja squad setup started showing up plain as day.

What had seemed like an advantage in small skirmishes turned out to be their biggest weakness.

The new recruits' counterattacks were disorderly and inconsistent, like a hundred soloists trying to play different songs at once. While the their enemies coordinated their jutsu with military precision.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"Earth Style: Earthquake Slam!"

Within individual squads, there was some semblance of coherence, but between different squads, it was utter chaos.

At one point, fire and water techniques were used simultaneously against the same target, creating a useless cloud of steam that only served to obscure their own vision.

In contrast, the their opponents continued to act with a mesmerizing unity.

"Mobile Unit One, assist the defense!"

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"Water Style: Water Wall!"

With a single command, sixteen ninjas simultaneously used the Water Wall.

The absence of four ninjas was due to their earlier elimination by the twelve elite jonin among the new recruits. If those four had been present, the execution would have been perfect.

This was the result of rigorous training. This was—the art of war.

Sanda's next command followed seamlessly. "Assault Unit One and Two, draw swords!"

As the water walls fell, his he shouted, "Charge! Victory is ours!"

In that instant, the sheer bloodlust of the charging ninjas terrified the new recruits. Even with training weapons, the killing intent was real. The battlefield, once chaotic, suddenly became methodical, each movement of the old soldiers as precise as clockwork—efficient and deadly.

Many new recruits had placed themselves in vulnerable positions after close-range jutsu attacks. Lacking coordination with other squads, they were left exposed during their recovery periods.

"Victory is ours!"

With thunderous roars, the Assault Units surged forward, cutting through the new recruits like a hot knife through butter. Even when the occasional recruit managed to strike back and down an old soldier, nearby comrades seamlessly filled the gap, maintaining the charge's momentum.

With this single charge, the outcome was sealed. Bodies littered the ground, most groaning from the impact of the training weapons.

But Sanda wasn't done. "Regroup! Return to defensive formation! Support Unit, keep targeting! Mobile Unit Two, clear out flanking threats! Assault Units, rest and prepare for the next charge!"

The ninjas moved like parts of a single organism, each unit flowing into their new positions without hesitation or confusion. The wounded were quickly helped to their feet and integrated back into the formation, showing that even casualties couldn't break their unity.

Tsuchi and his team of jonin, who had attempted to flank the formation, found themselves intercepted by the swift Mobile Unit Two.

On the sidelines, the recruit-counting ninja flushed with excitement as he turned to Shin. His earlier doubts had been completely erased.

As the ninjas from the Mobile Unit Two swiftly flanked and intercepted Tsuchi's final desperate counterattack, the outcome of the battle was sealed beyond doubt.

The Support and Reconnaissance Unit worked seamlessly together, marking targets and executing precision ninjutsu strikes with outstanding effectiveness.

"Three targets, sector seven!" a scout called out, his finger tracing paths through the air.

"Acknowledged. Lightning strike incoming!" The response came instantly, followed by the crack of lightning and screams of pain.

The Assault Unit, led by Sanda, launched a second charge that completely crushed the morale of the new recruits before them.

"Forward!" His men moved as one.

Tsuchi fought valiantly until the very end, even attempting a last-ditch strike on Sanda.

Unfortunately, faced with overwhelming numerical and disciplinary superiority, he was intercepted by the Assault Unit before he could even reach Sanda.

Ultimately, he fell victim to a targeted ninjutsu strike and went down in glory.

---

After the battle, Shin led the medical squad onto the field to treat both sides.

Post-battle statistics revealed a total rout for the recruits, while the veterans paid a mere cost of around twenty casualties. Bodies lay scattered across the field, though most of the wounds were precise and non-lethal—exactly as he had ordered.

Notably, most of these twenty were lost during an initial ambush by twelve jonin before the veterans could fully deploy their formation.

It is evident that if the veterans had been pre-positioned and better prepared, they could have achieved near-zero losses while completely overwhelming an equal number of recruits, even though these recruits were themselves battle-hardened ninjas.

This result deeply shocked Tsuchi and earned the admiration of Deidara, who was floating high in the sky on his clay bird. From his aerial vantage point, he had witnessed every movement.

On the ground, Shin approached the despondent Tsuchi.

The defeated ninja sat slumped against a tree, his gear scattered around him, blood trickling from a shallow cut on his forehead. His eyes stared vacantly at the ground where his comrades were being treated.

Still in a daze, the latter muttered, "How could this happen?"

Shin smiled slightly and asked, "What's your name?"

"I'm Tsuchi." The response came automatically, almost lifeless.

"Are you unwilling to accept this? Wondering why ninjas of similar rank perform so differently in battle?" Shin crouched down to meet Tetsuji's eye level.

"I…" Tetsuji's fingers dug into the dirt beneath him.

"Do you want to learn?"

"What?" Life flickered back into Tetsuji's eyes.

"Do you want to learn? If you want, I can teach you." Shin extended his hand, a gesture both literal and symbolic.

In that moment, the lifeless eyes of Tsuchi suddenly lit up again. He stared at Shin's extended hand as if it were a lifeline in a storm.

"If you simply follow orders, obey commands, and strictly adhere to organizational discipline during training, it won't take long for you to become one of them as well," Shin said, gesturing to the veterans who were now helping their former opponents to their feet.

With that, he encouragingly patted him on the shoulder.

Before this battle, such an empty promise might have been met with mere perfunctory agreement.

But now, after this battle, everything was different.

Akatsuki had tangibly demonstrated their power. They not only extinguished any rebellious thoughts within these troublemakers but also reignited a flame of admiration within their hearts.

Previously, the prosperity of the Land of Rain had merely attracted Tsuchi and others to linger. Now, with Akatsuki showcasing their strength and Shin's earnest persuasion, the "devils" before them seemed to be stealing their very souls.

"The future belongs to you," Shin continued, his voice carrying across the battlefield to reach the other defeated jonin.

"Even if your rank is low upon enlistment, with your jonin-level skills, Akatsuki will prioritize your promotion later. If you're not satisfied being commanded by chunin, then complete your training quickly, head to the battlefield, and prove yourself through merit and accomplishments!"

One by one, the other jonin raised their heads, drawn to his words like moths to flame.

Thus, these twelve jonin finally fell under Shin's command.

During the battle, although the recruits were decisively crushed, the twelve jonin led by Tsuchi still demonstrated exceptional individual prowess.

Their lightning-quick strikes and perfectly executed jutsu had proven their worth, even in defeat.

They were no ordinary jonin—they met the elite standards of the Great Ninja Villages, true jonin without any inflated credentials.

Each one had likely earned their rank through blood and battle, not politics or peacetime promotions.

For Akatsuki, which had recently lost many mid-level officers to Minato's massacre, this was a perfectly timed reinforcement.

Shin's reforms in the Land of Rain and Akatsuki were steadily drawing talent from across the shinobi world.

However, at the critical juncture when he needed time to develop, troubles arose again.

Iwa came knocking.

Before their official meeting, Deidara, trailing behind Kitsuchi, repeatedly winked at Shin.

Eventually, he even said, "Be careful! My teacher is coming!"

Only to be caught by Kitsuchi, who delivered a solid punch to his head.

"You little idiot! Whose side are you even on?" he said, exasperated.

Recently, he had been troubled too.

Iwa had finally produced a talented young boy, only for his thoughts to keep drifting farther from home with every passing day.

What was going on?

"Teacher?" Shin asked Kitsuchi, puzzled by Deidara's warning and behavior.

"This brat's teacher is my father."

Shin finally understood. It turned out the Tsuchikage was coming.

Kitsuchi was merely a proxy mentor.

Upon hearing of Ōnoki's impending arrival, Shin straightened his expression.

This was no easy adversary to deal with—a cunning old fox, far more difficult than the straightforward and honest Kitsuchi.

Sure enough, as soon as they met, Ōnoki went straight to the point.

"Isn't it time to share the intelligence you acquired from Root with us?"

Compared to their earlier dismissive attitude toward Akatsuki, their current posturing only revealed their apprehension.

By now, one-third of Kusa's regions had fallen into Akatsuki's hands, including critical mines. Realizing this, Shin decided it was time to stop holding back.

"We've obtained intelligence that Minato intends to sever your supply lines, achieve a glorious victory, and then return to the village to assume office."

Feigning outrage, Ōnoki loudly cursed Konoha and declared Iwa's resolve to resist. "Those Konoha dogs! Always thinking they're superior to everyone else!"

But then, his eyes gleamed with cunning, making Shin wary. The old Kage's expression shifted subtly, like a merchant about to propose a questionable deal.

"I appreciate this critical intelligence, Shin," Ōnoki said. "We will certainly reinforce the defense of our supply lines. The stone walls of Iwa won't crack so easily."

He paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Simply defending would only embolden those Konoha bastards."

"You young folks are always full of energy. How about joining forces with us to strike into the Land of Fire and teach those Konoha scum a lesson?"

At that moment, Shin narrowed his eyes and studied Ōnoki closely. Behind them, Deidara shifted uncomfortably, while Kitsuchi maintained his stoic facade.

He realized that the Tsuchikage was trying to bait him into a trap.