441. The King of Land Warfare

"It seems Ōnoki is really getting old."

In Konoha's military testing grounds, Danzō sighed as he read the latest intelligence report from the Land of Earth.

Although Ryoma's strength had grown rapidly after mastering the power of the Seven-Tails, it shouldn't have been enough to send Ōnoki fleeing in just a few exchanges.

The only reasonable explanation was that Ōnoki's body was failing him in some way, or perhaps he was avoiding direct confrontation.

After all, as people age, they often develop fears of certain things.

Take Hanzo of the Salamander, for example.

Wasn't he a perfect case in point?

Hearing Danzō's words, Minato, standing beside him, chuckled lightly and teased, "Elder Danzō, you can't expect all the old legends of the shinobi world to be as strong and vigorous as you, can you?"

Danzō responded with a faint smile.

Indeed, in the entire shinobi world, he was one of a kind—a man who seemed to grow stronger with age.

Even someone as legendary as Uchiha Madara, the "Ghost of the Uchiha," had been forced to retreat to a corner of the Land of Grass in his later years.

For most people, strength inevitably declined with age.

And the stronger the shinobi, the more severe the psychological impact of this irreversible decline.

When they realized their strength no longer matched their reputation, they often sought other ways to prove themselves—such as ruthlessly suppressing dissent or clinging tightly to power.

This was a common phenomenon, seen in every world and every era.

Thinking this, Danzō sighed inwardly before quickly refocusing on the present.

"Since Ōnoki is hesitant to act due to Ryoma's interference, let's sell these new weapons to the daimyo of the Land of Earth and test their combat effectiveness."

Danzō gripped his cane and turned his gaze forward.

Before him stretched a vast testing ground.


On it, massive steel monsters with enormous cannons rumbled across the terrain.

Their treads crushed the earth, and bright flames erupted from their barrels.

Explosions bloomed like fiery flowers across the field, filling the air with the scent of gunpowder and stirring excitement in every cell of the onlookers.

Yes, what Danzō and Minato were witnessing was the birth of the so-called "King of Land Warfare"—the tank!

With the advanced scientific knowledge Danzō provided and the strong support of Konoha's research institutes, the village's military technology had developed at an astonishing pace.

They had quickly progressed from steam engines to internal combustion engines, and both steel and gunpowder production had seen significant advancements.

Combining these factors, the tank—a weapon with formidable defensive and destructive capabilities—was born.

Watching the rocks shatter effortlessly under the tank's firepower, Minato's face was filled with awe.

In terms of destructive power, these weapons far surpassed conventional fire-style ninjutsu.

Although their firing rate was relatively slow, they required no chakra.

As long as they had enough ammunition, they could bombard the enemy continuously.


Additionally, their armor was incredibly thick. Ordinary kunai couldn't penetrate it, giving the tanks excellent defensive capabilities.

Most importantly, these machines didn't require shinobi to operate them.

Even ordinary people could pilot these deadly weapons and stand toe-to-toe with shinobi!

This was a seismic shift for the shinobi world.

Since the dawn of shinobi, they had wielded the most powerful forces in the world.

Even a lowly genin could easily take on ten or more ordinary adults, let alone powerful chūnin, jōnin, or even legendary Kage-level fighters.

But now, Konoha's technological advancements had given ordinary people hope—a hope of wielding power equal to that of shinobi.

While current technology couldn't yet allow ordinary people to threaten top-tier shinobi, the future held endless possibilities.

"It seems shinobi won't remain unrivaled for much longer," Minato remarked, watching the superweapons known as "tanks."

He could already imagine their devastating impact on the battlefield.

"In the future, Konoha could establish an army of ordinary people to support shinobi forces in combat," Danzō suggested.

As the first nation to develop such technology, Konoha's military doctrine needed to adapt.

These new weapons could quickly transform ordinary citizens into combatants, significantly enhancing the Land of Fire's military strength.

Minato naturally agreed. "I'll propose this at the next cabinet meeting."

---

"What the hell are these things...?"

The Iwa shinobi stared in disbelief as the steel beasts crested the hill.

In the sunlight, the metallic monsters gleamed with a deadly sheen.

Their black muzzles resembled spears of judgment, and the roar of their engines sounded like funeral bells.


Amidst their shock, confusion, and fear of the unknown, the Iwa shinobi watched as the black muzzles suddenly erupted with terrifying flames.

"Die, you damned Iwa shinobi!!"

The soldiers inside the tanks let out triumphant roars.


A barrage of artillery fire poured forth, engulfing the battlefield in flames. The earth itself seemed to wail as dirt and rocks were blasted into the air.

The acrid smell of gunpowder and the thick black smoke from the explosions filled the sky.

In just a few minutes, the once-green hillside had been transformed into a fiery hell.

The Iwa squad of several dozen shinobi had vanished without a trace. Only the pungent smell of burning and a few charred remains proved they had ever been there.

"These damned bastards..."

A soldier climbed out of the tank's hatch, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he surveyed the battlefield.

The hatred in his gaze suggested he had a deep grudge against Iwagakure.

This wasn't unusual.

After all, the civil war in the Land of Earth had been raging for over two months.


Both sides had suffered heavy casualties, and every soldier and shinobi had lost countless friends and family. These losses only fueled the flames of hatred.

Hatred doesn't disappear; it merely shifts.

For example, the next moment, the ground beneath the tanks suddenly collapsed.

A torrent of mud and sludge poured down, threatening to engulf them.