War begins(Fixed)

[3rd Person POV]

After both armies declared war and initiated their slaughter, the demon army advanced into the forest created by Ajamu's shadows. Some demons opted to fly over it instead. Their movements were highly organized, adhering to strict formations: infantry led by one or two elite royal guards, followed closely by mages.

In contrast, Ajamu's army had already covered more than half the distance to the forest. They planned to fight in true ninja fashion—utilizing traps such as explosive tags, poison, pits, shurikens, and other ingenious devices. Once inside the forest, they split into specialized groups with distinct tasks: luring enemies into traps, hiding in the shadows to ambush unsuspecting foes, executing mages from behind, climbing trees to eliminate flying scouts, and thinning out aerial troops.

This strategy aimed to reduce the enemy's overwhelming numbers. The advancing demon army numbered 15,000 strong—9,000 fully armored infantry and 6,000 mages, not including the elite royal guards. Each average soldier in the demon ranks was at least twice as powerful as an average shadow, with some being three times stronger. Even after applying the buffs, the odds were only slightly evened. A frontal assault would have been suicidal.

Despite these challenges, Ajamu retained several advantages. His forces were immortal as long as he maintained sufficient mana, and they never tired. With the buffs enhancing their strength, armor, agility, intelligence, and senses—and adding holy damage effective against demons—he believed victory was within reach.

[Tsunade's POV]

The battle had raged for a few minutes now. Ajamu remained stationed where he was, seemingly keeping tabs on the sinister-looking demon commander who mirrored his restraint, neither interfering directly just yet. The situation was dire; my husband appeared outnumbered and outclassed. The heavily armored infantry of the demons spoke volumes about their preparedness, and based on my teachings from my previous life, I knew engaging such organized and fortified troops head-on posed a significant problem.

Yet, I wasn't worried. I trusted Ajamu implicitly—he had faced worse odds before. Moments ago, he utilized those magical scrolls, strengthening himself and his troops significantly. Even amidst this chaos, I felt a strange sense of joy witnessing him lead and fight alongside his men. My resolve hardened further: if he emerged unscathed, I'd be here to heal him.

Suddenly, explosions echoed through the forest—explosive tag traps detonating, accompanied by screams of dying and injured soldiers reverberating everywhere.

[Madara's POV]

The traps were proving effective, though I personally preferred a direct approach—cutting through the enemy ranks myself. However, my king's orders were absolute, and I recognized the wisdom in them. This wasn't solely my battle; the overall strength of the demons, especially the elite royal guards, was formidable. Merely looking at them fueled my insatiable thirst for combat.

The real issue lay with the mages. Some of our traps had been discovered or disabled by their magic, but soon enough, the demons would reach the predetermined elimination point. At that moment, all units would strike simultaneously.

Suddenly, I observed the mages among the advancing troops chanting something, their auras spiking dramatically. Through my Rinnegan, I discerned their intentions.

Madara: 'Oh, they're preparing a large-scale fire attack to burn down the forest, along with the traps and hidden troops.'

Madara: "Our mages are countering with a fire attack to neutralize theirs."

[Ajamu's POV]

The rest of the commanders relayed similar messages to me.

Ajamu: 'I suppose we'll have to move to Phase Two earlier than planned.'

Sighing, I thought to myself: 'I'd hoped the traps would take out at least 2,000 before transitioning to Phase Two.'

Upon issuing new orders, all commanders instructed their respective units: "All shadows assigned to mage suppression—change of plans. Execute immediately."

"For the rest, continue attacking and luring enemy units into the remaining traps. Do not engage directly until further notice."

[3rd Person POV]

The fire mages on both sides powered up their spells, each side intent on obliterating the opposing force's cover. While the demons' heavy armor made aerial combat disadvantageous, Ajamu's shadows moved stealthily through the shadows of trees and soldiers toward the enemy mages. It seemed like the perfect infiltration tactic—or so we thought.

Unfortunately, bad luck struck. Among the demon ranks were mages specializing in shadow and dark magic. As Ajamu's shadows approached, they sensed the impending attack.

[Babelugi's POV]

My name is Babelugi, one of the elite royal guards serving the great Demon King. We were dispatched here to eliminate vermin obstructing our king's path. I specialize in shadow magic and the dark arts, and I'm not alone—all the mages sent here are elites. Clearly, the king takes this Guardian far more seriously than I'd prefer to admit.

As our troops prepared their fire spell to incinerate the cursed forest (flying over it wasn't an option since snipers picked off anyone who tried), I detected movement. Enemy troops were approaching through the shadows—not just me, but all our shadow mages sensed them.

Babelugi: "ENEMY ATTACK THROUGH THE SHADOWS!"

Instantly, I and the other shadow mages unleashed [Reveal Shadows] , illuminating anyone hiding in the darkness with a red glow, followed by [Enchanted Weapons] , empowering our soldiers' weapons to strike targets concealed in the shadows.

Babelugi: "ATTACK ALL RED SHADOWS AT ONCE! PROTECT THE MAGES!"

[Ajamu's POV]

Phase Two was supposed to begin once my shadows reached the mages and initiated their assault. However, I suddenly sensed that some shadows had perished, and unit leaders began sending urgent messages: they'd been discovered and were now engaged in combat. The enemy mages had cast sealing and corruption spells, trapping many shadows behind enemy lines.

[WARNING: SOME OF YOUR SHADOWS HAVE BEEN HIT BY SEALING SPELLS. THE CASTER MUST BE KILLED FOR THE SHADOWS TO BE RELEASED.]

[WARNING: SOME OF YOUR SHADOWS HAVE BEEN HIT BY CORRUPTION SPELLS. SHADOWS CANNOT RESPAWN FOR 5 MINUTES.]

Fury surged within me. 'Damn it! They're like lambs to the slaughter, trapped behind enemy lines. I sent 1,500 shadows there!'

Ajamu: "ABORT ALL PLANS. ONCE MY ATTACK LANDS, ALL SHADOWS ARE TO FOCUS ON CREATING A PATH FOR OUR TROOPS TO RETREAT AND ELIMINATE THOSE MAGES. ENGAGE THE ENEMY FULLY."

Every shadow responded in unison: "AS YOU COMMAND, MY KING."

Ajamu: 'I didn't want to destroy this city entirely during the fight, but no more. My shadows will respawn; theirs won't.'

At that moment, Ajamu activated Sage Mode. With a single glance at the enemy army, twenty colossal gates opened above the battlefield. His voice boomed across the field: "JUDGMENT DAY."

Judgment Day was Ajamu's upgraded version of Madara's meteorite technique. Instead of two massive meteors, twenty smaller ones—each half the size of Madara's—descended upon the battlefield, designed for maximum destruction. This feat was possible thanks to the Nine-Tails' chakra Ajamu had recently acquired. Earlier that morning, before meeting Gaku, he had easily extracted Kurama from Naruto using genjutsu and the crystal orb, ensuring Naruto survived by supplying him with life energy in Sage Mode.

Once Kurama's chakra merged with the existing bead in the orb, it grew slightly larger, amplifying Ajamu's power exponentially.

Ajamu: 'Let's see how they handle this… Oh, wait—I almost forgot about Tsunade.'

With that, Ajamu teleported to her location and pulled her into his protective embrace, shielding her from the impending devastation of his own attack.