In the current era of the ninja world, Konoha stands as the undisputed hegemon. With a surplus of Shadow-level powerhouses and a robust infrastructure of Jonin and Elite Jonin, Konoha maintains the strength to keep the other great villages at bay.
Their forces include more than 500 Jonin, a staggering number made possible by the many clans within the village. Even the weakest clans contribute multiple Jonins, ensuring Konoha's dominance in both quality and quantity, being able to fight the other ninja villages head-on.
By contrast, the other major villages, including Kirigakure, which had multiple bloodline families only had more than 100 ninjas of Jonin rank. Kumogakure, with its disciplined forces, maintains a count of around 150. These differences underline the challenges other villages face when contending with Konoha on equal terms.
For the raid on the Uzumaki, each village committed more than 30 Jonin alongside other troops. Kirigakure, the closest geographically, contributed even more, emboldened by their relatively light involvement in recent conflicts. It was a substantial commitment, a gamble to claim the Uzumaki's secrets and seal techniques.
But no one foresaw the trap.
When the explosion erupted from beneath the Uzumaki ninja village, it was a calamity of unimaginable scale. The entire village was obliterated in an instant, with countless lives snuffed out. The underground detonation left no avenue for escape.
Even If you used the Earth Style; Moving Earth Core you would be exposed since the soli would be lifted up or down along with the detonating charms. Only those with extraordinary abilities or quick reflexes survived the blast.
Among the survivors, a handful stood out. In the devastated ruins, a few puppet masters from Sunagakure had managed to endure, sacrificing their puppets and, in some cases, even their comrades as shields.
Chiyo's Mechanical Light Shield Jutsu, reinforced by the legendary Chikamatsu Ten Puppets, barely protected her and Pakura, though at the cost of most of her arsenal. Nearby, Rasa floated mid-air, encased in a golden sand shield. His survival came at the price of abandoning his comrades despite being the one who could have protected others, with his magnet style, a moment of cold pragmatism that might affect him later.
Kirigakure's infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen suffered grievously. Two of their number the wielders of the Sewing Needle and the Explosive Blade were killed outright. The others were injured, their legendary weapons barely shielding them from total annihilation alongside ninjutsu-like water prison technique.
Iwagakure's forces fared no better; only a few, including Akatsuchi and Kitsuchi, withstood the blast by using advanced earth-style techniques like earth spear jutsu, that hardened their body. The rest perished or were gravely wounded.
But only those who could seal fast enough, support these techniques and withstand a minute of explosion, could live.
When the dust settled, fewer than 10 ninjas from each village emerged alive. For every faction, the toll was catastrophic nearly 30 Jonin lost from each force, representing at least a quarter of their total Jonin strength.
The survivors stood among the ruins, bloodied and shaken, staring in disbelief at the destruction. Bitterness festered in their hearts, their thoughts unified in a single curse. "Damn Konoha!"
Though they had been the aggressors, the overwhelming trap left them seething with hatred. Each village had poured immense resources into training these Jonins. From food and medicinal diets to specialized weapons and rare jutsu scrolls, the cost of raising strong ninjas was astronomical. Now, those investments lay in ruins, the fruit of years of effort wiped out in an instant.
The devastation left an indelible mark on all who witnessed it. The Uzumaki, in their final act of defiance, had turned the very land beneath their feet into a weapon. The surviving invaders couldn't help but wonder how such a vast quantity of explosive tags had been amassed. Only a nation as wealthy and resourceful as Konoha could have provided such tools of destruction, without caring about the occurrence of another war.
Never thought that Kumogakure was the one who provided these, as Kumogakure would not participate actively in the next war, in addition soon news would spread that Kumogakure suffered the most. The Land of Lightning is not attractive for the other villages, with their losses, even if Konoha claimed innocence, they would attack Konoha after all the theme of wars in Naruto seems to be hatred for ordinary ninjas who are just tools.
As the survivors retreated, the shock of the event lingered. The alliance's forces had come seeking power and knowledge, but they found only death and ruin. The loss of so many Jonin would cripple their villages for years to come, and Uzumaki's destruction would not be easily forgotten. Amid the smoldering ruins, a bitter truth began to take root: the seeds of future conflicts had been sown, and Konoha would remain the center of their ire, despite their gains.