Chapter 503: Feint to the East, Attack to the West
Uchiha Clan Head's Residence.
Fugaku Uchiha and his wife, Mikoto Uchiha, were kneeling in the main hall.
Their eldest son, Itachi, was out slaughtering their clansmen. Their younger son had not yet returned from the Ninja Academy and was, if there were no surprises, being held hostage by Konoha's high command.
Suddenly, Fugaku looked up toward the courtyard. Mikoto followed his gaze.
The next moment, a figure leaped over the wall and into the yard.
It was Ishiro.
He glanced at Fugaku with a hint of speechlessness. Even at a time like this, he can still sit calmly at home.
"Senior Fugaku," Ishiro asked, "I'm very curious. At a time like this, have you made up your mind?"
"If you stand with Konoha's leadership, then you should be raising your butcher's knife against your own clansmen right now, to secure a better future for your two sons. Your actions would reduce the casualties on their side, and they would remember you for it."
"If you stand with your family, then you should be out there stopping Hiruzen Sarutobi from slaughtering your people. Out of anger, even knowing it's certain death, you should at least give Konoha's leadership a lesson they won't forget. Stop Hiruzen, or charge into the crowd of their regular ninja and wreak havoc, or leave the combat zone and cause widespread destruction."
"At the very least, if you chose to lead your family in a retreat, you should be breaking out right now."
"I'm very curious. What is your reasoning for just sitting here, watching the battle unfold, and doing nothing?"
Fugaku did not answer Ishiro's taunts. Instead, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Ishiro thought for a moment. "I'm here for many things. First, to fulfill a wish of Sōkai's. That boy has never been able to let go of his family. If I don't make this trip today, he will hate me."
"Second, I'm here to see if I can get a Mangekyo Sharingan or two. I've heard they have the potential to be used to create an Eternal Mangekyo. Although none of you Uchiha who have awakened it are true brothers, I still want to try and see if I can help Sōkai awaken his."
Fugaku frowned. He hadn't expected Ishiro to know even this.
Ishiro ignored his expression and asked curiously, "By the way, Clan Head Fugaku, do you know that your son has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Fugaku's expression was, as expected, one of disbelief. Although he was aware of his son's talent, he had never imagined that Itachi could awaken the Mangekyo at such a young age.
"Tsuchikage, where did you get this information?"
Ishiro sneered. "I watched him awaken it. His first real battle with it was against me. I even had a taste of his dōjutsu that can release black flames."
Fugaku pondered for a moment. "Tsuchikage, why are you telling me this?"
"I'm not the only one interested in the Mangekyo. The Hokage also invited Orochimaru this time. I imagine that if he doesn't get the secrets of the Mangekyo from you, he will go after Itachi."
The expressions of both Fugaku and Mikoto changed.
Ishiro continued, "Orochimaru will be here soon. You can decide for yourself. Will you continue to wait for death, or will you eliminate a threat to your filial son? The choice is yours."
Fugaku looked at Ishiro. "You want me to help you deal with Orochimaru?"
Ishiro shrugged nonchalantly. "It has nothing to do with me. If I want to leave, I can fly away right now. Even if I can't beat the Hokage and her group, I can still escape, can't I? I'm just genuinely worried about your extremely filial son."
Fugaku looked at his wife. He saw the worry for Itachi in her eyes and sighed.
Seeing this, Ishiro smiled. His goal was achieved. He was about to leave when he remembered something and stopped.
He asked tentatively, "Clan Head Fugaku, your clan is on the verge of destruction, but it seems your two sons won't have to die. As friends, would you like me to take care of them for you?"
Fugaku gave him a strange look, not understanding what he meant. Then he remembered Ishiro's personality.
After a moment's hesitation, Fugaku got up, went to his bedroom, and came back with several scrolls. He threw them to Ishiro. "I don't expect you to take care of them. I just hope you won't plot against them."
Ishiro caught them with a grin. "Rest assured, Clan Head Fugaku. I will definitely help you take good care of your two sons."
After checking the scrolls, he put them away and used his Light/Heavy Boulder Technique, preparing to meet Tsunade and the others. The scrolls Fugaku had given him contained the wealth the Uchiha clan had accumulated over many years. With his new "white ball" research project just starting, he was in dire need of funds. This windfall had come at the perfect time.
A short time later, Tsunade, leading the Fourth Raikage, Rasa, and Orochimaru, followed Shikaku Nara's directions and rapidly closed in on Ishiro's position.
Along the way, they encountered a few Uchiha, but although the Uchiha were arrogant, they weren't stupid. Seeing three Kage and Orochimaru pass by, not a single one dared to step forward and seek death.
So, the group of four proceeded unimpeded and soon arrived at Fugaku's house.
Seeing Ishiro floating in the air, Rasa was the first to act.
He raised his hands, and a large amount of Gold Dust surged forth. It quickly gathered in the air, higher than Ishiro, as Rasa intended to form a cage and trap him.
Ishiro smiled faintly, his hands flying through seals. He cast a jutsu at the sea of Gold Dust in the sky.
Seeing his hand seals, Tsunade and the others all frowned.
He was forming the seal for Fire Release! All four of them recognized it: the A-rank Great Fire Annihilation!
"Using Fire Release against Gold Dust? Has the Tsuchikage gone mad?" Tsunade asked the Raikage beside her.
Of course Ishiro wasn't mad. Tsunade's words were a warning to the others that there was something wrong with this jutsu.
In fact, she didn't need to. The Raikage, who had been about to charge, held back.
Ishiro's hand seals were extremely fast. Soon, a sea of blue light erupted from him, shooting into the sky and quickly covering the Gold Dust.
Rasa, in the air, was also within the attack's range. He was shocked.
"This is the Tsuchikage's Kekkei Tōta, Light Release? It can be cast like a Fire Release jutsu?"
Rasa desperately formed layer after layer of Gold Dust in front of him for defense while rapidly retreating.
Below, Tsunade and the Raikage were also astonished. They hadn't seen him in a while, and he had already come up with new tricks.
Seeing this, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. "I'll go deal with Fugaku Uchiha."
With that, he charged into Fugaku's house.
Compared to the Light Release that could directly atomize whatever it hit, he would rather face the Mangekyo Sharingan.
This was just a probing attack from both sides; neither immediately followed up.
The Light Release was brilliant when it erupted, but it also ended quickly. In the blink of an eye, the blue light dissipated, and the sky returned to its original state. Except for the Gold Dust in front of Rasa, not a speck remained.
Rasa moved the Gold Dust that was blocking his view and looked at Ishiro again, his face even uglier than before.
To seal off Ishiro, he had used a lot of Gold Dust, a full third of his total supply.
His Gold Dust was not like Ishiro's porcelain, which was created directly from chakra. Rasa's was an upgraded version of the sand manipulation learned from the One-Tails. It was Magnet Release, a special ability-type Kekkei Genkai.
The iron sand or gold dust used was prepared beforehand. Every bit that was atomized was a bit lost. Of course, if there was gold nearby, he could also manipulate it. But gold wasn't iron; it couldn't be replenished in a short time.
If Ishiro did that two more times, Rasa's Magnet Release would be useless.
Even now, the loss made his heart ache. Replenishing his Gold Dust wasn't as simple as restoring his chakra; he had to literally mine for it.
Ishiro gave Rasa a smile. "Kazekage, you're so rich! How about another round?"
Rasa didn't reply. His heart had sunk to the bottom. Without him sealing the sky with his Gold Dust, Ishiro could come and go as he pleased. Their best-case scenario—capturing him—was now impossible. And now, he was reluctant to use his Gold Dust to restrict Ishiro's movements.
This was the first time Ishiro had used Light Release in this way. He couldn't have done it before. This was a tactic he had come up with after his recent discussions with Ōnoki.
He would form the Light Release chakra inside his body first, then cast it like a conventional ninjutsu. Due to its nature, he could only control its shape and range like a Fire Release jutsu; he couldn't control it for a continuous attack like he could with Earth or Water Release. This was one of Light Release's shortcomings.
But for now, this method of use was more than enough for Kage-level combat.
When using Light Release chakra to cast a wide-area jutsu like Great Fire Annihilation, he didn't need to consider the jutsu's power; the destructive force of Light Release itself was sufficient. He just needed to expand the range as much as possible to give the enemy nowhere to run.
He then turned his gaze to Tsunade and the Raikage below. "Hokage, Raikage, since you're not making the first move, then forgive my rudeness."
With that, he quickly formed hand seals: "Light Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
One after another, small balls of light shot toward them.
Against a fire jutsu of this level, the two taijutsu specialists could have normally just tanked it and launched a counter-attack. But against a Light Release version of the same jutsu, neither of them dared to let the blue light touch them.
They could only dodge from a distance, continuously retreating to open up space.
Seeing this, Ishiro was pleased. What a coincidence. All three of them are not conventional ninjutsu-type ninja. It seems none of them have a good way to deal with Light Release.
If it had been Orochimaru and Hiruzen, his jutsu wouldn't have been so effective. They could have just engaged him in a long-range ninjutsu duel, completely ignoring the power of his Light Release. It was strong, but it wasn't continuous. A single earth wall could block it.
Tsunade quickly realized this problem. She said to the Raikage, "Raikage, you and Orochimaru switch opponents!"
Then, without waiting for a reply, she said to Shikaku, "Shikaku, inform Sensei to come and switch with me!"
"Yes," Shikaku quickly replied.
At that moment, a loud roar came from Fugaku's house.
A giant blue skeletal arm appeared, swatting a figure out of the building.
The battle between Orochimaru and Fugaku had also reached a white-hot intensity.
Seeing the blue Susanoo skeleton, Tsunade's expression sank. Although she had suspected it, like Orochimaru, seeing Fugaku actually use his Mangekyo ability still put her under pressure.
Fugaku was not like the young Shisui, Itachi, Izumi, or Sōkai. He was an incredibly powerful Uchiha in his own right. The fact that he could sit firmly as the clan head even before revealing his Mangekyo was proof enough. For such an expert to possess the Mangekyo was a different matter entirely.
Fortunately, Orochimaru was least afraid of this kind of physical attack. Although he was sent flying, he quickly used a snake-body replacement to transfer the damage.
At this moment, Tsunade shouted to him, "Orochimaru, deal with the Tsuchikage together! The Raikage will handle Fugaku!"
Orochimaru glanced at her, ignored her, and charged back at Fugaku.
Seeing this, Ishiro said to Tsunade with a grin, "Hokage, it seems Orochimaru doesn't listen to your commands. But that's right, he is a missing-nin of Konoha, after all. He's no longer your subordinate."
Tsunade's face was ugly, but she said nothing. Arguing with him about this would do her no good.
She bit her thumb, formed hand seals, and used the Summoning Technique. The next moment, a giant slug appeared beneath her feet.
Tsunade's ninjutsu skills were average. Not that she couldn't use them, but they weren't anything special at the Kage level. Katsuyu's acid, on the other hand, could resist Light Release for a few hits.
She really hadn't wanted to summon Katsuyu against Ishiro, because he had already destroyed a large part of its body before. A few more losses, and the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest would be displeased. Although Katsuyu's existence was special, its recovery still took time. It hadn't even fully recovered from the last time.
Tsunade's current state was the same as Rasa's: hesitant and timid.
Ishiro quickly saw their hesitation, grinned, and began to speed up his attacks.
He then began to cast various fire-style jutsu with his Light Release chakra as if he were practicing, sending vast sheets of blue light continuously covering the three of them.
The battle quickly escalated, directly entering the final, decisive mode!
While Ishiro and Tsunade were fighting, in the Konoha command center...
"Lord Shikaku, urgent military intelligence!" an Anbu rushed in to report.
"Speak." Shikaku was in the middle of thinking of a way to counter Ishiro's Light Release, but he still diverted some of his attention to deal with the report.
The Anbu said, "The ninja we had scouting near Iwa's Land of Snow branch suddenly sent a report: the number of ninja inside has suddenly dropped by more than half. The garrison is very small now."
Shikaku was shocked. "How is that possible? Didn't the intelligence ninja on the perimeter notice?"
"No. Our men have been watching the perimeter the whole time. They didn't see any large-scale troop movements."
Shikaku was silent for a moment. He suddenly thought of something. He immediately ordered, "Have our ninja near the Land of Bears, Land of Demons, Land of Waterfalls, and the former Land of Fire branches all confirm the number of ninja in those locations."
The Anbu quickly acknowledged and hurried away.
Soon, the first reply came back.
"Lord Shikaku, this is bad! We've lost contact with the ninja monitoring Iwa's Land of Bears branch!"
Shikaku's heart sank. The thing he feared most had happened.
A while later, the ninja monitoring the other branches also sent back intel through special channels.
"Lord Shikaku, the number of Iwa ninja in the branches you mentioned have all been greatly reduced, but our men have not seen any large-scale movements."
Shikaku took a deep breath and said slowly, "It's space-time ninjutsu!"
A few seconds later, he suddenly remembered something. "Quick! Contact the ninja on the border and ask about Ikura and Kawakita's movements!"
This time, the Anbu returned quickly. "Ikura and Kawakita were last seen two hours ago. At that time, they pretended to fight a major battle with Lord Danzō. They pretended to be no match for him, two against one, and retreated. They haven't been seen since."
Shikaku's heart began to pound. It's over. Iwa has definitely sent troops to a target.
From the situation in the Land of Bears, they were likely targeting Sunagakure.
The others in the command center weren't stupid. They had also guessed the result from Shikaku's questions and the Anbu's feedback.
Yamanaka Inoichi, who was closest to Shikaku, asked tentatively, "Shikaku, should we inform the Kazekage?"
Shikaku was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Not yet. The village still needs the Kazekage to tie down the Tsuchikage."
The others fell silent. No one objected. They all agreed with his decision.
Never mind whether informing the Kazekage would do any good at this point. Even if he could make it back in time, Konoha needed him here. It was better for him to stay.
As Shikaku had guessed, Iwagakure had this time drawn most of the forces from their Snow, Demon, Waterfall, and former Fire branches, a thousand from each.
These ninja had used the teleportation array to arrive at the Land of Bears branch, where they rendezvoused with the thousand ninja already assembled there. Also joining them were a thousand ninja from the main village who had been mobilized but had not yet been deployed.
In total, Iwagakure had gathered six thousand ninja, led by Ōnoki, Ikura, Kawakita, Shinya Matsutani, and Rōshi. They were currently on their way to Sunagakure.
Because the army's starting point was the Land of Bears, their progress was very fast. By now, they were already deep inside the Land of Wind.
By the time Shikaku realized something was wrong, Ōnoki's army was almost at Sunagakure's doorstep.
Many of the Suna ninja scattered in the northern part of the country had been killed by the Iwa army. The few who had escaped were only just now returning to the village.
In other words, by the time Suna received the intel that five Kage-level fighters and an army of six thousand were about to arrive, it was already too late.
At this time, a portion of Suna's forces were out on missions, and the ones in the village had not yet been mobilized.
Ryosuke, who was in charge of the village's defense, was shocked when he received the report from the survivors.
An Iwa army of several thousand is already near the village? How is that possible? Why was there no warning from the intelligence network?
The situation was urgent. Ryosuke had no time to call a war council. He directly issued orders: "Relay the command! Immediately assemble all the ninja in the village and man the village's defenses!"
"Anbu, move out immediately! Scout to the north and ascertain Iwa's strength! Find out which Kage-level experts are present! At the same time, delay their advance and buy time for the village!"
"Inform Baki to organize the civilians and young ninja to evacuate the village! Do not go to the shelters! Iwa has come to destroy the entire village this time; the shelters are useless!"
"Inform the logistics department to transport all supplies to the 'First Line Gorge' at top speed!"
Ryosuke's response was swift. By the time Ōnoki's forces broke through the Suna Anbu's resistance and arrived at the gorge, the gateway to Sunagakure, he was already there, waiting in formation.
But his mood was terrible.
Looking at the dense mass of Iwa ninja, a shadow immediately fell over his heart. There are at least six thousand of them! Suna doesn't even have that many ninja assembled!
He turned to an intelligence ninja. "Is the intelligence network up?"
The ninja nodded. "Lord Ryosuke, the perception system is covering the entire battlefield."
"Good," Ryosuke said, nodding. "Immediately scout for enemy Kage."
"Yes, sir." The ninja began to sense.
But unfortunately, Suna's technology was not very good. This was the first time they had used it in actual combat. After a long time, the ninja had only managed to capture Ōnoki's chakra.
Ryosuke looked at Ōnoki floating in the air, his mouth twitching. But he didn't get angry. "Don't worry. After the battle starts and they start using their chakra, inform me immediately."
"Yes, sir." The ninja retreated, ashamed.
Ōnoki did not attack immediately. He stopped his army from a distance and began to make simple preparations. At the same time, Iwa's own perception barrier needed to be set up.
Although they had an absolute advantage in top-tier fighters, it was always better to reduce casualties. It was never wrong to be well-prepared.
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