The newly arrived intelligence scroll contained surprisingly brief information.
As Shihouin Naraku had anticipated, Tsunade's letter focused primarily on the recent attack on Konoha Village by Uchiha Itachi, Momochi Zabuza, and Haku.
The village had confirmed Momochi Zabuza's death, but both Uchiha Itachi and Haku had escaped with their lives.
Then came an interesting development. When Uchiha Sasuke visited the injured Hatake Kakashi in the hospital, he accidentally learned of his brother's return to the village.
Predictably, Sasuke had pursued Itachi with single-minded fury—and received a thorough beating for his efforts.
At the time of the letter's writing, Sasuke was recovering in the hospital under Tsunade's personal care. His injuries were healing well, all things considered.
However, the drama hadn't ended there. For reasons the letter didn't fully explain, Sasuke and Naruto had gotten into a serious conflict that escalated into a dangerous duel.
Fortunately, Tsunade had been nearby. She ended their fight in the most direct way possible—by beating both of them senseless. That had temporarily cooled their tempers.
Uzumaki Naruto, blessed with the Nine-Tails' chakra, would recover completely after a good night's rest regardless of his injuries.
Poor Sasuke wasn't so fortunate. Having just been hospitalized after his brother's assault, he had barely begun recovering when Tsunade's intervention landed him right back in a hospital bed. His stay would be considerably extended.
"Hehehe..."
A quiet chuckle escaped Naraku as he folded the letter. "It seems the village has been unexpectedly lively in my absence."
The words on the page painted vivid pictures in his mind, as if he were watching the events unfold before him. The broad strokes matched his expectations, though some details differed from what he might have predicted.
For instance, Naraku was certain that Tsunade had extracted valuable intelligence from Uchiha Itachi. She had likely used the code words and hand signals to establish a tenuous connection with the rogue ninja.
While Naraku understood the full context of these events intimately, his position prevented him from sharing certain information openly. That was precisely why Itachi's appearance proved so convenient.
This explained why Naraku had provided Tsunade with the secret codes and gestures the Third Hokage had taught him. He knew Itachi would eventually return to check on his brother—the man's obsession with Sasuke guaranteed it.
"I wonder," Naraku mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Did Sasuke really learn about Itachi's presence by accident? Or did Tsunade arrange for him to find out?"
After providing so much valuable intelligence, Itachi had surely wanted to see his brother. Tsunade would have had little reason to prevent such a meeting.
"So the Uchiha Itachi incident has concluded. After Kakashi's discharge, he and Guy will lead reinforcements to assist Jiraiya at the front."
"Which means Tsunade herself intervened in the fight between Naruto and Sasuke."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Tsunade-sensei is far less gentle than Kakashi. Those two boys must have learned a painful lesson about picking fights in her presence."
"The question now is whether Sasuke will still defect as he did in the original timeline."
Naraku pondered this carefully. Without Itachi's sudden reappearance, Sasuke might have continued growing under Naruto's positive influence. The bonds of Team 7 could have been enough to keep him in the village.
Unfortunately, Itachi's visit had shattered that possibility.
Worse, the elder brother had shown his twisted version of care by subjecting Sasuke to Tsukuyomi—forcing him to relive the Uchiha massacre in excruciating detail. The psychological damage from such an experience was beyond calculation.
"Sasuke's misfortune is having a brother like Uchiha Itachi," Naraku concluded.
Still, these village dramas were merely entertainment from his current perspective. Tsunade's letter carried a more important message between the lines.
She wanted this war ended quickly.
Having barely settled into the Hokage's office, Tsunade faced mounting challenges. The village hadn't fully recovered from Orochimaru's invasion, and now two new conflicts demanded resources they could barely spare. Prolonged warfare would cripple Konoha's recovery efforts.
On this point, Naraku found himself in complete agreement with his Hokage.
He was already moving to conclude this conflict—assuming Cloud Shinobi would cooperate. Naraku had no intention of destroying the Land of Lightning entirely. Such total devastation would serve no one's interests, least of all Konoha's.
The battlefield continued to rage with desperate intensity.
The twenty-odd ninja who had evacuated from Thunder Gorge finally arrived at the border positions. Despite leaving well before Naraku, they only appeared after he had already issued new orders and begun final battle preparations.
The difference? Naraku could fly.
Rather than immediately deploying these exhausted troops, Naraku ordered them to rest. They would need their strength for the final push.
The tide of battle had turned decisively. Konoha's forces pressed forward with increasing confidence while Cloud shinobi gave ground steadily, their resistance weakening with each engagement.
Then came the psychological warfare.
News of Cloud Shinobi's catastrophic defeat at Thunder Gorge began spreading across the battlefield—not through natural channels, but by Naraku's direct order. Both Konoha and Cloud forces soon knew the full extent of the disaster.
The impact on morale was immediate and devastating. Konoha ninja could feel their enemies' spirit breaking. Attacks that had been fierce became half-hearted. Defensive lines that should have held firm crumbled at the first serious pressure.
Within the Cloud Shinobi positions, doubt spread like poison.
"Do you really think Thunder Gorge fell?"
"It must have! Haven't you noticed how many more Konoha ninja we're facing? They must have taken the gorge and sent their garrison here as reinforcements!"
"What about casualties? If Lord Fourth is still alive, maybe we can recover..."
"Who knows? Maybe the Raikage has already—"
"CRACK!"
A fist connected with jaw before the sentence could finish.
"Watch your tongue, you bastard! How dare you—"
The two Cloud ninja grappled furiously until their comrades pulled them apart. Dodai observed from a distance, signaling for his subordinates to separate the fighters.
Order was restored, but everyone recognized this as a symptom of deeper problems.
Such incidents had become increasingly common throughout Cloud forces. The mounting pressure drove ninja to seek release through arguments and brawls. Discipline, already strained, threatened to collapse entirely.
Dodai released a weary sigh. Keeping these demoralized troops from complete dissolution already pushed his abilities to their limits. Mounting serious offensive operations had become impossible.
The frequency of battles had decreased dramatically. Continuing to attack served no purpose when victory seemed impossible. Better to rest and regroup while searching for some new strategy.
"What really happened at Thunder Gorge?" Dodai muttered as he returned to his command tent.
"It's been too long since we've received any communication from Lord Raikage. Could it be that he's truly..."
The veteran commander bent over his maps, desperately seeking some tactical advantage. "The Nara clan's reputation is well-deserved. Their strategic mind is formidable..."
"And that monster, Shihouin Naraku—how does Konoha keep producing such overwhelming talents? First the Yellow Flash, then the Copy Ninja, now this. Do they cultivate them in batches?"
His thoughts turned to Darui, whose fate remained unknown. The young man represented Cloud's future—one of the few ninja with the potential to become the next Raikage. But now...
In truth, when Dodai had seen Killer Bee carrying Yugito's corpse, he knew Darui's survival was unlikely. Still, he clung to the faintest hope.
Perhaps Darui lived as a prisoner of war. If so, he might be ransomed once hostilities ceased.
"If only Bee had remained conscious long enough to report," Dodai lamented. "I could have at least learned Darui's fate with certainty."
Killer Bee's dramatic arrival—carrying his fellow jinchuriki's body—had nearly given Dodai a heart attack when the man collapsed unconscious at his feet. Though gravely wounded, Bee had survived, but his condition was so critical that immediate evacuation for medical treatment took precedence over intelligence gathering.
There had been no opportunity to ask about Darui or the other missing ninja.
A sudden commotion outside interrupted his brooding. Raised voices and running feet suggested something significant had occurred.
Dodai emerged from his tent with a scowl, ready to restore order—only to freeze in shock.
"Lord Raikage?!"
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I wasn't able to upload chapters for the past 6 days since I was traveling. Thank you for your patience and support during that time! Starting today, I'll be back to regular uploads. As a bonus for the missed days, I'll also be releasing 10 extra chapters. Stay tuned!
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You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion