At the border of the Land of Fire, in a desolate, uninhabited area.
"That's everything about Uchiha Obito." White Zetsu said to Uchiha Madara.
"Hm. A complicated relationship with Nohara Rin, and good friends with Kakashi, the prodigy?" Madara mused, a thoughtful glint in his eyes as he considered how to exploit this information.
"But, Madara, that Konoha genius, Tengen, is also on this battlefield. We need to be extra cautious." White Zetsu warned.
From what White Zetsu had gathered across various battlefields, Tengen's strength was terrifying, perhaps even surpassing the likes of Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama in their prime.
"He's here too." Madara said softly. "That's unexpected. But with Nohara Rin and her team also present, we might need to wrap this up quickly."
"How?" White Zetsu asked, curiosity piqued.
"The Three-Tails we captured before could be put to use." Madara replied, his gaze icy and resolute.
"Oh." White Zetsu nodded, slightly confused.
"Let's go. We have arrangements to make." Madara said, and he and White Zetsu departed.
The journey from the Land of Water to Konoha required crossing the sea.
After some time, Kirigakure's forces completed the voyage and set foot on the Land of Fire's soil.
The southern border of the Land of Fire had no nations separating it from the Land of Water. The nearby Land of Waves was close but not a barrier, so the Kiri-nin bypassed it entirely.
"This is the Land of Fire." The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, said, surveying the terrain and taking a deep breath. "It's quite different from the Land of Water."
"Mizukage-sama, what's our next move?" Ao asked, stepping forward.
"Our next move?" Yagura gave a cold smile. "Gather the village's ninja and launch a full assault on Konoha."
"Yes, Mizukage-sama." Ao replied promptly, as the surrounding Mist jonin nodded in agreement.
With over a thousand Kiri-nin now on the Land of Fire's soil, they began strategizing their attack on Konoha.
Konoha was currently locked in fierce battles across three fronts against three other ninja villages, leaving the village itself vulnerable, a prime opportunity for Kirigakure.
Unfortunately for the Kiri-nin, their plans were thwarted when reinforcements from the three battlefields arrived to intercept them. Despite Kirigakure's numerical advantage, Konoha had two formidable assets: Tengen and Minato.
Their mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique wreaked havoc on the Kiri-nin, with Tengen's prowess being particularly devastating. In every skirmish, Tengen eliminated dozens of Kiri-nin, leaving them no chance to escape.
This wasn't solely due to the Flying Thunder God Technique. Tengen's taijutsu was equally fearsome, rivaling even the Third Raikage's capabilities. His trump card, the Eight Gates, was a veritable cheat. Unlike others, Tengen could open the Eight Gates without suffering lasting harm.
In the past, he relied on Senzu Beans for recovery, but now his superhuman healing ability allowed him to recover without them. So far, no opponent had forced him to use the Eight Gates.
His Susano'o and Wood Release were similarly untouched, yet his reputation for overwhelming power only grew.
At the Land of Fire's border, Kirigakure's advance was stalled by Konoha's forces, leaving them unable to advance or retreat.
In a Konoha encampment, within a command tent:
"The Kiri-nin are contained for now. We can continue to chip away at them with small-scale strikes. With their main force pinned here, they won't dare make reckless moves." Minato said.
Large Konoha forces held the line, preventing the Kiri-nin from infiltrating the Land of Fire in smaller groups. During wartime, any unauthorized entrants would be killed on sight, and small units could achieve little.
"I agree." Tengen nodded.
"Perhaps we could target their main force and dismantle it." Nara Shikaku suggested. While holding the Kiri-nin at bay was a victory, Konoha's four-front war was an immense strain. Supplies were plentiful, thanks to the Land of Fire's resources, but the real issue was ninja numbers.
Ninja weren't limitless. Each required unique talent and rigorous training. Losing even a few was a blow, especially jonin, the backbone of any village.
Jonin were scarce, as not every ninja could reach that level, no matter how many years they trained. The gap between jonin and kage-level ninja was even starker.
"Shikaku, that's not feasible. The Kiri-nin are fighting in small squads, likely because they know Tengen's here." Minato said with a wry smile.
Tengen's overwhelming strength deterred larger battles, forcing the other villages to turtle up and avoid large-scale engagements, wary of being crushed.
"They're afraid I'll wipe them out." Tengen said slowly. "What if we strike at Kirigakure's main camp?"
"Tengen, don't joke." Minato said, chuckling bitterly. "The Kiri-nin here are numerous, but their main force is back in Kirigakure. Taking them on alone, even for you, would be too dangerous."
Chakra has its limits, a critical factor when facing a large number of ninja.
***
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