From noon until evening, with expert forces maintaining control and steady advancement, Konoha had firmly secured its victory in this battle.
If no unexpected events occurred, Haseo planned to break through Kumo's formation and end the campaign by noon the next day.
Konoha needed to keep emotions in check.
Conversely, after fiercely reclaiming the Third Raikage's corpse, Kumo's resistance seemed to lose much of its intensity.
Their battle lines were beginning to disintegrate.
Kumo couldn't be considered weak by any measure. But having a spiritual leader on the battlefield made such a difference—and his loss had become painfully obvious once he was gone.
Winner takes all—the outcome had been decided.
However, for now, Haseo had no intention of launching an attack on Kumo—not because he'd already picked up the Hokage's "overly cautious habits" so soon, but mainly because… Kumo was not Mist.
"Lord Haseo…"
As Haseo pondered his next move, someone suddenly approached him.
"Soei, did something happen at the front?"
The person who arrived beside Haseo was Hyuga Soei from the Hyuga clan.
At that moment, only Kohei Sarutobi was accompanying Haseo, while the remaining "three beings"… two kids and a cat, had moved up to the frontline.
"There has indeed been an issue, but it isn't with Kumo at the front—Lord Haseo, Iwa has begun moving."
Iwa had gathered numerous ninja along the Land of Earth's border. Various information including their camp positions had long been discovered by Konoha.
Everyone knew Iwa's intentions—they naturally wanted to monitor the battle between Konoha and Kumo through scout ninja.
Accordingly, Konoha would never let down its guard monitoring Iwa either.
Previously, although Iwa remained still, they created a situation like having a thorn in their back—always keeping Konoha on high alert for a possible ambush.
Now, Iwa's waiting opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.
Fortunately, Konoha's battlefield reconnaissance capability was unmatched in the Ninjutsu World. Small groups might slip through unnoticed, but large-scale military movements absolutely couldn't escape the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan.
"Iwa finally moved, huh? Is it directed at us, or Kumo… Or perhaps Onoki wants to 'grab everything at once'?" Haseo asked.
He wasn't surprised by Iwa's sudden actions… At this moment, it was the perfect chance for opportunism, so naturally, Iwa could choose to act too.
"It's very likely targeting us, since Iwa is directly cutting across from the west. Currently, there's no sign whatsoever that they're heading northwest."
If Iwa's primary target were Kumo, say trying to cut off Kumo's retreat route, then their movement path would definitely trend northward. But currently, it appeared they were coming straight for Konoha's rear.
"And besides… Lord Haseo, I think you've performed too powerfully on the battlefield, even to the extent of turning the war tide through personal capabilities alone. Considering just this point, Iwa would prioritize confronting us."
After thinking briefly, Hyuga Soei still shared his speculation.
The stronger Haseo grew, the more Iwagakure would hesitate to confront him—but also the more they'd feel forced to act.
This decision was based on a simple strategic assessment. After all, could they really afford to let Konoha crush each ninja village one by one?
If Kumo became the second Mist, then Iwa would inevitably become the third.
Therefore, for the benefit of his own village, even the Two Scales Onoki had no choice but to offer aid to Kumo, despite their status as bitter enemies.
"You've got a point. That actually makes a lot of sense..."
"Either way, we can't let ourselves get sandwiched between Iwa and Kumo."
Haseo paused thoughtfully before making his decision.
"Here's what we'll do—don't spread news about Iwa's invasion just yet. Inform only Sakumo Hatake.
Tell him to try and wrap up operations against Kumo by noon tomorrow if possible. Until then, he can strive to expand our battlefield gains, but after that time limit, he must quickly consolidate defensive positions. The specifics will be up to Sakumo himself to judge.
Taking on both Iwa and Kumo isn't something we can afford to underestimate. Before this battle even begins, combined, their forces will at least be triple ours."
As Haseo spoke, he intended for Hyuga Soei to relay these orders to Sakumo Hatake.
"And what about you, Lord Haseo? What are your plans?"
"I'll go stop Iwa for a bit, trying to buy enough time for our war here to conclude."
That's what Haseo said—not out of arrogance, but simply because that was all he could do now… Even Haseo couldn't magically produce more troops from thin air.
That would violate the law of conservation of mass.
Hyuga Soei hesitated, then finally managed to speak, "Lord Haseo, isn't this too dangerous?"
"There's no other option. Besides, I only plan to delay them. Do you expect me to defeat Iwa's entire Large Squad single-handedly?"
Regardless of whether the invading force numbered exactly ten thousand or not, Haseo certainly had no intention of taking them on head-to-head alone.
That'd just be flat-out suicidal.
"We don't have much time. Confirm Iwa's current position, movement route, and marching speed right away."
Haseo didn't give Hyuga Soei a chance to persuade further.
Helplessly, Hyuga Soei could only hand over the map marked with Iwa's movement information to Haseo.
After receiving the map, Haseo unfolded it, glanced at it briefly to confirm accuracy, then rolled it up again. Then he signaled to Kohei Sarutobi, and after slipping out of everyone's sightline, the two quietly withdrew.
Of course, due to how much attention he currently attracted, Haseo had no choice but to leave behind a [Shadow Clone] for people to observe in his place.
So...
Given the known situation—that Haseo headed westward alone to stop Iwa's advance, facing potential deadly threats and an uncertain goal—tell me who ends up with the worst deal?
Answer: Kohei Sarutobi, the poor sidekick dragged along unwillingly.
What did he ever do to get dragged into this mess anyway?
...
The fact that the Third Raikage had been instantly killed once again heightened the Third Tsuchikage's alertness toward Haseo—and solidified his resolve to attack immediately.
The Tsuchikage acknowledged Haseo's strength, but he didn't believe Haseo was unbeatable. Most importantly, the Third Tsuchikage could never be instantly killed.
Even the Raikage might be powerful, but he was still ground-based while the Tsuchikage soared through the skies—the two belonged to entirely different categories... Alright then, let's say the Tsuchikage flew up five hundred meters; wasn't that enough to show Haseo some respect?
That was precisely the advantage of acting second—after Mist and Kumo had gone ahead and cleared away some mines, the Tsuchikage gained a deeper understanding of Haseo's true capabilities.
Even if Haseo unleashed his full power, there was no way he could instantly destroy an airborne flying saucer.
"Third, what is that ahead?"
As the Third Tsuchikage pondered how the upcoming battle should unfold, his son Kitsuchi's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Before he could scold Kitsuchi, in the brief moment when he lifted his head, the Tsuchikage already understood why his son's tone carried a hint of panic.
A brilliant red light suddenly appeared, filling the Tsuchikage's vision.
In the night sky, a sea of flames blocked the Iwagakure army's path.
Roaring flames and searing heat distorted the light in the dark night.
The Third Tsuchikage strained to listen. Beyond the roaring fire, he could hear faint voices carried by the air:
"Is the Tsuchikage here? Is the Tsuchikage here? This is Jiaomei.
Welcome to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."
What...
The Third Tsuchikage felt momentarily confused.
What the heck kind of silly chatter is that?
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