After listening to Tsunade relay the intelligence about the Third Raikage, Ryun fell into a long period of deep thought.
At this point in time, the Third Raikage had not yet experienced the incident where the Eight-Tails Gyūki went on a rampage within his village. He had not been wounded on the chest by his own 'Strongest Spear.' Theoretically, he should not have any major weaknesses.
If one had to name a possible weakness, it might be genjutsu. However, Ryun could not guarantee that his ocular jutsu could incapacitate him.
Those capable of becoming the Kage of a village were all individuals with extremely strong willpower. 'Eternal Daylight' might find it easy to injure him, but using it to decide the outcome of the battle would be very difficult.
"Ryun, the next phase of Konoha's battle plan is..."
Tsunade originally intended to tell Ryun about Konoha's upcoming battle plan, but before she could even finish her sentence, Ryun raised his hand to interrupt her.
"I am not interested in how you plan to fight Kumogakure. My purpose in coming here is the Third Raikage. I will take the field whenever he appears on the battlefield."
He had no intention of participating in any battles other than those involving the Third Raikage and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
Fighting the Third Raikage was for revenge. Seeking out the Two-Tails Jinchūriki was for his own goals. The fact that he hadn't destroyed Konoha already was a testament to his rationality and mercy. How could he possibly help them fight their war?
Hearing Ryun's cold words, Tsunade was somewhat taken aback. Then, she let out a helpless, awkward laugh.
"Alright... You must be tired after coming all this way. Rest in the room next to mine. We will notify you when the Third Raikage joins the battle..."
The fact that Ryun had come was already beyond Tsunade's expectations. That he was willing to help her face the Third Raikage was more than enough for her. It was fine if he didn't participate in the other battles...
"I heard from Teacher Orochimaru that the Two-Tails Jinchūriki will arrive at the Lightning-Fire battlefield soon. Do you have any more specific intelligence regarding the timing?"
Ryun asked for information on the Two-Tails Jinchūriki. This was actually one of his primary concerns.
"!!!"
"Orochimaru told you about that as well... Actually, this intelligence was passed along by a spy Orochimaru left behind in Kumogakure..."
Tsunade scratched her head as she spoke. Sometimes she was especially impressed by Orochimaru's intellect and methods. Even though he wasn't on the Lightning-Fire battlefield, he could still aid his comrades here.
In the original story, the reason the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki in Kumogakure went on a rampage and lost control was actually Orochimaru's doing. It was Orochimaru who personally broke the seal on the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, and he was the one who caused that Jinchūriki's death... Orochimaru's capabilities were far greater than Tsunade imagined.
"We aren't too sure about the specific timing, but if Orochimaru dared to provide this intelligence, it proves it is reliable. The Two-Tails Jinchūriki will arrive on the battlefield soon..."
Tsunade spoke with a grave expression, feeling fortunate in her heart that Ryun had come to help her. Otherwise, simultaneously facing the Third Raikage and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki... she wouldn't know how to fight this war.
"In that case, let's see if we can prioritize dealing with the Third Raikage. It will be much harder to fight if the two of them join forces..." Ryun said calmly.
"You're right. Tomorrow I will have everyone launch a new major offensive. When the Third Raikage appears, we'll be counting on you entirely..."
At this moment, Tsunade clearly saw Ryun as the village's last hope...
Ryun gave a perfunctory nod and then got up and went to the room next door.
The next morning.
The Konoha forces took the initiative to attack the Kumo positions. The ninjas from both sides immediately engaged in an exceptionally fierce battle.
Contrary to Tsunade's expectations, on the first day of the major battle, the Third Raikage did not appear as anticipated. Tsunade couldn't help but grow anxious.
"Don't rush. He is, after all, the Kage of a village. It's not like he would be the first to take the field as soon as the fighting starts."
Ryun, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground absorbing natural energy, spoke calmly.
"You're right... I was too impatient..." Tsunade nodded, took a deep breath, and calmed down.
On the second day, as the scale of the war gradually expanded and casualties on both sides increased, the Third Raikage's figure was still nowhere to be seen on the battlefield.
"Could it be that they are waiting for the Two-Tails Jinchūriki to arrive so they can attack Konoha together?" Tsunade once again came to Ryun's room, her face full of worry.
Ryun fell silent upon hearing this. This possibility certainly couldn't be ruled out. However, judging by the personality of someone like the Third Raikage, it was highly unlikely he would remain indifferent while casualties continued to mount.
"Continue the major battle tomorrow. Expand the scale if possible. I think he probably can't hold back any longer. Even if the Two-Tails Jinchūriki is about to arrive, he will likely want to fight a battle first."
Hearing the certainty in Ryun's tone, Tsunade immediately nodded. She then left to treat the wounded and arrange combat missions.
On the third day, as the scale of the war expanded once again, the Third Raikage, acting as commander, could no longer suppress his desire for battle. He personally led the Kumo-nin forces, intending to engage in another bloody battle with the Konoha shinobi army!
At this moment, within the Konoha shinobi army's formation, a masked figure, whose build was somewhat slimmer than an adult's, slowly walked to the front lines between the two armies. He positioned himself several paces ahead of even Konoha's commander and Tsunade.
This seemingly youthful figure instantly drew the attention of the Kumo forces.
"Who is that guy?"
The Kumo-nin were currently baffled, unsure of who the figure at the very front of the Konoha line was. He looked somewhat like an Anbu operative from Konoha.
"Whoever he is, if he dares to step out first, we'll just kill him!"
A dark-skinned youth spoke with murderous intent. This person was the son of the Third Raikage, the future Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure.
"On the battlefield, remember to avoid being impulsive and impatient."
The Third Raikage glanced at his son and offered a rare word of caution. He had a feeling that the figure standing at the very front was not simple.
After taking the field, the Konoha side did not immediately launch an attack. Moreover, the figure at the very front made no further moves. The two sides fell into a standoff for a time, creating a somewhat eerie scene.
The face beneath the youth's mask remained utterly calm and unruffled. The enemy troops were currently a bit too far from him. His ocular jutsu had a certain range limitation, so he needed to wait a little longer.
Releasing a Mangekyō ocular jutsu from too great a distance would significantly reduce the effectiveness of the mental attack. Furthermore, the enemy would likely be on guard against him, making it difficult to catch them by surprise with an attack again.
Ryun's personal intelligence had already spread among the Five Great Nations. Almost the entire shinobi world was aware of the power of that one Mangekyō Sharingan. If he hadn't worn a mask today, the moment he took the field, the Kumo-nin would definitely be on guard against his eyes.
During Konoha's internal conflict with Ryun, a large number of elite shinobi had suffered severe mental trauma. Even the Third Hokage, known as the 'Strongest Hokage,' was reportedly bedridden at home for a full three days after that battle before his mental state improved enough for him to have the energy to handle official duties...
Now the entire shinobi world knew to be wary of the Sharingan. If the Kumo-nin hadn't known about the great enmity between Ryun and Konoha, they would most likely have assumed the 'Anbu' youth standing on the front line was Uchiha Ryun and been on guard against him accordingly...
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