Danzō had not slept for two days. Even though he had his trusted subordinate, Shibi Aburame, monitoring the signal flares on the distant mountain peaks, he still couldn't relax. Ever since nightfall, he kept pacing outside and staring at Kikyōzan ahead.
Suddenly, a signal flare streaked across the sky. Danzō Shimura immediately perked up—success!
At this moment, whether Uchiha Ryun and his team could capture Kikyōzan and Tamayama or not, the ambush troops on the mountains would no longer be able to activate their traps from above. Fighting on the plains was a contest of pure strength!
Their current army was fully intact, well-rested, and ready for battle. In terms of combat power, who didn't know Konoha's true might?
Danzō Shimura quickly assembled the troops, who gathered in less than three minutes. They stared at him in confusion—why were they being woken up at this hour?
Danzō Shimura, his face filled with excitement, declared loudly, "Shinobi, the time to achieve glory has come! Vice Commander Uchiha Ryun has led the Uchiha clan to attack Kikyōzan and Tamayama, cutting off Suna's retreat and burning their food supplies."
"Now is the time to strike! The traps Suna prepared to restrain us will become tools for us to slaughter them!"
The Konoha shinobi, hearing this news, felt their adrenaline surge. What? The vice commander had secretly pulled off a major operation—and succeeded!
Nara Luming immediately spoke up, "Commander, please give the order to attack immediately! Cut down the Sand Dogs and rendezvous with Vice Commander Ryun!"
He understood that there was no time to waste. The longer they delayed, the more danger the Uchiha shinobi on the mountains faced. He didn't care about the others, but Uchiha Ryun could not die.
The Uchiha clan was the strongest in the ninja world. If they could fully integrate into Konoha, it would be a great boon for the village—and the key to making that happen was Uchiha Ryun.
"Cut down the Sand Dogs, rendezvous with Vice Commander Ryun!"
"Cut down the Sand Dogs, rendezvous with Vice Commander Ryun!"
"Cut down the Sand Dogs, rendezvous with Vice Commander Ryun!"
...
The Konoha camp erupted in fervor. This was the moment to decide victory—how could they not be fired up?
Seeing this, Danzō Shimura smirked and raised his right hand. Everyone fell silent, waiting for his words.
"I declare, full-scale assault! Break through Hakuki, crush Hakuki! Also, Shibi, go inform Orochimaru. Chōga doesn't need him to attack—just hold Chiyo's forces back and prevent them from striking our rear!" Danzō Shimura waved his hand, then clenched his fist, as if everything was under his control.
"Yes!" Shibi Aburame immediately set off for Chōga's camp, while the Hakuki forces opened their gates and launched their full offensive.
The Akimichi clan—Torifu Akimichi and his son Chōza Akimichi—activated their Multi-Size Technique, leading the charge as shields. The other Akimichi shinobi followed closely.
The Yamanaka clan used their Mind Transmission to coordinate the front lines, while the Nara clan, positioned behind them, prepared to unleash their Shadow Imitation Techniques at the right moment.
The Hyūga clan activated their Byakugan, serving as scouts. In their eyes, the darkness of night was no obstacle—they could see even more clearly than in daylight.
The Aburame clan released their insects, forming insect shields in front of the Akimichi...
Every Konoha shinobi utilized their abilities—some scouting, some defending, some attacking. There was only one thought in their minds: break through Hakuki, drive back the Sand Dogs!
In the Suna camp at Hakuki, the commander was a middle-aged man with bandages wrapped around his head. His face was weathered, and his long eyebrows drooped at the sides. This was Chiyo's younger brother, Ebizō, in his prime.
Ebizō, known for his wisdom, was the commander of Hakuki. He had not yet retired, so the responsibility fell on him.
"Report! Commander Ebizō, disaster has struck!" A Suna guard stumbled into the command tent in panic.
"Konoha—Konoha is launching a full-scale attack!" The Suna shinobi had never seen such a massive offensive before. Konoha had committed at least three thousand shinobi, while their camp only had fifteen hundred.
Two-to-one odds—and Konoha's military strength was universally acknowledged as the strongest in the ninja world. How could they not panic?
Ebizō was stunned at first, then glared at the guard with anger. "What are you panicking for? Konoha attacking is normal! So what if it's three thousand? Our advantage isn't numbers."
With that, Ebizō stepped out of the tent and fired a Suna signal flare into the sky, signaling the ambush troops on the mountains to prepare.
Uchiha Ryun saw this and frowned. He ordered his men to search the fallen Suna shinobi for their signal flares. After finding one, he fired it into the sky.
Ebizō, seeing the response, smirked. He climbed onto the camp's high platform, raised his binoculars, and watched the approaching Konoha forces. "Since you've come, you'll all stay here!"
He then ordered the rear gates opened, abandoning weapons and armor to lure the Konoha shinobi toward Kikyōzan.
The troops moved into action. Ebizō shook his head. What a pity. Even if Konoha's army wasn't completely wiped out, they would be severely crippled.
On the Mountain
"Sixth Elder, why did you fire a Suna signal flare?" Uchiha Ippū asked, confused. The others shared his confusion.
Uchiha Ryun's eyes gleamed. "According to intel, Hakuki's commander is Ebizō. To put it nicely, he's a strategist. To put it bluntly, he's a schemer."
"Think about it. Why would they fire a signal flare? Just to notify the mountain troops that Konoha is coming?"
"No. I think it's a coded signal. If the mountain didn't respond, it would mean the ambush had been compromised. Then, they'd switch tactics—either fight their way out or try to regroup with Chiyo."
"Either way, it would be a huge loss for our side. By firing the signal flare, we confirmed their code, making them believe the mountain is still under their control." Uchiha Ryun's voice was cold.
"When the time comes... what a brilliant move, Ebizō." Uchiha Ryun laughed. As an enemy, he had to admire Ebizō's cunning. If he had been even slightly slower, Ebizō would have realized something was wrong!
The Uchiha shinobi under his command were stunned. Wait, is this how smart people think? Their minds are terrifying!
They silently swore never to cross Uchiha Ryun—otherwise, they wouldn't even know how they died!
Uchiha Ryun glanced at them, and the Uchiha shinobi shivered.
Rolling his eyes, Uchiha Ryun ordered, "All units, spread out along the cliff edge! The moment enemies reach the top, roll the boulders down!"
"Yes!" The Uchiha shinobi sprang into action.
Uchiha Ryun examined the ambush supplies—boulders, poison, shuriken, explosive tags. His eyes gleamed. "When you're poor, you strike precisely. When you're rich, you drown them in firepower!"
He had never fought such a well-supplied battle before—the enemy had provided all the weapons!
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