Land of Lightning, Kumogakure Camp
Uchiha Izuna sat inside the command tent, looking seriously at the fully marked map before him. His left hand was on his waist, while his right hand rested under his chin, stroking thoughtfully.
Suddenly, a shinobi reported from outside. Izuna quickly said, "Enter, quickly!"
The Konoha-nin outside knelt on one knee and said, "Reporting to Lord Izuna, the Kumo-nin, led by the Third Raikage A, have entered Ambush Point One today."
Uchiha Izuna's eyes lit up. After waiting for two days, they had finally arrived! The corners of his mouth turned upward. "Relay my orders. Have the shinobi atop the canyon kick the oil barrels down the mountain. Simultaneously, have the rear units push the large rocks down to block their retreat!"
"Understood!" The shinobi immediately left to deliver the orders. Uchiha Izuna smiled. Finally, they were here. Third Raikage, let me, Uchiha Izuna, present you with your first grand gift!
He smirked, his gaze sharp, as if he could see the distant carnage right through the tent.
Thunderfire Canyon
The Third Raikage A walked at the very front. Many had advised him to prioritize the overall situation and not personally come to the battlefield, but he said, "As the Raikage, if I do not lead the charge, what face do I have to be your Kage? What qualification do I have to manage the village?"
After these words, although the shinobi felt helpless, their fighting spirit soared. This was the advantage of having a leader on the battlefield.
As the Raikage walked, he suddenly laughed, puzzling everyone. The young lord A asked, "Father, why are you laughing?"
"I laugh at that Izuna's lack of strategy, content to guard his corner. If I were commanding the troops, I would definitely set an ambush on both sides of this canyon, pour down fire oil, add Fire Release, then block the rear exit. Wouldn't that put our great army in danger?"
"It seems the reputation of Uchiha Izuna as a Warring States period strategist is just that, hahahaha."
"Father is brilliant!" Young lord A said with admiration. Although his father was also reckless, his recklessness was calculated, not mindless charging.
Killer B, however, turned pale. He had a bad feeling about this, but under these circumstances, he didn't dare say much.
Wasn't the Third Raikage laughing heartily there, in a very good mood? If he spoke up, wouldn't he be undermining morale?
At that moment, he looked up and suddenly his pupils constricted. Hundreds of wooden barrels were falling from the sky!
Killer B immediately shouted, "Enemy attack, be on guard!" After saying this, he activated partial Tailed Beast transformation. His large tail swept through the barrels, smashing them. Fire oil splattered all over his body.
He smelled the scent and his expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to cry out, the shinobi on the mountain shot fire arrows, explosive tags, and Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
Instantly, fire met oil and erupted violently. The Cloud ninja forces were engulfed in a great fire. Cries of misery filled the air, along with agonized weeping.
"Retreat, retreat quickly!" Young Lord A roared, his face pale. He ordered the Water Release users to perform techniques, but they found that the water simply could not extinguish this fire.
This wasn't ordinary oil!
Just as the troops wanted to retreat, their escape route was blocked by a massive boulder. judging by its size, even the Third Raikage A would need some time to shatter it!
As panic set in, they heard the Third Raikideclare firmly, "Everyone, charge forward! There is a water pond not far ahead. It might save us!"
After saying this, he activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. The shinobi endured the burning pain, also activated their Lightning Release Chakra Modes, and charged forward desperately.
Uchiha Izuna stood atop the canyon, holding the feather fan his eldest grandson had made for him. It felt quite satisfying, truly a tool for showing off.
He said calmly, "Let's go. To Ambush Point B, Blue Water Pond."
From his high position on the canyon, he watched some shinobi burn to death, others racing desperately covered in flames, and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
Soon, the Cloud ninja forces, led by the Third Raikage A, reached Blue Water Pond. The Third Raikage moved quickly, leaping into the pond first. The other shinobi followed suit.
Shinobi after shinobi jumped into the pond water like dumplings into a pot. The plopping sounds were accompanied by the sizzle of extinguished flames, creating a strangely rhythmic noise.
The Third Raikage A swam to the edge of the pond. He climbed onto the bank, looked up at the sky, and couldn't help but laugh again!
"Lord Raikage, why are you laughing? Is our situation not miserable enough?" Killer B asked, confused. Many shinobi had been burned and then soaked, their skin now raw and stinging painfully.
"I laugh at that Izuna's short sightedness, thinking a mere fire tactic could force our great army to retreat. I tell you, impossible! Every shinobi of Kumogakure is a hero. How could we retreat because of such a minor difficulty?"
"If I were Uchiha Izuna, see those holes up there on the Blue Water Pond ledge, the ones connecting to the outside? I would throw poisoned kunai, shuriken, and senbon from them at the people still in the pond water. Before they get to shore, their movement is slow, making it highly likely they would perish here!"
Killer B's face changed. He used every ounce of strength to get ashore, even using his tail to wrap around his brother, young lord A, and pull him toward the bank. Young lord A wanted to say something, thinking Killer B was overreacting, but then he remembered what had just happened moments before. He fell silent, quickly cooperating and no longer resisting.
Just then, various kunai, senbon, shuriken, and even Fuma shuriken flew out from the holes!
The blades of some projectiles gleamed with a green light, others yellow. The tips of the senbon were black.
Screams immediately erupted from the water. Killer B and A, having acted quickly and being in a blind spot, made it ashore and hastily took cover.
The two gasped for breath, looking at the Third Raikage as if he were a ghost. Damn it, was his mouth blessed?
The Third Raikage was momentarily at a loss too. Killer B had Gyūki manifest its eight tails to block the projectiles, then ordered those who could still move to get ashore quickly.
Those who might still be saved were helped by other shinobi. Those with deathly pale, blackened faces, bleeding from all seven orifices, were simply abandoned.
The losses were heavy in a short time. Of the 8,000 men brought out, only about 4,000 remained after these two assaults. They hadn't even seen a single enemy. Who could they reason with?
Having reached this point, the Third Raikage knew this battle could not be continued. Killer B swung his sword and cut off the eight tails, his face turning pale.
He had to cut them off; if the poison spread to his body, he would be finished. It was a complex mix of toxins. Probably even that old woman Chiyo would have to say, 'I am powerless.'
Young lord A grabbed hold of Killer B. "B, are you alright? Can you still hold on?"
Killer B shook his head. "Brother, I'm fine. I can still hold on. But can you please ask the Raikage to stop laughing?"
Young lord A fell silent. He looked at his father, his expression complex. He murmured, "He probably won't anymore, right?"
Now, the Third Raikage A decided to retreat by taking a detour. The battle was untenable now. They were outnumbered, and the enemy had a legendary shinobi from the Warring States period.
He ordered the shinobi to carry their comrades and take the winding, rugged detour path. It was a path only locals would know about. Seeing the exit right before his eyes, he burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
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