"Hahahaha." As the Third Raikage's hearty laughter rang out, Killer B and A's expressions changed. "Lord Raikage/Father."
"Do not be nervous, B, A. Right before us is the path home. Once we pass through this small path, we will be home." As he spoke, a look of disdain appeared in the Third Raikage A's eyes.
"Everyone, do not panic. Everything just now was normal procedure. Someone like Uchiha Izuna, a talent from the Warring States period, it would be strange if he hadn't thought of it."
"But what I am about to say next is his shortcoming." The Third Raikage snorted coldly.
"If I were him, I would set up an ambush at the exit, striking with full force while our soldiers are exhausted. Even if he couldn't capture all of us, it would be close enough."
A's face turned pale. "Father, how about, how about we take another route? I always feel what Father says makes sense. Right now, our army cannot afford any more losses or depletion."
Killer B also nodded. He had now witnessed what a top-tier jinx was. This was literally whatever he said came true. Who could withstand that? Without encountering a single enemy, the army of eight thousand had lost half.
Was Uchiha Ryun even this bad?
The Third Raikage's eyes drooped, his face impatient. "Even the wise are not always free from error. I do not believe Uchiha Izuna could fully understand all the twists and turns of this Lightning-Fire Valley in such a short time."
"No more discussion. Full army, advance. Once we pass through here, it is the entrance to Kumogakure. This battle will only count as half a loss for everyone. We have not completely lost yet." The Third Raikage waved his hand and immediately gave the order.
A sighed, mobilizing the chakra within his body. Lightning Release Chakra Mode activated, and a lightning armor covered his body. He was already prepared for the decisive battle later.
Killer B communicated with Gyūki, trying to get it to coat the shinobi with a layer of tailed beast cloak. Gyūki nodded. This Raikage's jinxing ability made even its scalp tingle.
Everyone advanced rapidly. Just as they were about to exit, the Raikage shouted, "Charge." Then, the four thousand men rushed out of the valley in batches, arriving on flat ground. This time, there really was no ambush.
This made the Raikage's mouth curl upward. Killer B and A breathed a sigh of relief.
"B, A, see? I told you. No matter how cunning Uchiha Izuna is, he cannot always choose the optimal path." As he spoke, he snorted coldly, his nostrils flaring.
"You are still young. There is much for you to learn. But now, you are still too green. The future world is yours." The Third Raikage now spoke in the tone of an experienced elder educating the two.
The two looked at each other. There was no helping it. After the previous two times the Raikage jinxed it, he must have felt bad himself. Now that he was right, they should just listen and let him vent.
After all, everyone gets to eat dumplings during the New Year. The three stood shoulder to shoulder, leading the four thousand shinobi towards Kumogakure. However, just after walking two kilometers, they suddenly saw dense rows of Konoha shinobi standing ahead.
The leader was sitting on a large rock, munching on an apple, shaking his leg, a happy smile on his face. "This fruit is really good. The Land of Lightning has high altitude, large temperature differences between day and night. This apple is truly sweet and crisp."
He couldn't help but sigh. Next to him, an Uchiha shinobi said obsequiously, "Hehe, if our ancestor likes it, we can go pick some more."
That's right, they picked these directly without paying. Uchiha Izuna waved his hand. "Forget it. These are grown by the common people's families. Picking one to taste is enough. What would we become if we picked more?"
As he spoke, Uchiha Izuna threw away the finished apple core and stretched lazily. He stood up and looked into the distance, his eyes lighting up. "Pass the order. All troops, prepare for battle."
Uchiha Izuna now looked excited. Damn it, it's been an hour. They're finally here. Do not forget, the former gathering place of the Uchiha was within the Land of Lightning. He had trained multiple times inside the Lightning-Fire Valley since childhood.
If the current Uchiha were unfamiliar with the Lightning-Fire Valley, he wouldn't be surprised. But if he were unfamiliar, that would be downright insulting.
"Finally here." Uchiha Izuna smiled, moved his muscles and bones, twisted his neck, and sighed.
The Kumo-nin also saw the massive force of seven thousand Konoha shinobi. Their faces turned pale, cold sweat pouring down. The Third Raikage was silent now. It turned out it wasn't that Izuna hadn't realized, but that Izuna had been lying in ambush here early on.
Now, with discipline lax and everyone unprepared, the sudden appearance of the Konoha army made the Kumo-nin's morale plummet, their legs going weak.
They were now tired and hungry, some even dragging injured comrades. Facing the Konoha shinobi who were resting and waiting, at their peak condition, they stood no chance.
A took a sharp breath. Looking at the Third Raikage now, he swore to himself that he would speak less in the future, especially laugh less. Who knows if this jinxing ability is hereditary.
This was literally popping champagne at halftime, only to receive bad news every time. Who could withstand that? Killer B sighed, waved his hand, and the tailed beast chakra enveloped the four thousand shinobi, hoping to help reduce their casualties.
But in Uchiha Izuna's eyes, this move was extremely foolish. Displaying tailed beast power before the Uchiha clan? Do you not know about our Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan?
Originally, he wasn't sure who the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki was. Now it was perfectly clear.
The corner of his mouth turned upward, and he said softly, "Long time no see, Third Raikage, A."
Then the Konoha soldiers repeated, "Long time no see, Third Raikage, A."
The Third Raikage's face was now ashen. The village was just a few kilometers away, almost there. The appearance of Izuna and the Konoha army now was a severe blow.
"Izuna. In all things, one should leave room for retreat. How about you let us return? I will not pursue this matter of Konoha invading our Kumogakure." The Third Raikage directly roared.
Izuna rolled his eyes at him. Really, this is fucking hilarious. Now you are the one trapped by me. If you want to live, if you're begging, is this how you beg? Buddy, are you sick?
"Stupid dog." Uchiha Izuna sighed.
The Konoha shinobi's eyes lit up, and they shouted, "Stupid dog."
Uchiha Izuna suddenly turned to look at the Konoha shinobi, his expression strange. No, I just said it casually. Why do you imitate everything?
The Konoha shinobi thought Uchiha Izuna was signaling they did well, so they shouted again, "Commander Izuna says, Raikage is a stupid dog."
Boom. In that instant, the Kumo-nin looked carefully at the Third Raikage, afraid that if they weren't careful, they might anger the Raikage, and the Raikage would kill them with a Hellstab.
The Third Raikage's face turned iron blue. He never expected Uchiha Izuna to speak so vulgarly. He was known as a gentleman during the Warring States period. Rumors are misleading.
"If you want to fight, then fight. Why insult people." After speaking, the Third Raikage's veins bulged, his face twisted ferociously. The crackling sound of lightning rose, and the lightning armor flickered faintly.
Uchiha Izuna nodded. He does have some strength. During the Warring States period, he probably could have been a vanguard officer. Used for charging into battle, he would definitely be handy.
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