In the forests of the Land of Fire, near a small river, the Konohagakure ninja army stopped to rest.
Several campfires were burning, pushing back the deep darkness. The firelight shone on the ninjas' faces, showing signs of exhaustion.
Since the army set out, hundreds of ninjas have been traveling day and night without a break. In just over a day, they crossed most of the Land of Fire and reached the border area.
With such an intense march, even with chakra and soldier pills to keep them going, their condition is still dropping.
Everyone is taking every chance to rest. They know that ahead lies the area where Kumogakure has infiltrated. Once they get there, they won't be able to rest until they secure a stronghold.
In a dark spot beyond the firelight, the army's commander was reading the latest intel, golden eyes glowing in the shadows.
"All 26 strongholds have been taken out."
Orochimaru curled his lips into a smile, his eyes turning dangerous. "Kumogakure's spies did a good job."
For small team battles, losing strongholds doesn't matter much. But for an entire army, it's a serious problem.
Like now — even though there are hundreds of ninjas resting, they haven't set up tents. They're resting in small groups against trees, leaving space between them to move quickly if needed.
Why?
Because they're afraid the enemy might launch a big attack while they're asleep.
At the level of army battles, the normal range of ninjutsu is not a problem at all. If one side shows a weakness like that, the other side will immediately strike hard.
Tents? Can they stop a giant fireball falling from the sky? Worse, they would cut down the already short reaction time of someone waking from sleep.
Buildings that can't block ninjutsu are nothing but a burden.
The Fourth Raikage has made a smart move.
Orochimaru pulled out another secret map from a scroll. It showed all of Konohagakure's hidden bases along the border and marked which ones had not yet been destroyed by Kumogakure.
Orochimaru scanned the map and saw that the intact strongholds nearby were all in Kumogakure-controlled areas. The others were too far away.
Uchiha Fugaku noticed the same thing and suggested, "Orochimaru-sama, why don't we build a new stronghold?"
This time, Konohagakure's army has sealing and barrier teams. They can build a proper base.
But Orochimaru rejected the idea without hesitation.
He glanced at Fugaku. "Building a new stronghold right under the enemy's nose is far more dangerous than moving in on an existing one deeper in the battlefield."
"Under the enemy's nose?" Fugaku was shocked. "With the Byakugan, how could the enemy ever find us?"
War between ninjas isn't just about strength, it's also about information. The Hyuga clan, who can cut through much of the fog of war, is naturally a necessary part of the army.
Of course, for this battle with Kumogakure, eight branch family members of the Hyuga have joined, led by Hyuga Hizashi.
"Why couldn't they find us?" Orochimaru asked back. "Fugaku, you've never led an army in war, but you are a ninja. You should know what exposing information means to a ninja."
Fugaku froze for a moment and looked thoughtful.
A ninja won't fall to the same technique twice.
That saying might not be completely true, but it points to something real — most abilities can be countered.
…
Unlike the First Hokage's Wood Release, the Hyuga clan's wide-range vision isn't an unbeatable ability. Kumogakure and Konohagakure have been in open and hidden conflict for decades, so how could they ignore the Hyuga's eyes on the battlefield?
Insects, small summoning beasts… Kumogakure has its own ways to deal with the Byakugan.
"Once we enter the war zone, Kumogakure will locate us in at most three hours. And it's not just us who can build strongholds."
Orochimaru looked into the distance. "If we stop here, Kumogakure will have no hesitation building outposts right along Konohagakure's border."
War isn't only about intelligence battles before the fighting, or direct clashes during it. It's also about what happens after.
If Kumogakure sets up enough strongholds on Konohagakure's land and forms a defensive line, then even if we drive them back, taking those lands back will cost us much more.
Territorial disputes can't be solved with just talk at the negotiation table after the war.
After understanding this, Fugaku couldn't help but sigh.
A fight with Kumogakure is inevitable, but he hopes it happens when his clansmen are still in good condition. That might mean fewer losses.
Seeing what Fugaku was thinking, Orochimaru spoke. "Clan Leader Fugaku, don't worry too much. The enemy probably has its own problems."
Destroying all the visible forts along Konohagakure's border in less than two days? Orochimaru didn't believe Kumogakure paid no price for that.
Then he called Hyuga Hizashi over and ordered, "At dawn, we continue marching. You go scout in this direction first."
"Yes!"
After a crisp reply, Hyuga Hizashi vanished.
…
At a Kumogakure army base, a military meeting had just ended.
Unlike Konohagakure, Kumogakure's meetings are almost entirely under the Raikage's control.
The only one who could influence him, Dodai, the previous Raikage's aide, was now busy at the Iwagakure front, preventing them from taking advantage of the situation.
So, calling it a meeting was just a formality—it was really the Raikage giving orders.
Even Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, though she had doubts about the Raikage's plan, didn't dare question him openly and instead approached him privately.
Overusing her tailed beast form had left Yugito pale as she asked, "Raikage-sama, how can we just let Konohagakure's forces push straight in?"
Then, blaming herself, she added, "Is it because of me?"
She knew very well that Kumogakure didn't have the strength to fully encircle Konohagakure, so this wasn't some clever trap.
Letting them through… was really Kumogakure making a concession on the battlefield.
"It's not your fault."
The Fourth Raikage shook his head. "Splitting up Kumogakure's teams won't stop Konohagakure's army. You need a clenched fist to land a hit."
"And don't forget what our real goal is."
Yugito froze, thinking it over.
The Raikage looked toward the Land of Hot Water and spoke in a low voice. "Our main goal is to drag this war out, to make the already weakened Konohagakure show signs of exhaustion.
Iwagakure is watching us, but Konohagakure has more than one enemy watching them."
"That's why building defenses in the rear is our top priority."
"Of course, if we can crush Konohagakure's army outright, we won't waste that chance."
The Raikage unrolled the map he had just rolled up, spread it across the table, and pointed at a dense forest.
"Why did Konohagakure dare to charge in like this? The reason is obvious."
"They still have other hidden outposts along the border!"
"If we can't find them, then we'll make them take us there. Before they finish activating their stronghold defenses, we'll hit them hard."
The Raikage glared with eyes like a bull's. "If nothing else, we'll at least destroy those hidden outposts. For that, you need to recover as soon as possible."
After hearing this, Yugito no longer felt guilty—her face showed nothing but eagerness for the fight.
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