In the Land of Earth.
Iwagakure.
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated before the window of the Tsuchikage's office, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out over the village. His expression was grave.
Kitsuchi, who had just delivered the intelligence scroll from Sunagakure requesting reinforcements, asked somewhat at a loss, "Father, now that Yuzuru has gathered a massive army to attack Sunagakure, what should we do?"
Ōnoki turned around and sighed at him. "Kitsuchi, there's an idiom—when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold."
"Yuzuru has already taken control of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire, along with more than a dozen surrounding nations, large and small. The power under his command has reached an unprecedented height."
"If we ignore Sunagakure now, then today's Sunagakure may very well become tomorrow's Iwagakure."
After hearing this explanation, Kitsuchi scratched his head and said honestly, "Father, you mean… we send troops right away to support Sunagakure and resist Yuzuru together?"
Ōnoki shot him an annoyed look and snorted. "You fool. If we go directly to aid Sunagakure, we'll suffer heavy losses. Even allies aren't worth sacrificing ourselves like that."
Kitsuchi's face was filled with confusion. "Then what do we do?"
Ōnoki flew over to the map hanging on the wall and pointed at the Land of Birds.
"You'll secretly lead men there in batches first. Later, I'll publicly announce that we're sending reinforcements to Sunagakure."
"According to intelligence from the front lines, the Third Raikage of the Land of Lightning hasn't directly joined the battle this time. That means they'll likely send forces to intercept us."
"If we can use an ambush to eliminate the Third Raikage, A, Killer B, and the other top elites of Kumogakure in one strike, it will deal a heavy blow to Yuzuru's forces all the same."
"At that point, to stabilize his rear, Yuzuru will have no choice but to withdraw. Sunagakure's crisis will resolve itself."
"The war may not end immediately, but as long as Sunagakure isn't wiped out, that's enough for us."
Even after hearing the full explanation, Kitsuchi still looked worried.
"Father, after all these years of development, the Land of Lightning's strength can't be underestimated. Even if they fall into our ambush… can we truly kill the Third Raikage and the others?"
Ōnoki gave a light snort. "The Land of Birds is far from the Land of Lightning. If that reckless brute of a Third Raikage wants to provide timely support, he'll have to rush here at full speed."
"That means only a small group of elite troops will be at his side."
"With the full might of the Land of Earth, can we not eliminate this exhausted force?"
"But…" Kitsuchi frowned. "Father, aren't you afraid Yuzuru will retaliate?"
A cold smile appeared on Ōnoki's face. "Retaliate? As long as we refuse to submit, we're destined to be his enemy sooner or later. What's there to fear?"
"Don't worry. The shinobi of our village possess wills as solid as bedrock. We won't be crushed by Yuzuru like the others."
Seeing Ōnoki so confident, Kitsuchi said no more and quickly left to make preparations.
Once he was gone, Ōnoki's expression darkened again.
The humiliation he and his teacher had once suffered at the hands of Uchiha Madara would never be repeated.
He was no longer the frightened little boy who had been too terrified to move.
He was the Third Tsuchikage, master of the ultimate Dust Release.
————
The Land of Lightning.
Kumogakure.
The Third Raikage snorted and tossed the intelligence scroll back onto the table.
"So Ōnoki actually dares to dream of supporting Sunagakure. Looks like it's time to teach him a lesson."
"Tell A and Killer B to assemble the village's strongest. We strike the Land of Birds!"
He had long wanted to take the field, but Yuzuru had kept him stationed in the rear under the pretext of stabilizing their territory.
Now, with Iwagakure openly declaring support for Sunagakure, the Third Raikage felt the time had come for him to act.
Not to mention, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth had never been on good terms.
Tōdai, standing nearby, frowned. "Raikage-sama, Ōnoki is cunning. In past shinobi wars, he always waited until both sides were nearly exhausted before entering to reap the rewards."
"This time, making such a high-profile announcement about supporting Sunagakure… I fear it's a trap."
The Third Raikage glanced at him and raised a brow. "Even if it is, what then? Should we sit and do nothing until we figure out what that old fox is plotting?"
Tōdai shook his head. "Of course not. I simply think you should advance together with the main force rather than launching a surprise attack."
"Even if Ōnoki truly goes to aid Sunagakure, I believe Lord Yuzuru can hold out until we arrive."
The Third Raikage waved his hand impatiently. "What a hassle!"
Though displeased with Tōdai's proposal, he knew he wasn't one for strategy and had no intention of going against his advice.
Just as he was about to head to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning to vent his frustration, an Anbu from Kumogakure appeared in the office.
"Raikage-sama, a letter from Lord Yuzuru!"
The Third Raikage's eyes sharpened. He immediately opened it.
There was only a single line written inside—
Slaughter to your heart's content!
————
The Land of Birds.
A fierce gust of wind swept through, startling the birds in the trees into flight.
The Third Raikage, A, and Killer B led over a thousand elite shinobi of Kumogakure as they came to a halt.
Looking at the lush greenery ahead and the clear waters by the lakeside, everyone felt their spirits lift.
After more than ten days of travel, they had finally arrived in the Land of Birds.
Just as the rumors said, the scenery was beautiful.
Unfortunately, none of them had the poetic talent to describe it properly. It was as if they all shared the same brain, letting out a chorus of crude exclamations instead.
The Third Raikage scanned the surroundings before sitting down cross-legged.
"Rest here. Recover your strength."
"What awaits us next may be a fierce battle."
At his words, excited smiles spread across the faces of the shinobi.
"Raikage-sama, we rushed here precisely because we knew it would be a tough fight!"
"Yeah! We've got no interest in battles that end too easily."
"We've been hearing reports from the Sunagakure battlefield for ages. We've been itching for action!"
"To die on the battlefield—I'd gladly accept it!"
Listening to his subordinates' fervent chatter, the Third Raikage threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh.
Whether Ōnoki had laid an ambush here or not, it didn't matter.
Because Yuzuru had already told him—
He could fight without restraint.
This feeling of casting aside all concerns and devoting his entire being to battle…
It was exhilarating.