The ANBU had ANBU missions to handle. On that point, Natsuhiko truly hadn't lied to Nara Shikaku.
What he hadn't told him, however, was that the person carrying out this mission happened to be one of Shikaku's old acquaintances.
Nara Rokushiro sat quietly inside the Tsuchikage's office, his expression calm and composed, but inwardly, he already felt dead inside.
He clearly remembered Natsuhiko promising him that these undercover assignments disguised as newspaper staff wouldn't happen often.
That promise now felt no different from a fart in the wind.
For what felt like forever, he had practically been nailed to Kusagakure's territory. Although he could occasionally return to Konoha for rest and rotation, the overwhelming majority of his time was still spent in the Land of Grass.
And this time, things had become even more outrageous.
He had actually been ordered to personally travel to Iwagakure in the Land of Earth and meet Ōnoki face-to-face.
The danger level of such a mission was beyond imagination. One wrong move, and he might very well die in this damned place, never returning to Konoha again.
Why am I doing ANBU fieldwork in the first place? No, that's not even the issue. I was assigned to the Administrative Division of the ANBU—so how the hell did I become a frontline operative?
Rokushiro's heart was filled with confusion and despair. More and more, he felt that his department head was a black-hearted tyrant.
So long as someone was useful, Natsuhiko would squeeze every ounce of value out of them without mercy.
Still, these complaints could only remain buried in his thoughts.
He understood perfectly well that Konoha and Kumogakure had officially gone to war. At a time like this, everyone's responsibilities had become significantly heavier.
"Lord Rokushiro."
Just then, an Iwa ninja appeared beside him.
"Lord Tsuchikage now has time to meet with you."
"I understand."
Rokushiro immediately stood up and followed the Iwa shinobi deeper into the office.
He had visited the Hokage's office many times before, but this was his first time stepping inside the office of another village's Kage. In a way, it was quite the eye-opening experience.
Still, he remained extraordinarily calm.
Or rather, compared to the Hokage's office, this place was far less impressive in terms of decoration and atmosphere. Looking around at the Tsuchikage's office, he honestly felt very little emotional reaction at all.
And every bit of that composure fell squarely into Ōnoki's eyes.
The old Tsuchikage narrowed his gaze slightly. The young man before him was proving to be far more interesting than he had expected.
"Lord Rokushiro, welcome."
Ōnoki revealed a faint smile.
"I have been looking forward to your arrival for quite some time."
"Lord Tsuchikage, it is an honor to be here."
Rokushiro immediately returned the smile with practiced politeness.
The two exchanged a round of courteous pleasantries. Once the other Iwa ninja had withdrawn from the room, however, the smile on Ōnoki's face gradually faded.
There was a very important reason he had summoned this man personally.
Konoha and Kumogakure had already entered open war.
To be honest, when Ōnoki first received the news, he had been genuinely shocked—especially since the information had come through a newspaper.
The speed of that intelligence network had surpassed even his own ANBU.
Even though the article itself never directly used words like "war" or "declaration of hostilities," the implications were impossible to miss.
The paper repeatedly emphasized things such as:
Konoha cannot accept Kumogakure's baseless accusations, nor will it persecute its own people in the name of hypocritical peace.
And what did that statement truly mean?
It meant Konoha was preparing to move.
It meant they were willing to clash head-on with Kumogakure—the village currently possessing the strongest military power among the Five Great Nations.
Truthfully, Ōnoki hadn't initially thought highly of Konoha's chances.
Compared to Kumogakure, Konoha's current military strength was undeniably lacking.
The Third Great Ninja War had been nothing short of a meat grinder for Konoha. Fighting one village against four, even victory had come at a devastating cost.
The current state of Konoha was far from optimistic.
Yet now, Konoha had still chosen to make its move.
That alone forced Ōnoki to take this matter seriously.
Because there was one person he had not forgotten.
That young man who had single-handedly caused Konoha to "advance backward by forty or fifty years."
Could it be that boy had already grown strong enough to become Konoha's true confidence?
Ōnoki had always looked down on Kumogakure.
In his eyes, they were nothing more than a pack of reckless hotheads.
Unfortunately, those hotheads possessed very real strength.
They had already grown arrogant with power, though they still remained cautious of Konoha's deep foundations. Otherwise, the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki would never have moved together personally.
Yet before they had even managed to probe the true strength of that brat from the Senju Clan, they had already rushed headlong into war. In Ōnoki's eyes, that was far from a wise decision.
Back when he had dared to strike against Konoha during the Third Great Ninja War, the primary reason had been because Konoha's military forces were scattered across multiple fronts, while Tsunade—one of the legendary Sannin—had already left the village.
Under those circumstances, Iwagakure had been able to move without worrying too much about encountering one of the Sannin in direct battle.
Unfortunately, no matter how carefully he had calculated things, he had never expected Sunagakure to collapse so spectacularly.
Iwa had only just begun gaining a small advantage when Suna abruptly surrendered on the spot.
Honestly, it was no wonder Kirigakure despised Sunagakure so much. Even after the war ended, they continued sending people to harass them endlessly.
They had it coming.
And Kirigakure wasn't the only victim Sunagakure had dragged down. Iwagakure had suffered immensely because of them as well.
Even after being so cautious, Ōnoki had still stumbled badly once before.
Would Kumogakure really fare any better this time?
"Speaking of which, your newspaper agency has been developing quite impressively."
Ōnoki looked at Rokushiro with genuine seriousness.
"The amount of information your organization can obtain now is becoming more and more astonishing."
"Of course," Rokushiro replied with a smile the moment he understood the Tsuchikage's meaning. "But all of this is only possible thanks to everyone's support."
"If we didn't receive information from all of you, we wouldn't be able to report events so quickly. In the end, though, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement, isn't it?"
Ōnoki nodded inwardly.
There was nothing wrong with the concept of mutual benefit.
Ever since he had chosen to help Rokushiro establish newspaper distribution points throughout the Land of Earth, the newspaper agency had provided Iwagakure with considerable publicity and political support in return.
As the paper's influence continued to expand, many policies that ordinary civilians once failed to understand were now gradually being accepted after repeated explanations and favorable reporting.
Even the Daimyō of the Land of Earth had started paying attention to the newspaper and occasionally leaked certain bits of information to them.
That development made Ōnoki somewhat wary.
The last thing he wanted was for the Daimyō to start stirring up unnecessary trouble through outside channels.
Still, he believed the newspaper agency would make the proper choices.
Besides the Daimyō's growing interest, however, there were two additional matters that had begun giving Ōnoki a headache.
The first was that while the newspaper supported Iwagakure, it also devoted an enormous amount of coverage to Konoha.
Even more troublesome, before the war between Konoha and Kumogakure had officially begun, several articles had already appeared that subtly encouraged hostility between Iwa and Kumo.
At first, Ōnoki hadn't paid much attention to them.
But now that war had truly broken out, those articles suddenly carried an entirely different meaning.
They were practically encouraging Iwagakure to mobilize alongside Konoha against Kumogakure.
"However, Lord Rokushiro, your newspaper's bias seems somewhat excessive."
Ōnoki's gaze sharpened noticeably, becoming far more serious than before.
"The amount of coverage dedicated to Konoha is considerable, and some of your articles are openly provocative. I've been keeping a close eye on them."
"Coverage bias?"
Rokushiro blinked innocently.
Well, obviously it's biased toward Konoha. The whole thing belongs to the ANBU in the first place.
And as for provoking you? Isn't that only natural? If we don't push Iwagakure into action, Konoha won't have an easy time fighting Kumogakure alone.
Naturally, none of those thoughts could actually be spoken aloud.
He had already prepared a way to deal with Ōnoki.
"To be honest, I don't think there's any issue with the coverage itself," Rokushiro said helplessly, though his expression carried very little actual helplessness. "After all, we're simply being paid to do our job. It's not as though I'm the one making the decisions for the newspaper."
"Oh?"
Hearing that answer, Ōnoki instead relaxed slightly. A smile even appeared on his face.
"So how much exactly did Konoha pay you?"
"I can't possibly tell you that Konoha paid more than double what you did," Rokushiro blinked at him again, his tone suddenly becoming exceptionally solemn.
"That's classified business information. We can't casually disclose such things."
"Indeed, indeed. Business secrets should remain business secrets."
Ōnoki chuckled softly before narrowing his eyes once more.
"Then what about those articles constantly trying to stir things up?"
"Well, that part isn't exactly confidential."
Rokushiro scratched his cheek lightly before answering.
"But the old man in charge told me that this was something the ANBU Commander specifically hoped you would do."
This was entirely improvised on Rokushiro's part.
But regardless of the method, his goal remained simple:
He had to accomplish what Natsuhiko wanted.
"The old man said that Commander Natsuhiko's original intention was for Iwagakure to send troops and join forces against Kumogakure," Rokushiro said with a faint smile. "But he also believes you would never actually do that."
"Oh?"
Ōnoki raised an eyebrow slightly.
"And what else did Lord Uesugi say?"
"He said you wouldn't move because the benefits still aren't sufficient. In other words, Commander Natsuhiko's plan will most likely fail."
Rokushiro continued speaking casually, though he deliberately lowered his voice as if afraid someone else might overhear.
"The old man said that at most, you'll station troops along the border and create the appearance of preparing for a major offensive. That alone would force Kumogakure to redirect part of its forces for defense.
"But as long as you don't truly make a move, Kumogakure won't dare act recklessly either. You'll simply wait until the war between Konoha and Kumogakure becomes clearer before deciding whether to take another step forward… or retreat and maintain the current balance."
He paused briefly before adding one last sentence.
"Oh, and there's one final piece of information for Lord Tsuchikage. The one personally leading Konoha's forces this time… is Commander Natsuhiko himself."
Although Rokushiro maintained a composed expression, even he still found that fact somewhat unbelievable.
"I don't know why it's him either, but that's the truth."
After saying that, he spread his hands helplessly.
"That's everything I know. I only hope Lord Tsuchikage can understand my position. After all, I'm not the one truly in charge of the newspaper."
The moment he finished speaking, Nara Rokushiro decisively shut his mouth.
Truthfully, he himself couldn't understand why the one leading the operation this time was actually Natsuhiko—his black-hearted superior.
Even if Natsuhiko was effectively the Fourth Hokage's representative within Konoha, this kind of matter was no joke.
More importantly, the decision had been personally approved by his clan head.
Not only had Shikaku mobilized himself, but the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans had also moved alongside him.
In addition, all the clans that had once joined forces during the conflict surrounding Danzō—those same families that had collectively pressured the Third Hokage—had now dispatched their shinobi under Natsuhiko's command as well.
That alone was an enormously significant signal.
Rokushiro couldn't help but suspect that once this war ended, the Third Hokage would no longer be able to continue serving as acting Hokage.
Could it be that the Fourth Hokage's injuries have almost completely healed?
The thought surfaced instinctively in his mind.
But soon after, another far more absurd idea suddenly appeared.
Wait… could my black-hearted boss actually want to become Hokage?
The moment that possibility emerged, even Rokushiro himself froze.
Until now, he had never seriously considered it because all his attention had been focused on dealing with Ōnoki. He hadn't dared relax his concentration in the slightest.
But now that the Tsuchikage's side had mostly been handled, he finally had room to think properly.
And the more he thought about it, the more terrifyingly plausible the idea became.
If Natsuhiko truly wanted to become Hokage… it actually didn't seem impossible at all.
Yes, he was young.
But he possessed more than enough administrative experience, more than enough support, and more than enough achievements.
There certainly wouldn't be a shortage of supporters.
After all, he belonged to the Fourth Hokage's faction, and ever since the Danzō incident, countless clans had gradually shifted their allegiance toward Minato's side.
As for management ability, the ANBU itself was the best proof.
Not only had it expanded significantly under Natsuhiko's leadership, but everything within the organization remained orderly and efficient. As someone who worked directly inside the ANBU, Rokushiro understood that better than anyone.
And honestly, he deeply approved of Natsuhiko's management methods.
Then there were achievements.
Wasn't this war itself the perfect opportunity to accumulate even more merit?
"Hiss…"
At that realization, Rokushiro nearly sucked in a cold breath.
Could it be that his clan head had realized the same thing?
Was that why all of them had mobilized together?
While Rokushiro was lost in thought over the possibility of Natsuhiko becoming Hokage, Ōnoki himself was equally shaken as he replayed Rokushiro's words in his mind.
He had never personally met the father of this so-called Uesugi Rokushiro, but now he understood something clearly.
The man who had created the newspaper agency was definitely not merely lucky.
And that Senju brat, Natsuhiko, was even more impressive.
He had actually thought of using newspapers to subtly stir Iwagakure's ambitions, quietly encouraging them to seek a share of the profits from the war between Konoha and Kumogakure.
After all, the hatred between Kumogakure and Iwagakure truly ran deep.
Kumogakure had agreed to a ceasefire with Konoha only because the Third Raikage died at Iwagakure's hands.
Meanwhile, Iwagakure had eventually surrendered against Konoha because Kumogakure suddenly stopped attacking Konoha and instead turned its military pressure toward Iwa.
The resentment between the two villages was enormous.
And Natsuhiko had skillfully exploited that hatred.
At the same time, he had also used the interests of various smaller nations as bait, subtly influencing people until even Iwagakure's shinobi themselves had begun feeling tempted.
Ōnoki could already imagine what would happen once the news fully spread that Konoha and Kumogakure had entered open war.
There would undoubtedly be people throughout Iwagakure urging him to attack Kumogakure as well.
After all, they could both settle old grudges and seize valuable benefits in the process. Why wouldn't they?
Yet what truly surprised Ōnoki was that old man from the "Uesugi family"—a man he had never even met—had managed to analyze his thinking so thoroughly.
The man had practically predicted the most advantageous course of action Ōnoki himself had been considering.
And the frightening part was…
He really had been tempted.
Station troops at the border without making a move. Observe the situation between Konoha and Kumogakure first, then decide whether to advance or withdraw based on the outcome.
That was undoubtedly the strategy that maximized Iwagakure's interests.
What a formidable individual…
Ōnoki silently sighed inwardly before turning his gaze back toward Rokushiro.
"Today's meeting with Lord Rokushiro has truly been enjoyable. Unfortunately, as Tsuchikage, I still have many matters awaiting my attention, so I'm afraid I cannot continue entertaining you."
"Not at all, not at all."
Rokushiro quickly snapped out of his thoughts and stood up with a smile.
"I've already taken far too much of Lord Tsuchikage's valuable time. I should be the one feeling apologetic. In that case, I'll take my leave first."
"Oh, one more thing."
Just as Rokushiro was about to depart, Ōnoki suddenly spoke again.
"I will provide the same level of investment that Konoha offered your organization."
"This…"
Rokushiro instantly looked awkward, unsure how he should respond.
"There's no need to worry," Ōnoki said with a smile, his tone carrying deeper meaning. "The current ratio of coverage can remain exactly as it is. Consider it… my expression of gratitude to your father. And perhaps a greeting gift for the day we eventually meet."
The moment those words landed, Rokushiro immediately understood what Ōnoki meant.
And inwardly, he became incredibly excited.
Because he knew—
His mission had succeeded.
...
Traveling from Konoha to the border of the Land of Hot Water took nearly a full week even for ninja moving at maximum speed.
The Land of Fire was simply too vast.
Honestly speaking, Konoha's total force of slightly over thirty thousand shinobi was nowhere near enough to fully cover such enormous territory.
Especially since the number of true combat shinobi was even smaller.
That was the most fatal problem of all.
Unfortunately, cultivating ninja was never an easy task.
Even after the war, Konoha still had a population exceeding one hundred thousand people, yet only around thirty thousand were actual shinobi.
That fact alone showed how much natural talent the profession required.
Without talent, becoming a ninja was impossible.
Even if someone spent their entire life stuck as a Genin, they would still be considered superhuman compared to ordinary civilians.
Natsuhiko led the force at tremendous speed.
The frontline currently only had around two thousand shinobi defending it, while Kumogakure's mobilization speed was significantly faster than Konoha's.
If they didn't hurry, the situation would become disastrous.
At present, everyone slept only six hours a day at most.
Sometimes even four hours of sleep was considered normal.
Every remaining moment was spent rushing toward the battlefield.
All of Konoha's shinobi understood the importance of this mission, so not a single complaint could be heard.
Of course, Natsuhiko wasn't stupid either.
Even if he had never personally experienced a true war in his previous life, he had watched more than enough war films to understand one fundamental truth.
No matter how physically superior ninja were, charging exhausted troops straight into the frontlines was no different from sending them to die.
That was why he had already chosen their destination in advance.
It was a stronghold located near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water, one that had previously served as a frontline fortress against Kumogakure.
Most importantly—
That location also functioned as a frontline supply depot.
There was an old saying from Natsuhiko's previous life:
Before the army moves, provisions must move first.
Their deployment had been far too rushed, and the logistical supply lines simply hadn't been established in time.
Because of that, securing this stronghold immediately became absolutely essential.
Only by controlling it could Natsuhiko guarantee that this four-thousand-man force wouldn't suffer a collapse in supplies.
And in his opinion, if he could think of this, Kumogakure certainly could as well.
Moreover, that stronghold also served as a natural forward base for invading the Land of Fire itself.
For Kumogakure, it was strategically invaluable.
Which meant there was no doubt that the Cloud shinobi would fight desperately to seize it.
Once that stronghold fell into Kumogakure's hands, they would gain access to massive amounts of supplies while also obtaining a perfect staging ground from which to launch attacks deeper into surrounding territories.
That would become an enormous problem.
Securing the stronghold and using it as a place for the troops to recuperate was Natsuhiko's primary objective.
"Commander Natsuhiko, I believe this location would be ideal for concentrating Kumogakure's forces."
While the army continued advancing, Nara Shikaku suddenly approached Natsuhiko with a map in hand.
Even now, he still couldn't fully understand what Natsuhiko was planning.
Gather the entire Kumogakure army together… and then launch a frontal assault?
Wasn't that practically suicide?
The enemy had the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
What did Konoha have on its side?
If one were to count top-tier combat power, then perhaps Natsuhiko barely qualified as one.
But beyond him?
Shikaku had never denied that Natsuhiko's growth had already reached a level that inspired fear in nearly everyone.
Even so, he still didn't believe Natsuhiko had reached the point where he could completely overturn a battlefield by himself.
After considering every possibility, Shikaku eventually arrived at only one conclusion.
Perhaps… he intends for us to hold off the Fourth Raikage while he personally deals with the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
Honestly, it wasn't a particularly reassuring answer.
Still, this operation had gathered the heads of the Hyūga Clan, the Aburame Clan, the Inuzuka Clan, and the Ino-Shika-Chō alliance.
On top of that, they also had substantial support from the Uchiha Clan.
If all of them joined forces, perhaps they really could restrain the Fourth Raikage.
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko might be able to use Wood Release to suppress the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
As long as he could restrict the Eight-Tails and split the battlefield apart with Wood Release, then Konoha might actually stand a chance.
It was precisely because he had reached this conclusion that Shikaku chose to fully cooperate with Natsuhiko's plans.
And mentally, he had already prepared himself to fight with everything he had.
"Thank you for your hard work, Shikaku-sama."
Natsuhiko nodded lightly before lowering his gaze toward the map.
The location Shikaku had selected was an open plain.
Terrain like that was exceptionally suitable for large-scale shinobi clashes, and more importantly, it was also ideal for Natsuhiko himself.
After all, if the battlefield were surrounded by dense forests, it wouldn't necessarily hinder his combat ability.
The problem was that such terrain would greatly reduce the visual impact of what he intended to display.
Dense forests and mountainous terrain would also provide Kumogakure with too much cover and too many escape routes.
They could use the environment as shelter while retreating—
Or worse, bypass Konoha's main army entirely and strike directly at their rear lines with devastating effect.
That was something Natsuhiko absolutely did not want to see happen.
If only I could use the Nine-Tails' power openly… this would all be much easier.
Honestly, with the destructive capability of a Tailed Beast Bomb, Natsuhiko could reshape almost any battlefield into whatever environment he desired.
That alone would eliminate any chance of enemy flanking maneuvers.
Unfortunately, the techniques he could currently reveal were limited.
Sage Mode.
Wood Release.
Flying Thunder God.
And if he included the Jōgan and the Jōgan Chakra Mode, then technically there were a few more abilities available.
But among all of them, none possessed the straightforward terrain-annihilating force necessary to instantly flatten an entire battlefield.
Wood Release didn't count.
If the area was already covered in forest, adding even more trees would simply block everything from view entirely.
It could be said that in order to secure the achievements and prestige he desired, Natsuhiko had truly gone to great lengths.
"So this is the location…"
Natsuhiko nodded slightly.
"I understand. Have you figured out how to lure them there?"
"To draw them in, the main force will need to continuously maneuver while keeping pressure on them," Shikaku answered after a moment of thought.
His tone carried both confidence and hesitation.
"Maintaining constant movement like that requires extremely strong discipline and execution. The shinobi we brought are capable of it… but there will inevitably be significant casualties."
"As long as it can be done, that's enough."
Natsuhiko nodded calmly before glancing at Shikaku again.
"But what if I told you… that once we lure them there, I have a way to annihilate them all..."
"Is Commander Natsuhiko serious?"
Before Natsuhiko could even finish speaking, Shikaku interrupted him immediately.
"If Commander Natsuhiko truly has a way to accomplish that, then I guarantee the troops will complete every part of your preliminary deployment plan!"
"That's good to hear."
Natsuhiko smiled and nodded lightly.
"Then I'll leave this matter in your hands, Shikak-sama."
Shikaku nodded in return.
Although Natsuhiko hadn't given him a completely clear answer, both of them had already reached a position where certain things simply could not be spoken openly.
Since Natsuhiko was unwilling to reveal more, Shikaku naturally wouldn't continue pressing him for details.
Still, his confidence had risen dramatically.
Perhaps "annihilation" was an exaggeration…
But defeating Kumogakure?
That might truly be possible.
And even in the worst-case scenario, Shikaku had already considered a backup plan.
If all of Konoha's elite forces worked together to suppress Kumogakure's top fighters, there was still hope.
"Oh, right. Shikaku-sama, thank you for cultivating such a talented subordinate."
Suddenly, Natsuhiko spoke again with a faint smile.
"I assume you know Rokushiro?"
"Rokushiro?"
Shikaku nodded immediately.
"Of course. Strictly speaking, we're cousins. I was the one who arranged for him to enter the ANBU in the first place. As for him now—"
"He already convinced Ōnoki to mobilize troops."
The smile on Natsuhiko's face widened slightly.
"Although Iwagakure is only stationing forces at the border for now, I think that alone should be enough, don't you?"
Shikaku froze for a moment before a smile he could no longer suppress spread across his face.
Even if Ōnoki didn't directly join the war, merely massing troops at the border would place tremendous pressure on Kumogakure.
At that point, Kumogakure would very likely be forced to pull part of its military strength back for defense.
And if that happened, the pressure on Konoha's side would naturally decrease significantly.
How could Shikaku not feel pleased?
Unfortunately, before he could say anything further, a Hyūga shinobi suddenly rushed toward them.
"Commander! Kumo shinobi have infiltrated the border! They've already begun attacking the stronghold!"
As they listened to the report from the Hyūga clan member, both Natsuhiko and Shikaku instinctively frowned.
Neither of them understood how Kumogakure's forces had managed to infiltrate this deeply.
There were supposed to be two thousand Konoha shinobi stationed along the frontlines.
And despite those defenses already being thin enough as it was, the enemy had still managed to break through?
At that thought, Natsuhiko couldn't help shaking his head slightly.
One of the reasons he wanted to confront Kumogakure on open plains was precisely to prevent situations like this from happening.
Yet now, the exact scenario he wanted to avoid had unfolded right in front of him.
Fortunately, the infiltrating force appeared to be relatively small.
If a full-scale Kumogakure army had slipped through instead, then neither he nor Shikaku would merely be frowning right now.
Frontline strongholds like this were generally easy to defend and difficult to attack.
If the enemy truly managed to seize it completely, then even if Natsuhiko could retake the position afterward, the best outcome would merely be reclaiming the fortress itself.
"That's fortunate… It's only a small infiltration unit. Otherwise, this would've become a real disaster."
Natsuhiko muttered inwardly before continuing aloud.
"That stronghold serves as the supply point for the two thousand frontline shinobi. There should be guards stationed there, correct?"
"Yes, Commander Natsuhiko."
The Hyūga ninja immediately nodded.
"However, the number of defenders isn't particularly high. It's only a standard defensive force. They likely never expected Kumogakure to break through this far."
"I understand."
Natsuhiko nodded calmly.
It was troublesome, but still manageable.
At that moment, Shikaku also spoke up.
"The enemy force probably isn't large. Their objective should simply be to seize the supply depot.
"If they cut off the supply line for those two thousand frontline shinobi, they could eventually encircle them or force them to retreat, allowing Kumogakure to secure an extremely advantageous strategic position."
"Yes, Shikaku-sama."
The Hyūga ninja nodded once again. "My Byakugan sees roughly one hundred enemy shinobi. Not a particularly large force"
The Kumogakure infiltration unit truly wasn't large.
At most, it numbered only around a hundred shinobi.
Meanwhile, Konoha had four thousand ninja here.
No matter how one looked at it, wiping out the enemy should have been effortless.
It could only be said that those Kumogakure shinobi had exceptionally bad luck.
Even though Konoha's force was already exhausted from days of nonstop travel, four thousand against one hundred…
There was no need to even think about how such a battle would end.
After thinking for a moment, Natsuhiko suddenly spoke.
"You all rest here. I'll handle them myself."
"Commander Natsuhiko?"
Shikaku froze for a second when he heard that.
"You alone…?"
"Don't worry." Natsuhiko let out a light chuckle before turning toward the outside.
"Actually, it's more convenient if I go alone. Moving the entire army over there would only create unnecessary complications."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure shot forward at astonishing speed.
To be honest, Natsuhiko wasn't trying to show off.
The real reason was much simpler—
He didn't want Kumogakure learning that Konoha's main force had already fully arrived at the border.
Of course, this kind of information couldn't remain hidden forever. Kumogakure's spies within the Land of Fire would eventually discover the route Konoha's army had taken.
But every extra day the information remained concealed would create greater pressure on Kumogakure.
At the same time, it would also give Shikaku more room to execute the plan properly.
In Natsuhiko's opinion, luring Kumogakure toward the designated battlefield was actually very simple.
All they needed to do was pretend to lose ground gradually.
However, Shikaku clearly had better ideas regarding strategic maneuvering, and Natsuhiko had no interest in interfering unnecessarily.
There was a saying from his previous life that he always remembered well:
Leave professional matters to professionals.
Even after transmigrating into the Naruto world, he still firmly believed in that principle.
"Commander Shikaku… is this really appropriate?"
Watching Natsuhiko disappear into the distance, Hyūga Hiashi stepped forward and quietly asked.
He had been standing behind Natsuhiko and Shikaku the entire time, so he naturally heard the report from his clansman.
Although that Hyūga shinobi had shown him absolutely no respect—not even sparing him a glance—Hiashi didn't take it too seriously.
The conflict between the Main Family and Branch Family was already something everyone in Konoha knew about.
Since it couldn't be hidden anyway, Hiashi had long stopped caring about appearances.
More importantly, he had already made up his mind.
No matter what happened, he intended to resolve the problems that had plagued the Hyūga Clan for generations during his era.
Perhaps… I should ask Commander Natsuhiko for help.
That thought had existed in Hiashi's mind for quite some time now.
When the Hyūga Clan had faced its greatest crisis, it was Natsuhiko who had stepped forward and shielded them.
Even though the clan had now been dragged into war as a result, Hiashi accepted it willingly.
Besides, the changes within the Uchiha Clan were something he had witnessed personally.
The Uchiha had once been isolated to an extreme degree, yet they had still been pulled back from the edge.
If even they could change, then perhaps the Hyūga Clan's internal issues—no matter how troublesome—might still have hope as well.
Because of that, Hiashi truly didn't want anything to happen to Natsuhiko.
In his eyes, going alone to confront over a hundred Kumogakure shinobi was simply too reckless.
Even though he had witnessed Natsuhiko's strength before, a ninja should still remain cautious whenever possible.
Shikaku merely sighed softly and shook his head.
"We'll follow Commander Natsuhiko's orders for now."
However, after a brief pause, he lowered his voice and continued.
"Gather the Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka clan heads. Hm… bring the Uchiha as well. Let's go take a look ourselves, just in case."
"Understood." Hiashi did not object in the slightest.
He immediately sent people to summon everyone.
The people who arrived were almost all clan heads or figures of similar status.
Only Uchiha Haru looked somewhat awkward standing among them.
Still, no one paid much attention to that.
The group quickly rushed toward the stronghold together.
Yet the moment they arrived…
Every single one of them froze in place.
...
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