Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

This alone is not enough to be considered the most certain intelligence to be transmitted back to their own ninja village. The reason why Iwagakure is still operating its war machine at full capacity even though it is clearly a local war is to guard against the possibility of Kumogakure and Konoha intervening. Even though the probability of the two ninja villages directly intervening is at most 30% based on all factors, they are trying to ensure that this 30% probability does not lead to the worst possible outcome.

Iwagakure must make some preparations in advance, which also provides Sunagakure, including the spies from Konoha, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure who are lying in ambush in Iwagakure, with the opportunity to gather further intelligence!

Not 100%!

But the probability is already as high as 80% or 90%.

These intelligence agents could no longer afford to have any illusions, especially the intelligence agents from Sunagakure!

"Quickly! Send this intelligence back to the village immediately. We are most likely the target of Iwagakure!"

"Yes!"

The intelligence that needed to be transmitted back immediately was previously uncertain, but now there's at least an 80% certainty. Therefore, it's crucial to inform our Kazekage as quickly as possible so that we can make the best possible response. We must remember that Sunagakure was already at a disadvantage against Iwagakure, and now with the addition of the Uchiha clan, Iwagakure is no longer a force Sunagakure can withstand. The intelligence even explicitly states that the commander of Iwagakure's first wave of troops is Uchiha Shoji, a 'Kage-level' ninja who has only truly risen to prominence in the last year!

This is all very important intelligence. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the only way to maximize your chances of winning a war. In the current ninja world, there is no one who can truly decide the fate of the world in one battle. Even the strongest 'Kage-level' ninja can at most overpower ten opponents in a battle involving hundreds or thousands of people. Once the scale of the war rises to thousands or even tens of thousands, even someone as strong as the Third Raikage will only meet the best possible end. At most, the only difference will be the degree of damage caused. This also applies to Shoji. No matter how strong Susanoo is, his eye power and chakra are ultimately limited!

Of course, running away is still an option, but all of the above is based on a head-on confrontation. If the Third Raikage hadn't been covering his own army's retreat, he wouldn't have been beaten to death. Of course, he was already surrounded, so running away was impossible.

Not everyone is like those three beasts, Tobirama Senju, Minato Namikaze, and Obito Uchiha, who can use space-time ninjutsu. Even those at the Kage level would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Only those at the Six Paths level can truly transcend the realm of mortals.

Oh, let's leave Hashirama and Madara out of the picture. Although they aren't at the Six Paths level either, they are clearly much stronger than Kage-level beings.

Below the Six Paths and above the Shadow Realm, the two of them are classified as a separate category.

These points show that even with the extraordinary power of ninjas, intelligence can still greatly influence the outcome of a war. This is why Nara Shikaku is well-known and feared by all the major ninja villages. A high-quality strategist far exceeding ordinary people can enable a ninja village to exert power far beyond its own limits.

As long as the opponent isn't a monster or freak like Hashirama or Madara.

Nara Shikaku, a strategist who can also be called a prodigy, possesses the power to turn the tide of battle!

Although Sunagakure is much weaker than Iwagakure, its chances of winning are not low if it can obtain the most accurate intelligence in advance and make some preparations accordingly. In the past, Sunagakure, which was considered the weakest of the five great ninja villages, did just that.

These intelligence agents scattered across the country are well aware of the weight of their responsibilities. It is precisely because of this that they are constantly on edge, collecting intelligence that is useful to the village, day and night, and repeatedly verifying it. This is not a matter of ability, but rather a necessity dictated by the situation.

Their reaction was quite fast, but the transmission of information still takes time.

Just as the advance force of five hundred men led by General Jiang Si was about to reach the border area between the two countries, this intelligence information was barely transmitted back to Sunagakure Village, which was located in the central area of ​​the Land of Wind. The head of the intelligence team couldn't help but tremble when he received the news!

The feet quickly took off!

He went straight to the Kazekage Building of his own ninja village and immediately relayed the information to Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.

"What!? The Iwagakure army is on a large-scale operation!? Their target could very well be our village's northern fortress!?"

The moment I saw the intelligence.

Luo Shateng stood up from his seat with a start, his eyes wide with shock, and he asked the Jonin in charge of intelligence in front of him in a sharp voice.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage. Although it's not 100% certain, judging from the reaction of the Iwagakure ninja, it's highly likely. The initial force only numbered 500, but the leader was none other than Uchiha Shoji. And most importantly, our intelligence agents have discovered that Iwagakure is still mobilizing further! We estimate that there's an 80% chance that Iwagakure is targeting us!"

The jonin in charge of the intelligence squad responded with a stern expression.

"The soul is pale!"

As the Kazekage, Rasa knew his own village's situation better than anyone. In recent years, the village had been in a period of transition, and the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars had resulted in consecutive defeats. The first Jinchuriki, Bunpuku, had also succumbed to the ravages of time. The new One-Tailed Jinchuriki was none other than Rasa's own son, Gaara. At this time, Gaara was only two years old and could not possibly use the power of the Tailed Beast.

With only Rasa remaining as the village's elite force, it was a crucial time for them to recuperate and rebuild!

Is Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) really going to start a major war here?!

"Send someone over here immediately to summon Maki, Yura, and Fushi!"

208. The Initial Aggressive Attack (Please Subscribe!)

P.S.: It's the last month of 2021. I hope all my fellow readers will continue to support me. Thank you all!

No matter how much Rasa cursed inwardly, he couldn't change the dire situation. Moreover, Rasa needed to confirm whether Iwagakure's objective this time was a probing attack like they had done before, or a full-scale attack. But regardless of the type, Rasa knew that his village had to immediately enter a state of emergency preparedness.

Iwagakure was already stronger than Sunagakure, and in the Third Shinobi World War, they were victorious, just like Konoha, killing the Third Raikage, who was known as the strongest Raikage of all time. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was hailed as a ninja hero in that era and seemed to be the strongest Kage, he rarely took action. On the contrary, the Third Raikage repeatedly killed people from various ninja villages on the battlefield, and even had the terrifying feat of seriously injuring the Eight-Tails in a direct confrontation. Iwagakure's strength was beyond doubt, given that they could kill such a Raikage. Not to mention that Iwagakure also had its strongest fighting force at the time—the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails. If Sunagakure were to be careless, they would be in a situation of annihilation.

Therefore, Rasa immediately convened an emergency high-level meeting with his most trusted confidants. Before the meeting, he also ordered the intelligence team to immediately transmit this message to the northern fortress, so that the five or six hundred elite Sand Ninja left in the fortress could prepare for battle!

After the Jonin who held important positions in Sunagakure, such as Maki, Yura, and Fugi, arrived with varying degrees of solemnity, Rasa personally presided over this very important high-level meeting.

They issued the corresponding orders and arrangements swiftly and decisively.

Maki, Fugi, and Yura, these high-ranking Jonin of Sunagakure, also received their respective tasks within their duties.

Fengying gave the order.

The entire Sand Village was then fully operational.

Although he was wary of the terrifying strength that Uchiha Shoji had been rumored to possess, Rasa didn't really believe that a mere 16-year-old boy could be that strong. Furthermore, as the Kazekage, Rasa couldn't possibly go to the front lines immediately; that would not only be a disgrace but also irresponsible to the village.

As the Kazekage, he left the village so easily. If another major event occurs, who will take charge?

For these reasons, and just as Iwagakure had predicted, Rasa was unlikely to leave Sunagakure. However, he still dispatched his most trusted subordinate, Maki, to lead five or six hundred elite Sunagakure ninja who had been urgently assembled to the northern fortress to provide support.

After arranging the internal matters, they immediately set about sending people to Konoha to seek help. Unlike Kumogakure, which was large and powerful and arrogant, Maki, under Rasa's instruction, had formed an alliance with Konoha on behalf of Sunagakure during the previous special delegation meeting. Even though they still harbored malice and deeply resented Konoha for ravaging Sunagakure in the Third Shinobi World War and forcibly taking away many mission quotas, they had no choice but to bow their heads under the eaves of others. Faced with the decline of their own village and the geometric increase in the threat level from the north, they had to accept the situation.

Forging an alliance with Konoha is the only way out for Sunagakure.

Of course, Rasa couldn't truly trust Konoha. Not only did he already harbor the idea of ​​seeking revenge against Konoha once his own village regained its strength, but he also took extra precautions in this aid request plan.

The most crucial point is that he will absolutely not allow Konoha's troops to enter the Land of Wind to fight against Iwagakure. He prefers Konoha to launch an invasion of the Land of Earth through the Land of Grass. As for whether Konoha will accept or even send troops, that is not something Rasa can control. But one should think more, shouldn't one?

In short, Rasa had put everything he could think of and do into practice, and it was at this time that the Fourth Kazekage was leading Sunagakure to operate his own village's massive war machine.

It is located at the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.

Jiang Si led 500 elite troops and spent about a day to reach the outpost of his village, which was located at the forefront of the border between the two countries. This place had the most open and wide roads between the two countries. Normally, considering the deployment of supplies and personnel, and not counting small groups of troops that went deep into the interior to invade, this was the best place for Iwagakure and Sunagakure to engage in battle.

If either Sunagakure or Iwagakure wants to launch a full-scale attack and occupy enemy territory, they must prioritize opening up this area. Sunagakure clearly values ​​this more than Iwagakure, and has deployed nearly a thousand troops in this area year-round. They have also built a giant fortress, with more than two-thirds of the forces in the border region stationed in the fortress.

The rest are distributed among other small reconnaissance outposts.

These strongholds and the northern fortress are military strongholds that Iwagakure has been longing to conquer for two or three decades but has never been able to!

Of course, the main reason is definitely not a lack of strength, but rather the constraints from various aspects. In his youth and prime, Onoki was quite ambitious, and his main target, like the successive Raikage of Kumogakure, was Konoha. The Land of Fire is so rich, and Konoha is so strong! If not him, who else would they target?

As he grew older, his views changed somewhat, but in essence, they remained the same. If it weren't for Shoji's trip to the Land of Snow, Onoki's initial plan was to wait a year or two until the Uchiha clan and Iwagakure had finished their adjustment period before preparing to attack Konoha. After all, the Uchiha clan's hatred for Konoha was one thing, but the fact that Kumogakure and Konoha had been locked in a stalemate on the border, with constant minor skirmishes, was something Onoki had witnessed.

To consider Konoha as the primary objective is a duty one must fulfill.

This southward strategy was indeed changed because of Shoji's trip to the Land of Snow. As long as this region is captured, the supply of 'lanthanum metal', the raw material for manufacturing chakra armor, will be completely solved. In a few years, even if Iwagakure does nothing, as long as the chakra armor can be equipped on a batch of Iwagakure ninja, the strength of Iwagakure will experience a leapfrog growth!

Therefore, this northern fortress of Sunagakure is a place that Onoki and the entire Iwagakure are determined to obtain!

As someone who experienced it firsthand, Jiang Si understands this very well.

Upon arriving at the front lines.

"Immediately assemble all frontline troops and launch the first surprise attack on the northern fortress of Sunagakure!"

Thanks to Onoki's appointment.

Shoji immediately took over command of all the Iwa ninja on the front lines.

He gathered all his forces except for the necessary personnel to guard the stronghold, and assembled them together with the more than 500 Iwa ninja he had led.

The magistrate will arrive on the day of his arrival.

They launched a surprise attack on the northern fortress of Sunagakure!

Although Onoki and Kyoto both said there was no need to rush, Shoji's goal was clear: to take advantage of his own strength before the Sunagakure reinforcements arrived.

'Take down the northern fortress in one fell swoop!'

209. The Initial Roar

At only fifteen years old, and having joined Iwagakure just over three months prior, Uchiha Shoji had virtually no prestige in the village. The more than five hundred Iwagakure ninja he led, along with the elite border guards who joined him, truly had no one who, apart from Uchiha clan members like the Eighth Generation and En, trusted him.

Of course, this was something that could have been expected.

However, in the ninja world, the strong are respected. Putting aside the strength that Jiang Si displayed three months ago that shook the ninja world, just the powerful and chilling aura emanating from him as he stood in front of these Iwa ninjas was enough to make ordinary ninjas tremble. This made these Iwa ninjas realize how terrifying their deputy commander was!

In addition, there was the direct order from Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage. With these two factors combined, even if the Iwa ninja were unwilling, they would at least obey. Moreover, this was a war mission involving the village's major strategic objectives. Being assigned to guard such an important border area and being the first batch of advance troops, the Iwa ninja were all people who knew the importance of things. They would never deliberately cause trouble and ruin the plan, as that would be courting death!

Moreover, among the first batch of 500 Iwa ninja recruited by Huangtu, three or four were Jonin similar to Date, who silently and completely obeyed the orders of the Tsuchikage Onoki. These Iwa ninja truly had no subjective opinions and would only obey any orders from Onoki, the Tsuchikage!

These people can greatly help the commander control the troops below, and eliminate the last bit of hidden danger.

For all these reasons, the commander's orders could still be carried out smoothly within this group of nearly a thousand Iwa ninja soldiers.

Ninjas are supposed to obey orders, so it was almost under Shoji's command that the hundreds of elite troops from the border quickly gathered, along with the more than five hundred Iwa ninjas led by Shoji himself, bringing the total number of participants to nearly a thousand.

After a short rest, he discussed the next marching route and siege formation with the most important Jonin colleagues in the unit.

Once everyone has assembled.

"out!"

"Yes!"

Jiang Si led the vanguard and charged straight toward the northern fortress of Sunagakure, which was located dozens of miles away.

At the same time.

The northern fortress of Sunagakure Village.

"What!? Lord Kazekage has given an order?"

"Quick! Quick! Quick! Get ready!"

Just over half an hour ago, Bai Jiale, a Jonin from Sunagakure who was in charge of the northern fortress, received an order from Rasa to immediately put the Sunagakure ninja guarding the fortress into a state of combat readiness. Not long after, the scouts scattered in the northern area reported back that a large amount of chakra fluctuations were heading straight for them.

'You bastard!'

It was obvious that Iwagakure was about to launch another war against Sunagakure. Gabriel gave orders to slow down the Iwagakure army's advance as much as possible, and also to speed up the defense of the fortress, especially the use of barriers and various traps that had been laid in advance!

Furthermore, he immediately ordered the conscription of the Sand Village ninja guarding the rear outposts. At this critical juncture, even adding a few dozen more genin would increase the chances of the fortress holding out. How did Sunagakure defend this northern fortress in the past? It was all thanks to the sacrifices of its people! This time will be no exception!

"Maki and his reinforcements will arrive in a day and a half at most. If I can withstand this first wave of attacks, we can then enter the same stalemate as before!"

After all the arrangements were made in advance, Gabriel stood on the highest point of his fortress, gazing far to the north, a sharp glint in his eyes, and murmured to himself.

According to intelligence, the first advance force of Iwagakure, together with the border troops, numbered only about a thousand. Although this number was more than the number of Sand Ninja in their fortress, they were the defenders and could rely on terrain, barriers, traps, and other defensive forces to resist.

Having served in the northern fortress for ten years, Gabriel was confident he could withstand the attack from Iwagakure. So what if it was Uchiha Shoji? So what if his Mangekyou Sharingan was powerful? He was still just one person!

This commander of the northern fortress of Sunagakure, who was only in his thirties, had never actually fought against a Jonin of the Uchiha clan. His knowledge of the Uchiha clan's strength was limited to rumors, let alone the mysterious eye technique, the Mangekyou Sharingan.

From his perspective.