Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

This is the best chance for our clan to take revenge.

No Uchiha clansman can forget the humiliating scene when their clan was forced to evacuate Konoha a year and a half ago, as well as the cries and tragic state of those clansmen who died in battle.

No revenge.

They don't deserve to be called Uchiha.

The fifty clansmen ultimately selected to be sent to the front lines were all elites of the clan, and they represented the burning flames of revenge of the Uchiha clan.

They were the ones in the Iwa ninja army who were most eager for war and to see Konoha bleed.

The Uchiha clan striving forward.

This marks their return to the Land of Fire after a year and a half.

This time, they are determined to reclaim the glory they once lost!

The decision made.

The army from Iwagakure Village marched straight ahead.

This is an act that is almost impossible and would not be concealed.

The Konoha ninjas deployed in the more forward areas of the Land of Grass also detected the movements of the Iwagakure army almost immediately.

"What? The Iwa ninja have made a move?"

"Quickly, immediately relay the relevant intelligence back to the garrison base and the village!"

The Konoha ninjas who were the first to detect the information immediately made the right choice as their expressions changed. While transmitting the information back to the rear, they gritted their teeth and rushed towards the direction from which the Iwagakure army was advancing.

They need to further investigate the specific movements of the Iwagakure army before they can proceed.

Only in this way can we provide more accurate information to our comrades and enable the commander in the garrison base to make the most accurate judgment.

The two ninja villages began to clash.

While the main force of Konoha reinforcements was still a full half-day's journey from the front line.

The two detachments led by Shoji and Akatsuchi were like two sharp knives, plunging straight into the heart of the western defense forces of Konoha.

Along the way, there were Konoha ninjas who put up resistance, but let alone Shoji and Akatsuchi, just in terms of sheer numbers, these Konoha ninjas on the front lines were like mantises trying to stop a chariot, easily crushed and defeated.

The Konoha Jonin who had been appointed by the Third Hokage as the commander of the western front-line defense force received the news after a short period of time and immediately ordered the Konoha ninjas scattered on the front line to retreat back to the Wuyuan Mountain defense base.

The Konoha ninjas who were sent into the Land of Grass were originally sent out to scout out the movements of the Iwagakure army as much as possible. Now that they have learned that Iwagakure has brazenly marched south, this commander naturally wants to bring these forces back as much as possible.

Of course, the best course of action would have been to advance the army into the Land of Grass and confront the Iwa ninja army.

In the past three Shinobi World Wars, Konoha, and even the Five Great Nations, all adopted this strategy: placing the battlefield within neighboring small countries.

This could greatly reduce unnecessary losses and civilian casualties for their own country, but the strategy Konoha adopted this time was clearly very different from before.

The reason is that Shikaku's plan requires Konoha to appear weak to a certain extent, and allowing enemy ninjas into his country is one of the strategies.

But the main reason is that Konoha simply doesn't have the courage to fight Iwagakure in the Land of Grass anymore, especially since Iwagakure already has the upper hand.

Only by abandoning that area and retreating to one's own familiar territory, where there are established strongholds, can one maximize one's advantages.

Showing weakness depends on the situation.

We can't afford to give up too much and end up being completely defeated.

That was a scene that Konoha could never accept.

---Aside---

On the last day of the Year of the Ox, I wish all my readers a happy family reunion, a joyous Lunar New Year's Eve, and a prosperous and auspicious Year of the Tiger! Also, I have to help with chores this afternoon, and I also have to go out tomorrow, the first day of the Lunar New Year, so I won't be able to write. I'll be taking a day off tomorrow and will try to resume updates on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Please forgive me.

349. The Power of Pressure

If it really turns into a complete rout, even if the Hidden Cloud Village sees the strength of the Hidden Stone Village, it's still uncertain who the Hidden Cloud Village will target. Only if the Hidden Leaf Village can barely hold them off, and the Hidden Stone Village shows a slightly stronger stance, is it likely that the Hidden Cloud Village will turn its attention to the Hidden Stone Village.

To put it simply, it's a matter of controlling the degree.

If things go wrong, Konoha could face annihilation. Even if it's not quite on the verge of destruction, Iwagakure and Kumogakure don't have the appetite or the ability to do so. However, it's highly probable that the two of them could severely damage Konoha, making it take them years or even a decade to recover. They truly have that kind of ability!

Therefore, we must avoid the terrible option of fighting on two fronts.

Nara Shikaku, who devised this plan, naturally became the commander-in-chief of the western front, and followed the first batch of 5,000 reinforcements towards the defense line around Wuyuan Mountain.

Only by personally going to the front lines to command can he grasp the situation at any time and make the most correct judgments. Don't mention things like "it's a sure thing" or similar phrases; those are the words of an ignorant person. In this world, most things require taking corresponding risks.

Shikaku's plan was already the best solution. The only problem is that Konoha now has almost no one who can shoulder the burden. If the Sannin were still alive, and Minato Namikaze were still alive, and one person was sent as the commander on each side of the battle line, no more would be needed. No matter how many troops the enemy sends, our side will send the same amount of reinforcements, and we can definitely stop their invasion.

There's no need for such careful planning and operation now.

The lack of high-end talent.

This is the biggest reason why Konoha had to adopt such a strategy.

Shikaku himself understood this very well; any mistake in his micro-management would inevitably bring devastating damage to Konoha!

Every step of the way, every step forward, requires Lu Jiu to rack his brains.

The decision to retreat the defensive line to the Wuyuan Mountain area was the result of Shikaku's careful consideration. It should be noted that this plan was initially questioned by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. Wuyuan Mountain was located inside the Land of Fire, which was something that had never happened in previous wars. In the more than fifty years since the founding of Konoha, foreign ninjas had only infiltrated small elite units, and there had never been a large-scale invasion of the Land of Fire.

Mitokado Homura was very worried that such a retreat would directly cause panic in the country and question the officials, nobles and dignitaries of the Land of Fire, led by the daimyo, in Kyoto. However, the Third Hokage eventually approved Nara Shikaku's plan. To overcome this crisis, a certain price would inevitably have to be paid.

The Third Hokage had long been prepared for this. He didn't even have the intention of winning the war. Rather, he believed that as long as there was a dignified way to end the war and bring about true peace, it would meet Hiruzen Sarutobi's bottom line.

As long as the Hidden Stone Village can be kept in the Wuyuan Mountain area, the pressure and questions brought by the slight spread of the war to the Land of Fire can be withstood by the prestige of the Third Hokage. Shikaku fully understands this point, which is why he made the corresponding arrangements. However, before the Third Hokage actually speaks, he is still somewhat worried that Hiruzen Sarutobi will hesitate or even disagree.

In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not make a foolish mistake in this matter and chose to fully trust Shikaku's judgment.

The deployment order for the western front-line garrison was arranged in advance by Shikaku. In his view, his own reinforcements were already quite fast. It was impossible for Iwagakure to receive the news in such a short time and then make such a decisive order to attack. With Kumogakure remaining inactive, his own ninja village's deployment at the front line should at least delay the situation for a day or two.

Once his reinforcements arrive at Wuyuan Mountain, even if Uchiha Shoji and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki join forces, he is confident that he can hold off the Iwagakure forces before they reach the Wuyuan Mountain defense line. Furthermore, his Hokage has promised to send at least another two or three thousand reinforcements. With such a force, even without top-tier experts in command, he can still hold the line.

Shikaku was confident that he could carry out the plan according to his own wishes.

However, just as Shoji never guessed Shikaku's plan to feign weakness, Shikaku also underestimated the decisiveness of Shoji and Hikari.

The army of Iwagakure, stationed in the Land of Grass, indeed headed straight south the moment they received the news, advancing all the way towards the Wuyuan Mountain area.

In less than half a day, they wiped out all the strongholds of Konoha Village in the Land of Grass, and pursued the retreating Konoha ninja all the way to the vicinity of Wuyuan Mountain. At this moment, the reinforcements led by Shikaku were still several hours away from Wuyuan Mountain.

"A stronghold in Wuyuan Mountain?"

The general, already covered in blood, led a somewhat depleted force and entered the territory of the Fire Kingdom earlier than Chi Tu. They arrived at a high point less than ten miles from Wuyuan Mountain and gazed at the magnificent defensive complex built against the mountain and beside the water.

Although it cannot compare to the northern fortress that Sunagakure built with all its resources.

However, the defensive outpost established by Konoha Village here can be described as a 'deluxe version'! Moreover, according to the intelligence that Tsukasa had previously learned, the Wuyuan Mountain outpost itself has always been garrisoned by six or seven hundred troops, and is also equipped with Jonin from the Aburame and Hyuga clans to prevent any accidents. This time, in order to guard against the invasion of the Iwagakure army, some of the personnel in the outpost were withdrawn back to the Wuyuan Mountain outpost in advance.

In addition to those temporarily drawn from the garrison base in the neighboring Land of Wind to the due south, as well as those who had returned from the front lines, the number of Konoha garrison troops at the Wuyuan Mountain base at this moment was approximately 1,500.

From a standard configuration standpoint, such a number of defenders could easily hold off an invasion of three to four thousand enemy troops of equal quality for one or two weeks!

Just as the commander led his troops to advance to a nearby position, they were discovered by the Hyuga and Aburame clan Jonin from the Wuyuan Mountain base.

The commander of Konoha Village at the base was immediately notified. Upon receiving the news, the Jonin commander quickly ordered all Konoha ninja at the base to enter combat readiness mode and dispatched the appropriate personnel to relay the message back to the rear as quickly as possible.

He knew very well that his 'strategist' had already led a full five thousand reinforcements to approach the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold. Logically speaking, the enemy in front of him was only four hundred or so, so the commander of the Muye Wuyuan Mountain stronghold should be as steady as Mount Tai.

But it's precisely because of the name 'Uchiha Shoji'.

This is a terrifying existence that can single-handedly replace more than a thousand elite troops.

The Mangekyou Sharingan and Susanoo of the Uchiha clan.

Now, thanks to the deliberate hype and guidance of the Konoha high-ranking F4, it is almost common knowledge in the ninja world. When this Konoha commander clearly knew that it was Shoji who personally led the troops to the stronghold, he naturally dared not relax in the slightest!

Reinforcements are about to arrive.

I just need to hold on for these last few hours.

The responsibility could be completely handed over; in this final crucial moment, the commander did not want to see any unexpected events occur.

"They reacted very quickly and were quite cautious!"

This was a clearly detectable movement trajectory. When the Konoha's rapidly deployed formation came into view, Shoji's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile.

"Lord General, should we retreat a little?"

The Iwagakure Jonin named Gin, standing respectfully to the left of Shoji, asked softly.

"Retreat? No, Gin-kun, it is Konoha that should be feared, not our Iwagakure. Besides, Konoha's reinforcements have clearly not arrived yet. This is a very good opportunity to test the waters!"

Shoji is well aware of his current power ceiling.

While not arrogant, they are also not overly cautious or humble.

When the time came to strike, Jiang Si never hesitated. It had been said before that the massive Konoha reinforcements led by Nara Shikaku would take at least half a day to reach the defense line around Wuyuan Mountain. Now, with their group advancing so quickly to the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold, and the enemy reinforcements clearly still a little way off, Jiang Si was able to achieve this.

This is his best opportunity to make a move.

If the more than 5,000 Konoha reinforcements were to arrive, even if the number of the 400-plus soldiers that Jiang Si had brought were doubled, Jiang Si would still have to retreat obediently. Konoha is not Sunagakure. He is still a long way from his ancestor. If he were to be surrounded by a large army, there would only be one outcome: death!

Now is a point where the balance of power between the enemy and ourselves is just right.

Whether we can break through is another matter, but at least we should test the defensive strength of the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold so as to gather as much useful intelligence as possible before our main force arrives.

"Eh? Are you going to launch an attack on the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold?"

Yin said with a hint of surprise, although he knew very well that his lord was a very bold and reckless person, he really did not expect it to be to this extent. The opposing defense force was three times that of their own, and they also had the advantage of terrain. This did not seem like a suitable opportunity to make a move.

Or at least it would be safer to wait until the other detachment led by Chi Tu arrives before launching an attack.

"Yes, don't worry, Gin-kun. It's just a probing attack. Let's see how the strength of Konoha's stronghold here compares to the northern fortress of Sunagakure. After all, their reinforcements are arriving soon, and this may very well be our last chance!"

Jiang Si nodded slightly, still gazing intently at the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold of Konoha, a faint sharpness flashing in his eyes, and said softly.

"Yes!"

Hearing what Jiang Si said, Yin was slightly relieved. He then smiled to himself. Although his Jiang Si looked very young, he had indeed experienced many great events. To say nothing of other things, just the fact that he led his clan to break away from Konoha and defeated the Fourth Kazekage in a head-on battle last year, helping the Extinction to seize the long-desired northern fortress of Sunagakure, was enough to prove the excellence of this Uchiha Shura.

There's really nothing for me to worry about.

At that moment, after responding immediately, he withdrew to the back to convey the general's orders.

But what are Shoji's true thoughts?

While there was indeed an element of probing, it was equally possible that if the opportunity arose, directly capturing the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold would not be out of the question. Although Huang Tu's order was to advance the battle line to the Wuyuan Mountain area and then temporarily halt, observing the movements of Konoha and Kumogakure, Jiang Si believed that if they could directly take the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold, their side would have greater autonomy in the ensuing war. Whether they chose to hold Wuyuan Mountain, strengthen its defenses, and make things difficult for Konoha, or use it as a forward base to launch attacks at will and truly invade the heart of the Land of Fire.

The power to make all choices will fall into the hands of Iwagakure.