Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Jiang Si and Chi Tu then suddenly realized what was going on.

"So that's why that hero of Konoha took the initiative to concede when the situation was still relatively favorable."

Their own reinforcements were arriving soon, but the enemy's reinforcements would take two or three hours. This time difference was enough to kill the remaining Konoha ninja army several times over, including Jiraiya. If he were caught in the siege of Shoji, Huangtu, Chitu, and Han, and then faced with three layers of thousands of Iwa ninja troops, he would be in serious trouble.

Even someone as strong as Jiraiya would be defeated here.

Even when you enter Sage Mode, it's the same.

Are the generals, Huangtu, Han, and Chitu any pushovers?

Therefore, Jiraiya's choice was the most reasonable. He must have known this information in advance before arriving, which is why he was so decisive. However, Shoji did not feel any regret, even if time could be turned back and they had learned about their team's reinforcements in advance.

Just like the commander, he would not take the initiative to intercept the retreat of the Konoha troops.

To reiterate, Jiraiya's presence is too intimidating. Even if Huang Tu and Han's reinforcements arrive quickly, it will still take them twenty or thirty minutes to arrive. If they were to force their way in, who knows who would be the one to suffer!

Moreover, from a holistic perspective, this is absolutely not a suitable place to engage in a bloody battle with Konoha. Although it is necessary to inflict serious damage on Konoha, it is still important to control the intensity of the conflict and not let the Cloud Ninja sit back and watch the fight unfold.

The three families are currently in a rather delicate situation. Although Konoha is the most dangerous, the three families are still in a relationship where one move affects the whole situation. Although I don't think any of the Third Hokage has the courage to do so, war is a dangerous thing. What if two families go all in here?

It doesn't matter who wins or loses anymore.

The Cloud Ninja, who will be watching the show from the sidelines, will definitely be the biggest winners. Konoha doesn't want to see this happen, and neither do the Iwa Ninja.

The contest has only just begun.

The main force of the Iwa ninja, regrouped.

This place originally belonged to the Land of Fire. On this day, nearly 5,000 Iwa ninja officially entered the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold where the Konoha ninja were stationed. This was the first time since the establishment of Konoha that a ninja army from another country had entered the Land of Fire on such a large scale.

The Wuyuan Mountain stronghold is not a particularly important defensive area, but the apparent significance of its occupation far exceeds its actual value. It is foreseeable how drastic the impact will be when this news spreads throughout the Land of Fire and even the ninja world. Especially in the Land of Fire itself, from daimyo and nobles to ordinary people, everyone will begin to worry about their safety after living in their comfort zone for more than fifty years.

The chain reaction that can result from breaking out of this comfort zone can be quite terrifying.

This is also the main reason why Shikaku had planned to stop in the Wuyuan Mountain area even if it meant inflicting a major defeat. As a Konoha ninja, he had to consider factors at the national level.

However, the tiny gap in his plan, which could hardly be considered a flaw, meant that his plan had already failed at least halfway. The loss of the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold would inevitably force Lu Jiu to readjust his plans.

Huang Tu, who had just arrived at the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold, also learned more accurate information from Jiang Si and Chi Tu. Upon hearing that Jiraiya, who had not appeared for several years, had actually arrived at the front line, he was shocked.

A hint of surprise appeared on Huang Tu's honest face: "That hero of Konoha has appeared on the battlefield so quickly? It seems that Konoha has made some preparations in advance!"

"Yes, so, Huang Tusang, I think we also need to readjust our strategy!"

Jiang Si nodded slightly, then spoke with a solemn expression.

The sheer number of Jiraiya alone, or even the combined force of six or seven thousand Konoha ninja, was not enough to warrant serious consideration from Shoji, given that his own ninja force had also dispatched a total of five thousand. However, the combined power of the two forces required Shoji to proceed with caution.

Not to mention Nara Shikaku, who is known as the intellectual ceiling in the original work, appeared on the western front. Shoji's current strength is still far from the level of his ancestor who could overcome all odds with sheer force. Shoji cannot ignore Nara Shikaku's existence. A person who is good at planning can greatly enhance the strength of his army!

One wrong move and they, the Hidden Stone Village, could suffer a crushing defeat.

Five thousand people—that's already a full third of Iwagakure's strength. If they all perish here, Iwagakure will definitely suffer a devastating blow.

Konoha, Kumogakure!

Those in high positions must consider the whole picture carefully before acting.

"Jiang Sijun, what do you mean?"

Huang Tu looked at Jiang Si with a thoughtful expression and asked.

"What I mean is, it's time for Kumogakure to make a move. As we made an 'alliance' with each other before the war, and Iwagakure has already shown its sincerity, we should remind Kumogakure to fulfill its obligations. Otherwise, the 'alliance' will be meaningless!"

Jiang Si spoke with a very solemn tone, even emphasizing the word 'alliance'.

Although I'm reluctant to say it, if Kumogakure really doesn't intend to take action, Iwagakure might really have to stop here, and even have to retreat from the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold. The reason is simple: this is within the Land of Fire, and the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold isn't really so important that Iwagakure has to defend it.

Iwagakure has no interest in fighting Konoha to the death over such a worthless area. If they can swallow the entire Land of Grass and bring it under their sphere of influence, then Iwagakure's military action this time won't be a loss.

Therefore, whether or not to launch further military operations depends on the wishes of the Hidden Cloud Village. Of course, before making a real decision, we must be firm where necessary and not let the Hidden Leaf Village gain any advantage, both on the surface and in substance!

"Yes, I understand what you mean, Shoji. Right now, we do need Kumogakure to step up our efforts. We can't let Iwagakure bear all the pressure!"

Previously, the attacks were all initiated by Konoha. Konoha agreed to the demands of Kumogakure while firmly rejecting the demands of Iwagakure, and even dispatched reinforcements to stand up to them. If Iwagakure gave up, they would only become a laughing stock in the ninja world. Therefore, regardless of the final outcome, at that moment, not to mention their original plan to include the Land of Grass in their sphere of influence, it was still very necessary to fight a battle for this reason alone!

Now that its strategic goals have been initially achieved, it's time to be a little more conservative.

Saving face has been achieved (by launching a direct attack and defeating the enemy once).

They've also acquired the substance (referring to conquering the entire Land of Grass and infiltrating into the Land of Fire).

At this juncture, Iwagakure has gained the initiative and can now advance or retreat as needed, forcing Kumogakure to choose sides!

There is absolutely no such thing as a completely sweet deal where you don't have to take any responsibility at all!

Chitu nodded emphatically, while Han remained calm. His orders were simply to follow Huangtu's instructions, appear when necessary, and play his part. He had no need or interest in other matters.

"I'll handle the liaison with the Cloud Ninja. I'll communicate with the Tsuchikage beforehand. Akatsuchi, you'll be in charge of liaising with Arai-san. The Tsuchikage has arranged for another batch of reinforcements and supplies to come. You must ensure the safety of our logistics routes and the passageways on both sides with Arai-san. At this critical moment, we can't let go of any useful information!"

While the frontline army is advancing, a portion of the forces in the rear will definitely need to be redeployed. Although Iwagakure needs to take care of both Sunagakure to the south and Kumogakure to the east, one of them was just crippled last year, and its southern fortress fell into the hands of its own ninja village, greatly reducing the pressure on its defense. The other is the same; its main force is stationed in the Land of Hot Springs, and the forces deployed in the border region facing the Land of Earth are not very large.

Therefore, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, could easily allocate the troops in his own ninja village.

In addition to stationing a certain number of garrison troops on both sides of the border and keeping a necessary mobile reserve force, Onoki could also transfer at least four or five thousand more people to the southeastern front line, but the current situation does not actually require sending that many more people.

According to the established plan.

Onoki also dispatched more than a thousand people as reinforcements to re-enter the Land of Grass. Even if the front line decided to retreat, there was absolutely no reason to spit out the Land of Grass, which was already a piece of fat meat swallowed up by his own ninja village!

Even without frontline needs, it is essential to send additional troops to strengthen control.

With their own focus shifted forward, Huang Tu was still somewhat worried that Arai alone might not be able to control the situation. Akatsuchi was the most suitable person to go and assist him. This was also to prevent Konoha from being too ambitious and even reaching some unspeakable secret agreement with Kumogakure, intending to swallow up the army that Iwagakure had sent to the front line. Further strengthening their own retreat route was also a necessary measure.

"Yes, don't worry, Brother Huangtu!"

Akatsuchi also understood the importance of this mission. In the previous war, the Iwa ninja had already suffered a similar great loss. This time, no matter what, they must stabilize their rear and absolutely not allow Konoha to find any opportunity to take advantage.

"I'm entrusting you with the task of reconnaissance and further probing at the front lines, General. If the intelligence is correct, Konoha's reinforcements should be arriving soon, either tonight or tomorrow morning. They will definitely launch a probing attack. You can make your own judgment based on the situation, unless the enemy's army advances in large numbers. Do you understand?"

It's impossible for more than 5,000 Iwa ninja to all be crammed into a single Wuyuan Mountain stronghold. Not only could the stronghold not accommodate so many ninja, but even if it could, if they were all concentrated together and the surrounding area was left open, it would give others an easy opportunity to surround them.

That was a stupid decision!

The most reasonable formation is to set up the main base in the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold, and then expand outwards from there in two tiers.

The meaning of Huangtu is to have Jiangsi lead a portion of the Iwa ninja to advance further into the Land of Fire and build a defensive line mainly for reconnaissance. In the past ninja wars, there were very few large-scale clashes between ninja armies. Instead, the two sides would pull each other along a line and then engage in small-scale clashes in a certain area.

Ninja battles are not wars between ordinary soldiers!

"Yes, I understand, Huang Tusang, please rest assured!"

Jiang Si straightened his body and responded loudly.

"Han Sang, I'll need you to stay vigilant during this time, as we may need your help!"

After Jiang Si finished speaking, Huang Tu turned to look at Han, who was sitting on the other side, and said in a deep voice.

Jiraiya!

One of the legendary Sannin of Konoha.

He is a Kage-level powerhouse recognized throughout the ninja world.

Even though Huang Tu never personally fought Jiraiya, the reputation of the Sannin was forged with blood. Although Jiraiya was indeed very cheerful and heroic in the original work, as someone who became famous in the ninja world from the Second Shinobi World War onwards, the number of ninjas from various countries who died at Jiraiya's hands was definitely over four figures!

This nearly forty-year-old hero of Konoha is undoubtedly a pinnacle figure in the ninja world.

He was someone even his own father, the Tsuchikage, praised highly.

Huang Tu would naturally not be careless or lax in any way, and he would not care about the so-called issue of face. As long as there was a real need in the later battles, Huang Tu would absolutely not mind joining forces with Jiang Si and Han to besiege this hero of Konoha.

To talk about the so-called pride of the strong in war is a joke!

There is only one truth in war: victory!

"Ok!"

As a Five-Tails Jinchuriki who experienced the Second Shinobi World War in his childhood, Han naturally understood Jiraiya's strength and could comprehend the meaning behind his son, the Tsuchikage's, words. Han Yi had no objection and nodded emphatically in response.

The same tactical strategies were also modified.

As Huang Tu, Jiang Si, and others felt the pressure and slowed down their own pace to redeploy their battle lines, on the other side, Jiraiya, who was covering the retreat of the front-line troops, also encountered the reinforcements led by Shikaku midway through their retreat.

It can be said that almost the moment he received the intelligence from the scouts at the front, Shikaku was 100% certain that his Wuyuan Mountain base had fallen. Although he was shocked by the actions of the Iwagakure Village, Shikaku had not been unaware of the worst-case scenario and had immediately changed his strategy.

He immediately issued an order for his reinforcements to halt on the spot. With the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold already lost, he had to find a suitable location to build a new defensive line that could not only block the southward advance of the Iwa ninja army as much as possible, but also ensure that it would not further provoke the nerves of some people in his own country and village.

353. Double-sided pressure

No feedback is needed!

Shikaku could easily guess how intense the reactions would be from the daimyo, nobles, Hokage, and elders in Kyoto when the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold fell and the Iwagakure army infiltrated into the Land of Fire. This was the first time such an event had occurred since the founding of his ninja village!

In the past, although there had been instances of foreign ninjas invading the Land of Fire, they were always small-scale forces, with a maximum number of no more than a hundred. Given the long border, it was absolutely impossible for the Konoha ninjas to stop these invading forces, especially when it was an invasion by some extremely powerful elite Jonin or even a near-Kage level ninja. It was considered lucky if the Konoha ninjas in the strongholds weren't killed off by them.

The high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire and the village leaders would naturally not blame these issues, but this time it was different. The complete loss of a border defense line, the gap that was directly torn open, and the number of Iwa ninja reported in the previous intelligence alone was as high as 5,000. This kind of large-scale invasion will definitely cause panic among many people in the country!

Lu Jiu knew very well that he could not retake the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold in a short time, so he had to prevent the panic from spreading further, even if it meant paying some unnecessary military costs. He had to understand that in any world, military issues could never truly be just military issues!

Shikaku is the 'genius strategist' of Konoha!

This point needs to be clearly understood. Of course, finding the most appropriate balance between the two is also a great test for Shikaku. Fortunately, the northwestern region of the Land of Fire has more mountains and hills than the large plains of the southeast, so it is relatively easier to find a suitable area for defense.

Shikaku quickly located a relatively open area on the map where it would be easier to detect the movements of the Iwa ninja and send troops to block their attack as soon as possible. Then he immediately made the corresponding defensive deployment!

Although the loss of the Wuyuan Mountain stronghold was indeed beyond Lu Jiu's expectations, from the perspective of the overall plan, it was still within the controllable range, and in a sense, it might even be beneficial to the plan he had previously formulated.

It can make the countries of the ninja world, especially the Hidden Cloud Village, see the 'weakness' of Konoha. I can't say for sure that it will divert the Hidden Cloud Village's attention, but it will definitely increase the Hidden Cloud Village's vigilance towards the Hidden Stone Village. In terms of hatred, among the five great ninja villages, the resentment between the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Stone Village is currently the highest.

This is not one-sided, but two-way. You can't just see that the Third Raikage died in the siege of Iwagakure. You also have to see that more than a thousand, nearly two thousand Iwagakure ninja died at the hands of the Third Raikage, and countless others were seriously or lightly injured!

Even if some Iwa ninja survived, there were countless examples of them becoming permanently disabled and unable to become ninjas again. The families of these Iwa ninja who died in battle must be the ones most hostile to Kumogakure. The Third Shinobi World War had only ended less than four years ago.

The hatred between them is irreconcilable, which is the most important premise for Shikaku to formulate this plan. Now, what Konoha needs to do is to deepen this point, weaken the presence of their own ninja village, and continuously increase the threat level of Iwagakure.

Only in this way can Konoha temporarily extricate itself from this crisis. It is not necessary to see the Cloud Village and the Rock Village go to war. Anything that can allow their village to avoid being attacked from both sides at the same time is acceptable!

One against two.

The current Konoha doesn't really have that kind of confidence.

The Third Hokage had lost the courage and spirit of his prime. Shikaku, as the head of a great ninja clan in Konoha, possessed exceptional wisdom and was naturally one of the clearest observers!

"What did you say? Lord Jiraiya was also in the retreating ranks?"