Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Attacks and battles unfolded in various locations.

In a short time.

Zhuque, who was stationed at the Tangquanshan stronghold, received a series of urgent intelligence reports from the defense personnel at various strongholds.

Tu Tai was also a ruthless person.

How dare Konoha launch such a raid on a stronghold?

Then we, the Cloud Ninja, will certainly not admit defeat.

After coercing and bribing the daimyo of the Land of Hot Water to obtain some supplies.

Tutai also immediately rebuilt all the reconnaissance outposts.

Furthermore, they directly deployed more than ten elite squads.

They specifically target and eliminate Konoha squads that are carrying out reconnaissance, patrol, or counter-insurgency missions independently.

While some of this attention is diverted.

39. Fengzui Mountain area

Concentrate superior forces.

He took the initiative to lead nearly four hundred Cloud Ninja, bypassing the Yuquan Mountain stronghold, and launched a surprise attack on Konoha's rear supply depot. This was not for a decisive battle, nor was it to isolate Konoha in the Yuquan Mountain stronghold. Rather, he wanted to deplete Konoha's strategic resources as much as possible and disrupt Konoha's defense plan.

This is a special war.

From the very beginning.

Both Konoha and Kumogakure were fully aware of this.

Each remained within its own local area.

The two great powers will not use too much force, nor will they penetrate deep into each other's borders, because that would be a true act of provocation. Putting aside Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Fourth Raikage A was not prepared for a full-scale war at all. If it weren't for Konoha taking the initiative to send reinforcements to strengthen the border defenses...

The Fourth Raikage, Azir, may not necessarily send a new batch of reinforcements.

Of course, if Hiruzen Sarutobi had known this, he might have considered it more carefully. However, given the previous situation, the Cloud Ninja's aggressive stance and their clear intention to invade the Land of Fire left Hiruzen no room for carelessness. Furthermore, with the Uchiha clan volunteering, the Third Hokage naturally went with the flow, aiming to achieve two goals at once.

But in essence.

We should still try to keep it to a minimum.

Before Tsuchikage led the Cloud Ninja reinforcements off, the Fourth Raikage A gave him similar instructions.

As long as it doesn't tarnish the prestige of Kumogakure.

It did not harm the core interests of the Land of Lightning.

The remaining matters can be left to Tu Tai to decide on independently.

Similar to Suzaku, Tsuchida also advocates that offense is the best defense. Especially since their Hidden Cloud Village was originally the attacker, and now they have suffered such a great loss, there is no reason not to retaliate.

Or they simply changed the attack pattern and rhythm.

Instead of heading towards the Yuquan Mountain stronghold, they deliberately took a longer route, risking certain risks to penetrate deeper into the southern region, almost reaching the Konoha logistics supply point on the border of the Land of Fire. Nara Suzaku was indeed deceived by Tsuchida's actions at the first moment.

Subconsciously, they also strengthened the defenses around Tangquan Mountain.

I thought the other side was going to do the opposite.

The main attack was on the Tangquanshan stronghold.

This is also in line with the usual habits of the Cloud Ninja.

This very point was precisely what the earthen platform used to its advantage.

Fortunately, Suzaku is Suzaku after all. Even though his ability to respond to emergencies is slightly inferior to Nara Shikaku's, his reaction speed is still quite good. After waiting a little longer without encountering the main force of the Cloud Ninja, Suzaku realized what was happening.

Immediately through designated channels.

A warning notice was sent to the rear supply outposts.

At the same time.

The Konoha reconnaissance ninja also relayed the news of the Cloud Ninja's main force detouring south back to the headquarters at Yusenyama.

In a moment of shock and anger.

Just like Zhuque, troops were immediately dispatched to respond.

The two are engaged in a battle of wits and strategies.

The earthen platform is certainly slightly better.

They gained some small advantages, but fortunately, Suzaku reacted quickly enough.

At most, we lost some supplies and destroyed some strongholds, but the casualties were still within a controllable range.

The earthen platform was also extremely cunning.

When the harvest fell short of expectations, they realized that the Konoha commander must have reacted in advance. They secretly praised him and decisively chose to withdraw their troops, successfully retreating back to their own ninja village's territory according to the established plan.

In this confrontation, the Cloud Ninja gained a slight advantage.

It swept away a trace of the gloom of the previous crushing defeat.

Suzaku also rearranged its own defenses, and deployed reconnaissance and security personnel in some key areas.

And after discussions at the front-line meeting.

Some people, including Uchiha Shoji, were actually incorporated into the raiding squad.

It will be used as a dedicated mobile response force.

From then on, the two great ninja villages of Kumogakure and Konoha began a protracted war of attrition in the Land of Hot Springs. The ninja villages of various countries also successively sent their personnel to infiltrate the surrounding areas to gather intelligence. Some wanted to join forces with Kumogakure to suppress Konoha, some wanted to see both sides suffer heavy losses, and some even wanted to see the Fourth Shinobi World War break out directly.

No one cared about the people of the Land of Hot Springs who were caught in the flames of war.

The daimyo of the Land of Hot Water, along with other high-ranking nobles and politicians, were all holed up in their own capital cities, completely unconcerned about the outcome of the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure.

Where has this happened again today?

How many more innocent people have been caught up in this today?

None of these people cared.

They only care about themselves.

The same applies to Konoha.

Even though Suzaku had ordered his ninjas to avoid affecting the general populace of the Land of Hot Water as much as possible, and they did not plunder resources from the Land of Hot Water officials or even the general populace as recklessly as the Cloud Ninjas, sometimes the Cloud Ninjas would disguise themselves as ordinary civilians to attack the Leaf Village ninjas.

Those with a perceptual type are also okay.

If not.

If they're not ruthless, they'll be the ones who get caught.

Therefore, even if it was not their own will, the number of civilians who died at the hands of Konoha was still considerable.

It's not that these civilians are unwilling to relocate, but rather that they lack the means to do so.

Even in the five great nations, there are still those who are extremely poor.

Not to mention the people of these small countries.

And Si Tong witnessed all of these tragic scenes.

It cannot be said that they were completely unmoved; rather, it can be said that the general was willing but powerless. When he could not even take care of himself, any extra mercy seemed ridiculous and foolish.

The current situation.

Which is more important?

Jiang Si understands this better than anyone else.

War is just that brutal!

In the southwestern part of the Land of Hot Water, around Mount Fengzui, lies the largest and most gently sloping mountain range closest to the border of the Land of Fire. Typically, people from the western region of the Land of Hot Water would travel south to enter the Land of Fire.

Most people would choose this path.

There was a time when some hotels were built here to provide accommodation for travelers.

Later, due to high costs and the susceptibility to problems, they were gradually abandoned. Many wooden house ruins still remain in Fengzui Mountain, which can be used by those who are not so particular on stormy days or when it happens to be night.

Therefore, there are still quite a few people traveling along this road.

However, during this period of time...

Ordinary people rarely travel through this area. The reason is simple: this area has been designated as a battleground between Konoha ninjas and Kumo ninjas. In the past few months, Kumo ninjas, mainly in small squads, have often tried to cross Fengzui Mountain and invade Konoha to set up supply depots in the rear.

Once Konoha detects it.

There will inevitably be a corresponding squad coming to intercept them.

General Si was one of them!

This is one of the main areas where the company has carried out interception and sabotage missions over the past six months.

40. Half a year

In this area.

The Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Leaf Village have clashed countless times.

It was a bloodbath. The people of the Land of Hot Water could not even travel back and forth on this road, and they had to think carefully about going out on their daily lives. Once they encountered a battle between ninjas from both countries, or even just a clash between genin, these ordinary people would only die if they were involved. The principle followed by the Konoha ninjas was to try to avoid affecting civilians as much as possible under normal circumstances.

However, if it involves the completion of the mission and one's own safety...

Sorry.

Slaughtering civilians.

For the ninjas of Konoha.

It was just something that happened easily.

Ultimately, very few ninjas in this world truly care about civilians outside their own country. To put it more bluntly, once they leave their own ninja village, what do they care about the lives of civilians in other areas?

During the six months that General Si spent on the front lines.

I've long been used to this kind of atmosphere.

When you have so many worries about your own affairs, you have no mind to care about things outside of yourself.