While Konoha was fervently preparing for war, the Iwagakure forces finally arrived, albeit belatedly. They maintained a distance of thirty kilometers from the Kumogakure forces, watching each other from afar.
A joint command post was established in the middle ground between the two armies. However, calling it a "joint command" was a stretch—it was merely a precautionary measure to avoid accidental friendly fire before the war officially began.
At this moment, the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and the Third Raikage, A, had gathered together with their personal guards.
"You sure took your time getting here, Ōnoki," the Third Raikage said bluntly.
The Kumogakure forces had stormed through multiple defenses, crushing the border troops led by Orochimaru and arriving here days ago. If it hadn't been for Danzo's reinforcement troops, the Raikage might have been able to push straight to Konoha.
Of course, the Third Raikage would never actually do that.
Even if Kumogakure somehow managed to defeat all of Konoha's forces, it was impossible to do so without suffering heavy losses. And with Iwagakure still lurking in the background, such an outcome would be disastrous.
The Third Raikage was well aware that the alliance between Kumogakure and Iwagakure was not as stable as it appeared on the surface. If Kumogakure suffered severe losses, Ōnoki, that old fox, wouldn't hesitate to stab him in the back.
Compared to the swift advance of Kumogakure, Ōnoki's Iwagakure forces had moved much more slowly.
After all, they had to remain constantly vigilant against an ambush from the "Yellow Flash," greatly reducing their marching efficiency.
Hearing the Raikage's taunt, Ōnoki retorted without hesitation, "You'd better be careful when you sleep. You wouldn't want to wake up and find the Yellow Flash standing right at your bedside."
The Third Raikage burst into laughter and pounded his chest. "Let him come! If that brat dares to show up, I'll make him understand why I am called the 'Strongest Spear' and the 'Strongest Shield'!"
Hearing the Raikage flaunt those titles again, Ōnoki let out a cold snort.
Admittedly, "Strongest Spear" and "Strongest Shield" did sound far more imposing than his own title, "Both Scales."
His own title always carried an air of pettiness... something he had always found quite unsatisfactory.
"Enough with these pointless discussions," Ōnoki said, floating midair with his hands behind his back.
The two Kage stood atop a mountain peak, surveying the vast, rugged landscape before them—layer upon layer of mountains and dense forests.
A serious expression crossed Ōnoki's face. "According to our intelligence, Konoha has already deployed a large portion of its forces in this region. It seems they intend to use this unique terrain to engage us in a decisive battle."
Such a complex terrain made large-scale, coordinated attacks extremely difficult.
First, it was hard for different units to coordinate without risking friendly fire.
Second, the environment greatly limited the effectiveness of large-scale ninjutsu, drastically reducing their impact.
As a result, both sides would be forced to rely on small squads for infiltration and combat.
This kind of battle resembled the brutal urban warfare that Danzo had seen in his previous life—where both sides continuously poured troops into a relentless, bloody struggle.
The Third Raikage, however, remained unfazed.
"So what? We have more troops than they do—what's there to be afraid of?"
"Besides, don't forget that our Kumogakure warriors specialize in taijutsu. This kind of terrain actually works in our favor!"
Ōnoki rolled his eyes.
Sure, the terrain was advantageous for Kumogakure, but it severely restricted Iwagakure's large-scale combat ninjutsu.
He reminded the Raikage, "Don't forget, Konoha has a large number of sensory-type ninjas. This kind of complex environment works in their favor too."
But the Third Raikage remained indifferent.
"So what if they can sense us? We'll just crush them head-on!"
Ōnoki was growing irritated by the Raikage's repeated insistence on brute force.
Fight, fight, fight!
That's all he ever thinks about!
What a brainless musclehead!
Noticing Ōnoki's hesitation, a trace of disdain appeared on the Raikage's face.
"Ōnoki, don't tell me you're scared?"
He then spoke in a more serious tone.
"Konoha chose this terrain for the battle to maximize casualties on both sides."
"They want to use heavy losses to force us to retreat. Don't fall for their tricks."
The Raikage's voice carried a heavy sense of urgency.
"We're already at the point of no return."
"If we don't quickly eliminate Konoha's main forces, our supply lines won't hold out much longer!"
Faced with the Raikage's pressure and warning, Ōnoki responded coldly, "I know that already!"
Gritting his teeth, he continued, "Don't worry. Now that things have come this far, I won't back down."
With that, he floated away with his hands behind his back.
Watching Ōnoki's departing figure, the Third Raikage's expression grew even more contemptuous.
Cunning old fox.
He wants to defeat Konoha and claim the spoils, but he's unwilling to suffer heavy losses.
As if such a perfect outcome were possible.
The Raikage gazed at the rugged battlefield ahead, as if already seeing the countless corpses that would soon litter the land.
Sacrifice is necessary for gain.
Only by taking down Konoha, this toughest opponent, could Kumogakure truly rise to become the undisputed number one in the shinobi world!
Meanwhile, on Konoha's Side
Under Danzo's summons, Tsunade finally arrived at the battlefield.
Without hesitation, she offered the assistance of the Slug Sage.
"I've already spoken with Katsuyu. It has agreed to help us in this war."
"That's good," Danzo nodded.
He then quickly divided the troops into numbered squads according to a pre-prepared list.
Each squad consisted of three members and was assigned a fragment of Katsuyu to maintain communication with the command center.
Danzo and Shikaku Nara remained at the command center, overseeing the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Minato, and Fugaku were on standby, ready to deploy as needed.
With everything in place, Danzo issued his first order:
Deploy all reconnaissance squads in a large-scale spread, sending them approximately fifteen kilometers away from the command center.
In reality, Danzo's vision extended beyond fifteen kilometers.
The extra one or two kilometers acted as a buffer, preventing the enemy from pinpointing the exact limit of their scouting range.
This bold move left several high-ranking officers stunned.
Those were valuable reconnaissance squads!
Spreading them out so far—wasn't Danzo afraid they'd be ambushed and wiped out by the enemy's scouts?
Danzo reassured them, saying everything was under his control.
To him, these reconnaissance teams were like his extended tentacles, allowing him to monitor the entire battlefield.
Once an enemy was caught within his sight, they would have no chance of escape—just like prey ensnared in a giant net.
(If your happiness is chapter, then my happiness is your power stones)
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