Chapter 156

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Hiruzen tossed and turned, sleepless again.

So were Homura and Koharu.

The news of Kyomu and Fugaku joining forces had not escaped their notice.

One Kyomu was already difficult to manage, and now with the Uchiha involved, it was adding fuel to the fire.

Similarly, the conflict between Kyomu and the Konoha F4 had intensified to an extreme. If not for the war pressing down, they would have probably taken action against Kyomu long ago.

And no one, except for Danzo, held out hope of subduing Kyomu anymore.

"Hiruzen, the frontlines are suffering heavy casualties, and the resource depletion is severe. The Daimyo is very dissatisfied," Utatane lamented. "The Daimyo has sent another pressuring delegation. You must think of something, otherwise the Daimyo might..."

In fact, the pressure from the Fire Daimyo on Sarutobi and others was not unreasonable, as the war had reached a critical stage.

Unlike the previous two Shinobi World Wars, which ignited within the borders of smaller nations caught in the crossfire, this time, due to a shortage of forces and simultaneous three-front battles, the defense lines had shrunk repeatedly, bringing the flames of war to the Fire Country for the first time.

If it were only one front, it might have been bearable, but with all three fronts collapsing, the signs were all there for the fall of the Fire Country.

"I'll explain personally to the Daimyo." Sarutobi clenched his fists. "It hasn't come to that yet; I still have one last card to play."

"The Daimyo may not want to hear that," Mitokado interjected, the nightmare of barking like a dog seeming like a distant memory. "Hiruzen, the Daimyo wants to see positive news from the battlefield, not how many kilometers our defenses have retreated today or plan to retreat tomorrow.

Moreover, the Daimyo has specifically demanded that Kyomu be sent to the battlefield. I've tried to explain, but the Daimyo... he only wants victory."

Sarutobi's hand, clutching his pipe, turned slightly pale, and he was silent for a long while before looking up again, "I will dispatch a thousand-man reserve to the Iwagakure battlefield to help Minato achieve victory there as soon as possible.

If that fails, make it two thousand!"

Sarutobi was really going all-in; these two thousand were ninjas from the Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans, the core forces of their families.

"Hiruzen, this..." Utatane hesitated this time. "If we can't achieve results and even suffer heavy losses, we might..."

"Do we let Kyomu switch locations and continue to build his reputation?" Sarutobi slammed his hand down hard on the table, shaking it violently. "I believe this outcome would be far worse than any losses we might face!"

"But what about the Daimyo..."

"Stall, stall for a month!" Sarutobi's tone rose sharply, then quickly fell. "If it's still not working, then send Kyomu, give him the minimum men and the harshest battlefield conditions.

Apart from Kyomu, deploy all combat-capable Uchiha ninjas."

Sarutobi was now beyond pretending, "If they can still win under those conditions, then I would rather hand over the future of the village!

But if they can't, it's their own fault, their own doing!"

Utatane and Mitokado exchanged glances, nodding in unison. The latter then asked Sarutobi.

"Hiruzen, how many men will we allocate to Kyomu?"

"All combat-capable Uchiha ninjas, plus the newly graduated Genin, and the original First Shinobi World War squad under Kyomu," Sarutobi played a particularly harsh and hateful move.

"Isn't that too obvious?" Utatane still wanted to save face, but Sarutobi shook his head resolutely.

"Assign Kyomu's forces a defensive order, allowing them to retreat whenever necessary, just holding on until one of the two remaining battlefronts achieves victory," Sarutobi had already thought out his strategy. "If successful, Kyomu's troops won't stand out, making it easier to limit them after the war.

And if they fail, we can send reinforcements at any time, and given the combat power of Kyomu and the Uchiha, even in defeat, they would deal a significant blow to the enemy, which would be beneficial for us.

Moreover, if need be, there's always room in the Memorial Stone for both Kyomu and the Uchiha."

"If you've thought it through, then I support you," Mitokado spoke up.

"So do I."

Sarutobi nodded at them both, then waved his hand dismissively, "Go on then, remember to keep the Daimyo calm. I only need a month, just one month."

Mitokado and Utatane left, and Sarutobi turned to a personal letter from Orochimaru, reading it again before making a decision.

"The Reanimation Jutsu should come in handy." Sarutobi stood up and entered a secret room, copying down the Reanimation Jutsu and sent it to Orochimaru using a confidential method.

And Orochimaru, with a face full of glee, was pleasantly surprised. He had only tried on a whim, not expecting Sarutobi to actually give it to him.

This had to be thanked to Kyomu and the Uchiha; without them, Orochimaru would have had to steal the jutsu from the Hokage office, just like in the original narrative.

Of course, whether Sarutobi had any ulterior motives was unknown.

But no matter what, Orochimaru getting his hands on the Reanimation Jutsu relatively legitimately already showed how much Sarutobi had been cornered.

During war, many conflicts are inevitably hidden, and Sarutobi understood this well, knowing not to dig his own grave.

Now, all he could rely on was what he considered the 'Hokage-aligned' forces.

—

One month later.

With an additional two thousand men supporting Minato's division at the Iwagakure battlefield, the situation of being suppressed by the Iwagakure no longer existed; Minato even managed a counterattack.

Simultaneously, Danzo's attempt to instigate conflict between Iwagakure and Kumogakure had failed. He turned to lead his Root ninjas into Amegakure, planning to prompt Hanzo to join the war against Iwagakure.

The instigation was fairly successful. Under Hanzo's instructions, Amegakure began frequent skirmishes with Iwagakure, with the justification of not wanting Amegakure to fall into prolonged warfare.

This was the best solution Hanzo could come up with after being battered during the Second Shinobi World War; he had lost his previous zeal and only wished to protect Amegakure, avoiding offending both sides as much as possible.

His hedging strategy was clear to Danzo, but strong-arming wasn't a good approach. However, after Root discovered through investigation that an idealistic peace organization had seriously annoyed Danzo.

Peace should be achieved through strength, not dreams, persuasion, or mutual understanding.

Initially, Danzo didn't want to get involved, but the leader of the Akatsuki, Yahiko, had influenced many Amegakure ninjas with his ideology, complicating Danzo's plans to ally with Amegakure.

Even Hanzo's stance had begun to waver.

This wouldn't do.

Danzo began to act, aiming to completely eradicate the Akatsuki from Amegakure and force Hanzo to fully side with Konoha.

When it came to playing political games, Danzo was quite adept.

But Danzo's every move was monitored by Madara through Zetsu; nothing was secret to him.

"Zetsu, you can go ahead with what I've entrusted to you," Madara waved his hand, watching as Zetsu submerged into the ground and disappeared.

"Kyomu, become a pawn in my hands, and accept your fate!" Madara was excited, "The turning point I have prepared for you will be a surprise, won't it?"

Ha, ha, ha!

Madara's Uchiha-style laughter echoed through the valley cemetery, while Black Zetsu, hiding in the shadows, also smirked silently.

The plan was perfect, and everything was progressing smoothly.

—

Two more months of war dragged on, and Sarutobi could stall no longer.

"What exactly is going on with Minato, what is it!" Sarutobi pounded the table frantically, "Isn't it just two Jinchuriki from Iwagakure, why can't they be dealt with, why!"

This remark could make one think that Tailed Beasts were as common as cabbages.

Mitokado wanted to say, not everyone can step on Tailed Beasts to fame like Kyomu did, twice in a row.

"Send Kyomu to the battlefield," Sarutobi sat back, powerless. "I can't bear the Daimyo's pressure any longer; if we delay further, I really might be forced to step down."

Thinking it over, Sarutobi made arrangements, "Don't move Tsunade's division; let Jiraiya and Minato join forces, and send Kyomu along with the remaining combat-ready Uchiha and this month's newly graduated Genin to the Kumogakure battlefield.

And remember, logistics must keep up; besides needing reinforcements, whatever they want, give them, and don't leave any handles."

"Alright, we'll arrange it right away," Mitokado and Utatane nodded and left the Hokage's office.

Soon, Kyomu received the news that he was being redeployed to the battlefield.

"I knew it, whenever it's my turn to go to the battlefield, it's never at a good time."

Snorting, Kyomu left his residence, meeting up with Fugaku leading a large group of Uchiha ninjas.

The momentum was impressive, and every ninja there was elite, none below the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin.

"Fugaku-senpai, you received the orders too?"

"I did, and... Kyomu-sama, you are our commander."

Fugaku quickly changed his address, giving Kyomu full respect.

It's easy to lift a sedan chair together, and Fugaku didn't mind offering extra warmth and praise to an ally.

"Then let's go, Fugaku-senpai." Kyomu led the way. "This is a tough battle, unprecedentedly tough."

"Weaklings complain about their circumstances." Fugaku replied.

That response was more deft than Obito's adolescent sophistry and was full of Uchiha swagger.

Very Uchiha.

When Kyomu led the Uchiha and arrived at the assembly area, his face turned pale.

Child soldiers, a group of children with an average age of just seven.

"Homura-senpai, this is the ninja force I'm supposed to lead?" Kyomu glared at Homura.

"Kyomu!"

"Address me as Kyomu-sama!"

Kyomu stepped forward, his hand resting on the handle of his sword, and the Uchiha behind him stepped forward in unison.

"This is arranged by the Hokage, and you only need to hold your positions, no need for hard combat, you can retreat at any time and anywhere."

"So, if we retreat to the village gates, is that okay?" Kyomu asked coldly.

Mitokado could bend or stretch under Kyomu's pressure, still able to provide a good explanation, "Yes, but the collapse shouldn't be too fast; you can retreat to the village gates only after victory on the Iwagakure battlefield.

This shows the village's confidence in you, Kyomu-sama. After all, the Thunder of Konoha, the Miracle of Konoha, the God of War of Konoha..."

"Heh, I understand, but don't regret it." Kyomu interrupted Mitokado and waved him off.

Standing on the assembly platform, Kyomu shouted loudly.

"Everyone, assemble!"

The response was immediate, though there were less than nine hundred in number.

"My name is Aragami Kyomu, and I have many-"

"Kyomu-sama!"

"Kyomu-sama!"

"Kyomu-sama!"

Before he could finish, the cheers from below cut him off. Although young, the children had graduated from the Ninja Academy filled with the spirit of the Will of Fire and tales of Kyomu's legends.

Their natural adoration spurred a strong trust and dependency on Aragami Kyomu.

"Ha!"

Kyomu chuckled and then raised his right hand high, feeling that words were inadequate at that moment.

"Gentlemen, offer me your loyalty, and I will deliver you victory, and do my utmost to bring you home, trust me!"

Before the cheer could rise again, Kyomu swung his hand forward, "All forces, march!"

Kyomu walked at the forefront, instructing Fugaku who was beside him.

"Fugaku-senpai, I plan to reach the front lines in ten days."

"I will use the fastest methods to teach these children how to survive on the battlefield," Fugaku immediately understood and began to give orders.

His heart softened by the gesture, and so were the other Uchiha.

Their original intention for founding Konoha with the Senju was to hope that no more half-grown children would have to fight on battlefields.

But time is a circle, and everything had come full circle to the starting point.

Soon, every Uchiha ninja was assigned at least ten team members, using the most brutal methods and the harshest words to compress and instill their war experiences into these newly graduated Genin's minds.

"Don't blame these gruff, ill-spoken Uchiha."

Approaching the Kumogakure battlefield, Kyomu spoke up for the Uchiha, "Once you survive the battlefield, you'll understand what they've truly taught you."

Kyomu's words fell, and the Uchiha ninjas looked uncomfortable, even collectively claiming they were too weak to deserve to be their teammates, and they wouldn't bother speaking to these idiots if not for orders.

Shaking his head, Kyomu didn't expose them, "Gentlemen, my favorite battlefield is right ahead, follow me, and let me lead you to experience the joy of victory!"

"Hurrah!!"

The morale was high, everyone marched forward, and Fugaku watched Kyomu's back, lost in thought.

Kyomu seemed a perfect hybrid of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, harmoniously blending the strengths of both.

Unexpectedly, this made one want to follow him unconditionally...

(End of chapter)