Chapter 143: A Decisive Battle!

That night, as the large-scale battle between Konoha and the Sand and Mist Ninja unfolded, it signaled that the Third Great Ninja War had entered a new phase.

Both Kirigakure and Sunagakure had launched simultaneous attacks on Konoha!

Before dawn broke, Hanzo of Amegakure received the intelligence from his subordinates.

"As expected, the war has erupted!"

Hanzo snorted, "No wonder Konoha was so eager to form an alliance with me, even promising to help me quell the unrest in the Land of Rain."

One of his subordinates quickly asked, "Lord Hanzo, should we ally with Konoha?"

Hanzo replied indifferently, "No need!"

"We won't participate in this war."

The current turmoil in the Land of Rain was caused by Konoha, Iwa, and Suna. Now that these major villages were fighting each other, why would he get involved?

...

When Shūichi opened his eyes, the sky was just beginning to brighten. He realized that he had fallen asleep while sitting and was now leaning against one of Asuka's shadow clones.

This also reassured him that Asuka's real body was safe.

"Asuka, how's the battle going?" Shūichi asked, stretching and feeling refreshed.

Asuka responded, "The Mist and Sand Ninja have both launched large-scale operations. The intelligence war has broken out fully. However, since it's just the beginning, the battles haven't been too intense. The Mist and Sand forces withdrew shortly after brief engagements."

Shūichi nodded at this. "Retreating after the first clash—it's part of their intelligence gathering."

"But I can imagine that the upcoming clashes will be much fiercer."

Once they find a weak spot in Konoha's defenses, the Sand and Mist Ninja will either launch a large-scale assault into the Land of Fire or send elite teams to infiltrate and wreak havoc on Konoha's supply lines and rear areas.

Gathering no intelligence and recklessly sending troops into the Land of Fire would undoubtedly be a foolish move.

After washing his face by the river, Shūichi turned to Asuka and said, "Asuka, you guys should retreat and rest now."

"Understood," Asuka nodded, and her figure dispersed.

In less than 15 minutes, Uchiha Shisui and the others returned.

After a sleepless night filled with battle and pursuit, the three of them were visibly exhausted. They hurriedly ate some soldier pills, drank some water, and immediately fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Shūichi formed hand seals, creating several shadow clones to continue executing the same tactics as the previous day.

...

In the northern border of the Land of Wind, at the main Iwa front line headquarters:

After listening to the report sent by Chiyo's messenger, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, fell into deep thought.

He was well aware of Shūichi Hoshita, having fought against him before.

Though he hadn't personally witnessed Shūichi's battle with the Third Kazekage, he had heard a detailed account of it from Madai.

It was hard to believe that the young boy from back then had grown so strong, capable of killing elite shinobi like Madai and Feilian.

"That guy was targeted by Iwa because of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki. He once defeated the Four-Tails Jinchuriki..."

Rasa pondered, "Konoha's White Fang, Sasori of the Red Sand... Could he be the one who killed the Third Kazekage?"

He couldn't help but make this startling hypothesis.

After learning from captured Iwa Ninja that Shūichi was targeted by Iwa due to his victory over the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rasa had considered this possibility but quickly dismissed it. However, given Shūichi's current display of strength, Rasa was forced to reconsider the theory.

"Whether it's him or not, anyone who can single-handedly wipe out Feilian's entire battalion of a hundred is a threat. Besides myself, only the One-Tails can suppress him."

Rasa quickly made up his mind and immediately issued orders to have Monk Bunpuku escorted to the Land of Rivers.

As for Iwa's forces...

Rasa contemplated, "We must settle the fight here quickly and move our forces to the Land of Rivers."

"Even if we can't invade the Land of Fire, we must take control of the Land of Rivers."

He realized that extending their influence into the Land of Birds would be incredibly difficult.

Although Iwa Ninja were inferior to the Sand Ninja in quality, their numbers were vast, and his army was now struggling to make any progress.

"Perhaps..."

A fleeting thought crossed Rasa's mind about negotiating with Iwa, but he immediately dismissed the idea.

Even if there were negotiations, Sunagakure could not be the one to initiate them!

...

In the afternoon, at Iwagakure, in the Tsuchikage's office, the village's high-ranking officials were engaged in a heated debate.

Half an hour earlier, they had received intelligence that the Sand and Mist forces had engaged with Konoha.

Onoki had immediately convened a high-level meeting.

Unlike the swift consensus they reached on going to war with the Sand Village last time, this time they were divided over whether to launch an attack on Konoha.

"Though I hate to admit it, Konoha is indeed the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages."

"Right now, even though Konoha is being attacked by both Sand and Mist, the forces they've committed aren't substantial. It's not the best time to strike."

"That's right. Konoha has already bolstered its forces at the border, indicating they're prepared for us. We should gather more intelligence on Konoha's forces before making a decision."

"Or we could wait until Mist Ninja invade the Land of Fire from the east or until Kumogakure makes a move before we strike!"

"But if we wait too long, we might miss our chance. Konoha's strength is undeniable. If they repel Mist and Sand before we act, no one will be left to divide their forces."

"Exactly. If we attack now, Sand and Mist will have to increase their forces, and even Kumogakure might join the fray."

"We could even negotiate with the Sand Village and launch a joint attack on the Land of Fire!"

...

Listening to the heated arguments from both sides, Onoki furrowed his brows and gave a slight cough before speaking, "First, we need to gather more intelligence, especially on Konoha, the Sand, and Mist Ninja forces, as well as Hanzo's stance in Amegakure."

"Previous intelligence indicated that Konoha has been trying to win over Hanzo."

Onoki's words quickly brought an end to the debate, and the Iwa higher-ups nodded in agreement.

With the decision made, Onoki's orders were swiftly passed down, dispatching more Iwa Ninja squads straight to the Land of Rain.

Meanwhile, due to geographical reasons, Kumogakure only received the news from their spies by evening.

Unlike Onoki's formal meeting, the Third Raikage merely consulted with Jonin such as Tutai before deciding to remain patient and wait for the right opportunity.

Even though his heart was eager to start a war and seize benefits.

...

In the Land of Rivers, at the Mist Ninja base, Hozuki Shingetsu wore a grim expression, feeling like his heart was bleeding.

Despite having issued an order to retreat whenever encountering Shūichi Hoshita, the losses continued to mount rapidly.

Even retreating after encountering Shūichi was difficult!

But the worst part was that they were only fighting shadow clones. No matter how many forces he mobilized for a siege, it was pointless.

From yesterday to today, they had already lost nearly 300 people.

Shingetsu never expected one person to be capable of such devastation.

"That damn brat..." Shingetsu cursed under his breath.

He realized that his options were now severely limited.

One option was to locate Shūichi's real body and concentrate his forces to eliminate him.

However, new intel from the Sand Ninja revealed that this brat likely mastered some kind of space-time teleportation jutsu, making it almost impossible to corner him.

The other option was to request reinforcements from the village, strong enough to contain Shūichi Hoshita.

But the thought of asking for help because of a single brat... Shingetsu immediately rejected that idea.

It would make him seem incompetent!

After weighing all options, there seemed to be only one choice left.

That was to launch a full-scale assault on the Land of Fire as soon as possible.

Although the exact positioning of Konoha's forces wasn't clear, based on previous spy reports, Konoha's total forces in the Land of Rivers didn't exceed 1,500 troops.

"As long as we can crush Konoha's main force, Shūichi won't be able to do anything."

"Focus our strength on breaking through one point..."

Hozuki Shingetsu mused, "If Konoha's forces are greater than mine, then I'll employ infiltration tactics to destabilize their entire border defense. This would give Sunagakure the chance to break through both inside and out."

This plan was incredibly risky, especially given how vital Sand's cooperation would be, particularly in such a disadvantageous position.

"But Konoha's forces won't surpass mine. At most, they'll be about equal."

"As the attacking side, I hold the initiative!"

Gazing at the map, Hozuki Shingetsu slapped his palm against it, making up his mind.

He would launch the full-scale assault on Konoha that very night!

Immediately, Hozuki Shingetsu issued the order to recall all scattered Mist Ninja squads.

...

Mist Ninja's sudden movement was quickly noticed by one of Shūichi's shadow clones, and Shisui, Pakura, and Asuka reported the oddity to Shūichi after retreating to his main body.

This wasn't just one or two small squads pulling back. Through his crow clones, they could see that many Mist Ninja squads, previously engaging Konoha's forces, were suddenly retreating.

After listening to their intel, Shūichi didn't make a hasty decision but waited quietly for feedback from his shadow clones.

As time ticked by, towards the evening, one of the shadow clones monitoring the Mist Ninja dispelled, and its memories flowed back to Shūichi.

He couldn't help but be taken aback. "Are they really that desperate?"

His tactics had indeed been quite vexing—deploying shadow clones and, along with Asuka and the others, hunting down Mist Ninja everywhere.

At times, his shadow clones had even brazenly blocked Mist Ninja right near their main camp.

It was overly audacious!

And now, the Mist Ninja had suddenly withdrawn all their forces, gathering them together for a full-on assault, seemingly caring little about Konoha's defensive positions.

After thinking for a moment, Shūichi sent another shadow clone to monitor the Mist Ninja's actions, then turned to Shisui and said, "Shisui, can you have your crow clones deliver this information to the rear?"

"The Mist Ninja have suddenly concentrated all their forces. It looks like they're preparing for a full-scale assault into the Land of Fire."

Uchiha Shisui nodded, and not far away, a flock of resting crows immediately took flight.

At the same time, at the Sand Ninja front-line headquarters, Chiyo received the news from the Mist Ninja and agreed to Hozuki Shingetsu's plan almost without hesitation.

However, the exact coordination and timing of the attack would depend on the circumstances.

Chiyo believed that even if the Mist Ninja began to lose ground, they could hold out for some time.

It was a favorable plan for them, so there was no reason to refuse.

...

Uchiha Shisui quickly received feedback from his crow clone and relayed it to Shūichi, who had transformed into a mini-version of the Four-Tails. "Shūichi, Lord Orochimaru has begun gathering his forces, but he needs you to return for a moment."

Shūichi opened his eyes, slightly surprised. "Orochimaru is here?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes, he happened to be patrolling nearby."

Shūichi transformed back into his human form. This time, instead of using a shadow clone, he teleported back directly using the Flying Thunder God technique.

When he met Orochimaru, Shūichi was surprised to hear him say, "Shūichi-kun, how about you take command of this battle?"

Shūichi shook his head. "Neither my rank nor my experience makes me suitable for that."

Orochimaru responded seriously, "But your previous strategies were very effective, weren't they?"

"I need you to hold off the Mist Ninja!"

"Now is not the time for a decisive battle with them."

However, Shūichi had a different perspective. "Lord Orochimaru, I actually think this is a great opportunity to crush the Mist Ninja's main force."

"The Mist Ninja have gathered all their troops for a full frontal assault. If I can get my Flying Thunder God kunai into their ranks, I can disrupt their formation."

"Once their formation collapses, you can lead Konoha's forces in a charge, and the Mist Ninja will surely fall apart!"

Orochimaru smiled. "It seems you've been hiding some of your true strength, Shūichi-kun."

Shūichi replied earnestly, "The ninja world is a dangerous place; it's always good to have some means of survival."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement and said, "Leave the task of placing the Flying Thunder God kunai to me!"

Shūichi immediately handed six kunai to Orochimaru. "It's best to spread them out."

Orochimaru nodded, taking the kunai. "Understood!"

With that, Shūichi left.

He returned to Shisui and the others, and soon after, he received the feedback from his shadow clones. Without delay, Shūichi led Shisui and the group to retreat, heading to rendezvous with Orochimaru's forces.

Two hours later.

On the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, the Mist Ninja army halted on a flat plain.

On the other side of the border, a vast forest stood, where Konoha's forces had also fully gathered.

However, standing at the forest's edge were only a few, including Shūichi and Orochimaru, while the rest of Konoha's ninja remained hidden within the trees.

Orochimaru, observing the Mist Ninja's preparations, turned to Shūichi and asked, "Shūichi-kun, are you sure it's fine if the kunai aren't placed at the center?"

Shūichi fixed his gaze on the Mist Ninja camp. "As long as they're inside their formation, it will work!"

Orochimaru nodded and asked again, "Then... are you ready?"

Shūichi smiled. "Of course!"

"And please be prepared as well, Lord Orochimaru."

As he spoke, a brilliant blue light shone from his forehead.

Yin Seal, Release!

Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique, Activate!

In an instant, solid blue chakra enveloped Shūichi's entire body, forming a divine robe around him.

"What... incredible chakra!"

"What kind of jutsu is this?"

"Shūichi... he's amazing!"

…

Under the astonished gazes of those behind him, Shūichi's chakra cloak ignited with flames, adorned with lotus patterns.

It was a Fire Release Chakra Mode, but it wasn't just Fire Release—it was a combination of Fire and Wind Release.

But Shūichi wasn't finished yet.

After the Yin Seal on his forehead was released, the seal on his abdomen also unraveled.

Boom! Boom!

Two shadow clones, also clad in Fire Release Chakra Mode, appeared on either side of Shūichi.

Meanwhile, in the Mist Ninja camp, after taking a soldier pill and drinking some water, Hozuki Shingetsu noticed the surge of chakra from Shūichi and was shocked. "So this is his true power. Is this what he used against the Sand Ninja?"

"However, Konoha has less than 500 troops. I still have the advantage!"

Shingetsu remained steadfast in his resolve.

According to the sensory ninja, Konoha had only about 420 troops.

But the Mist Ninja still had over 600.

(End of Chapter)

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