Chapter 359: The Battle Plan
With the Akatsuki officially declaring war, the war machine of Kumogakure began to move.
At the village gates, groups of shinobi were constantly coming and going at all hours.
Some were rushing to deliver the latest war updates, while others scattered in different directions to gather intelligence on enemy movements.
Kumogakure's logistics department was also operating at full capacity. A steady stream of supplies—weapons, medicine, food, and more—was transported to the village's warehouses in preparation for the upcoming conflict.
In the command center of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage, A, stood before a massive tactical map, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
Surrounding him were the village's elite jōnin, all of them wearing grave expressions.
"The Intelligence Division has deployed our best shinobi to the borders. We will gather intel on the Land of Snow's movements as quickly as possible," one intelligence officer reported.
Raikage gave a slight nod, remaining silent in contemplation.
Seeing this, the shinobi hesitated before speaking again. "Raikage-sama, do we really have to go through with this? In the previous war, we never gained the upper hand against the Land of Snow…"
"So what? Do you want to sit back and wait for death?" Raikage cast a cold glance at the shinobi, making him break out in a cold sweat before looking away. "We have no choice. This is our final gamble. Logistics!"
"Raikage-sama, our reserves are sufficient to sustain a prolonged war."
The logistics chief subtly signaled his colleagues to step back, avoiding unnecessary trouble, before stepping forward to report. "However, to be safe, we've already reached out to allied nations for additional support."
"Tell the Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water that if they don't fully cooperate in this war, they'll suffer the consequences."
Raikage's tone was icy. "Ensure the front lines never run out of supplies. We cannot afford to be weakened due to resource shortages."
"Yes!" The logistics chief quickly retreated.
Without waiting for further orders, the senior jōnin, knowing that Raikage's decision was final, began their status reports.
"The Land of Fire has mobilized an army of 20,000 shinobi and is stationed at the border."
"The Land of Earth, heavily damaged from multiple wars, has only 15,000 battle-ready shinobi."
"The smaller nations have gathered a combined force of 15,000 shinobi."
"So, including our forces, we have around 70,000 shinobi? Our losses in previous wars were truly severe…"
Raikage nodded, dissatisfied, then turned to his diplomatic officer. "Inform Tsunade—I am heading to the Land of Fire immediately."
One of the Land of Fire's conditions for joining the war was that Tsunade would serve as the supreme commander.
On this matter, he—or rather, Nagato—had no objections.
Raikage himself lacked the ability to command large-scale battles, and he was well aware of that.
Meanwhile, as one of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade had been active throughout the previous great wars. Entrusting her with this role was acceptable.
But in the end, this war wouldn't be decided by the nations alone.
Looking up at the sky, the Deva Path's eyes deepened.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's power…
—
In just a few days, the dark clouds of war spread across the entire shinobi world. Like a sudden, violent storm, it caught civilians completely off guard.
The once peaceful lands were now filled with tension, and the relations between nations grew increasingly volatile.
Inside the Fire Nation's war council chamber, Shikaku Nara stood before a massive projected map of the shinobi world, his expression grave.
Pointing at the border between the former Land of Wind and the Land of Rain, he spoke:
"According to the latest intel from our reconnaissance units, the Land of Snow's forces are stationed in this region—approximately 40,000 troops."
"Of these, around 20,000 are puppet soldiers. These puppets are immortal, possess high regenerative abilities, and are incredibly durable. The best way to deal with them is through sealing techniques."
As soon as Shikaku finished speaking, murmurs spread through the room.
The gathered shinobi were all experienced veterans of the previous shinobi wars, each with their own tactical insights, making it difficult to reach an immediate consensus.
However, as the discussion progressed, they gradually aligned their views.
Once the framework of the plan was settled, Shikaku began a detailed briefing on their battle strategy. He pointed at various locations on the map, explaining their deployment strategy.
"Based on our analysis, the Land of Snow's forces are concentrated in this narrow region."
He pointed to a specific area and continued, "I recommend a three-pronged attack: one force engaging from the front, while two others flank from the sides. Additionally, we should deploy a highly skilled special operations team to infiltrate enemy lines and sabotage their command centers."
"The front-line force's primary task is to draw enemy attention and keep their main forces engaged."
Shikaku went on, "The flanking units will push forward rapidly to sever their supply lines and cut off their escape routes. The main battle force, led by three Kage, will concentrate our strongest fighters to engage the Land of Snow in a decisive confrontation."
"As for the Land of Earth…"
At this point, Shikaku paused and turned to Kitsuchi. "Deploy a force to reinforce their defenses. Prioritize a defensive strategy and hold the line until the main battle's outcome is decided."
The Land of Earth was currently facing the main forces of the Land of Water and was already at a disadvantage. If no reinforcements were sent, a breach in their defenses would threaten the northwestern borders of the Land of Lightning.
Kitsuchi sighed and nodded. "I have no objections. Thank you for the support."
Against the Land of Water… they honestly had no idea how long they could hold out alone.
Both Tsunade and Raikage nodded in agreement, accepting the arrangement.
With the tactics decided, the council now had to face the most difficult problem of all.
Raikage's voice grew heavy. "Hyuga Fuji and the Land of Snow's elite warriors… how do we deal with them?"
A heavy silence fell over the war room.
No one wanted to say it aloud, but they all understood—the outcome of this war would be grim if no one could stand against Hyuga Fuji.
The combined forces of the nations, as they currently stood, were no match for the Land of Snow's top fighters.
"Bring out all your trump cards."
Raikage's gaze swept across the room as he spoke. "This is our last chance. Are you really going to hold onto them, take them to the Pure Land with you, and die with your secrets?"
The leader of Takigakure sighed under Raikage's piercing gaze. "Our village can use the enhanced Hero Water to rapidly produce a batch of elite jōnin."
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss was sealed by Konoha. We would like it returned." The Kusagakure leader looked embarrassed. "It's our village's greatest weapon."
Previously, in an attempt to gain greater influence, Kusagakure had released the monster from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, resulting in its sealing by Konoha. Currently, Konoha was in possession of the box.
"That's acceptable," Tsunade agreed, then hesitated before adding, "With support from future technologies, we've managed to unlock nearly half of the countermeasures against Edo Tensei. We can use them. Leave the strongest reanimated shinobi to us."
"The Land of Earth's clone army has human rights—I'll negotiate with them…"
Seeing that everyone was willing to bring their hidden weapons to the table, Raikage finally smiled in satisfaction.
"Hyuga Fuji will be handled by us—the Land of Lightning!"
(End of Chapter)