The Man Who Destroys Everything
Back home, Yemo told his older sister, Kushina, about the war. Kushina was completely unaware that Yemo had participated in the war. In her opinion, Yemo was too young; he was only eight years old. Even if he was the undisputed Tenten one genius in the Shinobi World, so what?
In Kushina's eyes, he was just her younger brother, nothing more. Kushina had experienced war since she was a child and knew how terrible it was. She didn't want Yemo to be involved in war again at such a young age. The last war between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had already worried her to death.
Moreover, this time it is even more dangerous. With only three hundred ninjas, they have to hold off the Kirigakure Ninja for three days. Without reinforcements within three days, anyone can see that Yemo and his group are in grave danger, with a slim chance of survival.
Kushina almost went to the Third. She was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and had already sacrificed enough for the village. At worst, she could go to the battlefield, but she couldn't let her younger brother go. He was only eight years old. He had a lot of time and many things in the world waiting for him to experience.
In the end, it took Yemo a lot of effort to persuade his older sister. Amidst Kushina's tears, Yemo slung his backpack over his shoulder and left home to go to the battlefield.
Unbeknownst to Yemo, not long after he left, Kushina left home and went to the Hokage's office to see the Third.
As soon as he left home, Yemo toward the village gate. Along the way, he encountered many ninjas carrying backpacks who were leaving their homes under the watchful eyes of their families. Everyone knew that this was likely a one-way trip, so many of them left behind their wills.
Yemo did not do that. Although the battlefield was terrifying, Yemo did not believe that the battlefield alone could take his life. He had finally transmigrated to the Hokage world and there were still many things he had not done. How could he die on the battlefield?
Upon arriving at the village entrance, a large number of ninjas had already gathered. Like Yemo, they all bid a brief farewell to their families, then took their weapons. The situation was urgent, and there was no time to waste. They held a meeting in the morning and set off at noon—it was that swift.
Yemo spotted Shikaku and the others in the crowd at a glance and walked over. To Yemo's surprise, the ninjas who had participated in the Chunin Ninja Exams a few days ago were all there.
Of course, it wasn't just Yemo and his two companions who were Chunin. Shikaku and his group were also Chunin now. After the Chunin Ninja Exams, the village held its own Chunin Ninja Exams, and Shikaku and his group all passed them.
Shikaku and his Shikaku were already quite strong. Being selected from among many Genin to represent Konoha in the war was enough to prove their talent and strength. However, the Chunin Ninja Exams were too difficult, with many villages gathered together, so it was normal for Shikaku to hear that they didn't pass.
Only four teams managed to make it to the end and pass the Chunin Ninja Exams, and even the prestigious Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, didn't have a single team pass.
These fifteen were the youngest among the three hundred, all around ten years old. This group of kids stood out like cranes among chickens, attracting the attention of many ninjas. Yemo was the youngest, only eight years old. However, no one dared to underestimate Yemo's strength. The power Yemo unleashed Chunin Ninja Exams was something even many Jonin would be ashamed of.
"What's going on? There's a bunch of kids involved. What are the higher-ups thinking?"
"This is war, not some children's game. Besides, they are the future of the village; how can they go to the battlefield with us?"
"Who knows? The higher-ups have their own ideas. Maybe they're training them. Don't underestimate these kids; they're stronger than some long-time Chunin."
The crowd was buzzing with discussion about Yemo and his group, but most people didn't understand the higher-ups' actions. They felt that this operation was extremely risky, and even if they wanted to train new recruits, there was no need to put the village's future in such a perilous situation.
Before long, all the ninjas gathered, and Orochimaru appeared as well. Due to the war, Orochimaru was not wearing casual clothes today, but a purple combat suit. Not only Orochimaru, but everyone was wearing combat suits. They were about to face a war, not child's play, and no one would joke about their own life.
"I don't want to waste time with words. War has broken out. I just want to say one thing: we are the village's first line of defense. Whether we can hold off Kirigakure is crucial to how long this war will last. Since you've stepped onto the battlefield, I'm sure each of you is prepared for this."
At this point, Orochimaru paused, quickly glanced at the crowd below, and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go!"
At a command, Orochimaru leaped out with a whoosh, followed by even more people. The air was filled with the sound of air being torn apart, and hundreds of ninjas disappeared outside the door in the blink of an eye, entering the dense forest and heading towards the Land of Whirlpools.
The Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
The Iwagakure's high-ranking officials gathered in a closed conference room, with the Tsuchikage Ōnoki sitting at the head of the table, listening to the village's strategist's report.
The strategist before me stood before a massive map of the Hokage world, reporting on the long-planned operation by Iwagakure: "As per the plan, following the Seven Ninja Blade Wielders incident, Kirigakure has already dispatched a lead force into the Land of Land of Whirlpools. Today, Konoha will send an advance force to intercept the advance force from Kirigakure."
"As we predicted, the war broke out without warning, and Konoha was completely unprepared. Konoha has now recalled its ninjas who were away from the village. Moreover, according to the latest intelligence from our scouts, Konoha has also redeployed some ninjas to its defense lines. Overall, we plan to achieve a complete success in the first step."
As soon as he finished speaking, applause erupted in the room. The many high-ranking members of Iwagakure smiled broadly. The first step had been successfully completed, so the rest of the plan would be much easier to execute.
As the applause subsided, the Ōnoki, seated at the head of the Tsuchikage, spoke, "The first step is complete. The second step will begin swiftly. According to the established plan, the Anbu have eliminated Konoha's spies hidden within the village. How are the combat troops preparing?"
The strategist before the map replied, "The combat troops are ready. Once the plan begins, they will secretly infiltrate the Land of Grass, cross Land of Grass borders, and enter the Land of Land of Fire."
As he spoke, the strategist took out his drawing pen and drew a route on the map that started from the Land of Earth, passed through the Land of Grass, and reached the Land of Fire.
"With Konoha removing the ninjas from the defensive line, the strength on that line will inevitably weaken. According to estimates, we will probably be able to break through the Land of Fire line and enter the territory of the Land of Fire in less than three days."
"Alright!" The Tsuchikage Ōnoki, slammed his hand on the table, jumped to his feet, and exclaimed excitedly, "This time, we must invade the Land of Fire and destroy Konoha!"
Meanwhile, as Iwagakure began planning its attack on Konoha, in the Land of Fire, a range of mountains stretched endlessly.
A small, unassuming mountain, hollowed out long ago, conceals a massive base built at its foot.
Inside the base, in a dark room, a domineering middle-aged man sat on a high stone bench, as if he were the ruler of the world. When he raised his head, his blood-red Three-Tomoe Sharingan emitted an eerie light in the dim space.
Standing obediently beneath the stone bench, Madara Uchiha broke the silence in the room, "So, Iwagakure, along with Kirigakure, have joined forces to plot against Konoha this time."
"Yes," Zetsu replied respectfully, "According to the intelligence we've gathered, the vanguard of Kirigakure has entered the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha has also dispatched its own vanguard. However, Kirigakure is well-prepared, and their main force is almost fully assembled. It probably won't be long before the Kirigakure army joins the battle."
Snort!
With a cold snort, Uchiha unleashed a terrifying surge of evil Chakra, causing a gale -Uchiha force wind to sweep through the empty room. Within his blood-red eyes, three black Tomoe slowly rotated and connected together.
In an instant, the room became extremely cold, as if the air itself was about to freeze, and a world-destroying force was brewing.
"That piece of trash Ōnoki dared to attack Konoha? Has Konoha really fallen this low? Back when Hashirama and I founded Konoha, the Four Great Ninja Villages didn't even dare to utter a sound in front of us. If it weren't for Hashirama idiot Hashirama believing in peace, I would have wiped out the Four Great Ninja Villages long ago, Konoha would have ruled the whole world."
This short sentence encapsulates Madara Uchiha's rich emotional fluctuations: his disdain for the four great ninja villages, his disappointment with the current state of Konoha, his longing for Hashirama Senju, the only man he truly acknowledged, and his ambition that, instead of fading with time, has only grown stronger.