A Clan Overwhelms a Nation

Uchiha Tokimitsu stood on a hill three kilometers from Iwagakure's camp, gazing at the Iwagakure camp ahead.

Though the distance was considerable, the visual enhancement gained by activating the Sharingan, while inferior to the Byakugan, still let him make out the vague figures of Rock Ninja in the distance.

Torifu Akimichi had not stood them up. Just yesterday, nine Ino-Shika-Cho combination ninja had arrived at the Northwest Border Defense Force with Konoha's transfer orders and were immediately assigned by Uchiha Kamon to the frontline ninja army under Uchiha Tokimitsu.

The Yamanaka Clan's ninja had also been straightforward and neat. Following Uchiha Tokimitsu's orders, they forcibly used mental intrusion on the prisoners' brains. After creating three brain-damaged dementia patients, they successfully extracted the intelligence they needed.

—This Iwagakure force was merely a second-line troop meant to deceive them!

Iwagakure's true elite forces were, first, confronting Kumogakure on the western border of the Land of Earth and, second, secretly lurking around the Land of Rain in preparation for an attack on Amegakure.

Thus, whether to continue attacking the Iwagakure army had become a tricky choice.

The reason was simple: Iwagakure Ninja Army's camp was still within the Land of Earth.

Large-scale cross-border operations by a ninja army were different from sabotage warfare by elite squads.

As long as a sabotage operation left no survivors or none of its personnel were captured, it counted as an ordinary ninja village conflict. But if he commanded hundreds or thousands of Konoha ninja into the Land of Earth to attack their ninja army camp, then regardless of success or failure, the Land of Earth and Iwagakure would have to regard it as a war of aggression and retaliate with all their strength. That was an inviolable red line.

For ninja, launching a war was the authority of the Kage and Daimyo. Stirring up a war without authorization was not merely a matter of disrespecting the Hokage's authority.

Nara Shikahira, a special jonin of the Nara Clan whom the members of the three-clan combination squads regarded as their strategist, analyzed the matter this way.

Uchiha Tokimitsu felt rather helpless about it as well.

If it had been an ordinary matter, he might not have given the Hokage a second glance, but anything involving a national war required caution.

After all, he only commanded a thousand ninja, and more than half were Uchiha clan members. Based on the intelligence and the comparison of their strengths, defeating the Iwagakure force before them would not be difficult. But a large-scale assault on their camp was a genuine act of national war, already beyond the scope of power of a Border Defense Force commander.

Uchiha Tokimitsu still felt unwilling to let it go.

Based on the probing attacks and sabotage warfare of the past few days, combined with their intelligence analysis, the Iwagakure ninja army before them was undoubtedly a force of weakling troops.

A fine piece of fish belly lay right before him, yet he still had to watch others' expressions before deciding whether to dig in. For a starving cat, that was truly unbearable.

The Uchiha Clan, where everyone was a cat slave, felt the same way.

The Uchiha ninja accompanying the army had repeatedly sought out Uchiha Tokimitsu, thumping their chests as they requested battle. They were willing to be the first vanguard into the enemy formation, using blades, ninjutsu, and the Sharingan to teach Iwagakure a profound lesson.

Uchiha Tokimitsu refused them all.

Ordinary Uchiha clan members could lack a head for political struggle, but he, the Designated successor of the Radical Faction, could not.

Border ninja conflicts and ninja army invasion operations were two entirely different concepts.

However, while he would not approve a direct order for the ninja army to launch an attack on Iwagakure's camp within the Land of Earth, that did not prevent them from continuing sabotage warfare to eliminate Iwagakure's sentries and Communication Ninja.

And by coming directly before Iwagakure's formation himself, he was hoping to lure the enemy to pursue.

Unfortunately, Iwagakure simply became a turtle hiding in its shell. They created layer upon layer of high walls with Earth Style. Whenever Uchiha Tokimitsu showed signs of approaching, they harassed him with mid-to-low level ninjutsu such as Earth Bullets and Earth Spikes, then used Earth Wall Technique to alter the terrain and obstruct or surround him. Entire groups of ninja defended together, leaving Uchiha Tokimitsu and the Uchiha Jonin unable to find an opportunity for a raid operation.

"Let's head back..."

Uchiha Tokimitsu turned and spoke to the accompanying jonin beside him.

Faced with Iwagakure, which was like an iron-shelled turtle, there was no opportunity for raid operations or elimination. There was no point in waiting any longer.

The Uchiha ninja had no other options either. After all, they faced a ninja army from one of the Five Great Nations. Even if it was merely a force of weakling troops, without a large ninja army launching combination Ninjutsu attacks, it was not something a few jonin could shake.

"Has the village still not replied?" Hyuga Toshiki asked unwillingly.

With great merit right before their eyes but impossible to claim, even Hyuga ninja, known for their noble demeanor and indifferent temperament, were growing restless.

"Not yet..."

"Hmph! The village's bureaucrats are truly ridiculous. They have delayed making a decision despite such crucial intelligence!" Uchiha Kensuke, a Guard Squad jonin accompanying them as protection, complained angrily.

The others pretended not to hear him. For the Uchiha, criticizing the Hokage Faction was merely part of their daily routine. There was no need to avoid people.

"I just don't know whether Iwagakure will dispatch support troops. If the intelligence arrives in time, we might still be able to besiege point and attack reinforcements." Though Uchiha Tokimitsu also felt stifled, there was no choice. Forcing an assault on Iwagakure's camp had never been among his options. Every Uchiha ninja in the army was precious to him, and he could not bear to waste lives in a frontal assault on such a heavily guarded camp.

"Iwagakure is known for holding fast..." Nara Kohei chose his words carefully. "Generally speaking, based on past experience, it is not cost-effective to force an assault on an Iwagakure position without at least a twofold numerical advantage..."

Uchiha Tokimitsu naturally knew that Iwagakure excelled at defense, and their ninja discipline was the greatest among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. In the future, they had even piled to death the Third Raikage through sheer numbers.

"I know that, of course..." Uchiha Tokimitsu would not act impulsively. "It is simply regrettable that we have no chance to settle the score with Iwagakure."

"If we could lure Iwagakure out, it would be much easier..."

The Uchiha ninja all deeply agreed. Over the past few days, it was not as though no stubborn person had tried to infiltrate Iwagakure's camp and create chaos after seeing that Iwagakure would not come out. Yet before they could even approach the barracks area, a massive barrage of Earth Style Ninjutsu covered them in attacks from every direction, forcing them to retreat.

"Forget it. No need to dwell on it. Konoha ninja lives are worth far more than Iwagakure's. There is no need to suffer such pointless losses." Knowing that nothing could be done, Uchiha Tokimitsu spoke to comfort everyone.

The jonin all nodded in agreement.

While Uchiha Tokimitsu was troubled by Iwagakure's turtle shell, the Hokage's Office Building far away in Konoha was also arguing fiercely over the battle report sent back from the front.

"Outrageous! The Uchiha are far too lawless!" Mitokado Homura was furious. "They actually dared to ignore the imperial decree and cross the border without authorization to attack Iwagakure. Are they not afraid of provoking a war between two nations?"

Mitokado Homura's scope of power included diplomacy with other ninja villages. In his eyes, Uchiha Tokimitsu's actions were an evil deed premeditated to stir up war.

"Yes, Hiruzen. This time, you must punish that brat!" Utatane Koharu said. "The Uchiha Clan are all unreasonable war lunatics. The consequences of the wars they provoke are exceedingly vile!"

"How should I punish him? Punish him for defeating Iwagakure?" Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen did not even raise his head. "Or punish him for purging the underground forces across the entire territory of the Land of Grass after receiving the Daimyo of the Land of Grass's permission?"

"Hiruzen, you cannot keep favoring him!" Mitokado Homura said in dissatisfaction. "Uchiha Tokimitsu dispatched ninja to ambush and eliminate Iwagakure ninja within the Land of Earth. If Ōnoki makes a fuss and the two Great Ninja Villages declare war, who knows how many ninja the village will lose!"

"And he ignored the imperial decree as well." Utatane Koharu immediately added, "The purpose of provoking war is plainly to drag the village into the mire of war. Such reckless behavior must be severely punished!"

The Third Hokage was somewhat speechless.

"Have you both forgotten? Kamon already rejected the first imperial decree by exercising the Jonin's right to object."

"Hmph! Everyone in the Uchiha Clan is arrogant and contemptuous of others!" Utatane Koharu still gritted her teeth in anger.

"...Enough! There is no need to get angry with the Uchiha!" The Third Hokage sighed helplessly. With Danzo absent, why had these two advisors become so radical?

"The key issue is whether Iwagakure wants war or peace. We need to come up with a response quickly."

"Most of the village's Maneuver Force has already been drawn away. If we go to war with Iwagakure, we will have to reassemble the ninja army." Utatane Koharu frowned, looking troubled. "Furthermore, we would need to conscript Clan Ninja into battle. That would be another enormous expense..."

"The funding issue..." As Hokage, the Third Hokage was equally troubled by money.

As the saying went, when the cannons sounded, gold flowed by the thousands.

The same applied to a ninja army.

From assembling the ninja army and supplying ninja tools to purchasing medicine and providing treatment, all of it required considerable financial investment.

"Homura, if you have time, can you go to the capital city to meet the Daimyo again and ask him to allocate more funding?" After thinking it over, they still had to make the wealthy patron explode gold coins.

"Alright." Mitokado Homura nodded steadily.

"Then... back to the matter at hand." The Third Hokage looked around at the two of them. "Iwagakure... war or peace?"

"Have the Uchiha withdraw." Having calmed down, Utatane Koharu thought for a while. "Even if they defeat Iwagakure's Border Defense Force, the village has no ability to dispatch more ninja army support troops to expand the gains. They might as well withdraw directly, to prevent the active ninja army from reducing personnel."

The Third Hokage and Mitokado Homura also felt that this was the only option.

"Additionally, Kamon has requested that a ninja army be allocated for a so-called 'Strategic Counterattack' against Iwagakure, and he has sent back a Material requirements list." The Third Hokage handed the intelligence to Mitokado Homura.

"The Uchiha have so many demands?" Mitokado Homura looked over the Material requirements list and immediately felt a headache coming on.

"No more ninja army can be sent. Explain clearly that they need only hold fast in the Land of Grass." Utatane Koharu continued, "As for the material requirements, we can discuss them after receiving the Daimyo's allocation."

"Indeed, the situation in the Land of Rain direction is the most dangerous." Mitokado Homura agreed with Utatane Koharu. "Iwagakure's border defense troops are merely Iwagakure's Smoke Bomb. Not only Iwagakure, but Sand's ace puppet force has also appeared in large numbers in the Land of Rain. The war there is more important, and we cannot lose sight of the greater matter for a lesser one."

"Since it's like this, send a reply ordering Uchiha Tokimitsu to withdraw and return to the Land of Grass." After thinking for a moment, the Third Hokage also felt that the Land of Rain Battlefield was more important.

"...That brat Tokimitsu can command a ninja army and defeat a portion of Iwagakure at such a young age. He truly cannot be underestimated." Mitokado Homura sighed with emotion.

"A clan overwhelming a nation..." The Third Hokage picked up the Northwest Border Defense Force's battle report. "The Uchiha... truly have quite the old-fashioned style."

The two advisors fell silent.

Other than during the Warring States period, since the establishment of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, there had never been someone so young who commanded a ninja army in battle.

"His style... is truly very similar to Uchiha Madara's in his youth..."