The Wily Hare Has Three Burrows

In the forest of the Land of Fire, beside a small river, the Konoha Shinobi Army stopped to rest.

Several bonfires blazed, driving back the deep darkness of night. Their light fell across the faces of the surrounding shinobi, revealing their exhaustion.

Since the army had set out, several hundred shinobi had traveled day and night without pause, crossing more than half the Land of Fire in just over a day and reaching the border region.

Even with Chakra and Military Ration Pills sustaining them, such an intense march inevitably took its toll, and their condition continued to worsen.

Everyone was making the most of the time to rest. They knew that beyond this point lay territory infiltrated by Kumogakure. Once they reached it, they wouldn't be able to rest easy again until they had secured a foothold.

In an area beyond the reach of the bonfire light, the army's commander studied the latest intelligence. Two golden points glimmered in the darkness.

"All 26 fortresses have been taken out?"

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile, and his gaze turned dangerous. "Kumogakure's spies did a good job."

The lack of a foothold didn't matter much in skirmishes between squads, but it was extremely dangerous for an army.

Take this moment, for example. Several hundred shinobi were resting, yet not one of them had put up a tent. They rested in small groups against the trees, leaving enough space between them to maneuver.

Why?

They were afraid the enemy would launch a major attack while they slept.

In a battle between armies, the normal range of ninjutsu was no obstacle. If one side left itself open like that, the other would seize the opportunity to unleash something big.

A tent? Could it stop a Great Fireball raining down from the sky? Worse, it might further reduce the already brief time they had to react in their sleep.

A shelter that couldn't withstand ninjutsu was nothing but a burden.

The Fourth Raikage had made a good move.

Orochimaru took another classified map from the scroll. It showed all the secret footholds along Konoha's border, with the fortresses that Kumogakure had yet to destroy specially marked.

Orochimaru glanced over it and saw that all the intact fortresses nearby were in territory controlled by Kumogakure. The others were too far away.

Fugaku Uchiha had noticed this as well. "Lord Orochimaru, why don't we build a new fortress?"

The Konoha Shinobi Army had brought a Sealing Team and a Barrier Team this time, so they were capable of building a proper base.

But Orochimaru rejected the suggestion without hesitation.

Orochimaru shot Fugaku a sidelong glance. "Building a fortress under the enemy's very noses is far more dangerous than going deep into the war zone to activate one that's already there."

"Under the enemy's noses?" Fugaku was startled. "With the Byakugan, how could the enemy possibly discover us?"

War wasn't just a contest of strength; it was a contest of intelligence, too. The Hyuga Clan, whose Byakugan could pierce through much of the fog of war, was naturally an essential part of the army.

Of course, the Hyuga contingent sent to fight Kumogakure this time consisted of eight members of the Hyuga Branch Family, led by Hizashi Hyuga.

"Why couldn't they?" Orochimaru countered. "Clan Head Fugaku, you may never have commanded an army in battle, but you're still a shinobi. You should know what it means for a shinobi to have their intelligence exposed."

Fugaku paused, his expression thoughtful.

A shinobi wouldn't be defeated by the same ability twice.

The saying was somewhat biased, but it revealed an important truth: most abilities could be countered.

Unlike the First's Wood Release, the Hyuga Clan's wide-range vision wasn't an ability without a counter. Kumogakure and Konoha had been at odds for decades. How could Kumogakure have overlooked the Hyuga Clan's eyes on the battlefield?

Insects, small summoning beasts... Kumogakure had a whole set of methods for countering the Byakugan.

"Once we enter the war zone, it'll take Kumogakure at most three hours to pinpoint our location. And we're not the only ones who can build fortresses."

Orochimaru gazed into the distance. "If we stop here, Kumogakure will build fortifications along Konoha's border without a care in the world."

War wasn't just about the intelligence struggle before the fighting or the clash of strength during it. It was also about what came after.

If Kumogakure built enough footholds on Konoha's land and formed a defensive line, then even if they were driven back, reclaiming that territory would take far more effort.

When it came to competing for territory, bluster at the negotiating table after the war was completely useless.

Once Fugaku understood this, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

A battle with Kumogakure was unavoidable, of course, but he would have preferred it to happen while his clan members were still in good shape. That might have meant fewer casualties.

Seeing what Fugaku was thinking, Orochimaru said, "Clan Head Fugaku, there's no need to worry too much. The other side may have its own problems."

Orochimaru didn't believe Kumogakure could have destroyed every visible fortress along Konoha's border in less than two days without paying any price.

With that, Orochimaru summoned Hizashi Hyuga and ordered, "Once it's light, we'll continue marching. First, scout in this direction."

"Yes!"

Hizashi Hyuga answered crisply, then vanished from the spot.

At the Kumogakure army's base, a military council had just ended.

Unlike Konoha, meetings in Kumogakure were practically one-man affairs, with the Raikage making all the decisions.

The only person who could influence the Raikage was named Dodai. He had served the previous Raikage and was currently overseeing the front against the Iwagakure Ninja, keeping Iwagakure from taking advantage of their absence.

So, though it was called a meeting, it was really just the Raikage issuing orders.

Even when Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, had doubts about the Raikage's orders, she didn't dare question him in public. Instead, she sought out the Fourth Raikage in private.

Excessive use of Tailed Beast Transformation had left Yugito pale. "Lord Raikage, how can we let the Konoha Shinobi Army march straight in?"

She asked herself, "Is it because of me?"

She knew Kumogakure didn't have the strength to encircle Konoha, so this wasn't a case of luring the enemy into a trap.

Kumogakure was truly giving ground on the battlefield.

"It's not your fault."

The Fourth Raikage shook his head. "Scattered squads of Kumogakure shinobi can't stop the Konoha Shinobi Army. You have to clench your fist to hit the enemy."

"Besides, don't forget the purpose of our fight."

Yugito paused, deep in thought.

The Fourth Raikage looked toward the Land of Hot Water and said gravely, "Our primary goal is to drag out the war and make the already weakened Konoha show signs of fatigue.

"Iwagakure is watching the Land of Lightning, but Konoha has more than one enemy watching them."

"Therefore, building fortifications in the rear is of the utmost importance."

"Of course, if we can crush the Konoha Shinobi Army outright, we won't pass up the opportunity."

The Fourth Raikage spread the map he had just rolled up across the table again and pointed to a stretch of dense forest.

"Konoha's intention in charging straight in is obvious."

"They have other hidden footholds along the border!"

"If we can't find them, we'll let them lead us there. We'll deal a heavy blow to the Konoha Shinobi Army before they can activate their fortress and defend it."

The Fourth Raikage glared with his bull-like eyes. "At the very least, we have to destroy those hidden footholds. You need to recover as quickly as possible."