"Kitsuchi, how are the troops at the front? Besides the Konoha army, has Kumogakure made any moves?" Ōnoki asked thoughtfully.
Ōnoki's military capabilities were among the best of his generation of leaders. Under his leadership, Iwagakure grew from a small village to one that dared to challenge Konoha.
Kitsuchi shook his head. "Father, the Konoha army is guarding the border. No matter how much they harass or lure him, Orochimaru just won't budge."
This greatly worried Kitsuchi. They declared war, Konoha's inaction could be interpreted as a defense, but wouldn't their inaction be a bit laughable?
Ōnoki sighed when he saw Kitsuchi's expression. "Look at you, so impatient again! How many times have I told you, war isn't as simple as you think. Rather than attacking, biding your time and waiting for the right opportunity is what a qualified military strategist should do."
Among his children, Kitsuchi Tu is the most talented and quick to learn. At a young age, he already possesses the combat strength of an ordinary Kage Level fighter. Although he lacks composure in battle, he is still young and has plenty of opportunities to learn.
Ōnoki had high hopes for Kitsuchi, so he took him under his wing to learn military strategy. Kitsuchi was unparalleled in Ninjutsu; a single Earth Release: Earth Mountain Technique could kill two hundred ninjas. It was this strategy that was a headache for him.
"Then let me ask you, if you were to attack, how would you plan to attack?" Ōnoki wanted to hear his son's opinion, so he picked up a cup of tea, brought it to his lips, closed his eyes, drank the tea, and listened quietly.
"Father, I will lead the Iwagakure Ninja to attack from the mountain, using the momentum to catch the Konoha Ninja off guard!" Kitsuchi sneered.
Ōnoki rolled his eyes at him. "Since we're on a high mountain, why attack? Why not take advantage of the terrain, wait for them to attack, occupy the high ground, and then throw Shuriken and Explosive Tag down? Wouldn't that be better?"
"As for food, there's no need to worry. This is the Land of Earth, not the Land of Fire. It's Konoha that's worried about food shortages."
"So the key to this battle isn't which side has stronger ninjas, but rather food and terrain. You need to figure that out!" Ōnoki said, exasperated.
"Individual strength is not enough in the face of a collective effort, except for those two people." Ōnoki fell into reminiscence.
"There is no alliance. Submit to the power of Konoha. And don't mention that ninja's name in front of me." Uchiha summoned Susanoo.
He easily overturned him and his master, the Second Tsuchikage Mu, and even a single glance made him abandon the Will of Stone in his hand.
"Father!" Kitsuchi interrupted Ōnoki's reverie, calling out, "Father, let me try!"
Ōnoki glanced at the Kitsuchi and thought, "It's just like him. This personality is just like mine when I was young, with that stubbornness of never giving up until I hit a wall."
After much deliberation, he finally nodded. "I'll give you a thousand Iwagakure Ninja. You're only allowed to try this once. Success or failure, you must come back alive, understand?"
Kitsuchi's face lit up with joy as he replied, "Yes, Father!" He then led his troops out of the camp to muster their strength, preparing for a surprise attack on Konoha that night.
Ōnoki watched Kitsuchi's departing figure, his right eyelid twitched incessantly. He sighed, looking up at the sky, "Roshi, I'm entrusting my child to your care!"
"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage!" A voice came from the sky, and Ōnoki breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the reply.
With Roshi around, Kitsuchi should be fine.
Konoha's position
"Owl Lord, you've come at the perfect time! My right eye has been twitching all day, but it stopped after you arrived!" Orochimaru embraced Uchiha Kō.
Uchiha Kō chuckled. "Give me a brief explanation of the situation."
Orochimaru nodded and, without further ado, began to explain everything from the first day of the declaration of war to the positions of both armies and their respective strategies.
After hearing this, Uchiha Kō frowned. He couldn't help but look at Orochimaru, waiting for an explanation. Uchiha Kō didn't believe Orochimaru would be so stupid.
Orochimaru smiled slightly, "Actually, the ninjas below the cliff are Shadow Clone. This is something we need to learn from the strategy that Lord Owl used against Sunagakure."
"Every afternoon at 4 o'clock, the Shadow Clone go to relieve the guards, the purpose of which is to lure the enemy down the mountain to attack. However, what I didn't expect was that Ōnoki was very cautious."
"That means the traps and Earth Spike I set up in advance haven't been activated yet." Orochimaru smiled helplessly.
Uchiha Kō nodded. That's more like it. Orochimaru was Sarutobi Hiruzen's prized student. Whether it was military campaigns, scientific research, or Ninjutsu, he was in a class of his own.
Why would you let the enemy attack you from a high vantage point? Shadow Clone + traps, hmm, that makes sense.
"You little rascal, you're really cunning," Uchiha Kō clicked his tongue.
"Hehehe, likewise." Orochimaru also really liked the compliment of being cunning.
"However, now that Lord Xiaojun has arrived, this strategy can be changed..." Before he could finish speaking, a ninja burst into the tent.
"Reporting to Lord Orochimaru, the enemy..." The ninja looked up and noticed a person standing next to Orochimaru. He examined him closely.
He then recognized him and said, "Reporting to Lord Orochimaru, Elder Uchiha Kō, the enemy has already moved out. The leader is Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi."
"How many people are there?" Orochimaru asked, his expression somewhat grave. It wasn't just because of the Tsuchikage's strength, but also because he was worried that there were too many people coming and the traps wouldn't be enough to deal with them.
"In response to Lord Orochimaru, it's approximately a thousand people," the ninja replied.
Orochimaru, having received the information, looked at Uchiha Kō, "Is Ōnoki really so comfortable sending his own son to the battlefield? I've heard that Kitsuchi is highly likely to become the Fourth Tsuchikage, Owl-kun, what do you think?"
"It's simple, someone's following him. It's either Roshi or Han, but I'm more inclined to believe the former, because according to rumors, Roshi and the Four-Tails are getting along quite well," Uchiha Kō with a faint smile.
"Jinchūriki? Lord Owl! Are you confident you can keep that Roshi alive?" Orochimaru asked immediately after hearing Uchiha Kō's analysis.
Because if one side Jinchūriki on the battlefield, it will be a devastating blow to the side without Jinchūriki.
"It should be about right." Uchiha Kō smiled slightly. He had previously suppressed the Two-Tails with his Mangekyō Sharingan, and now he had mastered the Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode.
He wanted to test just how strong he was right now, and a fighting spirit shone through his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Iwagakure Unit
Hidden among the thousand-strong ninja force, Roshi suddenly felt a chill, sensing that something bad was about to happen.
"Roshi, what's wrong?" Son Gokū's voice echoed in his mind.
"Son Gokū, I have a feeling something big is about to happen. If necessary, you will control my body and protect Kitsuchi at all costs!" Roshi instructed earnestly.
"Okay, I understand!" After saying that, Son Gokū fell silent.