The Enemy Advances, We Retreat

Uchiha Kō had explained the strategy clearly enough that even Jiraiya had grasped exactly how to carry it out.

Tsunade led the Senju clan members to block the East Gate, preventing the enemy from attacking Konoha. Jiraiya took the Uchiha clan members to guard the South Gate, stopping the enemy from making contact with Sunagakure and joining forces with them. Orochimaru, meanwhile, led the elite shinobi of the various clans to hold the North Gate, preventing the enemy from circling around to attack Konoha.

The three of them stationed their forces in plain sight of the enemy, but outside the range of their shuriken.

Every force transporting grain to Rainy Clearing from the surrounding towns was intercepted by the three teams of jōnin they dispatched. Without exception, every mission succeeded.

Salamander Hanzō naturally knew something was wrong, so he led his troops out of the city gates and charged straight toward Tsunade. When Tsunade saw the gates open,

she hurriedly ordered, "Everyone, fall back!" She also fired a green signal flare, and the Senju troops retreated in an orderly fashion. The Rain Shinobi pursued relentlessly, only to run into traps laid by the Konoha Ninja in a dense forest—Explosive Tags, Earth Spikes, and countless other hazards.

Screams rang out, making even Salamander Hanzō's eyes twitch. Damn Konoha Ninja! Just let me catch you. I'll tear you limb from limb and flay you alive!

His bloodshot eyes fixed on Tsunade in the distance. She gazed back at him, without taking a single step forward.

As Uchiha Kō put it, this was guerrilla warfare: "When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we strike; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."

Whatever happened, they weren't going to fight a direct battle. Those sixteen words of wisdom had been coined by a great man. No need to explain how effective they were, right?

Watching the Rain Shinobi die one after another, Salamander Hanzō was nearly driven mad. He began channeling chakra at full power, focusing it into his legs to increase his speed. He was going to tear Tsunade to pieces!

At that very moment, Jiraiya and Orochimaru began ordering their forces to attack from the South and North Gates. A chorus of battle cries rose up, and an alarm arrow shot from the direction of Rainy Clearing.

Whoosh! The arrow streaked through the air, making a piercing sound.

That very sound stopped Salamander Hanzō in his blood-mad tracks. He looked back toward Yuji City, and his heart sank.

Damn it! This was just a diversion. Their real target was Rainy Clearing—his headquarters! If he kept pursuing Tsunade, even if he managed to kill her, they could still take his base. Then there'd be no need to keep fighting. They would have already lost!

Salamander Hanzō gritted his teeth and shouted, "You lot! We'll settle things with them next time! Back to the city!"

"Yes!" The Rain Shinobi were seething with frustration. Their supply lines had been cut, and their opponents refused to fight, refused to retreat, and even laid traps and ambushes. Was this what it meant to be a great nation?

If Uchiha Kō had known what they were thinking, he probably would have sneered. "A bunch of fools with no brains to match their courage. I'll show you what Chinese military strategy is!"

Seeing Salamander Hanzō withdraw, Tsunade's troops fired another signal flare, this one red. When Orochimaru and Jiraiya saw it, they immediately led their troops away, returning to their previous positions.

By the time Salamander Hanzō returned to the city, all he saw was devastation: the marks left by Explosive Tags blasting the city walls, and the gates battered to the brink of collapse.

Looking up, he saw bodies all over the ramparts. They were the Rain Shinobi who had been guarding the city. Faced with this sight, even Salamander Hanzō, known as a demigod, was helpless.

Uchiha Kō was stationed at the command center. A sand table stood before him, with three flags representing Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.

Based on the scouts' reports, he moved the flags and assessed the situation. In other words, he directed the battle from his headquarters and determined its outcome from a thousand miles away.

Outside the command center stood Uchiha Kiyoshi and several other members of the Uchiha clan. They had insisted on protecting Uchiha Kō, and seeing their determination, Tsunade had agreed.

Aside from Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, no one was allowed into the command center—not even the Hokage.

The scout returned once more. Uchiha Kiyoshi escorted him into the command center. Sitting in his chair with his eyes closed, Uchiha Kō said, "Salamander Hanzō has withdrawn and returned to the city, and things have gone quiet, right?"

The scout immediately dropped to his knees. "Your foresight is astounding, my lord! Following the strategy you gave us, we suffered no more than two hundred wounded, while the enemy lost at least eight hundred dead!"

The scout's eyes shone as he looked at Uchiha Kō. A one-to-four casualty ratio—what an incredible strategy and deployment! He couldn't believe he'd witnessed it with his own eyes. And he'd even gotten to serve as a scout, carrying messages. It was the greatest honor of his life!

Uchiha Kiyoshi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but at the sight of Uchiha Kō, his throat seemed to close up. Not a sound came out.

It was no wonder he was too overwhelmed to speak. Throughout the Warring States Period, the worst casualty ratio between clan armies had been one to two. Now, it had doubled!

After watching Uchiha Kō in action from start to finish, Uchiha Kiyoshi's feelings were complicated. He looked at Uchiha Kō with admiration.

At the same time, anger burned in his heart. He wanted to ask the clan members who had once bullied Uchiha Kō: How dare you bully someone this talented? What makes you think you're worthy?

Even without Uchiha Kō's terrifying talent in battle, his strategic mind alone was more than a match for those simple-minded clan members.

This was just—this was—

"Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi, Uchiha Kiyoshi, are you listening to me?" Uchiha Kō waved a hand and frowned. How could this guy seem so reliable and still get distracted?

Uchiha Kiyoshi snapped back to attention and dropped to one knee, his movements natural. "I'm sorry, Commander. I was distracted for a moment. Please punish me!"

Uchiha Kō waved a hand. "It's fine, Kiyoshi. You don't have to be so nervous. It's nothing serious, it's just..." Uchiha Kō leaned toward Uchiha Kiyoshi and murmured something in his ear...

"Th-That doesn't seem right." Uchiha Kiyoshi's mouth twitched. Good grief, he wanted to take back everything he'd said praising Uchiha Kō. Uchiha Kō was a shameless scoundrel with absolutely no bottom line.

Uchiha Kō shot him a look. "What do you know? When two nations go to war, first attack the enemy's plans, next their alliances, and only then their cities! Wouldn't it be better to end this fight without losing a single soldier?"

"Hurry up. Don't let this delay the military operation!" Uchiha Kō glared at Uchiha Kiyoshi, then crossed one leg over the other and hummed carelessly.

Uchiha Kiyoshi took a deep breath, bowed to accept the order, and headed for the front line, where Tsunade's forces were stationed.

Tsunade was still watching Yuji City in the distance when one of her subordinates suddenly reported, "Lady Tsunade, Uchiha Kiyoshi requests an audience!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the mention of Uchiha Kiyoshi, then relaxed. Kō must have sent him. Could there be an urgent matter? She said, "Bring him in!"