Open Battle with Bai Chang, Covertly Cross with Ishida

After all the ninja clans had arrived, Sarutobi Hiruzen delivered a pre-battle speech. It was impassioned and stirring, leaving everyone's blood boiling with fervor.

Once he finished, he motioned for Shimura Danzō to step forward. Shimura Danzō was not particularly eloquent, so he offered a few perfunctory remarks before concluding.

Everyone understood Shimura Danzō's personality, so they offered their support and applause regardless.

Finally, something entirely unexpected occurred. Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke up, "Everyone, nearly eight thousand ninja is no small number. Therefore, I have decided to temporarily appoint two vice-commanders: Uchiha Kō and Nara Rokumei!"

Uchiha Kō was taken aback. It had been agreed that he would help Shimura Danzō pad his military record, so why was he being thrust into the spotlight now?

Shimura Danzō remained silent, though he had no objections. With the entire Uchiha Clan participating, how could he possibly complain? Besides, as the commander-in-chief, he would reap the greatest rewards regardless of how the battle turned out.

"Uchiha Kō and Nara Rokumei, we obey!" The two men quickly knelt on one knee to accept the order.

The other clans wore varied expressions. The Hyūga Clan frowned; as fellow masters of ocular techniques, they wondered why the Uchiha had a vice-commander while they did not. They did not believe that the previous commander in the Land of Rain had been Uchiha Kō.

The Senju troops, however, breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at one another with smiles; this battle would be much easier to fight now!

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were also somewhat excited. Since Nara Rokumei was one of their own, it meant they would be able to share in the glory.

"Move out! Champions of Konoha, repel Sunagakure and shatter their wolfish ambitions!" Shimura Danzō waved his hand and shouted loudly.

The troops then marched out of the village in an orderly fashion, heading southwest. The battlefield this time was the Land of Rivers, and it was estimated that Sunagakure had already occupied its territory.

After all, Sunagakure was one of the Five Great Nations, while the Land of Rivers was merely a small country. Even if Sunagakure ranked at the bottom of the Five Great Nations, their strength was not something a small country could withstand.

The question now was whether they had already entered the Land of Fire, and if so, where they might have set their ambushes.

That night, as Shimura Danzō was deep in thought, Uchiha Kō approached him. "Lord Danzō!"

Shimura Danzō started, looking toward the voice. Seeing it was Uchiha Kō, he nodded. "Kō, speak your mind. There is no need for formal titles."

One should only take such words at face value; only a fool would truly believe them.

"Lord Danzō, I believe the enemy has already crossed into our borders!" He pointed to the areas of Mt. Kikyo, Mt. Domi, Kashiwagi, and Chōga on the map.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Shimura Danzō's interest was piqued. He looked at Uchiha Kō and asked.

Uchiha Kō did not waste words. He pointed to the map. "Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi are perfect for ambushes. Once our army passes, falling rocks and shuriken will rain down from above. That is the first point."

"Kashiwagi and Chōga are still within our borders. They launched this attack with premeditation, while we are two to three days behind them."

"Those two to three days were enough for them to cross from the Land of Wind into our territory. The messenger who brought the news earlier came from the capital of the Land of Fire, not from Kashiwagi or Chōga. This suggests those areas have already been occupied, or that the communication lines between them and other regions have been severed by Sunagakure."

"Therefore, in summary, Sunagakure has already entered our borders and set traps in Kashiwagi and Chōga." Uchiha Kō's reasoning was clear and his logic meticulous. He had analyzed the situation so thoroughly that Shimura Danzō couldn't help but want to praise him.

"Hmm. Continue. If it were you, how would you fight this?" Shimura Danzō knew Uchiha Kō's capabilities, so he was willing to listen to his advice.

"Fight openly at Kashiwagi and Chōga, but cross secretly at Ishida," Uchiha Kō said with a smile, pointing to Ishida.

"Explain in detail." Shimura Danzō's eyes brightened as he waited for the rest.

"On the surface, we send troops to fight at Kashiwagi and Chōga. You will lead them, playing defense without attacking. Given our superior supplies and the terrain, our resources will be endless, while the enemy's mountain paths are rugged and long. Before long, they will run out of supplies. That is our first victory."

"In the shadows, I will lead the Uchiha Clan to take a detour through Ishida and climb Mt. Ōyu. We will circle behind them to cut off their food supply. Once successful, I will fire a signal flare, then attack the Sunagakure forces on Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi from the rear. That is when you must lead the entire army to engage them on both mountains simultaneously. In this way, we can annihilate the sand-dogs!"

"This will minimize casualties. The ninja under your command will suffer almost zero losses. As for us Uchiha, that will depend on your speed!" Uchiha Kō smiled.

Shimura Danzō looked deeply at Uchiha Kō. This man was handing such a great achievement to him and even placing his own life in his hands.

He hadn't expected Uchiha Kō to trust him so much. Perhaps the Uchiha Clan wasn't as his teacher had described? As these thoughts turned in his mind, he spoke.

"Rest assured, Kō-kun. We will do as you say. As soon as the signal flare rises, our main force will charge immediately. We will arrive in ten minutes at the latest!" Shimura Danzō said earnestly.

He needed this achievement, and the strategy Uchiha Kō proposed would result in minimal casualties and maximum results. What reason did he have to refuse?

If this were the elderly Danzō, Uchiha Kō would never have trusted him. But the Danzō who had just inherited power from Senju Tobirama was still a hot-blooded youth! Though a bit radical, he was a young man with ambition.

"Oh, one more thing, Lord Danzō. There may be explosive tags at the entrances to Kashiwagi and Chōga. Have the main force use shadow clones to scout ahead; it will be safer." With that, Uchiha Kō began to gather the Uchiha ninja to follow him.

Nara Rokumei wanted to follow as well, but Uchiha Kō shook his head. "This side needs a clever mind to hold the line. Do you understand, Rokumei?"

After saying this, Uchiha Kō and the Uchiha ninja used the cover of night and their black attire to detour toward Ishida.

Shimura Danzō ordered the main army to set up camp and wait for dawn to advance. He looked toward Ishida and thought to himself, Kō, if this succeeds, I will surely drink three cups with you when we return to the village.

Uchiha Kō let out a yawn. A ninja emerged from below and said quickly, "Sixth Elder, please keep warm. The night temperature is low; you mustn't catch a cold!"

"Don, I'm fine. I suppose someone is just thinking of me." Uchiha Kō smiled.

He suddenly turned to the Uchiha ninja. "This mission is our most dangerous, but it will also yield the greatest rewards. The village will remember our contribution. From this day forward, the Uchiha will be a glorious clan."

"I will do my best to ensure everyone's safety, but I cannot guarantee we will be unscathed. If anyone fears death, you may return to Lord Danzō's troops now; it is relatively safe there." Uchiha Kō's words reached the ears of every Uchiha ninja.

The Uchiha ninja activated their Sharingan. "Sixth Elder, we do not fear death; we only fear dying without value. Now that we know how important this mission is, what is there to fear?"

Everyone nodded. Under the moonlight, Uchiha Kō looked at the thousand Uchiha ninja and smiled. "Good. Everyone, I, Uchiha Kō, promise you that I will be at the front of the charge. If anyone is to die, I will die before you!"

With that, the group entered Ishida.