Shimura Danzō had gone two days without sleep. Even though he had his trusted subordinate, Aburame Shikuroo, keep watch on the signal flares over the distant mountain peaks, he still couldn't put his mind at ease. Ever since nightfall, he had kept coming out for walks, staring straight ahead at Mt. Kikyo.
Suddenly, a signal flare streaked across the sky. Shimura Danzō's spirits lifted at once. It worked!
As for whether Uchiha Kō and the others could take Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi, that was beside the point. The ambushers on the mountains would no longer be able to spring traps from above. And on the plains, victory came down to strength!
Their army was still at full strength, fresh and rested. Besides, when it came to fighting power, everyone knew Konoha's reserves were second to none.
Shimura Danzō hurriedly rallied the army. They were assembled in less than three minutes, staring eagerly at Danzō, puzzled. Why had he woken them all up at this hour?
Shimura Danzō was visibly excited. He shouted, "Ninjas, the time has come to make a name for ourselves! Deputy Commander Uchiha Kō has already led the Uchiha Clan up Mt. Kikyo and Mt. Domi, cutting off Sunagakure's retreat and burning their provisions!"
"Now is the time to attack! The traps Sunagakure set to hold us back will become tools for slaughtering them!"
The ninjas' adrenaline surged at the news. What? The deputy commander had quietly pulled off something huge—and succeeded!
Nara Rokumei immediately spoke up. "Commander, please give the order to attack at once, eliminate the Sand Dogs, and join up with the deputy commander!"
He knew they couldn't afford to waste time. The longer they delayed, the greater the danger to the Uchiha ninjas on the mountain. He didn't care about the others,