Growth Under Pressure

Iwagakure did not choose to act just yet; it was still watching. A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. The aftereffects of a ninja war still lingered, and two simple defeats were not enough to prove that Konoha was finished.

In truth, Iwagakure was not alone. Sunagakure and Kirigakure were also watching, and even certain small countries with military forces were keeping an eye on the battlefield.

They were all waiting—waiting for Konoha's next move.

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally understood this, which was why he had to react quickly. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. Under these circumstances, he once again had the Ninja Department mobilize shinobi and dispatched the current Yamanaka and the Akimichi Clan Head to the battlefield to support Danzō. Kumogakure had around five thousand shinobi in the Land of Fire. It was not a small number, but neither was it much compared to a giant like Konoha. Hiruzen Sarutobi planned to crush them in one stroke.

This time, Konoha mobilized seven thousand shinobi. Together with the two thousand who had retreated after Danzō's defeat, their numbers had reached nine thousand. Including the group of shinobi Uchiha had initially pulled back to the village, this war had already mobilized over ten thousand people.

This could already be considered a village-wide war.

Once the reinforcements arrived, Shimura Danzō quietly let out a breath of relief. He regrouped his forces and prepared for a decisive battle with the Third Raikage. As for the location, he chose Divine Wind Ridge in northern Land of Fire. Thus, this battle came to be known as the Battle of Divine Wind Ridge.

However, the result of this battle...

Konoha suffered a crushing defeat. Kumogakure had long since received three thousand reinforcements, but kept them hidden. Before the direct clash, they lay in