Melee and Stalemate

Before long, the leaders of every nation understood: Skywalker had deliberately drawn Iwagakure's forces into the Land of Grass, then assembled an army of two hundred thousand in the west to launch a surprise attack on the weakly defended Land of Earth. The Land of Birds had likely been no more than an incidental target.

At this time, Sunagakure was already being monitored by the Fire Temple through the One-Tail, so Nawaki had no fear that they would suddenly turn against him. With no worries behind him, he mobilized all forces in the western region and launched an attack northward.

In truth, he had never intended to attack through the Land of Grass from the start. The situation there was far too complicated, the Land of Lightning could intervene at any moment, and the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass—both allies—lay between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire in that direction. Even if Konoha captured it, it would only be an isolated enclave. The Land of Birds to the northwest, however, directly bordered Konoha, and all conquered territory there could be connected into one whole.

Thus, Nawaki employed the strategy of Feint in the East, Attack in the West. He deliberately remained in the Land of Grass for a full three months. Once all preparations were complete, he secretly transferred the ten thousand surrendered Sunagakure ninja to the west, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to relocate them and led an army of two hundred thousand in a surprise assault.

To ensure absolute secrecy, Nawaki had revealed this strategic plan to no one. Even Konoha headquarters' upper ranks believed that he had joined forces with the Lands of Grass and Rain to attack from the southeastern border of the Land of Earth. Given his