Stone Village's Defeat, Fishing in Troubled Waters

In the Central Army Tent the Sunagakure front camp, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, and Ebizo both wore solemn expressions.

"It seems my assumption wasn't wrong; there really was a problem with that report."

Rasa gently rubbed his head. When he was reviewing the reports yesterday, he noticed that several ninja teams mentioned that the Resupply points they were supposed to attack had already been breached, which he guessed was the work of other teams that had completed their missions.

But as the one who devised the mission, he knew that each squad's attack targets were strictly selected, and there wouldn't be much spare time to help others.

Therefore, it is not difficult to see that within the territory of the Land of Birds, there is very likely a third-party force besides Sunagakure and Iwagakure.

"Then who do you think these people are, Elder?" Rasa asked uncertainly.

"It's either Konoha or Cloud Village. Other villages don't have the strength or the motive." Now that things were out in the open, Ebizo didn't hold back anymore.

"Does Lord Kazekage know what their purpose is in doing this?" Ebizo asked directly, his tone now carrying a hint of testing.

"They just want to suppress Iwagakure because they see us at a disadvantage, so that this battle can last longer." Rasa was no pushover either, with a first-rate political sense, and he saw through the trickery at a glance.

"Then, Lord Kazekage, how do you think this war should end?"

Upon hearing this, Rasa gave Ebizo a deep look, then stood up and quietly stood in front of a map of the Ninja World. Ebizo also stood up and came behind the Kazekage, accompanying Kazekage as they looked at the map.

"Whether we win or lose this battle, Sunagakure won't gain anything. Iwagakure is already barren, full of Takayama and cliffs, and its overall living environment isn't much better than Sunagakure's. At most, we can get some mission requests from the surrounding small countries."

Ebizo nodded, not denying Kazekage's words, but remained silent, waiting for Kazekage to continue.

After a long silence, Rasa's voice rang out again. He pointed to the center of the map, his voice filled with undisguised greed, "The future of Sunagakure still lies here."

The place he was referring to was the most fertile plains region on the continent— the Land of Fire.

The next morning, Sunagakure's logistics team prepared breakfast early. After all the Sunagakure Ninja had a hearty meal, they assembled and headed straight for Iwagakure's Camp.

This massive march was truly unstoppable; every Iwagakure Ninja they encountered along the way was sent to the Underworld without exception.

The attack came too suddenly, without any warning. It wasn't until the Sunagakure army was 5 kilometers away from the Iwagakure Camp that the Iwagakure front line received news of the Sunagakure's large-scale attack.

The emergency assembly signal resounded throughout Camp, and orders flew back and forth. The Iwagakure Ninja army was considered to be of the highest quality among the Five Great Ninja Villages, and their assembly speed was also very fast.

However, five kilometers is far too short for ninjas sprinting at full speed. When the vanguard of Sunagakure appeared in the field of vision of Iwagakure, the poor Iwagakure had not even assembled half of their personnel.

In this critical moment, all the Jonin in the Camp Jonin forward, followed by the assembled ninja, forming the first line of defense in the hope of slightly blocking the first wave of attacks from Sunagakure.

On the Sunagakure side, the Fourth Kazekage took the lead, charging at the very front of the group.

When the Iwagakure Camp came into view, and they hadn't even completed the most basic troop assembly, Rasa knew that the raid was already halfway to success.

A surge of golden sand appeared around him, quickly transforming into a platform beneath his feet, propelling the Fourth Kazekage into the sky and placing him at the forefront and most prominent position in Sunagakure.

The Kazekage's act of sacrificing himself was witnessed by all the Sand Village Ninja, and it was precisely this selfless demeanor that filled the entire Sunagakure with explosive power.

That was their Kazekage, that was their role model. With such a leader, what reason did they have not to succeed?

"Ninjas, the Rock Ninja are just ahead! The time for revenge has come! Follow me and drive these clods of earth out of the Land of Wind! Kill—"

"Kill"

"Kill"

"Kill"

A deafening roar echoed across the land. Led by the Kazekage and surrounded by countless comrades, the Sunagakure's morale soared to unprecedented heights under the flames of hatred.

Upon entering the attack range, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, quickly Hand Seals, then raised his hands, causing a large amount of golden sand to appear around him. This Magnet Release Gold Dust then accumulated, eventually transforming into waves that surged towards Iwagakure.

Following closely behind Rasa, various Wind Style and Fire Style from the Sunagakure forces rose up and swept towards the Iwagakure in an overwhelming manner.

Earth Style · Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall.

Hundreds of Rock Ninja used a combined technique, and a city wall a kilometer long rose from the ground, blocking the way for Sunagakure.

A large number of Iwagakure Ninja leaped onto the city wall, using their height to continuously hurl Iron Cannon downwards, while those with higher strength unleashed a barrage of long-range Earth Style.

"Naive!" Rasa scoffed, slamming his hands together.

With a "snap," the Magnet Release Gold Dust that had been forming waves instantly converged in the center, condensing into several huge sharp cones that pierced straight towards the towering city wall.

"Boom, boom, boom"

Magnet Release Gold Dust is heavy to begin with, and when it is condensed together, its power is even greater. The seemingly thick city wall did not even last a single round under the attack of the giant Magnet Release Gold Dust cone, and several gaps were punched in it.

Then, a barrage of Ninjutsu attacks were unleashed, using this as a point of attack, and poured down upon the Iwagakure Ninja inside.

After a baptism of Ninjutsu, the two sides of ninjas soon clashed. Sunagakure took advantage of the surprise attack, catching Iwagakure off guard. At this moment, the Kazekage led the charge, pinning Iwagakure to the ground and giving them a brutal beating.

The Kazekage's Magnet Release was indeed Ninjutsu capable of suppressing Tailed Beast. In the battlefield environment, it was practically invincible. Wherever enemies gathered, he would command the Magnet Release Gold Dust to rush towards them.

In an instant, the Kazekage was like a killing machine, and wherever he went, Iwagakure Ninja fell to the ground.

Far from the battlefield, atop a hill, Taiichi stood gazing into the distance.

He originally went there for Sunagakure's logistical Resupply, but he encountered Sunagakure assembling its troops early in the morning. Out of curiosity, he followed them there and witnessed Sunagakure's first counterattack.

As expected, any ninja who can become a Kage should not be underestimated. The Fourth Kazekage may be the youngest of the Five Kage, but his strength is truly undeniable.

Taiichi had witnessed the Third Kazekage's Iron Sand. Although it was slightly better than the Fourth Hokage's Magnet Release Gold Dust in terms of range, Iron Sand was still somewhat lacking in terms of explosive power and strength.

At this moment, the battlefield was practically a one-man show for the Fourth Kazekage, who almost single-handedly suppressed the counterattack of the entire Iwagakure force.

Just as Taiichi was enjoying the spectacle, he suddenly sensed the Flying Thunder God Kunai that he had given to Minato. It seemed that Minato had also arrived on this battlefield.

With a flash, Taiichi disappeared from his original spot and reappeared on another hill, with Minato on his right.

"Haha, Taiichi, I knew you'd come." Minato maintained his sunny smile, unchanged despite the days of fighting.

It can only be said that this damned world has made killing a normal occurrence.

"I didn't expect Sunagakure to organize a counterattack so quickly. Iwagakure is going to suffer a great loss in this battle." Taiichi looked at the battlefield. From here, he was closer to the battlefield and could see it much more clearly.

"Iwagakure's response was too hasty; not all of their ninjas are present, and a large number are likely already out on missions."

Minato watched the battle closely, analyzing the gains and losses of both sides bit by bit.

"The Kazekage's abilities are too suited to the battlefield. If there isn't a strong enough opponent to restrain him, allowing him to unleash his full potential on the battlefield would be a nightmare for ordinary ninjas."

Taiichi turned to look at Minato. As expected of the future Hokage, he really thought long-term.

Both watched from a distance. As the ninjas from both sides continued to join the fray, the battlefield expanded and the situation became increasingly complex.

At this moment, Iwagakure from Iwagakure finally Jonin through the layers of blockade and arrived at the Fourth Kazekage's side, but he clearly overestimated himself and underestimated the Kazekage's strength.

In just a few exchanges, the Jonin Iwagakure was slammed into the ground by the heavy Magnet Release Gold Dust. As Rasa clenched his fist in the sky, the Magnet Release Gold Dust suddenly contracted inward, followed by blood splattering everywhere. A Jonin was thus cruelly killed by the Magnet Release Gold Dust.

Shortly after the death of this Iwagakure Jonin, three crimson Signal Flare suddenly rose into the sky from the Iwagakure Camp.

As if by prior arrangement, the many Jonin who had been entangled Jonin erupted, willing to endure two enemy attacks in order to break free from the current battle, and then one by one they unleashed their widest range of Ninjutsu attacks toward the Sunagakure's defensive line.

Meanwhile, in the Iwagakure Camp, the last batch of reserve troops were also deployed to the front lines. However, they did not directly participate in the attack, but instead used wide-range long-range Ninjutsu in an attempt to temporarily force back the attacking Sunagakure.

With the sudden burst of force from both sides, the Genin who had been entangled by Sunagakure finally got a chance to catch their breath and, under the organization of the surrounding Jonin, began to retreat rapidly.

As soon as the Iwagakure retreated, the Fourth Kazekage in the sky reacted immediately. He flew even further forward and began to kill the Iwagakure Ninja had stayed behind to cover the retreat.

At the same time, a loud shout rang out across the battlefield, "Iwagakure has been defeated! Everyone, follow me and slaughter all these stray dogs!"

"Kill them all!"

"Kill them all"

As the first response rang out, more and more responses echoed throughout the battlefield.

The few Sand Village Ninja left behind to cover the rear quickly disappeared under the full force of the Sunagakure's massive attack.

Far away.

"Senior Disciple Brother Minato, how many of Iwagakure do you think will escape back this time?" Taiichi asked curiously, watching the retreating Iwagakure Ninja.

"Haha, who knows? But judging from the Sunagakure's determination to hunt them down, they probably won't stop even if they reach the border."

Taiichi glanced at the Iwagakure still fighting and retreating on the battlefield, then suddenly turned to Minato, rubbing his hands together with a sinister grin. "Senior Disciple Brother, do you think we should get involved?"

"Hmm?" Minato's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and his gaze towards Taiichi held a different kind of brilliance. "Good idea. But, should we go and beat a drowning dog, or should we go and help the weak and oppressed?"

Sure enough, Minato was a secretly flirtatious guy at heart; otherwise, why would all his names be so flamboyant? But Taiichi still asked in return, "What does Senior Disciple Brother mean?"

The two exchanged a glance, immediately understanding each other, and said in unison, "Of course, we should use a two-pronged approach!"

As they happily clapped their hands together, the two simultaneously used the Flying Thunder God to leave. It turned out that they had buried Flying Thunder God Kunai on the outskirts of the battlefield before the battle even began, and were now using these coordinates to instantly return to the battlefield.

The moment Taiichi reappeared on the battlefield, he was startled by what he saw.

A Sunagakure Ninja was chasing a Rock Ninja past the spot where he appeared, and his sudden appearance startled the two of them so much that they even forgot about their fight.

Now was the time to test the reaction speed of the three parties. Everyone was stunned at the same time, but while the other two were still in a daze, a flash of light appeared, and Taiichi had already completed the whole set of movements of drawing his sword, slashing horizontally, and sheathing his sword.

As Taiichi turned to leave, the two men revealed expressions of pain, clutching their throats and collapsing to the ground.

Taiichi's strike not only severed their trachea and arteries, but also their cervical vertebrae. Under these circumstances, the two were absolutely certain to die.

With his Chakra Perception fully activated, Taiichi wasn't worried about anyone noticing his Scout. In fact, he was eager for someone to come looking for him because of it, saving him the trouble of Scout everywhere.

Taiichi roamed the outskirts of the battlefield, and any lone ninja he saw, whether from Sunagakure or Iwagakure, could not escape his pursuit.

As the Rock Ninja retreated, the battlefield continued to shift towards the Land of Birds. The Sunagakure, in pursuit, gained increasing momentum, venting their frustration from the previous ambush by the Iwagakure in this First Shinobi World War.

As for Iwagakure, after they retreated into the Land of Birds, they discovered that Sunagakure was still relentlessly pursuing them. Their initially orderly retreat finally broke down under the prolonged pressure and collapsed completely.

Now, the Sunagakure's pursuit became even more reckless, and it was at this moment that the Iwagakure's casualties suddenly increased.

On the edge of the battlefield, where neither Sunagakure nor Iwagakure paid much attention, Taiichi transformed into a battlefield ghost, silently reaping the ninjas on both sides with a Short Sword. They often didn't even realize who their enemy was before their throats were slit or their hearts were pierced without a sound.

The chase continued until the next day, covering most of the Land of Birds, before gradually slowing down. Clearly, Sunagakure was also afraid that if the pursuit continued, they would encounter Iwagakure's rescue force.

The Sunagakure, already exhausted, could not withstand the Iwagakure's furious counterattack. Therefore, the Sunagakure Commander decided to stop while he was ahead and digest what he had already gained first.

With the end of the battle, Sunagakure immediately established a forward Camp in the Land of Birds, and various logistical supplies were transported from the Land of Wind to the forward Camp as soon as possible.

When Iwagakure reorganized its forces and marched into the Land of Birds, Sunagakure's forward Camp and outposts had already been completed.

Faced with such a tight defense, Iwagakure could only retreat silently and find a suitable location to establish their Camp.

Throughout all of this, no one ever questioned the native forces of the Land of Birds, as if they didn't exist. This is the truth of the Ninja World: the strong control everything.