A War of Vastly Unequal Strength

"What on earth is going on?"

There's a sense of oppression.

"Is this a barrier? Why can it cover such a large area?"

"What exactly happened?"

"Is it a poison? But why is there no sign of it being released?!"

The ninjas behind Shiraha were all stunned by the strange changes that were happening to the Kirigakure troops.

The screams of hundreds of Kirigakure Ninja rose and fell, each with a different gruesome expression. Some scratched their skin incessantly, until their faces were covered in blood, the wounds so deep that bone was visible, as if they felt no pain at all, wishing they could just peel their own skin off.

As for the Konoha behind Shiraha, most of them were elite members of the Uchiha Clan, and even the lowest-ranking Chunin. Almost all of these people had participated in the Ninja World War and had seen far more gruesome scenes, with blood splattering and internal organs and limbs flying everywhere.

However, people are always more afraid of the unknown.

The horrors of war were mostly caused by known things like Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and ninja tools, so ninjas had a general mental preparation before going into battle.

But isn't everything happening right now a bit too bizarre?

They saw nothing, sensed nothing, not even a fluctuation of Chakra. The Kirigakure Ninja, who had landed on the coast with great momentum, seemed to be under a wide-ranging Genjutsu, or as if they had been poisoned.

Even if Shiraha is stronger than them, shouldn't he at least show some signs of making a move?

There should be Chakra reaction to activate a barrier.

Everything happened without warning.

"Ah!"

"It's so itchy!"

"Why is my Chakra decreasing?!"

"I can't use Ninjutsu anymore!"

"You're insane! Why are you attacking me!"

"Die!"

"What on earth is going on? Ugh~"

All the ninjas from Kirigakure were affected by the Radiation Sorcery Array. The Kirigakure Ninja who were in the Radiation Sorcery Array the longest, so they were the most affected by the radiation. Some of them have already started hallucinating and have begun to attack their comrades.

The stronger Jonin from Kirigakure, who were behind the radiation shrine, were the ones who entered the shrine for the shortest time and were less affected. However, even so, they felt dizzy, weak, and nauseous.

"Everyone! Retreat immediately!"

"Run!"

"Run!"

"Get out of here!"

With a command Jōnin the Jonin leading the Kirigakure forces, all the Kirigakure Ninja quickly retreated. In fact, even before the Kirigakure Jōnin the order, the Kirigakure Ninja behind the Radiation Sorcery Array had already shown signs of fleeing.

So after the Jōnin the order, all the Kirigakure Ninja felt as if they had been granted a pardon and rushed towards the warships on the beach.

Due to the effects of radiation, the strength of all the Kirigakure Ninja was greatly reduced, and their physical fitness was severely affected. Many Chunin were even unable to run, as if they were carrying hundreds of kilograms of weight on their backs. For non- Taijutsu -type ninjas, this weight would greatly affect their movement.

The distance of just a few hundred meters felt like the farthest distance they had ever experienced in their lives.

"Now we can launch the attack."

Shiraha watched the Hidden Kirigakure Ninja retreat rapidly and signaled to the people behind him that it was time to charge at the enemy.

However, after taking a few steps forward, Shiraha discovered that among the people behind him, apart from the ninjas of the Uzumaki Clan who got up and followed him, everyone else stood still and did not move forward.

Even the Uchiha elites, who were always brave in battle, were somewhat at a loss.

Only a handful of people stepped out of the Konoha ' ranks, including Chiho, Hideto, and Jōnin Oshima Shuichi, the former Jonin instructor of Team 12.

"Don't worry, the poison gas has completely dissipated, and the barrier has lost its effectiveness. Entering the barrier now won't affect you at all," Shiraha explained to the group. "If we don't attack now, the enemy will escape!"

With that, Shiraha quickly ran towards the beach.

The Uzumaki Clan ninjas behind him followed without hesitation.

It would be a lie to say they weren't afraid. Even Shiraha's subordinates were seeing this scene for the first time. However, out of trust and respect for Shiraha, they would rush forward without hesitation, even if it was a dead end.

This is exactly the effect Shiraha wanted. Quality over quantity is the key to success; he needed ninjas who were absolutely loyal to the Uzumaki Clan.

That's why he deliberately gave his subordinates opportunities to gain experience. Considering that every ninja of the Uzumaki Clan is precious, he used a large-scale destructive skill like the Level 1 Radiation Wizard Array.

It should be noted that Shiraha spent a full day and night just to set up this Level 1 Radiation Wizard Array, consuming a large amount of resources and funds.

Of course, he would settle these losses with Kirigakure little by little afterward; he wouldn't do a losing business.

"Everyone, charge with me!" Chiho gave the order, and without caring whether the Uchiha Clan behind her were keeping up, she accelerated and caught up with Shiraha.

"Kill!"

The other Uchiha Clan no longer hesitated. After learning that Shiraha used a combination of poison gas and barriers, although they were still somewhat wary, the fear of the unknown had become something known, which reduced their concerns.

"Leave some survivors!"

Before rushing into the crowd, Shiraha shouted the order.

"Yes!"

The ninjas of the Uzumaki Clan immediately spoke in unison.

As for the reinforcements from Konoha, they were well aware that the training of every ninja required resources, especially for Jōnin, who were very valuable even for a force as large as the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

In the past, it was difficult to capture prisoners of war because most ninjas would use suicide tactics when they were in dire straits. After all, being captured might mean a worse fate than death, so in the end, they would think that it was worth it to exchange one prisoner for another, or even better to exchange two for one prisoner.

However, the Kirigakure troops had already been affected by radiation, their strength was greatly diminished, and they had Chakra left.

Even Jōnin, with their current combat power, would probably struggle to withstand the combined attack of Chunin, let alone the Chunin themselves.

The Kirigakure Ninja, severely weakened, faced the elite forces of the Uchiha and Uzumaki Clan, making it a one-sided battle.

Like wolves among sheep, the Kirigakure Forces instantly collapsed.

"Those who kneel and surrender will not be killed!" Shiraha Yu shouted.

These Kirigakure Ninja were in a state of extreme panic, but very few knelt down to surrender. Most continued to resist, and were either killed or captured alive.

Soon, only the Konoha and Uzumaki Clan ninjas remained standing in the arena. As for the Kirigakure ninjas, they were either lying corpses or kneeling prisoners of war bound by ropes.

The battle, in which the Kirigakure forces had a numerical advantage, ended in a one-sided affair.

Most importantly, Shiraha, a top-tier Kage Level expert, hardly made a move.

The anticipated bloody battle never happened; the defending side ended the battle with single-digit casualties.

As for the attacking Kirigakure forces, most of their hundreds of ninjas were killed or wounded, and more than a hundred ninjas were captured, including ten Jōnin.

"Shiraha, should we go support the other side next? The Kirigakure forces should also land from the east. They'll probably use the nearby islands as transit points to continuously supply troops, and then..."

After everyone had tied up the prisoners of war from Kirigakure, just as Chiho and Hideto came to Shiraha's side to ask about the next move, a sudden, earth-shattering explosion completely drowned out their voices.

The Kirigakure ninjas even subconsciously stopped wailing.

Boom--!

A black mushroom cloud rose from the East Sea.

Even from dozens of miles away, you can see the hurricane that connects heaven and earth.

Even the gusts of wind generated by the aftershocks of the explosion made everyone lose their footing.

"That's Tailed Beast Ball?!"

Everyone stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded at the island in the distance that was instantly blasted into the sky and then crushed.

"I remember reminding Kurama to keep a low profile," Kurama Shiraha said with a laugh, indirectly acknowledging that it was Kurama who had made the move.

Everyone in the room fell silent.

Can the Uzumaki Clan, who can freely use the power of Tailed Beast, really be considered a developing 'weak' Ninja Clan?

Even if other villages have Tailed Beast, the Jinchuriki would have to pay a huge price and endure immense pain to reach the point where they can use Tailed Beast Ball. How could they possibly release such a terrifying Tailed Beast Ball so easily?

'We absolutely cannot make enemies of the Uzumaki Clan!'

This thought arose in everyone's mind.

The Uzumaki Clan has far too many tricks up their sleeve.

Shiraha's unpredictable poisonous gas barrier was released and terminated without any warning.

Judging from the miserable state of the Jōnin Kirigakure bound beside them, it was clear that this poison gas could have a significant suppressive effect on Jōnin, and even Kage Level powerhouses.

Shiraha alone is worth a thousand troops!

What's more, there's also the even more terrifying Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, Kushina.

Suddenly, the Konoha Ninja who came to provide support felt that their arrival was somewhat superfluous.

Even the Uchiha ninjas, who were always very proud of themselves, became completely obedient.

Although legend has it that Uchiha who awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan can control Tailed Beast, after witnessing the power unleashed by Kurama, whether they can control Kurama after awakening the Sharingan remains a question mark.

"Is this the Kurama? Is this the power that Kushina wielded?"

Chiho's eyes were somewhat vacant. Even though she had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, she could still feel the huge gap between herself and Kushina.

It seems that if we want to compete with Kushina, we must hold onto the Uchiha Clan as our trump card.

After this battle, Chiho also saw many things more clearly.

The Uzumaki Clan's overall strength is indeed very strong, comparable to that of Konoha. However, this is based on the fact that Shiraha and Kushina are among the top Shinobi World. The Uzumaki Clan itself is still quite weak, and Shiraha doesn't have many capable people under his command.

Only by relocating the entire Uchiha clan and fully integrating into the Land of Whirlpools before the Uzumaki Clan has fully developed can they gain a higher status in the future.

"We don't need to guard the other side of the defense. We, the Uzumaki Clan, will remember the help from the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Konoha. If you need any help from the Uzumaki Clan in the future, please come to the Uzumaki Clan. We will do our best to help you!"

Shiraha looked at everyone in the arena and said solemnly.

"Lord Shiraha too kind, Bai Yu-kun!" Uchiha Soujin said solemnly. This ordinary Medical Ninja he once looked down upon had become someone he had to look up to, so his attitude towards him had naturally changed drastically. Moreover, Uchiha Soujin and Chiho now both represented the Uchiha Clan.

"Don't worry, Shiraha, I won't stand on ceremony with you. In the future, whether I encounter trouble or the Uchiha Clan encounters trouble, we will come to you for help." Chiho smiled, her eyes staring straight at Shiraha without any attempt to hide her feelings.

"Must."

Shiraha nodded with a smile.

Most of the Konoha seemed very happy, after all, establishing contact with the powerful Uzumaki Clan would be of great benefit to the future development of the Ninja Clan Ninja Clan, especially for the Uchiha Clan, which was already unpopular in Konoha.

However, some people's smiles were very forced. Clearly, they were either close confidants of the Third Hokage or harbored hostility towards the Uzumaki Clan.

The Kirigakure invaded the Uzumaki Clan, but was completely defeated by the Uzumaki Clan in just First Shinobi World War, and then withdrew.

The entire war was like a farce, as if Kirigakure had just had a minor conflict with the Uzumaki Clan.

However, once the casualties of the war were tallied, no force dared to underestimate the Uzumaki Clan.

People are always interested in numbers. In this battle, Kirigakure mobilized over a thousand ninjas, and more than two hundred of them were sent to the sky along with the island by the Kurama ' Tailed Kirigakure Ninja Tailed Beast Ball.

The remaining casualties were the more than 300 people killed and more than 100 people captured during the landing battle on the southeast coast by the Uzumaki and Uchiha Allied Force.

In other words, the thousand-strong army of Kirigakure lost more than half of its men in First Shinobi World War.

Even for powerful villages like Takigakure and Amegakure, whose strength is second only to the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it would be impossible to gather a thousand ninjas even if they pooled all their resources. This loss would be a devastating blow to the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

In a short time, the long-standing conflicts in Kirigakure erupted completely after this war.

The Third Mizukage was assassinated by four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist of the Mist, and nearly lost his life on the way to the front lines.

However, after the Third Mizukage returned to the village, he first ordered the pursuit and killing of the four deserters, and then surprisingly gathered more ninjas to continue the attack on the Uzumaki Clan. As a result, he was opposed by a group of Jōnin and was eventually dismissed by the high-ranking officials of Kirigakure.

Meanwhile, after giving the captured Kirigakure Ninja some basic treatment, Shiraha sent them all back to Kirigakure.

Elder Genji of Kirigakure declared a complete ceasefire with the Uzumaki Clan and agreed to sign a new treaty.

Immediately afterwards, the Kirigakure Ninja who were sent back to the village all fell ill, which was incurable and also spread to others.

This caused a huge uproar in Kirigakure, who immediately sent people to the Uzumaki Clan to ask Shiraha for help.

After all, there are quite a few Jōnin among the 'poisoned' Kirigakure Ninja, and they are not easy to train.

Moreover, if they are not rescued, the people of Kirigakure will completely lose their morale.

Faced with Kirigakure's sincerity, Shiraha could only prescribe an expensive special medicine to treat the Kirigakure ninjas, and a large amount of resources and funds were continuously transferred into the Land of Whirlpools.

This was Shiraha's open scheme, and Kirigakure had no choice but to swallow their anger, since their Third Mizukage had provoked the Uzumaki Clan first!

With his terrifying Medical Ninjutsu and the Kurama ' earth-shattering Tailed Beast Ball, Shiraha demonstrated to the Shinobi World that the Uzumaki Clan was not to be trifled with.

In just ten days, Shiraha completely resolved the troubles caused by Kirigakure.

At this time, his avatar "Kodama" was still within the Land of Water.

At first, Kodama acted together with Obito and Obito, but halfway there, Obito and Zetsu suggested that they split up.

After discovering the special circumstances of the Land of Water through "Kodama," Shiraha agreed to separate from Obito and Zetsu.

Every country has some special Bloodline Clan, Land of Water is no exception.

In the original work, special Kekkei Genkai such as Shikotsumyaku and Ice Style are unique to the Land of Water. Since Shiraha came here, he naturally had a need to collect them.

Most importantly, he discovered something strange: the people of the Land of Water seemed to regard ninjas with Kekkei Genkai as plagues, avoiding them at all costs.

Kirigakure has ninjas specifically tasked with slaughtering those with Kekkei Genkai. Of course, this only applies to the Bloodline Clan and ninjas who have not joined Kirigakure but have settled in the Land of Water.

Even so, it is still quite outrageous.

Just before Kirigakure launched its attack on the Uzumaki Clan, the Yuki Clan, Bloodline Clan from the Land of Water, was massacred, with only a few survivors who began a life of hiding and fleeing.

"At this point in time, Kaguya Kimimaro seems to be seven or eight years old. The Kaguya Clan hasn't been wiped out yet, so it's worth trying to win them over," Shiraha thought to himself. Now that they had just defeated Kirigakure, the Uzumaki Clan was accepting some Bloodline Clan, so Kirigakure probably wouldn't dare to object.

In the first part of the story, Kimimaro was also a genius. If it weren't for his bloodline disease, becoming Kage Level powerhouse would have been no problem at all.

Shiraha was very interested in the Shikotsumyaku, a rare bloodline that enhances physical constitution.

The most crucial point is that he doesn't know if the Shikotsumyaku can be integrated into the bloodline of his "World Tree Companion Serpent". Everything needs to be tested before the results can be obtained.

In addition, the Yuki Clan's Ice Style is also a target for Shiraha to collect.

And so, Shiraha's journey to collect bloodline limits in the Land of Water began, leading him to the vicinity of Kirigakure.

Not far from Kirigakure, in a valley shrouded in thick fog, he discovered something strange.

A large number of Kirigakure Ninja were lying in ambush on both sides of the valley. If Shiraha hadn't known his perception and concealment abilities, he would have thought these people were lying in ambush on him!

"Sunagakure, a ninja from Sunagakure, Scorch Release Pakura! What's she doing here?"

Out of curiosity, Shiraha merged his body into the tree and watched quietly. Soon he noticed a beautiful Kunoichi in a backless dress walking into the valley, and Shiraha recognized her.

Because "Kodama" and Kakuzu been on a mission together some time ago, Shiraha still remembered the ninjas recorded in Kakuzu's notebook.

As Elite Jonin of Sunagakure, Pakura has a bounty of 45 million ryo! She has always been someone Kakuzu longed for.

"The Sunagakure sent Pakura to the Kirigakure, and yet so many ninjas ambushed her. How interesting."

Shiraha became interested, and coincidentally, the Scorch Release was also quite valuable for research.

At that moment, through the thick fog, a Jonin from Kirigakure Jōnin before Pakura, smiling as he spoke:

"Lord Pakura of Sunagakure, it is a pleasure to meet you. The fog is thick, and I have been ordered to come and guide you."

"Thank you for your hard work. It's just one valley, so it's not easy to get lost." Pakura smiled, then changed the subject, "I heard that there has been a change in the Mizukage position in Kirigakure recently. I hope that won't affect the alliance between Kirigakure and Sunagakure?"

"Of course not. The village will soon elect Fourth Mizukage, Elder Genshi will temporarily take charge." The Kirigakure Jōnin a smile, sensing that Pakura was deliberately mocking him.

If Pakura understood social etiquette, perhaps she wouldn't have asked such an unpleasant question right from the start.

However, for the Kirigakure of Jōnin, it's all the same.

"Please!" The Kirigakure Jōnin and stepped aside.

Pakura nodded and walked forward.

Pfft!

Pakura had just passed by the Kirigakure Jōnin he suddenly pulled out a sharp Kunai that gleamed with an eerie light and stabbed it into her back.

"What are you doing?!"

Pakura looked on in disbelief, her neck stiff as she turned her head. Because she was completely unprepared, her body was now completely numb after being poisoned.

"If you hadn't interfered with our village's plan to capture the Three-Tails, how could we have been defeated in this operation against the Uzumaki Clan! Being abandoned by the Fourth Kazekage is your retribution!" The Kirigakure Jōnin fiercely, not forgetting to deliver a verbal blow before killing Pakura.

Immediately afterwards, the Kirigakure Jōnin stabbed the Kunai deep into Pakura's back.

Because of the paralysis in her body, Pakura stumbled forward a few steps before falling to the ground.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

The ninjas lying in ambush on the cliffs on both sides of the valley attacked simultaneously, throwing a large number of Kunai at Pakura, who had fallen to the ground.

The dense array of Kunai a tight, airtight net, completely covering Pakura's body.

Such injuries wouldn't kill Pakura immediately, but they would allow her to experience the pain of dying from betrayal.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the earth cracked open, and massive tree trunks emerged from the ground as if they were alive.

Immediately afterwards, two enormous Wood Dragon, each over twenty meters long, burst forth. One of the Wood Dragon coiled up, blocking all the Kunai, swallowed Pakura whole, and then burrowed back underground.

Meanwhile, the other Wood Dragon launched an attack on the Kirigakure Ninja.

"What's going on?!"

"Is this Wood Release?"

"Careful!"

"Ah!"

On his deathbed, hearing screams around him, Pakura struggled to open his eyes and found himself lying in the arms of a person wearing a white mask. "You are..."

Before Shiraha could answer, Pakura fell into a coma.

After repelling the Kirigakure forces, the Konoha returned to Konoha.

The Uchiha Clan ninjas received ample courtesy from the Uzumaki Clan, and the Uchiha elites who participated in this war developed a much better impression of the Uzumaki Clan.

The feud between the Uchiha Clan and the Uzumaki and Senju clans dates back to the Warring States Period. Now it is the era of ninja villages. The Uzumaki Clan took the initiative to express friendship, Uchiha Clan naturally would not be ungrateful, especially since the Uzumaki Clan has two top-notch experts Shiraha and Kushina.

The Uchiha Clan has always revered the strong.

Neither Shiraha nor Kushina directly participated in the battle during this war, but both the ' Radiation Sorcery Array ' and the Tailed Beast Ball released by Kurama were enough to demonstrate their strength.

This gave rise to even more thoughts among the Uchiha Clan members who had suffered unfair treatment in Konoha.

The Radical Faction initially only wanted to obtain their due rights, but now some Uchiha Clan have begun to think about whether they can follow in the footsteps of Shiraha and Kushina and lead their clan to break away from Konoha. After all, with the strength of the Uchiha Clan, even if they become independent, their strength is second only to the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

It's important to know that their clan leader Uchiha Fugaku, has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, a terrifying power capable of controlling Tailed Beast. Furthermore, due to this support, the Uchiha and Uzumaki Clan have established a friendly relationship, making cooperation Uzumaki Clan entirely possible.

In fact, this was the path that Uchiha Madara initially envisioned. He knew that under the current system in Konoha, the Uchiha Clan would not be able to obtain a fair environment, let alone have the opportunity to compete for the Hokage position.

Since they cannot fully integrate into Konoha and be accepted by other Ninja Clan, they might as well start afresh and create a powerful ninja village on their own, with the Uchiha Clan as a separate entity.

However, in that era, there was a Hashirama Senju who was even stronger than Madara, so the Uchiha clan members chose to stay in Konoha.

In Konoha today, the person in power is the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Despite being known as a "Ninja Hero" and being one of the Five Kage of the Era, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued to occupy the Hokage position as he aged and weakened. While superficially appeasing the Uchiha Clan, he insincerely delayed the inevitable, deceiving them. Most importantly, he lacked the strength and resolve of Hashirama Senju, so the Uchiha Clan no longer chose to remain in Konoha as resolutely as they had in the past.

Of course, only a small number of the Uchiha Clan hold this view.

Most of the clansmen still hope to stay in Konoha. As long as there is a possibility of fighting for their due rights, they do not want to leave their homeland and the village where they have lived for decades.

At this moment, in the lounge next to the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu listened to the report from the Anbu Ninja Uchiha Shisui, and their expressions were not very good.

"Shisui, you've worked hard. You should go and rest now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile.

"Yes." Shisui bowed slightly and then left the room.

"Hiruzen, what do you think?" Mitokado Homura asked with some worry, "The Uchiha ninjas have actually come up with the idea of Betrayal of the Village. We must take action. Shouldn't we make some concessions and temporarily Uchiha Clan?"

"Absolutely not!" Danzo interrupted him. "Why would you tell us about the Uchiha Clan's internal reactions when Uchiha Shisui has only recently joined the Anbu? Isn't this a test by the Uchiha to force us to back down? Once there's a first time, there will be countless times. The Uchiha will definitely keep pressing us, so we must not back down."

"What if the strong members of the Uchiha Clan, like Yagami Shiraha and the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, want to leave Konoha? Appropriate concessions can ease the conflict," Utatane Koharu said in a deep voice.

Both she and Mitokado Homura were frightened.

If the Uchiha Clan were to leave Konoha, it would be a huge blow to Konoha's overall strength, and most importantly, Konoha's reputation would likely collapse.

Danzo frowned and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Hiruzen, you're not going to waver, are you?"

"I still hope to ease the conflict through dialogue, and everything can be negotiated on the spot," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

"Hmph!" Danzo coldly, got up and left, but paused just before leaving the room:

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

PS: This month's update is complete, and I've kept it up.