Uchiha Xiao had explained the strategy clearly enough that even Jiraiya understood exactly how to put it into practice.
Tsunade led the Senju clan members to block the east gate, preventing the enemy from attacking Konoha. Jiraiya led the Uchiha clan members to guard the south gate, stopping the enemy from contacting Sunagakure and joining forces with them. Orochimaru led the elite forces of the other clans to hold the north gate, preventing the enemy from circling around and attacking Konoha.
The three of them stationed their troops in plain sight of the enemy, but just beyond Shuriken range.
Any troops transporting grain to Yuji from the surrounding towns were intercepted by the jōnin squads the three had dispatched. Without exception, every interception succeeded.
Salamander Hanzo naturally knew something was wrong, so he led his troops out of the city gate and charged straight toward Tsunade. When Tsunade saw the gate open,
she immediately ordered, "Everyone, fall back!" Then she fired a green signal flare. The Senju troops withdrew in an orderly fashion as the Rain Ninja pursued them relentlessly. In a dense forest, they ran into traps laid by the Konoha Ninja: Explosive Tags and countless ground spikes.
Screams rang out one after another, making Salamander Hanzo's eyes twitch. Damn Konoha Ninja! Just let me catch you. I'll tear you limb from limb and peel your skin off!
He fixed his bloodshot eyes on Tsunade in the distance. She gazed back at him without advancing a step.
As Uchiha Xiao put it, this was guerrilla warfare: "When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass them; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."
No matter what, a head-on fight was out of the question. These sixteen words of wisdom had been put forward by a great leader. How effective they were went without saying, didn't it?
Watching the Rain Ninja die one after another, Salamander Hanzo was starting to lose his mind. He began channeling chakra at full force, boosting his speed. He was going to tear Tsunade to pieces!
At that very moment, Jiraiya and Orochimaru began ordering an assault on the city from the south and north gates. Cries of battle rang out, and Yuji hurriedly fired a whistling arrow.
Whoosh! The arrow streaked through the sky, making a piercing sound.
That sound made Salamander Hanzo, who had been seeing red, stop in his tracks. He looked back at Yuji City, and his heart sank.
This is bad. This was just a diversion. Their real target is Yuji, my stronghold! If I keep pursuing Tsunade now, even if I manage to kill her, they'll have taken my base. There'll be no point in fighting anymore—we'll have lost!
Salamander Hanzo gritted his teeth and shouted, "Men, we'll settle this with them next time! Back to the city!"
"Yes, sir!" The Rain Ninja were seething with frustration. It was bad enough that their food supplies had been cut off, but the enemy wouldn't fight, wouldn't retreat, and had even set traps and ambushes. Was this the way a great nation fought?
If Uchiha Xiao had known what they were thinking, he probably would have scoffed. "A bunch of fools with brawn and no brains. Let me show you what Chinese military strategy looks like!"
Seeing Salamander Hanzo's troops withdraw, Tsunade's unit fired another red signal flare. When Orochimaru and Jiraiya saw it, they immediately led their troops back to their previous positions.
By the time Salamander Hanzo returned to the city, all he saw was devastation: the damage left by the Explosive Tags, and a city gate battered almost to pieces.
He looked up and saw corpses covering the ramparts. They belonged to the Rain Ninja defenders. Faced with this scene, even Salamander Hanzo, known as the demigod, was at a loss.
Uchiha Xiao was seated at the command post, where a sand table lay before him. Three flags stood on it, representing Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
Using reports from scouts, he moved the flags and assessed the situation. In a word, he directed operations from within his command tent and secured victory a thousand miles away.
Outside the command post stood Uchiha Kiyoshi and several Uchiha clan members. They insisted on protecting Uchiha Xiao, and after seeing how resolute they were, Tsunade had no choice but to agree.
Aside from Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, no one was allowed into the command post—not even the Hokage.
The scouts returned once more, and Uchiha Kiyoshi brought their report inside. Seated in a chair with his eyes closed, Uchiha Xiao said, "Did Salamander Hanzo withdraw his troops and return to the city without making a sound?"
The scout hurriedly knelt. "My lord is brilliant! Following the strategy you laid out, fewer than two hundred of our men were wounded, while the enemy suffered at least eight hundred deaths!"
The scout's eyes practically shone as he looked at Uchiha Xiao. A one-to-four casualty ratio—what a brilliant strategy and plan! He couldn't believe he had witnessed it with his own eyes. And to think he'd been the one chosen to deliver the reports! It was an honor!
Uchiha Kiyoshi opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But as he looked at Uchiha Xiao, it was as if his throat had seized up, and no sound came out.
It was no wonder he was too moved to speak. Throughout the Warring States period, the highest casualty ratio between the clans' armies had been one to two. Now it had doubled!
Having watched Uchiha Xiao's every move, Uchiha Kiyoshi felt conflicted. He looked at Uchiha Xiao with admiration.
At the same time, anger welled up inside him. He wanted to ask the clan members who had bullied Uchiha Xiao: How dare you bully someone this talented? What makes you think you have the right?
Even setting aside Uchiha Xiao's terrifying combat talent, his strategic brilliance alone was beyond anything those simple-minded clan members could hope to match.
This was just... this was just...
"Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi, Uchiha Kiyoshi, are you listening to me?" Uchiha Xiao waved a hand and frowned. The guy seemed reliable enough, so why was he spacing out?
Uchiha Kiyoshi quickly snapped back to attention and dropped to one knee, the movement smooth and natural. "I'm sorry, Commander. I was distracted for a moment. Please punish me!"
Uchiha Xiao waved a hand. "It's fine, Kiyoshi. You don't need to be so nervous. It's nothing serious, I just..." Uchiha Xiao leaned over and whispered into Uchiha Kiyoshi's ear...
"This... this doesn't seem right." Uchiha Kiyoshi's mouth twitched. Good grief, he wanted to take back everything he'd said praising Uchiha Xiao. Uchiha Xiao was a shameless scoundrel.
Uchiha Xiao rolled his eyes at him. "What do you know? When two nations go to war, the best strategy is to defeat their plans; next is to break their alliances; the worst is to attack their cities! Wouldn't it be better to end this fight without losing a single soldier?"
"Go on, hurry up! Don't let it hold up military affairs!" Uchiha Xiao glared at Uchiha Kiyoshi, then crossed one leg over the other and hummed a tune, looking thoroughly carefree.
Uchiha Kiyoshi drew a deep breath, bowed as he accepted the order, and headed for Tsunade's unit at the front.
Tsunade was still watching Yuji City in the distance when one of her subordinates suddenly reported, "Lady Tsunade, Uchiha Kiyoshi requests an audience!"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the name Uchiha Kiyoshi, then relaxed. Xiao must have sent him. Could there be some urgent matter? "Show him in!"