Stone Ninja Invasion

Hyuga Tokuma led the hundred-man reinforcement unit racing through the hills, their target the Hidden Cloud battlefield to the northeast. Uchiha Narong followed within the formation, his feelings complicated. Now he was truly taking part in the Third Shinobi World War, and he kept his guard up against unknown dangers. Yet before the unit had been on the move for even half a day, the sharp sound of someone cutting through the air came from behind them. A Konoha messenger ninja caught up at extreme speed, his face marked with unmistakable urgency.

"Emergency military order! Jonin Hyuga Tokuma!" the messenger ninja said hurriedly, handing over a scroll. "The Hidden Stone Village has deployed more than thirteen hundred ninja in a surprise attack on the Land of Grass border! The defensive line under Jonin Mimura Hamaki has collapsed, and the survivors are surrounded! Lord Hokage orders your unit to change direction immediately and rush to reinforce the Land of Grass! Upon arrival, you are to follow Jonin Namikaze Minato's command!"

The news was like cold water poured into hot oil, and a wave of stifled cries rose through the unit. Hyuga Tokuma snatched the scroll and scanned it quickly, his white eyes instantly filling with gravity. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised a hand at once, his voice firm and decisive. "Everyone, attention! Target changed. Land of Grass border! Forced march! Turn southwest!"

The unit immediately wrenched its direction around amid a clamor of footsteps and clashing armor. Uchiha Narong's heart went cold. The Hidden Stone had indeed made its move at this moment, and on such a massive scale! The Battle of Kannabi Bridge, which would change the course of the shinobi world, was about to begin. That meant he would be dragged into a larger, crueler battle even earlier than expected. He took a deep breath, forced down his churning thoughts, followed the unit closely, and charged toward that unknown battlefield in the southwest.

Inside the Hokage Office, the atmosphere was as heavy as the dead silence before a storm. Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the glaring red arrow on the map pointing toward the Land of Grass, and at the lone point representing Mimura Hamaki's unit, soon to be swallowed up. The pipe in his hand had long since gone out. Bad news had come one piece after another. The Hidden Cloud's offensive had yet to subside, and the Hidden Stone's deadly stab in the back had already arrived.

"One hundred men isn't enough! Tokuma's handful of people won't even make a splash if they're thrown in!" Mitokado Homura's voice carried uncontrollable anxiety as his finger jabbed heavily onto the map. "We must send reinforcements at once! Once the gate to the Land of Grass is completely opened, and the Hidden Stone main force drives straight in, we'll be facing the dead end of a pincer attack!"

Utatane Koharu was relatively calmer, but her brows were also tightly furrowed. "According to the ANBU's report, the Hidden Stone's supply line has been stretched very long, and its core hub is this Kannabi Bridge. If we can cut it off, perhaps we can greatly delay, or even break apart, this offensive."

Sarutobi Hiruzen abruptly rose to his feet, a resolute light flashing in his eyes. He knew full well that hesitation now meant destruction. "We act on both fronts!" His voice was hoarse but unusually firm. "Immediately pull three hundred experienced chunin from the garrison units and mission ninja that can still be mobilized, and form a rapid-response unit! Jonin Akimichi Doto will lead them and rush to the Land of Grass. After joining up with Hyuga Tokuma's unit, they will all fall under Namikaze Minato's command! These four hundred men are all the mobile forces we can currently spare to support the frontal battlefield!"

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the location of Kannabi Bridge on the map. "At the same time, issue a death order to Minato and Kakashi! Minato's primary task is to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to find an opening in battle, destroy or severely damage the Hidden Stone vanguard as much as possible, and rescue our surrounded comrades! Secondly, he is to seize any chance to sabotage the Hidden Stone's logistics. Kannabi Bridge is the priority target! Order Hatake Kakashi, in his first important mission after being promoted to jonin: lead his squad as a special operations team, infiltrate behind enemy lines, and destroy Kannabi Bridge at all costs, cutting off the Hidden Stone's lifeline!"

This order placed enormous pressure on Namikaze Minato and the young Kakashi's shoulders. Sarutobi Hiruzen looked around at the advisers and said in a low voice, "Minato is our fist, and Kakashi is the sharp blade aimed at the enemy's heart. This is the only strategy that may turn the battle around right now. I hope... we are still in time."

In a hidden valley not far from the Land of Grass border, several Konoha units arrived one after another. The atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring. The first to appear was a golden flash. Namikaze Minato's figure emerged silently like a ghost, and his arrival lifted the spirits of everyone anxiously waiting there, as if they had found their pillar of support.

Soon, Hyuga Tokuma's hundred-man unit and the three-hundred-chunin main force led by Akimichi Doto also arrived in succession. Minato wasted no time on pleasantries and immediately called Akimichi Doto, Hyuga Tokuma, and several core members together for an emergency strategy meeting. Because of his special identity and the abilities he had shown before, Uchiha Narong was also allowed to sit in.

A simple map was spread across a rock. Minato's finger tapped precisely on the positions representing the Hidden Stone main force and Kannabi Bridge, his speech fast and clear. "The situation is worse than imagined. The Hidden Stone has more than thirteen hundred troops, and Senior Mimura's encircled position is in imminent danger. With our four hundred men, meeting them head-on is no different from throwing eggs against stone."

His finger moved to Kannabi Bridge. "Our chance of survival is here. Once it is cut off, the stone ninja at the front become trees without roots. But the mission to destroy the bridge is extremely dangerous. It requires a capable squad to go deep behind enemy lines."

Just then, Hatake Kakashi arrived at the assembly point with Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. Kakashi's face still held the immaturity of youth, but his eyes were frighteningly calm. Minato's gaze fell on him, carrying both trust and weight. "Kakashi, I'm entrusting this mission to you. Lead Obito and Rin, form a special operations team, and completely destroy Kannabi Bridge." He handed Kakashi a specially made kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God Technique formula. "Take this. At the critical moment, I can arrive instantly."

Kakashi took the kunai, gripped it tightly, and pulled down his mask. The eyes he revealed were sharp as blades. "Understood. I'll complete the mission."

Minato then looked at Akimichi Doto and Hyuga Tokuma. "Senior Doto, Jonin Tokuma, the pressure on the frontal battlefield will be immense. Your mission is to hold back the Hidden Stone's attack with everything you have, create an opening for my assault, and also buy enough time for Kakashi and the others to destroy the bridge!"

"Rest assured, Lord Minato! Even if we fight to the last man, we will never let the Hidden Stone advance another step!" Akimichi Doto's voice was deep and filled with determination. Hyuga Tokuma also nodded gravely.

Finally, Minato's gaze turned to the silent Uchiha Narong. "Narong," he said, "your chakra control and tactical execution are outstanding. Kakashi's squad has an arduous mission and needs strong support. Are you willing to join them and carry out this sabotage mission together?"

Thoughts whirled through Narong's mind. Kannabi Bridge was an absolutely critical turning point in the original work, and the risk was extremely high, but it was also an excellent opportunity to observe Kakashi, Obito, and Rin up close, and might even change the direction of certain plot developments. He glanced at Kakashi, who was also looking over, his eyes carrying scrutiny and a faint, hard-to-detect trace of expectation.

"I agree, Lord Minato," Narong replied calmly, without the slightest hesitation in his tone. "I will do everything I can to assist Senior Kakashi and complete the mission."

"Good!" Minato made the decision with a heavy clap, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "The operation begins immediately! Kakashi's squad will be responsible for destroying Kannabi Bridge behind enemy lines! Doto's unit and Tokuma's unit will prepare with me to engage the enemy head-on and draw in the main enemy force! May Lord Hokage bless us, and may Konoha endure!"

With the order given, everyone quickly dispersed and tensely made their final preparations. Uchiha Narong checked his ninja tool pouch once over: kunai, shuriken, explosive tags... He glanced at Kakashi's three-person team not far away as they made their final preparations—Kakashi with his determined eyes, Obito slightly nervous but trying hard to hide it, and Rin, whose face carried worry but who was unusually strong.