Mount Kikyo Battlefield

But deep inside, the little man in Uchiha Lan's heart was already setting off firecrackers in celebration:

Wonderful! His teammates were practically divine support! This excuse was absolutely flawless! He would neither have to become cannon fodder on the main battlefield nor feel guilty about slacking off.

After all, he was recovering from his injuries. It was perfectly normal for him to be in poor condition and less efficient at killing enemies, right?

And going after that puppeteer to "get revenge"?

Heh. That guy had nearly gotten him killed and certainly deserved to die—but only if he did not have hundreds of Hidden Sand comrades backing him up.

He could let the man live a little longer. It could not be helped; Uchiha Lan was magnanimous and would not hold a grudge over those few days.

He fell silent for several seconds, as though engaged in an intense internal struggle. In the end, he let out a heavy sigh, his voice carrying the complicated tone of someone who had "accepted his fate" while finding a "new goal."

"You... are right."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his three teammates. His eyes became "resolute," and he even deliberately circulated chakra to make his face look paler and more frail.

"I can't go to the main battlefield... but this grudge must be settled! That poison-using bastard... I, Uchiha Lan, will personally send him to the underworld!"

"Don't worry, Captain Lan!"

Tetsuka forcefully patted his shoulder.

"Once Jonin Baiyun Zaojian's orders come down, we'll wipe out those Hidden Sand scum—especially that puppeteer—roots and all!"

Inasui and Daotian also rubbed their fists together, their fighting spirit blazing.

"Cough, cough, cough. Uchiha Tetsuka, if you dare pat me that hard again, once I recover, I'll pound you into the dirt and let you experience what suffering feels like."

"Uh, sorry, Captain. I got a little too excited."

"Hahaha~"

Cheerful laughter immediately rang out inside the tent.

None of them noticed that, amid their lofty fervor, a feeling called relief flashed deep in Uchiha Lan's eyes.

The battlefield? Whoever wanted to go could go. It looked glorious, but in reality, it was a death trap.

Right now, he almost wished he could place a Zhaleme Delivery order and have it delivered straight to Hidden Sand's headquarters, ending this war already.

Before long, Jonin Baiyun Zaojian's orders reached Uchiha Lan's squad.

The mission was clear: cooperate with the main force of the troops remaining behind to eliminate Hidden Sand's southern forces, who were harassing supply lines in the rear and attempting to tie down Konoha's main army, ensuring stability behind the front lines.

"Move out!"

Following Orochimaru's low command, which nevertheless carried across the entire camp, five thousand Konoha shinobi formed a silent black torrent.

Under the cold moonlight, they quietly left the temporary camp and plunged into the mountain forests leading toward Mount Kikyo.

They raced toward the hellish battlefield that would determine the fate of two villages and two nations.

Mount Kikyo Battlefield.

After Hidden Sand had tasted the sweetness of war—gaining money and supplies while successfully shifting the village's internal conflicts—it committed even more troops to the battlefield.

Even Chiyo and Ebizo had personally entered the fray, and the war between Konoha and Hidden Sand grew increasingly brutal, with mounting casualties on the front lines.

Rasa of Hidden Sand in particular had launched a surprise attack with the Magnet Release: Gold Dust Technique, directly wiping out more than five hundred Konoha shinobi at Mount Kikyo and becoming famous in one stroke.

If he had not carelessly fallen under the genjutsu of an illusion specialist named Shinku Yuhi and passed out, he would have led his forces through Mount Kikyo long ago.

Most absurdly, Hidden Sand only formally declared war on Konoha and the Land of Fire after the war situation had already turned overwhelmingly favorable for them.

Although the Land of Wind's daimyo was deeply displeased and had poor relations with Sunagakure, under these circumstances he could only grit his teeth and accept it, likewise issuing a declaration of war.

Mount Kikyo, Hidden Sand Headquarters.

The night was black as ink, oppressively suffocating. Only the dim yellow lights swaying inside the command tent barely dispelled the chill and bloody stench carried by the mountain wind.

Rasa sat in a side seat, studying the intelligence in his hands, a trace of barely perceptible irritation on his young face.

On the battle map spread before him, yellow arrows representing Hidden Sand had made an enormous breakthrough in the Mount Kikyo region.

Yet the other directions were filled with red markers symbolizing danger.

Granny Chiyo sat in the seat of honor, her slightly aged face appearing even more deeply lined beneath the lamplight.

Her younger brother, Ebizo, stood opposite Rasa. As usual, he narrowed his eyes, his hands tucked into his wide sleeves like a silent stone statue. Only the occasional glint in his eyes revealed how rapidly his mind was working.

He was Hidden Sand's finest intelligence and strategy master. Even Rasa attached immense importance to his opinions.

"Lord Ebizo, what is the latest situation?"

Rasa's voice broke the silence, carrying a note of respect.

Ebizo gave a slight bow, his voice low and steady.

"Intelligence from the southern front has confirmed that Konoha's reinforcements number around one thousand, led by Inoichi Yamanaka. They are traveling day and night and are expected to reach the outskirts of Mount Kikyo no later than dawn tomorrow."

Ebizo continued.

"In the direction of the Land of Rain, the thousand elite troops led by Pakura have encountered resistance from Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin. Pakura's unit is locked in a hard battle, their advance has been blocked, and there is even... a risk of being pushed back."

A wave of suppressed gasps rose within the tent.

Pakura's Scorch Release was renowned throughout the shinobi world, yet Jiraiya had suppressed her to such an extent?

Ebizo's finger continued down toward the southern portion of the map.

"On the southern front, the harassment force led by Baki was posing as the main force, intending to pin down Konoha's reinforcements."

"However... Orochimaru personally launched a surprise attack against them, catching Baki's unit off guard. Their losses... were considerable. They were forced to retreat and regroup, and will be unable to provide effective restraint in the short term."

One piece of bad news followed another, and the air in the tent seemed to freeze.

Rasa's fingers stopped tapping the table, his knuckles turning faintly white from the force.

The brief advantage brought by his famous surprise attack, in which he had annihilated five hundred Konoha shinobi, seemed to be rapidly erased by Konoha's powerful foundations and top-tier fighters.

"Hmph!"

Rasa could not help snorting, youthful unwillingness in his voice. "Jiraiya... Orochimaru..." He spoke their names, wariness and rage mingling in his eyes.

"Of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin, aside from Tsunade, that medical ninja, the other two have both appeared. Konoha has truly mobilized everything. Fortunately, that Hatake Sakumo... uh... my apologies, Elder Chiyo!"

As a newly risen powerhouse and important commander, he possessed status, but before the two highly respected elders in the tent, he still maintained the proper humility.

He did not know how those words, like rubbing salt into someone's wounds, had slipped out.

Granny Chiyo's fingers imperceptibly brushed the cold puppet joints hidden in her sleeve. In a hoarse voice, she murmured something only nearby Ebizo could barely make out.

"It is nothing... Hatake Sakumo... what a pity... In the end, I was never able to settle that score with my own hands..."

Seeing that Elder Chiyo had not flown into a rage, Rasa secretly let out a long breath and continued.

"We have committed so many troops, far more than before, and were preparing to seize this war in one stroke. Are we really going to be stopped by a single mountain?"