Art Of War

At the Light Village.

The streets were busy, and the mood was light. But inside Sun Stream Plaza was different.

Various robed figures exited with a purpose. Many citizens watched their determined faces.

Not long ago, the news was heard of the Rain Village's declaration of war. It had been a day since Kaito returned, carrying the weight of the recent events.

Most of Arthur's followers had seen war before. They'd fought in skirmishes, defended their homes, and lost friends and families. For them, like Ashina, the news that another conflict was on the horizon was almost a familiar cycle.

War was part of their existence now, be it in the old era or in this new one.

It simply didn't scare them; it didn't shake their resolve. They each understood the stakes, and they were ready to face whatever came next.

But in the midst of this readiness, there was a different concern: the infiltrator, Zetsu, who had managed to slip into the village unnoticed.

That fact gnawed at everyone, specifically Kimimaro, who was the head of security. He was visibly upset.

During the meeting, when he had learned Zetsu managed to breach their security, he was quick to apologize. Though words could hardly undo the failure. His team had been supposed to catch such threats, and now they had failed.

Kimimaro's frustrations led to swift action. Borders were sealed. No one could leave or enter without scrutiny. Any suspicious individual or package was to be captured, detained, and likely executed if deemed a threat.

Each village's defenses had also been reinforced. Outposts were manned at key points, patrols increased, and they were all on high alert.

Despite the enemy's ways of infiltration, the villagers' spirit remained unbroken. No one was considering surrender. No one was talking about backing down. The collective mindset was clear: they would fight and defend their home.

Yet one question remained, one that no one dared to think of: did Arthur's clones know how to fight in a war?

Most would have never looked at Arthur or his clones as traditional shinobi. Due to their time in this world, they most certainly did not lack the instinct of a seasoned fighter.

And even if they knew little about the art of war, they had advisors, veterans of many conflicts, and war legends to help guide them. These same guides understood the complexities of warfare, both traditional and modern, and they were already tasked to prepare everyone for what was to come.

On earth in the past, shinobi were covert agents for missions involving espionage, sabotage, and assassination. That meant open warfare was avoided whenever possible.

Now with the addition of chakra, going the traditional route was improbable. What once was quiet infiltration now often turned into large-scale battles.

That was simply how the world of Naruto functioned.

In the center of the plaza, the clones stood in front of the throne. Although they were clones, they each represented the same aspect of Arthur's strategic mind, meaning they were all tacticians at heart and warriors by nature.

"We don't know when they'll strike," Hoshikaze announced.

"Or where," Ryugetsu added.

"They're quite unpredictable," Kaito relayed.

"So we'll need to prepare for every scenario," John finished.

The Rain Village was their target, and the enemies were clear: Zetsu, Konan, Hidan, Kakuzu, Itachi, Sasori, Kisame, and the Six Paths of Pain—Deva, Asura, Human, Animal, Preta, and Naraka.

The names alone conjured images of danger. Most of these enemies had fought in wars long before. They practically thrived on chaos, and their experience made them deadly.

Almost everyone who knew them personally would have also known that Pain's army alone was enough to wipe out a nation. Just Nagato alone could crush defenses with a single attack!

The room fell into silence for a moment as the clones considered the Fourth Ninja War.

During that moment, Zetsu and Kabuto were the main reasons the war turned out the way it had. As of right now, Zetsu was not yet ready to use its clones for open combat. Kabuto, too, was out of the picture. Lacking Sage Chakra, he couldn't perform the Reanimation technique on a large scale.

Both characters were obviously dangerous, but for now, the latter should remain sidelined.

This left a vast arsenal of enemies: thousands of ninja loyal to the Rain Village. The Akatsuki's strength was not just in their numbers but in their experience and power. They had the ability to rival the Five Great Ninja Nations, if not surpass them in some areas.

Nagato alone had nearly taken down the Leaf Village, which was arguably the strongest military power at the time.

If the Bird Country was not careful, just one Akatsuki member could turn the tide of war with a single strike.

So what about Arthur's own forces?

His country had a formidable lineup: Ashina, Lars, Hoshikaze, John, Kaito, Ryugetsu, Sora, Rin, Fugaku, Shisui, Izumi, Koko, Tayuya, Kimimaro, Kidōmaru, Sakon/Ukon, and Jirōbō.

Those were Arthur's top military fighters—excluding the fodder Uzumaki and Uchiha members. Their numbers and skills were diverse, covering a wide range of combat styles and tactics.

One of the key points was Sasuke Uchiha. The clones agreed unanimously that Sasuke's involvement would be disastrous.

That boy was too valuable, too unpredictable, and too inexperienced in warfare at this level.

And why would they want him joining in on something he wasn't ready for? The boy hadn't even awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Sending him into this conflict would be a mistake. His presence could lead to devastating loss. And although Sasuke's power was undeniable for his age, his inexperience in actual war made him a liability in this scenario.

"Then it's decided," John concluded.

The throne room was quiet now as each clone moved slowly toward the exit. One by one, they stepped forward, passing through the threshold of the throne room, leaving behind the heavy silence that had settled.

They had to prepare, strategize, and act swiftly—no hesitation, no second-guessing.

The first to reach their destination was John. He just made it to the public laboratory, where Brie was spotted hunched over a computer while typing a storm on the keyboard.

 "So you've already started?" he asked, watching her work.

"Yes," she replied simply without looking his way. "I assume since this is a ninja thing, I'll have to stay behind and monitor things from here, right?"

"Correct… If anything goes wrong, you'll be the one to pull the plug on that Sannin."

So long as everyone's at war, the secrets of the Light Village will be vulnerable. That's what Arthur would want to prevent—no leaks and no compromises.

"Understood, my lord."

Elsewhere, Hoshikaze moved quietly through the shadows as he walked toward the Torikage's office. As he approached, he paused upon sensing Sasuke Uchiha was inside the office, speaking with Fugaku.

That led Hoshikaze to linger just outside the door.

"Repeat to me what you just said," Fugaku demanded with skepticism.

"I want to fight in the war," Sasuke said with determination.

"How did you even hear about this? Was it Shisui? Did he tell you something he shouldn't have?"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke answered. "I want to help, and—"

"Absolutely not," his father interrupted, furrowing his brows. "I've lost too much already. I won't lose anyone else. Not again."

"But I can—"

"You should be grateful I even let you continue being a ninja. I don't want to hear anymore about this matter, understood?"

For a moment, Sasuke said nothing. All he did was lower his gaze as he tried to fight back the frustration. Then he slowly lowered his head and finally said, "I just don't want to lose you either."

Fugaku's expression softened because he understood why his son really wanted to fight in this war: it was because Itachi was likely to be there.

Itachi was the main Uchiha everyone in the clan wanted to confront. Sasuke, the only one who hadn't been revived, was no different.

As such, Fugaku reached out briefly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I know you want to help," he began, "but sometimes the best thing you can do is stay behind. I need you to understand that. Just think how far we've come despite my mistakes."

"Alright…"

"Is there anything you want me to say to him if we meet?"

Sasuke clenched his fist at the thought. "No… I'll tell him myself."

"Okay then…"

At that, Sasuke turned to leave. When he opened the door, he didn't notice Hoshikaze slipping away into the shadows, having decided to remain unseen.

The clone's main reason for coming here was to ensure that Fugaku understood that Sasuke was to be left out of the war. Thankfully, the head of the Uchiha clan was quick to act on that strategy.

Meanwhile, in the monastery, Ryugetsu moved quietly through the halls.

Inside, a few citizens were gathered in prayer as their voices whispered Jesus Christ in reverence. Even here, Arthur's passion to serve the Lord Jesus Christ was evident.

Ryugetsu's eyes scanned the room, landing on Sora near the altar. The boy also seemed to be a devotee. Sensing Ryugetsu's presence, he quickly stood up and approached him.

"Brother Ryugetsu!" he greeted. Granted, the boy forgot that they were in public. "I mean, my lord, what brings you here late at night?"

Ryugetsu motioned for Sora to follow him.

They moved into a private room, away from the others. Once inside, Ryugetsu spoke, "The Light Village is preparing for war. We face a serious threat from the Rain Village."

Sora's eyes widened in shock. "War?! How can this be?!"

It didn't take long for Ryugetsu to explain the situation, which Sora more than believed.

"What are we going to do?" he asked, feeling overwhelmed.

Ryugetsu reached into his robes and retrieved a small book. He opened it to a passage from the King James Version Bible, reading aloud, "For they shall be defeated before thee: for I will make thine enemies to turn their backs before thee. Deuteronomy 28:7."

He then closed the book gently and said, "We fight because it's necessary. We stand to protect what we know is right."

Sora listened intently, then hesitantly asked, "And you think I should help?"

"Your power is unique, and the other lords agree that your strength will be a vital part of our battle strength."

Sora was nervous but understanding. "You've always taught me to be peaceful, brother Ryugetsu. But if my power needs to be used, then I'll do my best."

As the night deepened, the village prepared in silence.

John's task was much easier than the others: he had to ensure that the citizens remained oblivious to the fact that their country could very well be wiped out.

The last thing the lords of the land wanted was for occupants to feel fear, thus greatly reducing everyone's morale.

And what of the force's combat preparations?

The first thing that needed to be done was knowing their enemies. Lars did not need any particular training, but the rest, such as the former Sound Five, were going to be informed how each Akatsuki member functioned.

Yes, just one Akatsuki member was extremely troubling to deal with. But out of all of them, the unofficial member as of today, Obito, was their real trump card. All he had to do was send all of Arthur's forces into another dimension by spamming his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability.

As far as the clones were concerned, not even the Flying raijin could escape that dimension. Maybe it could, but they weren't willing to find out.

After John finished relaying what information he could, he began walking back to the throne room to give more insights on how to better maneuver the troops.

Yet he suddenly stopped under a streetlight upon sensing peculiar movement a few miles from the country's borders. The location was at one of the country's trading posts.

"Hmmm?" he said to himself. Out of nowhere, the building caught fire and then exploded. "It's begun..."