119. Uchiha Joins The Battle!
The Kingdom of Frost is situated between Village Hidden by a Waterfall and Land of the Sky. It has become the primary battlefield for Iwagakure shinobi and Kumogakure shinobi in this conflict.
Although Village Hidden by a Waterfall is a small country, it possesses the Seven Tails. Even Ōnoki is reluctant to push them too hard at this moment, so he has been carefully controlling the spread of the war.
Sometimes, these smaller nations are more challenging to handle than larger ones like Land of Fire. For instance, Konoha, with its substantial resources, will not abandon its holdings unless absolutely necessary. This allows Ōnoki to devise strategies against Land of Fire.
However, Takigakure is different from Konoha. If they believe they cannot hold their ground, they will retreat with the village and wait for the right moment to strike back.
Iwagakure shinobi continues to fight against Kumogakure shinobi. If Takigakure is pushed to desperation, they might unleash the Seven Tails.
Initially, Iwagakure pushed Kumogakure back to Taino Kuni, but this was achieved with support from Otogakure. Now that Uchiha's objectives have been met, Orochimaru naturally ceased providing aid to Iwagakure.
With renewed material support, Kumogakure successfully advanced the battlefield, leading to a stalemate in the Kingdom of Frost.
The large-scale confrontation in the Kingdom of Frost placed immense pressure on the region. Meanwhile, surprise attacks and skirmishes at the rear unfolded as a separate ninja conflict.
"Uchiha Mingfeng, do you plan to lead the hundreds of people behind you to end this war?"
The Fourth Raikage looked at the rows of Sharingan behind Yagami. Though he desired to take advantage of their strength, he feared exposing his intentions. His inner conflict left him no choice but to engage in empty conversation.
"It's enough to handle the Iwagakure shinobi. Besides, we are only here to assist. The main force remains your Kumogakure shinobi. Uchiha's role is to dismantle their defences. Whether you secure a decisive victory ultimately depends on your forces."
Yagami spoke as his Sharingan swirled, shifting into Mangekyō Sharingan with intricate patterns. Shisui, standing nearby, followed suit.
"I'll handle Ōnoki. Shisui, you lead the clan in targeted strikes. Raikage-sama, focus on commanding your forces to charge through Taino Kuni," Yagami instructed.
He signalled Shisui, and with a wave of his hand, hundreds of Uchiha Jōnin vanished, heading toward the distant battlefield.
The combat prowess of Uchiha Jōnin was well-known. Ordinarily, one Uchiha Jōnin could force the enemy to commit several times their number to contain them. Now, operating in three-person teams, the results were even more formidable.
Additionally, beyond their innate Sharingan abilities, the Uchiha had mastered several Forbidden Techniques from the Book of Sealing. Unless a particularly strong enemy was present, victory was almost guaranteed against teams of equal strength.
The Uchiha clan, now flush with resources, ensured each shinobi carried thousands of explosive tags. When faced with resilient opponents, they could unleash overwhelming firepower to obliterate their targets.
Once the Uchiha joined the battlefield, the war immediately grew more intense.
"Holy crap! These Uchiha are insane! Are they seriously hurling explosive tags by strapping them to rocks?"
"Hiss! So, this is the power of the largest clan in the ninja world? A single Jōnin slicing through Iwagakure shinobi with one move—it's terrifying!"
"Good grief! The opponent started forming seals first, but Uchiha still completed their jutsu faster. The Sharingan's copying ability is just too overpowered!"
"Stop staring and move! Follow me!"
The Uchiha's arrival shattered the stalemate between Iwagakure shinobi and Kumogakure shinobi in an instant. Some Kumogakure shinobi barely reacted before the Iwagakure forces they were fighting fell to the ground. As they looked up, the Uchiha clan's distinctive fan emblem swayed in the distance.
"Ninpo: Darkness Technique!"
Shisui teleported into a group of Iwagakure shinobi, quickly forming seals before unleashing a wide-range genjutsu using his Sharingan.
The Iwagakure shinobi caught in the illusion panicked, only to be swiftly cut down by Shisui.
This technique was originally developed by the Second Hokage to counter the Uchiha by depriving the Sharingan of its light, effectively blinding them.
However, its effectiveness was relative. While it could disrupt the Sharingan in certain situations, it also had unintended consequences. For instance, in the hands of someone like Shisui—an illusionist and combat master—it could be weaponized to annihilate enemies.
"Damn it! It's Shisui! Curse Konoha! They've actually formed an alliance with Kumogakure. How shameless!"
A distant Iwagakure shinobi, upon witnessing the scene, cursed in fury.
Iwagakure was already bitter about Uchiha providing strategic supplies to Kumogakure. Seeing Uchiha fighters on the battlefield deepened their resentment.
It was as if Konoha believed Iwagakure was easy to exploit!
"Susanoo!"
As waves of Iwagakure shinobi charged toward him, Shisui's calm expression didn't falter. His Mangekyō Sharingan glowed, and a green skeletal structure emerged around him. A massive skeletal fist struck the advancing enemy, scattering them like leaves in a storm.
"Susanoo… The Uchiha clan truly is a terrifying race."
The Fourth Raikage observed the battlefield from afar, marvelling at the overwhelming combat prowess of the Uchiha.
Even without considering Mingfeng and Shisui, the other Uchiha fighters present could easily rank as top-tier shinobi in Kumogakure.
It was almost unimaginable that such strength could exist within a single clan. What puzzled the Fourth Raikage, even more, was why Konoha's leadership would push such a powerful clan away.
If a clan like Uchiha were part of Kumogakure, they would have been treated as the village's greatest treasure.
Damn, Konoha! They don't realize how fortunate they are! Why doesn't Kumogakure have a clan like the Uchiha?
"Mabui, send the order—everyone is to follow Uchiha's lead and push straight into the Kingdom of Frost!"
The Fourth Raikage barked the command. He recognized that the Uchiha fighters, with their unparalleled offensive capability, were like a sharp blade cutting through Iwagakure's defences. Their role was to eliminate key enemies, creating opportunities for Kumogakure's forces to advance swiftly and decisively.
After all, Kumogakure still bore the main burden of this war alongside Iwagakure.
"What's happening?! Why is the front line collapsing so quickly? Did Kumogakure unleash their Tailed Beasts again?"
Ōnoki was stunned as he received reports from the front line. In less than ten minutes, Kumogakure had advanced nearly five kilometres with no sign of resistance from Iwagakure's troops.
"Lord Tsuchikage, according to the reports, there's no sign of the Tailed Beasts. It's Uchiha! There are Uchiha fighters within Kumogakure's forces, and Shisui of the Body Flicker has appeared!"
Loess rushed in, panting from exertion. The gravity of the situation was overwhelming, and the possibility of Konoha's involvement in the war left him completely unsettled.
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