Chapter 6: A Warrior Among Thousands

The Third Raikage, A, stood with furrowed brows, gazing at the unconscious form of X, who had collapsed from exhaustion. A deep sense of frustration filled his heart.

Just one more step! Just one more step!

He could almost see the outskirts of Iwagakure. If he had just five more days—no, even three—he could have taken the village!

This was no idle fantasy.

Ever since Ōnoki's death and Iwagakure's withdrawal from the Ninja Alliance, the Third Raikage had sensed an anomaly. He had been eyeing Iwagakure ever since, going so far as to deploy a vast network of spies to gather intelligence. Finally, he received a critical piece of information.

On the night of Ōnoki's death, Iwagakure had indeed undergone a coup. The Fourth Tsuchikage, Shī, had reportedly fallen victim to genjutsu, and a large number of his loyalists had been purged. At present, Iwagakure was a shadow of its former self, with barely any notable shinobi left. It was no longer the village that could stand toe-to-toe with Kumogakure for years on end—it was weaker than ever before!

If he didn't strike while the iron was hot, it would be a wasted opportunity.

Thus, from the moment Iwagakure intervened in Sunagakure's rebellion, the Third Raikage had been secretly plotting to take down his old rival in one decisive blow.

From troop deployments to changes in command, every move had been a ruse. His true objective had always been the conquest of Iwagakure.

Though he had only five thousand shinobi under his command, they represented the elite of Kumogakure. Among them were half of the village's most formidable fighters—the "Letter Squad."

The "Letter Squad" was Kumogakure's answer to Sunagakure's "Heavenly Stems Project," a group of near-Kage-level combatants. These were the best of the best, selected through rigorous trials and training, each identified by a letter as their codename. Members like C and Eisetsuran (E) were among them, each a one-man army capable of taking on hundreds. They were the product of Kumogakure's substantial investment during the six years of peace.

The campaign against Iwagakure had gone exactly as the Third Raikage had anticipated. His forces advanced with unstoppable momentum. Though Akatsuchi was a skilled shinobi and a standout among the younger generation, he was no match for the Raikage's overwhelming power. In a single battle, the Raikage shattered Akatsuchi's carefully constructed defensive line, leaving it in tatters.

The Raikage then led his five thousand shinobi in relentless pursuit of Akatsuchi's retreating forces. According to his plan, they would follow the routed Iwagakure troops straight into the village. Once inside, victory would be assured, and Iwagakure's "delisting" from the ninja world would be a foregone conclusion.

Of course, there was another possibility: that Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi's superior, would abandon the remnants of Akatsuchi's forces and fall back to the fortified defenses of Iwagakure for a desperate stand. But even that would play into the Raikage's hands. He could simply besiege the village, leisurely summoning reinforcements and supplies from Kumogakure, and slowly wear them down.

However, Kitsuchi chose an entirely unexpected strategy—he brought out the entirety of Iwagakure's forces for an all-out battle.

A fight to the death?

This was exactly what the Third Raikage had hoped for. It was like holding a winning hand in poker and waiting to reel in the opponent, only for them to go all-in themselves. It was the perfect setup.

The Raikage understood Kitsuchi's intentions clearly. The man hoped to leverage his numerical advantage to seize the initiative in the war.

But in ninja warfare, sheer numbers meant little. It was the presence of top-tier combatants that ultimately decided victory or defeat.

Even though Kitsuchi now commanded a force of twelve thousand, nearly double Kumogakure's numbers, it made no difference to the Raikage.

He had absolute confidence in his own strength and that of his shinobi.

All it would take was one decisive battle to shatter their morale. After that, no amount of numbers could save them.

What amused him most was that Kitsuchi had even sent over a formal challenge to battle, written in the style of a samurai duel. The message was simple: "We invite the esteemed Third Raikage to a decisive battle at Zheyan Gorge—until death!"

The Raikage's response was even simpler: "As you wish."

His subordinates were less enthusiastic. "Raikage-sama, we're not samurai. Why bother with formal challenges? This must be a trap," they cautioned.

The Raikage laughed heartily. "Of course it's a trap. If it weren't, he wouldn't be Ōnoki's bloodline."

He then approached the map, pointing to Zheyan Gorge. "Look here. The terrain of Zheyan Gorge resembles an inverted 'V.' The entrance is wide, but the exit is narrow. I predict Kitsuchi will feign defeat tomorrow and lure us into the gorge. He'll station heavy troops at the narrow exit to block our advance, while setting ambushes along the cliffs on either side to attack from above. The mountainous terrain is perfect for Earth Release techniques. Surrounded on three sides, we'd be forced into a disadvantage. Once our momentum is exhausted, we'd have no choice but to retreat. That's when he'd launch his counterattack."

The Raikage's analysis left his subordinates in awe, and they silently thanked their leader for his foresight.

The Raikage didn't leave them in suspense. "If they plan to trap us tomorrow, we'll strike tonight! Before they can finish setting their trap, we'll punch a hole through their defenses. No matter how they try to regroup, we'll march straight to Iwagakure. With nearly all their shinobi out in the field, the village's defenses will be paper-thin. We'll cover three hundred miles in a flash and take their home base. Let's see how they recover from that! Now, rest up. Set the watch. Dinner at the Hour of Shen. We move at midnight. Rest well—we'll end Iwagakure in one fell swoop!"

The shinobi were invigorated, scattering to make preparations.

But at the Hour of Hai, an unexpected development occurred. A Kumogakure shinobi burst into the Raikage's command tent.

"What?! The Eight-Tails has gone berserk!"

The Third Raikage could hardly believe his ears.

The messenger was X, a member of the Letter Squad. After sprinting five hundred miles in three days, he had exhausted his chakra completely and collapsed after delivering the message.

The Raikage deliberated for only a moment before making his decision. Iwagakure could wait, but his home could not be left in ruins.

So that's why Kitsuchi dared to go all-in. His trump card was here. I underestimated him. Thankfully, the news arrived in time. Otherwise, I'd have taken Iwagakure only to lose Kumogakure.

"Change of plans! Rear guard to the front! We're retreating to the village!" the Raikage ordered.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another shinobi entered the tent.

"Raikage-sama! Iwagakure's forces are advancing!"

The Raikage shot to his feet, his teeth clenched.

"Such cunning! Such audacity! But if you think you can take this old wolf's bones, you're sorely mistaken!"

He turned to D, a member of the Letter Squad. "D, lead the main force in retreat. I'll stay behind to see just what kind of mettle Iwagakure's shinobi have these days."

With that, he strode out of the command tent, his steps unwavering.

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