Chapter 5: If I had known I would transmigrate, I would have memorized The Art of War and The Thirty-Six Stratagems

As an example of the weak defeating the strong, Satori was all too familiar. Especially since this world had just emerged from a brutal Warring States period and, with the advent of ninjutsu, most tactics in this world boiled down to: decapitation, direct confrontation, ambush. Anything slightly more advanced would be "luring the tiger away from the mountain."

This was mainly due to the rigid hierarchy in this world—overcoming the strong with the weak was extremely difficult. After all, in the face of absolute power, no amount of strategy mattered.

However, now the Land of Whirlpools could only rely on strategy to win. And if one were to employ strategy, it would have to be "soldier vs. soldier, king vs. king." Only by applying the sixteen-character mantra passed down by the first patriarch could they hope to stop Kirigakure's invasion.

Of course, if he had memorized The Thirty-Six Stratagems and The Art of War, he might have been able to contribute something unique.

But…

As an otaku, he had never read that stuff. The only ones he remembered were "the beauty trap" and "retreat is the best option." The rest? He had no clue!!

It just so happened that the Land of Whirlpools, being a small island nation with a small population, had not fully occupied its own territory. So...

"Use this line as the boundary—lure all of Kirigakure's shinobi into this area." He pointed at a region on the map. The area was well forested and could serve as a natural barrier to slow down Kirigakure's advance. It was also ideal for hiding personnel, wearing ghillie suits, and using the terrain and the nation's strength to resist them. This way, they wouldn't need to waste manpower guarding the rear.

All residential, commercial, and other zones would be evacuated and demolished. The command and medical units would be relocated to hidden areas. If there was no urgent matter, they were not to move around.

He believed that upon seeing this, Kirigakure would sense something was wrong and send scouts.

And he refused to believe Kirigakure had more sensory-type ninja than the Uzumaki clan. As long as they were restricted to a defined area, it would be like a cat playing with a mouse.

Uzumaki Satori pointed at the map of the Land of Whirlpools and said, "Everyone remember: When the enemy advances, we retreat. When they camp, we harass. When they tire, we strike. When they retreat, we pursue. Use the terrain you know to stop Kirigakure."

Then he turned serious, gazing at the uneasy faces of the shinobi below him. "This is our only path to victory. I hope everyone remembers and carries it out properly. Anyone who acts recklessly will be removed from the clan registry."

What worried Satori the most were those hot-blooded fools who, once provoked, would charge in screaming about the honor of the Uzumaki clan—only to die in vain. Their numbers were already inferior. If they didn't use the terrain and tactics and tried to fight head-on, he'd end up fleeing with Kushina.

Upon hearing Satori's words, everyone's expression turned grim. They responded earnestly, "Understood."

Seeing everyone comply, he nodded with satisfaction. "The key to executing this plan is soldier vs. soldier, general vs. general. If you can't win—run. If you can—" Satori sneered coldly, "Kill!!"

Even if it's just cannon fodder, kill them all. As for stronger opponents, seal them if possible. If not, throw manpower at them until they die.

Heh—

Once Kirigakure sees heavy losses with no gains, discontent will rise. Even the Mizukage won't be able to endure. Eventually, they'll have no choice but to drag Iwagakure down with them. After all, even cannon fodder are still shinobi!

"Remember: If you can't win—run," Satori stressed. The goal was to eliminate low-level threats first, then deal with high-level ones later.

The next step was to scatter the enemy's forces. Otherwise, if a Kage-level led a team and charged in directly, this plan would collapse. So from the start—they needed a "gift."

Satori gave a cold smile. "Brother Naguta, please bring in what I prepared."

Though he'd been young these years and no one listened to him, as the heir to the daimyo's estate, he had certain freedoms.

He never stopped preparing for this war.

Soon, Uzumaki Naguta and other guards hauled in ten large wooden crates.

"Open them!"

Rustle—

As the contents were revealed, all the shinobi gasped in shock. Even the daimyo and clan head stared in disbelief. Inside were…

So many explosive tags?! Where did the money come from!?

Did this brat embezzle funds from the national treasury!?

Seeing their stunned expressions, Satori nodded in satisfaction. These were the explosive tags he'd spent years gathering. He even… "borrowed" funds from the treasury. Well—let's call it a "pre-emptive withdrawal."

Besides, if the nation were destroyed, these things would just end up in enemy hands. Better to use them now as a gift. Though he didn't have Konan's legendary six hundred billion tags, years of accumulation was still considerable.

"When they land, plant a hundred million explosive tags here to give them a 'grand welcome,'" Satori said. How dare they invade a time traveler's country? Are they looking to die?

Only by enraging Kirigakure could they be scattered and lured into ambush. That's the Land of Whirlpools' only chance of victory. To avoid discovery, the tags would be spread out to form an encirclement. Once Kirigakure realized, they'd be forced to fight head-on.

And surely Kirigakure wouldn't advance slowly. Quick victories were their best shot at profit. If they dragged things out, anything could happen. So Satori's strategy was to lure, provoke, and harass them.

Also…

Satori looked up at the clan head.

"Uncle Clan Head, did you deliver the letter I asked you to give to Grandma Mito?"

(T/N: Why would enemy wants those explosives? I think what they want would be your clan's techniques...can't find the time travel word just pretend its transmigrate ....Give me those PS!)