Chapter 171 – All-Out Invasion
The Land of Grass was a small country situated between the Lands of Earth and Fire. Being a minor nation, it had long survived in the cracks between great powers, serving as a buffer zone for the larger nations.
But whenever wars broke out between these powerful countries, the smaller ones often suffered the most. They would frequently become the primary battlegrounds, plunging their citizens into misery and chaos.
At this very moment, on the border of the Land of Grass where it adjoined the Land of Fire, the army of the Land of Earth lay in ambush, preparing for action.
This operation was personally led by the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, Ōnoki.
Not only had Iwagakure mobilized the entire military force of the Land of Earth—including ten thousand troops, counting both shinobi and samurai—but they had also united with the shinobi villages of several smaller nations, including the Lands of Grass, Waterfalls, Frost, Snow and others.
Altogether, the combat force numbered nearly twenty thousand.
And if the logistics and support units were included, the total participating personnel would exceed forty thousand.
Behind the quietly lurking army, Ōnoki slowly approached.
"I had originally thought that perhaps there was still a chance to ease tensions," he said, "especially since the Third Great Ninja War had only recently ended."
"But it's clear now that Konoha is entirely driven by ambition. Their greed has clouded their judgment. They've blatantly ignored the ceasefire agreement we once signed and have even taken the initiative to invade us!"
"Iwagakure's two Tailed Beasts, along with their Jinchūriki, have already been kidnapped by Konoha. There's no way their motive is anything simple!"
"If we continue to show restraint today, not only will the Land of Earth remain under constant threat of war, but you smaller nations won't escape unscathed either! Therefore, stopping Konoha's madness and crushing their ambitions has become an absolute necessity. We cannot back down from this war!"
"..."
Ōnoki wasn't just a seasoned schemer—he was also highly skilled at rallying people.
This final pre-battle speech struck a chord with every soldier present.
After all, it had been the daimyō of these small nations who had come knocking at their door, seeking protection and cooperation.
Now, it was only natural to take the next step and fully declare war on Konoha.
Ōnoki's words quickly won the support of the entire army.
Everyone was filled with fighting spirit, determined to defend their homes and resist Konoha to the bitter end.
Seeing such high morale, Ōnoki was very pleased.
He then turned to his subordinate and asked, "What's the situation with Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning? Have they responded yet?"
Ōnoki was no brute.
Having held the position of Kage for decades, he understood well the principle that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Although the previous Great Ninja War had deeply embittered relations between the Lands of Lightning and Earth, the current threat posed by the dominant Land of Fire endangered them both.
Thus, even before mobilizing his forces, Ōnoki had sent envoys to contact Kumogakure, hoping they would cooperate and join the campaign against Konoha.
The reason they were still in hiding and hadn't moved yet was because Ōnoki was waiting—for a response. He wanted to know where Kumogakure stood.
The subordinate shook his head regretfully. "We haven't received any response from Kumogakure so far."
"But one thing is clear—if Kumogakure agrees to ally with us against Konoha, our chances of victory will greatly improve."
"After all, there are over a dozen shinobi villages aligned with Kumogakure as well."
Hearing this, Ōnoki's expression darkened.
Could that brat, the Fourth Raikage, really be so petty as to let old grudges cloud his judgment and ignore the bigger picture?
Worse yet, it wasn't just that Kumogakure might refuse to join them—they might even take advantage of the situation and attack Iwagakure while Ōnoki personally led his troops against Konoha.
After all, such underhanded tactics weren't foreign to Ōnoki—he himself had ordered them once.
That had been during the last Great Ninja War.
At the time, Kumogakure had sent its forces to battle Konoha, leaving its village exposed and its border defenses virtually nonexistent.
Ōnoki seized the opportunity and ordered an invasion of the Land of Lightning, intending to snatch territory while it was defenseless.
Unfortunately, he hadn't expected a godlike figure to descend upon the battlefield—the Third Raikage, who single-handedly held off more than ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.
As a result, Ōnoki's plan fell through.
That battle ended with the death of the Third Raikage.
Since then, relations between Iwagakure and Kumogakure had plummeted to freezing levels.
Given that history, Ōnoki had to seriously consider the possibility that Kumogakure might stab them in the back.
If they were foolish enough to ignore the threat of Konoha and instead invade the Land of Earth, the consequences would be disastrous.
Still, while the concern was real, Ōnoki remained composed.
The situation had already reached a point of life or death.
Uchiha Dali had brazenly invaded the Land of Earth. At first, they thought he had merely come to deliver a warning.
Who would've thought that bastard would actually steal both the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails?
Losing two Tailed Beasts that had belonged to Iwagakure was not merely a blow to their pride.
Worse yet, Konoha now had the power of those Tailed Beasts, and it was obvious what they intended to do with it.
Which meant this war was now unavoidable.
Even if it meant gambling the entire fate of the Land of Earth.
A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Ōnoki's mind.
He suddenly took a deep breath and raised his hand to issue a firm command: "Prepare to move out! Advance on the Land of Fire! Target: Konohagakure!"
"Anyone who tries to stop us along the way—crush them!"
With Ōnoki's order, the eager shinobi sprang into action, appearing one after another like birds taking flight. They surged across the border between the Lands of Grass and Fire.
Moments later, they vanished into the forest.
But every move they made was being tracked by the Hyuga clan members stationed a kilometer away with the Fire Nation's border defense forces.
These sentries took no action to intercept them. They simply observed in silence, recording the enemy's movements and real-time positions.
Then, via wireless transmission, they relayed the information back through the chain of command, swiftly passing the intelligence on to Konoha's headquarters.
"Confirmed: only the allied forces from the Land of Earth and various smaller nations are currently taking action. At the moment, theirs is the only force attempting to invade the Land of Fire."
"So far, we've detected no movement from the Lands of Lightning, Hot Water, Sound, and Iron."
"The main enemy force has completely crossed our border and is now heading straight toward Konoha at full speed. Transmit this intel to the Hokage immediately!"
The squad leader of the frontline defense unit barked out the order to his team.
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