In the following two days, the small-scale skirmishes between Konoha and the Cloud Ninja intensified even further. The battles grew fiercer by several degrees, with Genin no longer playing any meaningful role. Now, it was the Jonin and Chunin who dominated the battlefield.
This shift didn't go unnoticed by the Cloud Ninjas.
However, every spy the Cloud sent out was eliminated by teams led by Hiashi Hyuga and Shibi Aburame. The relentless, high-intensity, round-the-clock searches left the Cloud spies with no chance to escape. As a result, the Cloud Ninjas couldn't gather any useful information on Konoha's actions or changes, leaving them to guess based on Konoha's increasingly defensive stance.
"Failed again?"
"Nine of the ten teams we sent out were wiped out. Only Hii's team survived, and the only reason they made it back was because they hadn't yet ventured deep into the Kusatsu Highlands before being ambushed by Konoha's ninjas. They were lucky enough to receive reinforcements in time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it back either."
Hearing Tutai's report, the Fourth Raikage's brow furrowed even more deeply.
"Something's off!"
A clenched-browed A spoke in a low, serious voice.
"There's definitely something going on, but the problem is we don't know exactly what it is. Konoha's sudden shift to such an extreme defense is puzzling." Tutai sighed softly. Anyone could see that something was wrong with the current situation.
Unfortunately, they had no idea what the issue was.
The lack of information left them without any means to devise an appropriate countermeasure.
"Could it be something unexpected happening on Konoha's side?" A speculated. "I remember reading in some old documents back at the village that those of the Uchiha clan who awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan don't dominate for long. Usually, it's only a matter of months or years before they disappear from the battlefield. The only exception ever recorded is Uchiha Madara."
Though the five great ninja villages had less than a century of history,
many ancient clans had traditions spanning hundreds of years. While these clans might not be as old as the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, or Uzumaki clans, they still had passed down valuable knowledge, especially regarding the Uchiha. Almost every old family had some records about them.
It was inevitable.
A giant tree attracts the wind, and the Uchiha were such a thousand-year-old tree. They had always stood in the most prominent position, making it impossible to ignore them.
Since witnessing the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan on the battlefield,
the various families in Kumogakure had been turning their archives upside down, searching for any records related to the Uchiha. Not just the village's restricted library but also personal and family archives were scoured. Practically the entire village had been mobilized for this.
Their efforts had not been in vain.
The information A possessed came from this thorough investigation, with most of it sourced from family archives. Ironically, the village's restricted library was filled with research and jutsu development materials, but it had very few historical records.
"That's possible, but not certain."
Tutai wore a worried expression, his brow furrowing so deeply it looked like it could crush a mosquito. "From what we've gathered, Uchiha Sōgen and Uchiha Shisui aren't that old. They probably haven't had their Mangekyo for long. Rather than hoping they'll burn out quickly like their ancestors, we should be more cautious about the possibility of another Uchiha Madara emerging."
There were other things he hesitated to say,
but compared to the Raikage's more optimistic outlook, he felt that Konoha's actions were hiding something unfavorable to the Cloud. The problem was, if Konoha had reinforcements coming, wouldn't they publicize it to boost their morale and put pressure on the Cloud?
Did they really think they could catch the Cloud by surprise with such secrecy?
That would be underestimating them far too much!
Once Konoha's military behavior began to shift, the Cloud responded immediately by bolstering their already top-level defenses. There were plenty of spies keeping watch on Konoha from the east, west, and south. As for the north... well, if Konoha could breach the Cloud's defenses and attack from behind, then the Cloud Ninjas would deserve to lose!
In any case, Konoha's odd actions left Tutai feeling uneasy. He wanted to persuade the Raikage to pull back the troops. However,
according to their previous discussions, they at least needed to rescue the Eight-Tails first. Otherwise, retreating now would not only damage their morale but also make it almost impossible to recover the Eight-Tails!
After all,
the Third Hokage was dead,
and Konoha's current leadership leaned towards hardliners. The days of bullying Konoha into submission were long gone.
No matter what,
they couldn't afford to lose the Eight-Tails!
With that thought in mind, Tutai swallowed his words about retreating for now.
"Uchiha Madara... it's not that easy. Besides, if an Uchiha Madara really does show up, honestly speaking, there's not much we could do about it, right?"
A said calmly.
Having an optimistic outlook doesn't mean he blindly overlooks other possibilities. In fact, it's the opposite. He sees things clearly, which is why he doesn't think the Uchiha Clan will produce another Uchiha Madara so soon. If Uchiha Fugaku or Uchiha Shisui really had that capability, they wouldn't have retreated so easily in the last war.
Don't use Killer Bee's desperate resistance as an excuse.
Uchiha Madara was recorded in the annals of history as someone who controlled the Tailed Beasts like pets. Other than the First Hokage, no one in the entire ninja world could match him.
"That's true."
Tutai sighed, admitting that he was overthinking it. Indeed, there's no point in worrying about things like this. If another Uchiha Madara does appear... Sigh! There's no meaning in dwelling on it, but that doesn't make the concern go away easily.
"Let's not talk about Konoha for now. How is Yugito?"
"Still no improvement."
Tutai shook his head.
"The medical ninja have tried everything but to no avail. To be exact, they can't even find anything wrong with Yugito. No matter how they examine her, nothing shows up. There's no way to begin treatment. She's still the same, feeling deep disgust whenever war or killing is mentioned. But based on my observations, her loyalty to the village hasn't wavered. If you give her a direct order, Raikage-sama, she might still be able to go into battle."
"Pushing her like that isn't a long-term solution."
"Raikage-sama, let's deal with the future when it comes. If we can just make it through this period, we'll have time to replace the jinchūriki once we return to the village. Are you planning to launch an attack?"
Hearing Yugito's situation, Tutai sensed the tension rising toward war.
"I'm thinking about it."
A didn't deny it.
"Konoha's movements are too strange. I'm worried that waiting any longer will make us miss our opportunity."
"But this could also be a trap."
"I know. But I feel that instead of waiting passively, we should take the initiative now. I'm not expecting to crush Konoha's forces in one blow. If we can rescue Killer Bee, or capture a few of Konoha's key figures, we could use them for an exchange. Tutai, any word from Iwagakure?"
A explained his reasoning clearly.
"No, Iwagakure still hasn't responded."
"No response doesn't mean Iwagakure isn't moving. Maybe Konoha's odd behavior is to cover for splitting their forces to counter Iwagakure. Of course, that's the optimistic scenario. Old Onoki might not act as we hope. But... hiding like this isn't a solution."
"Iwagakure..."
Tutai frowned. The mention of Iwagakure brought back an unsettling feeling.
His mind instinctively recalled their betrayal during the Third Great Ninja War.
"Raikage-sama, do you think Iwagakure might backstab us again?"
During the Third Great Ninja War, Iwagakure stabbed them in the back, hitting the Cloud Ninja hard. The pain from that betrayal almost sparked an all-out war with Iwagakure. Every time Tutai remembered the Third Raikage's sacrifice, it kept him awake with anger.
When Tutai mentioned Iwagakure, A remained silent behind his desk for a long time.
Iwagakure's credibility elsewhere aside, to the Cloud Ninja, it was absolutely zero. If it weren't for their shared rivalry with Konoha, they would've fought each other by now. A's efforts to communicate with Iwagakure were merely attempts to use them. Any talk of alliances was just a facade.
But still—
"Iwagakure shouldn't be bold enough to do that, right? If Konoha can't withstand our attack, we'd have to watch out for Iwagakure's treachery. But since Konoha hasn't fallen yet, no matter how greedy Onoki gets, he wouldn't..."
A trailed off. After all, during the Third Great Ninja War, didn't Iwagakure suffer heavy losses at Konoha's hands? Yet instead of seeking revenge, under Onoki's leadership, they backstabbed the Cloud Ninja, trying to level the playing field.
History had proven that Onoki was capable of such betrayal!
"Tutai, if we split our forces, we might not be able to break through Konoha's defenses."
A furrowed his brows.
Although the Cloud Village had deep reserves, they were far from rich. And in this war with Konoha, their individual combat skills were clearly at a disadvantage. They were relying more and more on group tactics to make up for their weaker individual prowess.
Splitting forces now to guard against Iwagakure's potential sneak attack would tie their hands and feet! If they couldn't achieve the results they wanted on the front lines due to lack of manpower, it would be like losing a watermelon to pick up sesame seeds.
"If splitting our forces isn't an option, we could send more scouts to keep an eye out. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."
Tutai spoke softly.
After weighing the risks, he decided to suppress his unease and fully support the Raikage's decision. The sooner they ended this war that had dragged them into the mud, the better, even if it meant taking some risks.
"Then it's settled."
This time, A didn't plan on consulting anyone else.
Their last defeat had stirred up dissent within the ranks. Every village had its dissenters, even in Iwagakure, where Onoki had ruled for decades, there were still rebellious figures like Han. A had only been Raikage for five or six years. He'd secured his position through the reputation left by his father, his personal strength, and the strong support of his adopted brother, Killer Bee. Together, they had held onto the Raikage title and forced the opposition into silence.
But now, after being slapped by Konoha and suffering a significant loss, if it weren't for A's undeniable power, Killer Bee's capture alone would have exposed him to endless criticism.
Calling another meeting now would only add to his headaches. It was better to act decisively, using his authority as Raikage. Tutai supported him as well. More people often meant more problems, not more strength.
"Tutai, you handle assembling the troops. I'm going to check on Yugito."
Tutai, ever diligent, went to carry out the Raikage's orders, while A brought his assistant Mabui to Yugito's quarters. There, they found the Two-Tails jinchūriki resting, sitting by the fire, engrossed in a medical book.
"Yugito, are you studying medical ninjutsu?"
A glanced at the medical book in her hands and greeted her.
"I'm giving it a try. Not sure if I'll be any good at it."
Yugito greeted the Raikage, but her attitude wasn't particularly warm.
Though her personality had changed, her intelligence hadn't. She was well aware that Raikage-sama wasn't there just to check on her progress in medical ninjutsu. Being forced to stay in her room for "rest" had made her all too aware of how little control she had over her own life.
"I won't waste words. I need you on the front lines."
"Are we going to war again?"
Yugito set down her book, a look of disgust crossing her beautiful face. "Raikage-sama, isn't there any way out of this?" Even though she knew it was hopeless, she couldn't help but voice the thought that would surely displease the Raikage.
As expected, A's expression darkened. Anyone could feel his deep frustration and annoyance. Their once-powerful Two-Tails jinchūriki had become like this.
"This is an order, no room for negotiation."
A commanded decisively.
"...Understood. Yugito obeys."
Yugito closed her eyes and answered solemnly. Her loyalty to the village momentarily overpowered her revulsion toward war and killing. No matter what, she loved Kumogakure deeply.