This spectacular duel ended in a complete victory for Shiyu Uchiha. Yet he did not stop there, immediately turning to join the subsequent battles. With his long blade still in hand, he continued mowing down enemies.
At the same time, he shouted loudly, commanding other members of the Uchiha Clan to surround and eliminate the escaping Iwa-nin. Under his leadership, the Uchiha fought in perfect unison, swiftly eliminating most of the fleeing Iwa-nin.
After completing the mission, Shiyu Uchiha hurriedly led his subordinates toward other battlefields to reinforce comrades who were blocking enemy retreats. Relying on his superb swordsmanship and refined ninjutsu, he quickly resolved that conflict, then charged toward another location.
Through his brave charges, the Uchiha Clan—who had already gradually gained the upper hand—finally solidified their foundation for victory.
Eventually, after an intense clash, aside from a small number of cunning Iwa-nin who managed to escape during the chaos, all others had perished beneath the hands of the Uchiha Clan. It was truly a glorious victory, rich in spoils and achievements.
However, this victory was not without cost—Shiyu Uchiha's squad suffered significant casualties during this battle. Several members lost their lives, and more than ten others sustained serious injuries requiring some time to recover. Thus, the overall combat effectiveness of the entire squad declined noticeably.
After the battle, Shiyu Uchiha orderly withdrew with the remnants back to Base Camp, immediately beginning the process of selecting suitable replacements to fill vacancies.
From this heart-stopping war, it is not hard to see that an elite expert whose strength reaches Kage-level indeed possesses immense power capable of determining the outcome of small-scale battles. Undoubtedly, Shiyu Uchiha has clearly demonstrated that capability!
Right now, at the frontline areas, thanks to the successful establishment of Konoha Hospital, the number of medical ninja within Konoha Village grew rapidly, sprouting up like bamboo shoots after spring rain, reaching the highest scale among all Five Great Ninja Villages. Even the frontline controlled by the Uchiha Clan had received numerous assigned medical ninja.
Unfortunately, the professional qualities and skill levels of these medical ninja varied greatly—the overall standard raised serious concerns. Nevertheless, thankfully there were still several outstanding individuals capable enough to hold up the situation, such as Shimon Hiruko and Nonou Yakushi.
The somewhat unpleasant reality for Shiyu Uchiha was that among these two, Shimon Hiruko was actually an informant planted by Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Nonou Yakushi was likewise a secret pawn under Danzo Shimura's command.
Yet it must be said that the medical ninjutsu they mastered could be considered top-tier, leaving Shiyu Uchiha in quite an awkward predicament. Although he clearly understood both of their true identities in his heart, he could only pretend ignorance while continuing to rely heavily on them.
But Shiyu Uchiha certainly wouldn't tolerate swallowing such a bitter pill silently without striking back. Fortunately, due to his deep understanding of original plotlines, he had now devised a carefully crafted countermeasure—a plan aimed at turning these seemingly loyal figures into double agents who would serve him instead.
Although this battle brought significant losses to his forces, from a strategic standpoint, it was still incredibly valuable.
First, this battle greatly boosted the morale of their own troops, letting them see the dawn of victory and thus becoming more determined to throw themselves into future battles.
Secondly, due to this defeat, the Iwa-nin became cautious and hesitant. Their actions were no longer as reckless as before, which undoubtedly gave Konoha valuable time to train new recruits and regroup their forces.
Moreover, through this campaign, Shiyu Uchiha's reputation spread far and wide, eventually reaching the ears of Tsuchikage Onoki. Before this, Onoki had believed that with his son Kitsuchi's impressive strength and the intelligence of Wen Ya, the two working in tandem—one in brute force and the other in strategy—would be sufficient to handle any challenge from Konoha easily.
But now it seemed such thinking was overly naive. In the face of Shiyu Uchiha's formidable power and exceptional leadership, Onoki began reevaluating the entire battlefield situation, giving this suddenly emerging opponent unprecedented attention.
What troubled Onoki even more deeply was an unsettling suspicion brewing within him—that Shiyu Uchiha might have awakened the legendary [Mangekyo Sharingan]. After all, a ninja who awakened the [Mangekyo Sharingan] would gain an immense surge in power, becoming an absolute and deadly threat to any opposing force.
Thus, a thought formed in Onoki's mind: strike first. Kill Shiyu Uchiha decisively before he could fully mature—and eliminate the threat once and for all.
Unfortunately, with the Third Raikage constantly eyeing the Land of Earth and scheming to claim its resources, Onoki had little choice but to focus most of his attention on countering Cloud Village's threat.
At the same time, the Third Great Ninja World War had barely begun when its intensity already surpassed Onoki's initial expectations. Amid such a brutal and bloody battlefield, any rash decision could drag Iwagakure into irreversible ruin. Therefore, in his view, this was absolutely not the best moment for a direct confrontation with Konoha.
As such, always skilled at weighing pros and cons and known for deep strategic foresight, Onoki began carefully analyzing the current situation.
He clearly understood the importance of conserving his forces for Iwagakure's future. Only by waiting for other villages to engage in mutual battles and deplete each other would Iwagakure be able to intervene opportunely, achieving maximum benefit with minimal cost.
When it came to patience, perhaps only the mysterious figure Black Zetsu—who still remained hidden away somewhere—could rival Onoki in the present ninja world. The legendary Stone Will of Iwagakure gave him the calmness of a mountain, allowing him to remain restrained and patiently await the perfect moment.
Because of this, the original plan to eliminate Shiyu Uchiha had to be postponed indefinitely, never truly set in motion. After all, compared to wiping out one enemy, protecting one's homeland was clearly a more urgent and significant matter. Thus, Onoki had no choice but to abandon what appeared tempting yet was destined to bring regret—a decision he otherwise might have made.
However, Onoki was uneasy about the situation involving his heir. He sat at his desk, hands folded under his chin, lost in thought. After carefully assessing the potential risks and benefits, he finally made a critical decision—to dispatch Han, the Five-Tails jinchuriki responsible for guarding against Cloud-nin, to the Grass Country. This would provide another fighter capable of standing against Shiyu Uchiha, further supporting Iwa-nin forces like Kitsuchi and Wen Ya.
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