Kikyo Mountain.
The camps of the three major ninja alliances—Rock Ninja, Sand Ninja, and Cloud Ninja—were stationed in a terrain advantageous for defense, where jagged rocks intertwined. Beneath the forest of rocks lay a thick layer of desert sand, hiding countless dangers.
Around the perimeter, ninjas from all three factions patrolled vigilantly in secret, leaping continuously while avoiding the traps their side had set.
Under the moonlight, within the Konoha camp at Kikyo Mountain, countless black shadows flickered densely, advancing under the night like a swarm of fleas.
"Tsunade, this is way too risky. Right now, Kikyo Mountain is nothing but an empty shell!"
In the darkness, Jiraiya's face revealed his unease. To him, the plan was overly dangerous.
However, Tsunade sneered coldly and replied, "Is there any war that doesn't involve risk? If there were a risk-free solution, would we have been fighting here for five years?"
"Tsunade, I'm asking what we'll do if Kikyo Mountain's vulnerability is discovered!"
Jiraiya frowned as he expressed his concern. Before Tsunade could respond, Shirou, who had made this decision, turned his head and calmly addressed Jiraiya's worries.
"If Kikyo Mountain's emptiness is discovered and the ninja alliance seizes the opportunity to attack, then we can use this chance to break through their forces in one decisive strike. If their rear supply lines are cut off, it won't be us who's panicked—it'll be the three great ninja villages!
Remember, we're fighting on home turf. Kikyo Mountain's traps and defenses are sufficient for us to return and reinforce. When that time comes, let's see who's surrounding whom!"
Shirou's calm tone revealed the madness behind his decision.
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression darkened.
"This is a reckless gamble! If we end up in a deadlock, the situation at Kikyo Mountain will collapse entirely. No one can predict the direction of the war then. If Kikyo Mountain truly falls, the flames of war will engulf the whole Land of Fire!"
"The flames of war engulfing the Land of Fire?"
Upon hearing Jiraiya's words, Shirou smirked mockingly and gestured toward the ninja troops behind him.
"Take a good look at their faces. Compare them to five years ago. Haven't you noticed, Jiraiya? The flames of war have already consumed every corner of the Land of Fire.
Young and tender faces have matured rapidly on the battlefield, becoming the branches and leaves that now support Konoha. Over the past year, haven't you noticed the increasingly younger genin being sent to the front lines?"
At this point, Shirou's mocking smile turned self-deprecating.
"Of course, coming from you, there's always some excuse. But the excuses of people like you result in sending these ever-younger children to the battlefield. Meanwhile, the ones in power hide safely within the village, claiming it's all 'for Konoha.'
Since when was there a rule during wartime that Konoha's Hokage wouldn't need to step onto the battlefield? I recall that the previous Hokage fought on the front lines to protect the village, not hiding within it."
Shirou's unabashed sarcasm echoed in the air. With the heightened hearing of ninjas, many nearby wore grim expressions.
Had this been five years ago, at the start of the war, such dissatisfaction would have remained hidden in people's hearts. But as the war dragged on, not only did the ninjas, but even the ordinary villagers of Konoha began to harbor resentment.
This Third Shinobi War had reached such a point due to the poor decisions of the Hokage's leadership!
"Jiraiya, perhaps you should stay behind at Kikyo Mountain. This isn't something you excel at handling,"
Orochimaru's raspy laughter broke the tension. While it seemed like he was trying to ease the conflict, his words also indicated that Jiraiya shouldn't involve himself in these matters.
"Orochimaru, you—"
Jiraiya stared at Orochimaru in shock, seemingly realizing something.
Orochimaru merely shrugged casually and smiled greedily. "What can I say? Shirou-kun offers more…and can help me fulfill my dreams."
At this, Jiraiya fell silent. After a long sigh, he shook his head helplessly and said:
"Never mind. Let's focus on winning this battle first. Based on our reconnaissance, there are many traps near the ninja alliance's camp. Can we discuss the specific strategy now?"
Everyone had already departed from Kikyo Mountain. The arrow was nocked and couldn't be held back anymore.
Many Konoha ninjas, including Jiraiya, looked puzzled. The strategic plan hadn't been revealed yet, which they understood was to maintain secrecy until the last moment.
However, upon hearing Jiraiya's question, Shirou grinned widely.
"The strategy is simple. I, Mikoto, and Kushina will be the spearhead! As for the traps along the way, don't bother with them. Just charge straight through and crush the ninja alliance!"
"What?!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Shirou.
That's the strategy? Was this a joke?
But seeing Jiraiya's astonished expression, Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely and said:
"This is for the best. With overwhelming strength, we'll pierce through the ninja alliance in one decisive blow. I'll lead a squad of elites to create chaos, while Jiraiya's fire-style jutsu will handle the direct assault."
Orochimaru made the decision on Jiraiya's behalf, while Tsunade calmly added:
"Direct assault is fine. I'll handle healing with Katsuyu. Whether or not we can break the stalemate depends on tonight. This war has dragged on long enough."
...
Inside the ninja alliance's camp, under the night sky.
Onoki gazed at the intelligence reports from the rear with a furrowed brow, sighing heavily.
"The village's supplies have dwindled to this point. It's been five years, and we've made no breakthrough here. Konoha is also running low on resources, but fighting on their home turf, coupled with the Land of Fire's wealth…"
Comparing this to the reports from spies within Konoha, Onoki couldn't help but feel bitter and envious.
"Damn it! Four great ninja villages united, and we've only managed to fight them to a standstill."
The wealth of the Land of Fire and Konoha's deep foundation was what Onoki envied most.
However, Elder Ebizo, standing nearby, shook his head and said:
"Onoki, don't just focus on Konoha's and our logistics. Look at the bigger picture. While we've both suffered heavy losses in this war, Konoha's economy has taken a devastating hit.
Even this Sarutobi Hiruzen Hokage position is becoming a hot seat. I doubt he'll hold onto it once the war ends."
Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's name, Onoki chuckled maliciously like an old schemer.
"That's why we've slowed down our plans to drain Uchiha Shirou's strength. Based on intelligence from the previous era, Uchiha Madara's eyes eventually went blind from overuse during the Warring States Period…
So we'll leave this ambitious and determined Uchiha Shirou, who's dissatisfied with the Third Hokage's regime, alive for now."
The Third Tsuchikage Onoki sneered. The cost of taking down someone like Uchiha Shirou, even with the three great ninja villages united, would be astronomical, and success wasn't guaranteed.
After all, defeating a Kage-level ninja might be feasible, but killing one required far more effort—unless they fought to the death.
"With this book, we've already shaken the foundation of Sarutobi Hiruzen's regime!"
Onoki sneered as he pulled a red book from his ninja pouch. The bold words on the cover, My Struggle, stood out clearly.
Due to Shirou's Mangekyo Sharingan awakening, the book's cover also bore a red flame emblem featuring a swastika-like symbol.
"This book!"
Seeing Onoki take out the book, Elder Ebizo's expression turned serious as he nodded grimly.
"If this book started as a passionate tale of ambition, it has, over the past five years, revealed its hidden ambitions. It brazenly seeks to rewrite the rules of the world…
This is undoubtedly a work of unbridled ambition. While some in Konoha oppose it, the ongoing war and Uchiha Shirou's position as head of the medical division have silenced dissent for now."
This also left Ebizō somewhat disappointed—they had hoped to use this opportunity to provoke conflict with Konoha. However, Ōnoki merely sneered coldly. "Don't worry. This is a divergence! It's a declaration of change, an unavoidable clash."
Just as the two of them were discussing the matter, a panicked Iwagakure ninja suddenly rushed into the tent.
"Something terrible has happened! Konoha is attacking!"
"What!?"
This left both Ōnoki and Ebizō utterly stunned. Where did Konoha get the nerve to do this?
When the two of them hurriedly stepped out of the tent, they were greeted by the sight of countless signal flares lighting up the night sky.
"Enemy attack!"
"Konoha ninjas are advancing!"
"Prepare for battle!"
"The sensory ninjas have detected a large number of Konoha ninjas heading this way…"
"Quick, prepare to meet the enemy!"
Ebizō and Ōnoki quickly began commanding their ninja troops to prepare for battle. Fortunately, Konoha's ninja force had not yet launched a direct assault and had been detected early by the sensory ninjas.
After all, with an ambush of such a large scale, it was impossible to avoid detection by the sensory ninjas.
"This chakra!"
In the ninja alliance, the sensory ninjas opened their eyes wide in terror, their faces filled with fear.
"It's Uchiha Shirou! The Uchiha Mangekyō!"
At this distance, they could already sense the terrifying chakra with which they were all too familiar.
"What… what is this…"
Under the night sky, the ninjas at the front of the alliance stared blankly into the distance, as if they had seen something utterly terrifying.
"This… this can't be real…"
"No way…"
Even Ōnoki, who was floating in midair, felt a long-buried fear surface in his heart when he saw the massive figure in the distance.
"How is this possible!"
During the battle at the Valley of the End, they hadn't managed to gather much intelligence, but spies had captured fragments of the scene, which were relayed back to them. Among those fragments was this very sight.
In the distance, the Konoha ninjas had begun their assault.
"Roar!"
Leading the charge, Uzumaki Kushina let out a sky-shaking roar. Terrifying bijū chakra surged forth as she directly entered her Six-Tails state. This time, without restraining the bijū chakra, her form had become extraordinarily massive.
On the battlefield, a colossal Nine-Tails chakra construct emerged. Unlike Naruto's golden-tailed beast mode or the physical form of the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, this was a pure chakra manifestation of the Nine-Tails. The instant the dark red, massive Nine-Tails appeared, its roar sent waves of fear rippling through the ranks of the enemy.
"Let's move!"
Standing atop the head of the Nine-Tails, Shirou shouted, activating Sage Mode. At the same time, his Mangekyō Sharingan spun, unleashing an overwhelming burst of chakra.
Majestic Attire: Susano'o!
Flaming red armor materialized and covered the Nine-Tails. In that instant, its size grew even more immense. Within the diamond-shaped space on Susano'o's forehead, the figures of Uchiha Shirou, Uchiha Mikoto, and Uzumaki Kushina could be seen.
"There are countless traps ahead!"
At the forefront of Konoha's forces, a Hyūga branch family ninja activated his Byakugan and quickly warned of the numerous traps hidden among the rocky terrain.
"Destroy all the traps in one go!"
At Shirou's command, countless Konoha ninjas roared in unison.
"The toad sage of Mount Myōboku has arrived!"
With a puff of summoning smoke, Jiraiya appeared, laughing mischievously. However, this time, two toads were perched on his shoulders, and his appearance had drastically changed. His face, hands, and feet were covered in toad-like features, making him appear even uglier. Seeing this, both Orochimaru and Tsunade cast him strange looks, prompting Jiraiya to scratch his head awkwardly.
"My Sage Mode isn't quite perfected yet, but it's good enough for this battle."
Tsunade and Orochimaru both took deep breaths and activated their respective Sage Modes.
Sage Mode!
After summoning their respective creatures, both Orochimaru and Tsunade entered their Sage Modes. Over the past five years, Orochimaru had developed the Dragon Cave Sage Mode using the cursed seal, which gave him horns protruding from his forehead, paler skin, and snake-like eye markings.
Tsunade, on the other hand, activated her cursed seal, revealing dark purple markings that covered her entire body, with dark purple eyeshadow forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Let's go! Kushina and I will clear the path!"
The massive Nine-Tails, clad in Susano'o, roared, rising to its feet and breaking into a sprint. Its massive hands gripped a terrifying Susano'o blade that slowly materialized.
"Shirou!"
Kushina shouted excitedly. Controlling the Nine-Tails as it drew its sword was exhilarating! Although Shirou's Susano'o hadn't fully developed into its complete form, the second stage was more than sufficient.
The colossal figure of the Nine-Tails sprinted forward, generating a terrifying gust of wind. The traps in its path were triggered one after another. As it drew the Susano'o blade, Ōnoki, standing among the ninja alliance, suddenly realized the danger.
"Get out of the way! We can't block this attack!"
But before Ōnoki's terrified warning could take effect, the Majestic Attire Susano'o-clad Nine-Tails roared and, gripping its massive sword with both hands, unleashed a devastating horizontal slash.
The attack was like a natural disaster, obliterating everything in its path. Not only were the traps destroyed, but the sheer shockwave of the attack created a sandstorm that caused chaos among the ninja alliance.
After the slash, the rocky terrain in front of them was flattened into a fan-shaped plain. All obstacles and traps were gone. In the distance, the ninja alliance stared in horror at the sight before them.
"Our defenses… they were… they were…"
The single slash had completely leveled the three-layered earthen walls that protected the outer perimeter of their camp. Even the frontline ninjas had vanished without so much as a scream.
"Defend yourselves!"
"Water Release! Earth Release! Combine your defenses!"
This was no time to freeze in fear. Ōnoki shouted furiously, and the ninja alliance scrambled to use defensive techniques. Meanwhile, the sky was lit up by a blazing firelight.