Konoha was located slightly west of the ter of the Land of Fire.

  Perhaps the founders of the vilge didn't give it much thought during its establishment, but this location indeed favors Konoha for troop movements along the tial battlefront.

  Whether it was an attack from Suna, Iwa, or Kumo, Konoha's ninja forces could reach the frontli roughly the same time.

  The only exception was the southeast, where the distao Kiri was almost double that to the other three major vilges. However, their former ally, Uzushio, used to stand directly at Kiri's doorstep.

  Konoha's military strategy has always been to focus ohree major powers on the mainnd, leaving the others on the sidelines.

  Thus, when Kumo unched a southern offensive, Konoha's deaking speed far surpassed that of the time whetempted to aid Uzushio.

  By midday of the first day, a strategy meeting was held in the Hokage's office.

  By that afternoon, all ninja were notified.

  And by noon of the sed day, a vanguard force of 2,000 Konoha ninjas departed from the vilge's northern gate, heading toward the Land of Hot Water.

  Following them was a reinfort force of no fewer than 5,000 ninjas, who would advance alongside anized logistiits.

  The primary mission of the 2,00 vanguard was to rendezvous with the remnants of the Yu ninjas aablish a frontline base within the Land of Hot Water to eliminate Kumo's vanguard force.

  At the very least, they o halt Kumo's advahin the Land of Hot Water.

  Given the high-iy and critiature of the mission, the troops prised only in and above. The high-ranking bat strength sisted of jonin from the Sarutobi, Uchiha, and Hyūga s, with Hyūga Hizashi as the ander.

  Though Hizashi beloo the branch family, his strength was parable to his elder brother, the leader, making him a respected leader.

  Moreover, a Hyūga jonin was extremely effective otlefield, and everyorusted this.

  The Uchiha sent six jonin with three-tomoe Sharingan, including Masashi, who mao take Shisui's pce after a tense meeting with Fugaku.

  As the forces assembled at the gate, Hizashi addressed the gathered representatives. "The Hyūga will take point. Our Byakugan will be essential for reaissance."

  "We'll provide heavy assault support," the Sarutobi ander added.

  Masashi stepped forward. "The Uchiha haercepting their sensor types."

  Among the three s, the Uchiha had the fewest jonin, while Sarutobi had the most. bihe three s tributed around 30 jonin.

  This force alone could easily crush a third-tier ninja vilge.

  Although Kumo, as the only vilge with a parable scale to Konoha, has around 20,000 in and higher, their jonin t was fewer than Konoha's.

  Theoretically, Konoha could mobilize even more jonin, but the current deployment was the limit for the three s. The Hokage's office couldn't allocate more manpower either.

  It wasn't a matter of being stingy; Kumo's movements required Konoha to remain vigint against Iwa. Familiar with both Kumo and Iwa's aggressive tendencies, Minato had already prepared for the possibility of a two-front war.

  ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was notoriously opportunistifamous across the ninja world for his ck of scruples.

  During the Third Great Ninja War, he attempted to raid both Konoha and Kumo.

  Konoha thwarted his pn thanks to Minato and his students, while Kumo's losses were eveer, costing them a Raikage.

  Both Konoha and Kumo were wary of the old man staging another surprise attack.

  Masashi had some uanding of ōnoki's mihe old man was always looking for opportuo exploit Konoha but viewed Kumo as a long-term adversary.

  Kumo's desire for Konoha matched ōnoki's ambition for Kumo.

  During the st war, he mobilized 10,000 Iwa ninjas to attack Kumo's vulnerable rear, only to be met head-on by the obstihird Raikage.

  With the addition of Konoha's skirmishes, Iwa, whiitially had the smallest losses, suddenly skyrocketed to the sed-highest casualty rate.

  In the inal timelihe flict between Iwa and Kumo never ceased. Akatsuki's biggest t was Iwa, frequently hiring their members to disrupt Kumo.

  The 2,000 elite Konoha ninjas moved swiftly, unhindered by the absence of genin in their ranks.

  By nightfall, they had already ehe Land of Hot Water.

  As they moved through the devastated tryside, the scouts reported back regurly.

  "The tryside's been stripped ," a scout reported, nding silently beside Hizashi.

  A Hyūga scout activated his Byakugan. "No civilian movement within 5 kilometers."

  "Kumo's being thh," Hizashi noted. "They're pnning for a long campaign."

  The current state of the Land of Hot Water was even more chaotic than when Masashi st visited. This chaos wasn't due to rampant banditry. Quite the opposite—there were no bandits left.

  Kumo ninjas, adhering to the hierarchical "two levels up, three levels down" system of the great ninja nations, maintained de with the Land of Hot Water's nobility and protected the lives of the lords.

  However, they were far less kind to oners—and bandits, in Kumo's view, were just aype of oner.

  In ninja warfare tradition, bandits were usually the first casualties, serving as a warm-up.

  Seen as unproductive burdens ing food resources, bandits were ofteerminated by ninja forces dug local food requisitioning. The loobility, far from objeg, often weled this development. As for civilian casualties, they simply turned a blind eye.

  The cruelest reality was this: during ninja wars, the greatest casualties were he ninja.

  This was also why allied natio.

  After entering the Land of Hot Water, the Konoha vanguard rested to recover their strength.

  At dawn the day, they began searg for the remnants of the Yu ninjas.

  As expected, Yu had already been overrun; such a spicuous target was iably Kumo's first objective.

  They found the surviving Yu ninjas huddled in a makeshift camp, their faces drawn with exhaustion a.

  Only a few hundred had escaped, but for Yu, this was a substantial force.

  The size of Yu's ninja force had been dwindling for some time, to the point that the loobility preferred issioning missions from Konoha rather than Yu. These days, the vilge's main focus was leveraging its hot spring resources for profit.

  heless, it remained a ninja vilge and strategically the most valuable location in the Land of Hot Water. For Konoha, it was a ready-made frontline base.

  Yu might now be Kumo's operational base—or a trap set for Konoha.

  After discussing with the Yu ninja representatives, Hizashi and the jonin decided to un attack.

  Uhe guidance of the Yu ninjas, the Konoha vanguard used secret paths to approach the rear of Yu.

  Yu was situated in a hot spring area.

  The Land of Hot Water had about 3,000 hot spring sources scattered across the try, with Yu boasting over a hundred.

  Known as the foremost "Vilge of Hot Water" in the world of shinobi, the vilge relied heavily on its hot spring resources. Iime, this provided the vilgers with a fortable life.

  Thanks to the assistance of these local guides, the Konoha ninjas silently arrived at a vantage point north of Yu.

  From this elevated position, they could clearly observe the entire yout of Yu.

  It was a rustic settlement, mostly untouched by modern development. The buildings followed a sistent style, dominated by small houses. The tranquil vilge seemed frozen in time, exuding a id-back rhythm far removed from Konoha's bustling energy.

  The vilge's architecture reflected the non-frontational nature of its inhabitants. However, Kumo's arrival had pletely shattered this tranquility.

  The Kumo ninjas had begun fortifying the vilge to enhas utility as a military base.

  Through the steam, Masashi could make out the hasty stru of defensive positions.

  An attack at this moment could easily take them by surprise.

  The activities within Yu were pletely visible to the Hyūga jonin, with nothing esg their Byakugan.

  "Third quadrant clear," one Hyūga scout reported quietly. "Wait—movement at the hot springs."

  "Another patrol?" a Sarutobi jonin asked.

  "No," the Hyūga scout replied.

  Even the moments when some Kumo ninjas scked off didn't go unnoticed. This was almost unfair—being caught sg not by your superior but by the enemy.

  Still, after a thh sweep, the situation appeared favorable—no ambushes.

  When the Hyūga said there was no ambush, you could be certain. Their visie was vast, enhanced with X-ray capabilities, and chakra signatures were crystal clear to them.

  After an hour of Yu, not a single secret was left hidden.

  "Give me the numbers again. Be precise," the Hizashi ordered.

  "Five hundred and twenty-three Kumo ninja within Yu's walls. One hundred y-four in the southern camps. Approximately ohousand civilian borers," the Hyūga scout responded crisply.

  "And the Yu ninjas?"

  "Over one hundred. Most are imprisohirty-two imposters among them—Transformation Teique users."

  The Hyūga even ted the people present with precision. Every chakra signature, every disguised ninja, every civilian worker—nothing escaped their all-seeing eyes.

  Thus, the Konoha ninjas felt reassured, rest their energy and preparing for battle while leaving surveilo the Hyūga and Uchiha s.

  The attack wasn't unched immediately.

  "The new walls they're building—" the Sarutobi leader began, studying the stru progress.

  "Let them finish," Masashi interrupted. "Better to attack whehink they're secure."

  And we'll have clearer lines of sight for the operation, he added mentally, the emerging defensive positions.

  After all, the Kumo ninjas were busy repairing the vilge's infrastructure, having torn down the old walls and begun expanding the vilge. It seemed only polite to let them finish building the new walls first.

  The Konoha ninjas hid in the forest. When it was time for meals, they took out their rations and started eating.

  It was only the first day. Konoha ninjas typically carried enough rations for five days, and if logistics failed to keep up after that, they'd resort to soldier pills.

  This was one of the luxuries of being a Konoha ninja. The Suna ninja, for instance, carried only a day's worth of food, relying on pills after that. Even with logistical support, their food supply was meager.

  Duriime, the jonin gathered to discuss strategies.

  The rations were quite det—rice balls, sushi, sausages, and a mix of meat aables, all made from high-quality ingredients. Jonin lived fairly fortably, after all.

  Masashi ate sushi while chatting quietly with his .

  Beside him sat Pakura, who had joihe Police Ford articipating in this campaign. In Konoha, she carried the Uchiha 's banner.

  Pakura ate her share of food, marveling at the prosperity of the Land of Fire without much else to think about. She wasn't well-acquainted with aher than Masashi.

  Still, as a renowned user of Scorch Release, someone approached her.

  "Pakura, are you joining the raid tonight?" a jonin asked, studying her carefully.

  "No problem," Pakura replied, taking a sip of water.

  Based on the jonin's discussion, sidering their overwhelming bat advantage and the o preserve Yu's facilities, they po minimize the use of destructive jutsu during the raid.

  And her Scorch Release would be perfect for tained elimination.

  "How about assigning the Sarutobi to clear out the Kumo ninjas outside the vilge?" Masashi proposed after finishing his meal.

  "Agreed," the Sarutobi jonin said. "But we'll need some Hyūga support to ensure no Kumo ninjas escape."

  pared to the Uchiha, the Sarutobi were better at rge-scale fire attacks, making them more effective outside the vilge.

  In the final years of the Warring States Period, the Sarutobi was sed only to the Senju and Uchiha. Even the legendary Hashirama and Madara aowledged their strength.

  Without Hashirama and Madara, the Sarutobi were nearly as strong as the top s.

  After Konoha's founding, Hiruzen emerged as a peerless talent among the vilge's new geion.

  "Sarutobi takes the outer perimeter. We maintain surveilnce. Uchiha haernal clearance," Hizashi outlined firmly.

  "I'll mark key positions for rapid response," Masashi added, already pnning his seal pts.

  With roles decided, everyone focused aining their strength.

  As the suhe borers fiheir day and moved to the crude camps outside the vilge. They weren't allowed to rest within Yu—only the Kumo ninjas enjoyed such privileges.

  Watg some of the Kumo ninjas begin soaking in hot springs, the Hyūga sighe others to start the operation.

  Per their assigs, the Hyūga didn't directly e remained on standby, monit every movement of the Kumo ninjas with their Byakugan.

  The Sarutobi prepared their gear aheir forces southward to block escape routes and initiate the attack from outside.

  Meanwhile, the Uchiha was tasked with eliminating the Kumo ninjas ihe vilge as swiftly as possible and rendezvousing with the Sarutobi outside.

  After the Sarutobi departed, the Uchiha joniheir squads along the mountain slopes into Yu.

  The mountain slopes were the source of several vital hot springs. To maximize the flow, Yu was built alongside these slopes, leaving this area unprotected by walls.

  Even if the Kumo ninjas felt invincible, they still stationed guards here—albeit rather zily.

  "Quiet night," one guard muttered, sing the darkness halfheartedly.

  "Too quiet. Something feels—" The sed guard's words died in his throat as a bde emerged from his chest. His partner's body crumpled silently beside him a moment ter.

  Konoha's outward intelligence might be g, but its internal secrecy was effective. Even Konoha's vilgers were unaware that a vanguard force had been deployed, let alohe Kumo ninjas.

  Masashi nded softly on a stone-paved street.

  Using his Flying Thunder God Teique, he didn't join any teams but had marked every member and even Pakura with his teleportation seals.

  His mission was to act freely.

  The streets ahead twisted and turned, with numerous alleys. The bination of his Sharingan and chakra-sensing ability made navigation effortless.

  Drawing his newly purchased short sword, Masashi moved silently toward his target.

  The yout of Yu hardly suggested a military base. It was dominated by inns, with narrow streets and alleys often wide enough for just one person.

  Suddenly, he accelerated.

  His bde thrust forward, pierg through a Kumo ninja who happeo step out of an alley. Three seds to deployment. Twets front. Oempting fnk.

  With a flick of his left hand, he threw a kunai toward another Kumo ninja emerging from a building. Before the sed ninja could react, his head was severed in a fsh of the Flying Thunder God.

  A scream and curses broke the silence of the night.

  Unavoidably, on attack began, discovery was certain.

  A squad of Kumo ninjas appeared oreet. They immediately spotted Masashi in his unmistakable attire.

  "It's a Konoha ninja!"

  Three Kumo ninjas roared, drawing their ons and charging forward.

  But Masashi was slightly faster.

  Sheathing his short sword, he flicked his wrist. With a puff of smoke, several shuriken shot out.

  Two shuriken were deflected, but the razed the lead ninja. Masashi vanished from sight.

  A fiery explosioed among the Kumo ninjas, ing them iheir screams echoed as their bodies withered and shrank, leaving only shriveled husks behind.

  Masashi ended his jutsu and sensed no more Kumo ninjas in this area.

  He headed toward the district, following the de cluster of chakra signatures.