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Kannabi Bridge is a vital bridge for Iwagakure's supply routes, the largest transportation bridge between the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass.
Danzo had previously scouted this weakness and reported it to the frontline camp.
At that time, Iwagakure's attacks were not as intense; they were merely supporting Kusagakure and Takigakure. Cutting off Kannabi Bridge then would have had little effect and only put Iwagakure on high alert, giving them time to repair the bridge.
Now, with Iwagakure committing more troops and efforts, it was the right time for Hiruzen Sarutobi to consider destroying it.
"With our forces stretched thin, Minato, I can't spare more people for you. Only your team is available. Fortunately, Kakashi has grown quickly; he even killed an Iwagakure jōnin recently."
Hiruzen said, "Let Kakashi and his team go with you. You're our best hope to accomplish this."
Minato's Flying Thunder God technique made him well-suited for such missions, providing him with excellent evasion capabilities. Combined with his formidable skills and Kakashi's potential, Hiruzen had high hopes for the mission's success.
"I understand, Lord Hokage."
Minato accepted without hesitation. He never turned down dangerous tasks, always focusing on how to complete them.
"Minato, you might encounter the Third Raikage during this mission. If you do, try to transport him to the location we discussed. Can you manage that?"
"I'll try."
Minato looked troubled. He had fought the Third Raikage before but found him nearly invulnerable.
Wind Release chakra or the Rasengan could only cause minor hindrance. To truly injure him, one had to target vital points like the eyes or temples.
However, the Third Raikage was as fast as Minato, making such attacks highly risky, potentially costing Minato his life for a minor injury.
"If I succeed, I'll notify you immediately, Third Hokage."
"Good. The Third Raikage poses a significant threat on the battlefield. We must eliminate him."
Hiruzen emphasized the importance of the mission. With their limited Earth Release users like himself and Jiraiya, and Wind Release users like Danzo and Minato, the Third Raikage's presence meant many Konoha ninjas would die unless countered.
"I understand, Lord Hokage."
With that, Minato left.
Two months of continuous war had given Konoha some advantages.
With Danzo's ruthless tactics, Takigakure had withdrawn from the conflict. Jiraiya had led the remaining Konoha ninjas back to Hiruzen, bringing their numbers to nearly two thousand.
However, intelligence reported that Iwagakure had sent over three thousand ninjas into the Land of Grass, and combined with Kusagakure's forces, the enemy numbered four thousand.
Such a large force, combined with the Third Raikage and Onoki, made Hiruzen feel quite troubled. One wrong move could lead to defeat.
In contrast, the Hidden Cloud battlefield had less pressure.
The Hidden Cloud avoided direct battles, using small, disruptive teams to distract Konoha ninjas.
Gathering their forces for a frontal assault would give Konoha an opportunity. Neither A nor Dodai would make such a foolish move.
Mitokado had been trying to get Yoichi to use his Godzilla form against the Hidden Cloud, but Yoichi refused. He cited the lack of information on the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki as his reason.
As for using Wood Release and his Mangekyō Sharingan, Yoichi simply ignored Mitokado. A battlefield commander had no authority over him.
Yoichi stuck to his usual tasks, not exceeding his responsibilities, despite his great power.
Since their last encounter, Tsunade had started avoiding Yoichi again. However, this time, Yoichi sought her out.
Tsunade had initially avoided him to calm down, but since she hadn't resisted during their last interaction, she had grown accustomed. Now, Yoichi would greet her, teasing her about foot massages until she nearly exploded before leaving.
Under the guidance of his strategy, Yoichi carefully balanced not making Tsunade truly angry while teasing her emotions.
Her affection never dropped. Even if it dipped slightly in embarrassment, it quickly rose back up once he left.
Tsunade often thought angrily about leaving for a long journey after the war, staying away from Konoha for at least ten years.
But every time Yoichi spoke to her, she couldn't handle him. Despite her nightly resolutions to remain silent, she inevitably ended up responding.
Once, Tsunade fell into Yoichi's trap again, enduring a ten-minute foot massage before realizing he was taking advantage of her under the guise of massage.
By the third time, she was so flustered that she grudgingly let him massage her feet, feeling both angry and embarrassed.
"Brat, I'll never forgive you!"
Tsunade quickly put on her sandals, speaking harshly but unconvincingly before rushing out. She felt a wet sensation beneath her and feared a repeat of the incident at Konoha's gates.
Yoichi was unafraid. If Tsunade hadn't retaliated the first time, she wouldn't now.
While Yoichi's side remained relaxed, A's camp was tense with war preparations.
A had sent dozens of urgent messages to his father in the Land of Earth, but none were answered, and the Third Raikage hadn't returned.
A suspected Iwagakure had intercepted the messages and broken their intelligence seals.
Although gaining some ground in the Land of Fire, the Hidden Cloud faced a stalemate. Expanding their gains was challenging, but retreating felt unsatisfactory.
To negotiate the return of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, they needed more leverage. The Hidden Cloud hadn't dealt a significant blow to Yoichi, so Konoha was unlikely to return the Jinchuriki.
Thus, the Hidden Cloud continued small-scale infiltrations to slowly expand their gains.
"Kakashi, you're now the team leader for the sabotage mission. I have another task to attend to."
Minato, recalling his clone's memory, spoke gravely to Kakashi, "Though you're not a jōnin yet, you have the qualifications. Once this mission is over, you'll be promoted."
"Obito, Rin, you must follow Kakashi's orders. This is no time for bickering."
Obito, solemn for once, replied, "Understood, Minato-sensei."
Kakashi no longer held grudges about ninja rules and was careful and skillful in completing tasks. Without using the Flying Thunder God technique, even Minato found Kakashi's White Fang style challenging.
Handing over the team to Kakashi, Minato felt assured.
Kakashi often clashed with Obito, who claimed Uchiha supremacy and pinned his hopes on unlocking the Sharingan, often citing Yoichi as an example, which Kakashi used to refute Obito.
Obito, often speechless, struggled with Kakashi's arguments, especially since Rin admired Kakashi, further frustrating him.
"This mission is critical. Normally, you wouldn't be assigned, but with Konoha's shortage of personnel and Kakashi's strength, it's up to you, Kakashi."
Minato created three shadow clones, transforming them into Kakashi's team members.
Kakashi understood Minato's plan to distract pursuers, giving the command to move towards the target.
After they left, Minato headed towards the enemy based on his clone's memory, which revealed they had encountered the Third Raikage.
After a fierce battle, Minato used countless short-distance teleportations to finally get behind the Third Raikage with a Flying Thunder God kunai.
Ignoring the risk of injuring his hand with Lightning Release chakra, Minato touched the Third Raikage.
Flying Thunder God Transfer! Both disappeared, reappearing in a valley within the Land of Fire.
Transporting the Third Raikage drained Minato significantly, but with a formidable enemy nearby, he quickly relocated to a hiding spot over two hundred meters away.
'Finally succeeded!'
Minato fired a signal flare, then took a military ration pill to quickly recover chakra for the upcoming battle.
The signal flare was specially made, visible for kilometers even in daylight, particularly near the Konoha camp.
"It's Minato, he did it!"
Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Danzo, and other strong Konoha ninjas recognized the signal. They knew the mission's signal meant it was time to surround and kill the Third Raikage.
A dozen ninjas immediately moved to support Minato, while another dozen jōnin gathered ninja teams skilled in hindering techniques or throwing weapons and explosive tags, forming a second line of defense.
Within minutes, Hiruzen, Danzo, and Jiraiya reached the valley, finding Minato in a dire situation.
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Jiraiya used his hair technique to save Minato, while Hiruzen and Danzo used Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere to push the Third Raikage off balance.
"His skin is tough. Even our Wind Release can't injure him."
Danzo said, surprised. Hiruzen summoned Enma, transforming him into the Adamantine Staff.
"Don't underestimate him. Even Sakumo's Wind Release barely scratches the Third Raikage."
Hiruzen said gravely. Specialists in one jutsu type were harder to deal with, especially someone like the Third Raikage.
"I see. You plan to ambush and surround me with space-time jutsu."
The Third Raikage, seeing Hiruzen and the others arriving quickly, guessed Konoha's plan. He knew he was likely in the Land of Fire and realized escape was improbable.
"Using such tricks, do you think you can defeat me?"
Resolved to die, the Third Raikage wouldn't make it easy for Konoha.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I need to rest and may need to assist Kakashi later. They're destroying Kannabi Bridge."
"Rest, we'll handle this."
Jiraiya said, charging at the Third Raikage. He wasn't skilled in Wind Release but excelled in Earth Release and hindering jutsu.
Minato took more military ration pills, retreating to recover. He had marked Kakashi with a Flying Thunder God kunai but needed enough chakra to use it. Despite the pills' side effects, he had no choice.
If they failed to destroy Kannabi Bridge, Iwagakure would become more vigilant, reducing their chances.
Soon, more Konoha jōnin arrived, following Jiraiya's commands, positioning themselves for support.
As more Konoha ninjas gathered, they nearly surrounded the valley. Hiruzen had chosen this spot for its steep slopes, limiting the Third Raikage's powerful ninjutsu.
The Third Raikage was doomed today.
(End of Chapter)
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The encirclement and assassination of the Third Raikage lasted nearly an entire day. The difficulty of taking down this world's Raikage was significantly higher than that of other Raikage from different worlds.
The Konoha ninjas present included not only those skilled in Wind Release, which counters Lightning Release, but also many adept in Fire Release.
While Fire Release doesn't counter Lightning Release as effectively, prolonged burning reduces the surrounding oxygen.
It was Danzo who noticed the Third Raikage's increasingly labored breathing. Although his chakra consumption was slow, his condition was rapidly deteriorating.
Danzo suggested Hiruzen use Earth Release to trap the Third Raikage and then ignite the entire valley with Fire Release.
The Third Raikage, lacking Earth Release, couldn't escape underground.
Once the valley was set ablaze, the Third Raikage wouldn't be able to break out, sparing them the need to exhaust their chakra in a prolonged fight.
Hiruzen agreed, having Jiraiya and Danzo create shadow clones, and he himself created two. They used the Four Red Yang Formation to trap the Third Raikage.
The combined efforts of four Kage-level shadow clones using the Four Red Yang Formation ensured the Third Raikage would be trapped for at least a few minutes.
Hiruzen then ordered all the ninjas in the valley to withdraw. Jiraiya and the other Konoha ninjas prepared their largest Fire Release techniques.
Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta and Gamaken, who sprayed oil into the valley, enhancing the Fire Release jutsu that followed.
Boom! The flames erupted violently upon contact with the oil, forcing even the Fire Release users to retreat. The valley turned into a blazing inferno.
Under the intense flames, the shadow clones of Hiruzen, Danzo, and Jiraiya dissipated. They could only wait for the flames to subside to ascertain the Third Raikage's fate.
The fire was so intense it blocked even the Byakugan's vision, making it impossible to see inside the valley.
The fire burned for five to six hours. Hiruzen ordered Earth Release users to erect walls around the valley while he, Jiraiya, Danzo, and other elite ninjas spread out in multiple directions.
If the Third Raikage showed any signs of escaping, they would bombard him back into the flames.
When the flames finally subsided, Hiruzen sent scouts to search the valley.
Without space-time jutsu or Earth Release, and with Konoha ninjas surrounding the area, Hiruzen believed the Third Raikage was as good as dead.
Soon, the Third Raikage's body was found, still somewhat intact with his distinctive missing arm.
Seeing the body, the Konoha ninjas finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to cheer.
The Third Raikage had killed many Konoha ninjas. Without powerful opponents to stop him, his battlefield presence was almost as intimidating as Uchiha Yoichi's. Even jōnin couldn't survive long against him.
With the Third Raikage dead, the pressure on the frontline eased significantly. Though his death was due to suffocation, it underscored the dangers of the ninja world. The Raikage, who even the Eight-Tails couldn't kill, fell to Konoha's encirclement.
Minato, having recovered his chakra, headed to Kannabi Bridge. He left before the Third Raikage's death but trusted that the presence of so many Konoha elites ensured the Raikage's end.
Five days later, the news reached the Hidden Cloud.
The Yellow Flash of Konoha had taken the Third Raikage and contact was lost for five days. Believing him dead, Iwagakure informed the Hidden Cloud and expelled the remaining Cloud ninjas, revealing their route to Konoha forces, leading to ambushes. Only one Cloud ninja survived to relay the message.
Upon hearing the news, A destroyed everything in his tent in fury, convinced that Iwagakure and Onoki had orchestrated his father's death, blaming the deaths of two jinchuriki and dozens of Iwa ninjas on the Cloud.
Otherwise, his father would have received at least one of the dozens of scrolls A had sent.
"Retreat to the Hidden Cloud Village immediately!"
Despite his sorrow, Dodai calmly advised A, "You must become Raikage at once. Konoha will act on this news soon. We must leave the Land of Fire before they attack. If you or Killer B are captured, the Hidden Cloud will fall."
The death of a Raikage required immediate action to stabilize the village. A understood and asked, "What about the Cloud ninja teams on missions?"
"Send a message for them to return if possible. If not, they must find their way back to the Land of Lightning on their own."
Dodai's decisive response emphasized the importance of their leaders, "If either you or Killer B falls in the Land of Fire, what will become of the Hidden Cloud Village?"
Leaders were essential to prevent chaos. Convinced by Dodai, A ordered a full retreat.
However, as the Cloud army abandoned their camp, Konoha's ninja forces, led by Yoichi Uchiha, Orochimaru, and Sakumo Hatake, launched an assault on the retreating Cloud ninjas.
A wanted to fight but was restrained by Dodai, who left behind 300 Cloud ninjas to delay the enemy while the main force accelerated their retreat.
Fighting in the Land of Fire, with Konoha reinforcements nearby, was too risky. Sacrificing a few ninjas to ensure the safe retreat of A and Killer B was the priority.
The 300 Cloud ninjas, divided into two groups, set traps and prepared to hold off Konoha's pursuers.
One group encountered Yoichi's vanguard. The traps activated but had little effect on Yoichi, whose Susanoo's skeletal armor rendered most traps harmless. Yoichi ordered his men to clear the traps while he engaged the enemy.
The Cloud ninjas fought to the death, facing their greatest fear, the Yellow Flash of Konoha. The massacre lasted nearly an hour. When the last Cloud ninja fell, stabbed through the heart by Yoichi's blade, the delaying force was annihilated.
"Yoichi-sama, should we continue the pursuit?"
"Tend to the wounded, clear the traps, and continue the pursuit cautiously. If we reach the border, halt the chase."
Yoichi ordered. Despite him killing most of the enemy, the traps and desperate Cloud ninjas caused some Konoha casualties.
The other Cloud ninjas, facing Orochimaru, met a similar fate. After fierce fighting, they too were wiped out.
Sakumo had retaken the camp, finding it thoroughly stripped of supplies and intel by the retreating Cloud ninjas.
By dawn, the battle had ended. Yoichi and Orochimaru halted at the border. Pursuing further was pointless with their limited numbers.
They left patrol teams at the border and returned to camp.
Clearing out the remaining Cloud ninjas in the Land of Fire took over ten days. Konoha's forces, blocking the borders, ensured few Cloud ninjas escaped.
The Hidden Cloud's defeat wasn't a rout but significant. In the end, Konoha counted nearly 400 Cloud ninja corpses, including those killed by Yoichi.
Despite their initial advantage, the Cloud ninjas ended up with greater losses, largely due to the Third Raikage's death and the failed mission to Iwagakure.
With the Cloud's retreat confirmed, Mitokado began organizing patrols and sentries, fearing more sabotage teams.
Mitokado had taken over battlefield command only to be berated by the daimyo for failing to stop the Cloud's sabotage. Even direct appeals from the daimyo hadn't helped.
Unable to resolve the situation, Mitokado agreed to dispatch ninjas but achieved little, save for Yoichi's efforts.
Eventually, Mitokado avoided the daimyo's emissaries, incurring the daimyo's ire.
Yoichi continued his minimal involvement, focusing mainly on winning over Tsunade. Mitokado couldn't command him.
As Konoha's forces prepared to return home, relief washed over them. The war was over, and they had survived.
After stabilizing the last batch of wounded, Tsunade prepared to leave.
"Shizune, let's go."
"Eh? Tsunade-sama, are we leaving without telling anyone?"
"Why bother? There are no more wounded to treat. They can recover in the village. If I tell that old geezer, he'll just make me go back to the village."
Tsunade grumbled. Mitokado had been pestering her to return to Konoha, but with the war nearly over, she saw no reason to stay.
Shizune asked, "Shouldn't we tell Yoichi-sama?"
Tsunade pinched Shizune's cheek, "Why tell that brat? Shizune, have you been bribed by the food he's been giving you?"
Shizune retorted, "Tsunade-sama, you ate more than I did!"
"What did you say?"
Seeing Shizune fall silent, Tsunade resumed packing.
Shizune's words, however, made Tsunade hesitant. Not telling Yoichi felt sneaky, like a thief. But that brat had been too much lately, undermining her dignity. Despite being over ten years his senior, she saw no respect from him.
"Forget him. Let's go, Shizune!"
Tsunade and Shizune slipped away. As one of the Sannin, Tsunade's movements went unchallenged.
But just outside the camp, she heard a familiar voice call her name.
Hearing Yoichi, Tsunade felt a mix of tension and relief. She turned, her expression fierce, fists clenched, "Brat, what do you want?"
"Here, these are the three bottles of Tenmitsu sake you didn't finish last time."
Yoichi tossed her a storage scroll. As she caught it, he asked, "You still have the kunai I gave you, right, Tsunade-sama?"
"Hmph!"
Tsunade, secretly pleased, huffed. She wasn't the type to discard someone's gift.
"Let's go, Shizune."
Tucking the scroll away, Tsunade ignored his question, calling for Shizune.
Yoichi, understanding Tsunade still had the kunai, returned to the camp. He too would return to Konoha with the others. With the wars against the Cloud and Stone settled, peace would last for a while.
Konoha had suffered significant losses, with over 900 dead, including thirteen from the Uchiha clan. Despite the odds, facing three fully controlled jinchuriki, Konoha's victory was largely due to Yoichi.
His fame now surpassed that of the White Fang.
(End of Chapter)
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