Land of the Moon, Konoha's temporary encampment.
"Kumogakure halted all of their raid operations today," Uchiha Yashiro reported.
"That's not surprising," Uchiha Itachi said unhurriedly. "All their previous raids ended in failure. They were bound to change their strategy."
"With Hinata and the White Zetsu watching, no matter what they do, they can't hide it from us," Inuzuka Tsume said dismissively.
Hyūga Hinata couldn't help feeling happy when she heard her name.
She was no longer the timid little girl she used to be—she had become someone who could influence the course of a war.
More importantly, she hadn't let Kitazawa down.
"For now, we'll wait and see," Uchiha Fugaku concluded. "Once White Zetsu confirms Kumogakure's new strategy, we'll decide our next move."
"Kabuto-senpai already defeated Sunagakure," Uchiha Sasuke suddenly spoke up.
Everyone instinctively looked at him, not understanding what he meant.
"I request that Team Seven go and raid Kumogakure's main camp," Sasuke said calmly.
They already knew the details of Sunagakure's defeat.
Among them, Yuuhi Kurenai's squad and Hatake Kakashi's squad were the main contributors.
Sasuke felt that their Kitazawa squad couldn't fall behind.
After all, among the squads that graduated from the Advanced Class, Kitazawa's team was the strongest.
"That's not appropriate," Uchiha Yashiro immediately objected. "You may be strong, but Kumogakure has over ten thousand ninja."
"What truly decides victory or defeat is the top-tier power on both sides," Sasuke replied.
That was exactly what Fugaku had said at the jōnin meeting before the war.
Back then, it was said partly to flatter Kitazawa.
"In the name of youth, Team Seven can definitely complete the mission!" Uzumaki Naruto said, giving a thumbs-up in agreement.
Sasuke hadn't told them beforehand, but Naruto felt he had a point.
Hinata had even less reason to disagree.
If the three of them defeated Kumogakure, she would definitely earn Kitazawa's praise.
Uchiha Fugaku fell into thought.
Sending three people to raid the main camp sounded absurd, but for Team Seven, it wasn't impossible.
As the commander, he had deliberately looked into Team Seven's capabilities before.
Sasuke had not only awakened a Perfect Susanoo, he had also become the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
Naruto didn't need explanation—being the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki alone already made him one of the strongest in the shinobi world.
Hinata had recently demonstrated her strength as well: one arrow breaking four thousand Kumogakure ninja—something most elites couldn't do.
"Father, I think it can work," Itachi said with a light smile. "It's time to let Kumogakure witness Konoha's new Three Sannin."
The new Konoha Three Sannin?
Fugaku's heart jolted as he realized what Itachi meant.
This was a chance to earn astonishing merit.
No exaggeration—if those three brought down Kumogakure, their accomplishments alone would be enough to put them on the shortlist for Hokage.
Uchiha Yashiro, Inuzuka Tsume, and the others exchanged glances.
They understood Team Seven far less than Fugaku did.
That was exactly why the decision felt risky to them.
"Fine. Then we'll launch a decisive battle—right now," Fugaku decided, voice deep.
"Let Sasuke and the others hold Kumogakure at the front," Itachi said after a brief thought. "We'll sweep the flanks, clean up the battlefield, and crush the remnants."
"Does it count as an ambush if it's from the front?" Naruto scratched his head and asked.
Everyone froze for a beat—then laughed.
"The wording doesn't matter," Fugaku cleared his throat. "Winning is what matters."
"When do we move?" Tsume asked.
She still thought it was risky, but she could also tell Fugaku and the others were confident.
From her perspective, this plan would ease the pressure on everyone else—
Because all the pressure would be on Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata.
Tsume did worry they might not be able to bear such a heavy burden.
But then she remembered: they were Kitazawa's students. Even if they couldn't win, they could escape.
At the very least, Kitazawa would step in to save them.
And if they succeeded, Kumogakure would no longer pose a threat.
"Tomorrow," Fugaku said after thinking it over. "From here, I'll arrange the specific tactics."
"Sasuke, you three should go see the Hokage," Itachi reminded them. "He arrived not long ago."
Hinata's eyes lit up immediately.
"Let's go right now!" Naruto said excitedly.
Sasuke simply nodded, and the three of them left the main tent together.
"Fugaku-sama," Tsume suddenly remembered something. "We need to watch out for Kumogakure's chakra cannon."
"If we go straight into a decisive battle, it'll actually be harder for them to use it," Fugaku said with a faint smile. "Because of friendly fire."
"Team Seven can look for a chance to deal with the chakra cannon," Itachi paused, then added. "I'll tell them tomorrow."
"Having them handle it really is the most fitting," Fugaku nodded. "Now, let's start the detailed arrangements."
Team Seven didn't need further planning.
But ensuring the remaining Konoha forces could completely wipe out Kumogakure's ninja—that was the difficult part.
Fortunately, Kitazawa had left them five thousand White Zetsu.
Now was exactly when they could be put to use.
Not long after, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata met Kitazawa.
From them, Kitazawa learned of the First Division's upcoming plan.
He was a little surprised—but not much.
Among the four divisions, in overall strength, the First Division was the strongest.
And among the four great villages, Kumogakure was the strongest.
That was why Kitazawa had assigned the First Division to face Kumogakure.
Now that the First Division intended to fight a decisive battle head-on, there was no real issue.
Because with Team Seven added in, the First Division's strength already exceeded Kumogakure's.
Unless something unexpected happened, they would definitely win.
"Get some good rest. Tomorrow, I'll be watching your performance," Kitazawa said, reaching out to pat Hinata's head.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," all three answered in unison.
A new day.
Kumogakure's temporary encampment.
The Fourth Raikage stared at the map in front of him, brows tightly knit.
In the earlier meeting, Mabui had proposed using the Heavenly Transfer Technique to bypass Hinata's Byakugan surveillance.
The Heavenly Transfer Technique was a space-time ninjutsu.
It could teleport any object.
But to teleport a ninja, that ninja needed an extremely strong body.
At present, only the Fourth Raikage in Kumogakure could withstand the pressure caused by the technique.
And since the Raikage had Lightning Release Chakra Mode and massive chakra reserves, he could also operate the chakra cannon by himself.
Mabui would use the Heavenly Transfer Technique to send the Raikage and the chakra cannon to a designated position.
The only problem was that this method could only fool Hinata for a brief moment.
Once she reacted, she would still locate the transferred Raikage and the cannon.
So Mabui proposed two solutions:
First, have Kumogakure ninja keep Hinata occupied—during battle, she couldn't spare attention elsewhere.
Second, create confusion: prepare multiple decoys for the Raikage and fake chakra cannons, so she couldn't immediately tell what was real.
The Fourth Raikage was considering one question—
Where should Mabui send him?
Just then, Dodai and the others hurried into the main tent.
"Raikage-sama!" Mabui said gravely. "A large number of Konoha ninja are coming straight toward our main camp!"
"What do you mean?" The Fourth Raikage looked shocked. "They want to fight a decisive battle with us directly?"
"That's most likely the goal," Mabui took a deep breath. "According to the Anbu report, Uchiha Fugaku is personally leading them."
"Prepare to meet them!" the Fourth Raikage ordered at once.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Dodai immediately fired a shrill signal flare into the sky.
The entire Kumogakure encampment sprang into motion.
They rapidly assembled and, under the Fourth Raikage's command, advanced to meet Konoha's First Division.
But what surprised them was that when Fugaku and the others approached the Kumogakure camp, they stopped.
"What's going on?" the Fourth Raikage asked, confused.
Mabui and the others were just as puzzled.
Until Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyūga Hinata stepped forward.
At this moment, an open stretch of more than a kilometer separated the two armies—like a buffer zone.
The moment Team Seven appeared, all eyes turned to them.
"It's Kitazawa's three students," Mabui said immediately.
In truth, she didn't need to point it out—the Fourth Raikage and the others had already recognized them.
After all, the "new Konoha Three Sannin" had quite a reputation.
And with a teacher said to rival a god of the shinobi world, they were known by everyone.
"Did Kitazawa come?" the Fourth Raikage glanced around and asked.
"I don't know," Mabui paused. "But if he were to act, things wouldn't look like this."
The Fourth Raikage hesitated.
Mabui's words were demoralizing, but she wasn't wrong.
"You're the Fourth Raikage?" Sasuke stopped and fixed his gaze on him.
The Raikage's massive build made him stand out in the crowd.
"I am," the Fourth Raikage nodded.
"Good." Sasuke drew the Sword of the Thunder God. "Today is your day to die."
The moment those words fell, both armies went silent.
"Arrogant!"
"Bastard! How dare you speak to the Raikage like that?!"
"Did your teacher never teach you proper manners?!"
Kumogakure's ninja erupted in outrage.
Konoha's ninja, on the other hand, reacted very differently.
"Worthy of my son!" Fugaku smiled in satisfaction.
Itachi just shook his head.
He knew Sasuke well—there was no deeper meaning. He simply wanted to show off.
"As a genius of the Uchiha, that's exactly how he should be," Uchiha Yashiro said admiringly.
Not just him—every Uchiha present was thrilled.
That was the pride an Uchiha should have.
"Hey, you beat me to it?" Naruto immediately protested. "No way—Fourth Raikage is mine! I heard he's a really strong taijutsu fighter!"
"I already claimed him. You can't," Sasuke said evenly.
"Enough!" Naruto was about to argue, but the Fourth Raikage's furious roar cut him off.
His face was livid as he stared at them.
He was the Fourth Raikage, a famous powerhouse—yet two brats were casually "drafting" him like he was some prize.
How could he not lose face?
He already had a short temper. Now Sasuke and Naruto's back-and-forth lit the fuse completely.
Lightning flashed.
The Fourth Raikage vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he was in front of Sasuke—his right arm raised, elbow dropping like a thousand-pound hammer.
"Perfect!" Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan snapped open.
He locked onto the Raikage's movement, yet he didn't move at all.
A gigantic purple hand spread open and blocked in front of him.
The Raikage's elbow slammed into it with a heavy, muffled boom.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
Terrifying chakra surged outward.
Lightning crackled and wrapped around the Raikage.
Sasuke's expression shifted slightly—he sensed real danger.
Lightning Oppression Horizontal!
The Raikage condensed Lightning Release chakra into his right hand.
Crack!
He punched straight through the Susanoo's giant hand—and the momentum didn't slow as it stabbed toward Sasuke.
Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!
Sasuke twisted his wrist, angling the Sword of the Thunder God toward the Raikage's right hand.
The Raikage frowned, but he had no choice but to retreat.
His hand was still flesh and blood, even with Lightning chakra protecting it.
"Pretty fast," Sasuke said, eyes sharpening.
Once the Raikage activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his speed felt no worse than Flying Thunder God.
And that made sense.
Sasuke remembered that the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had first built his reputation by facing the Fourth Raikage.
Minato had single-handedly held back Kumogakure's "A-B duo"—the Fourth Raikage and Killer B.
"Raikage-sama!" Mabui rushed up and said, "Uchiha Fugaku and the others just split their forces. Judging by their route, they're trying to encircle us!"
"Encircle us?" the Fourth Raikage snorted. "We have twice their numbers. Are they out of their minds?"
"Their goal is to have Sasuke and the other two hold us in place from the front," Mabui said thoughtfully.
"So they really aren't taking us seriously!" The Fourth Raikage laughed in anger.
In all his life, he had never been underestimated like this.
"Raikage-sama, those three are very strong," Mabui warned.
"No matter how strong, it's still only three people." The Fourth Raikage took a deep breath. "Mabui, take five thousand and deal with Fugaku's forces. Leave this to me."
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Mabui immediately nodded.
"Naruto—don't let them split up," Sasuke said quickly after noticing Kumogakure's movement. "Our job is to hold everyone here."
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted.
In an instant, more than three thousand shadow clones appeared on both sides of him.
Kumogakure's ninja immediately widened their eyes.
Even the Fourth Raikage and the others looked stunned.
~~~
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