Inside the Land of Hot Water, at the encampment where the Hidden Cloud Village was stationed, the ninjas were brimming with fighting spirit. Ever since Tianyuan had left this particular battlefield, the conflict between Konoha and the Cloud Ninjas had returned to a fluctuating stalemate of minor victories and defeats.
The shadow of terror Tianyuan had once cast over them was slowly beginning to fade from their memories, and as a result, the morale of the Cloud Ninjas was currently at an all-time high.
Furthermore, word had spread among the ranks that the Third Raikage had dispatched reinforcements from the village. With these fresh troops, they believed they once again held an overwhelming advantage over Konoha.
Konoha, for its part, had managed to stabilize its position for the moment. However, forced to manage four separate battlefronts simultaneously, the village was like a bowstring drawn to its absolute breaking point.
Should even a single nation manage to pierce Konoha's defenses, the resulting domino effect would likely cause their entire line to collapse. This was precisely why Hiruzen Sarutobi was so desperate to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion.
Inside a massive command tent at the Cloud Ninja encampment, the high-ranking officials were currently holding a council of war. The Third Raikage scanned the ninjas in attendance; these were the main pillars of their force on this battlefieldthe elite Jonin of the Hidden Cloud.
"We have been at a standstill with Konoha for a long time now. It is time to decide a winner," the Third Raikage said, his gaze sharp as he looked over his subordinates. "We are well aware that Konoha is currently fighting on four fronts. They cannot sustain such a high-intensity conflict for long. Konoha is likely searching for any way possible to deal with us quickly."
The gathered Cloud Ninjas nodded in agreement. His words held weight; Konoha was most vulnerable while overextended. The Leaf would surely be looking for an opening to strike down one of the opposing villages to relieve the pressure.
"Rather than waiting for Konoha to bring the fight to us, we should take the initiative and strike them first," the Third Raikage declared.
The Cloud Ninjas were momentarily stunned, though none spoke out in opposition. It was, after all, a sound strategy.
"Furthermore," the Third Raikage continued, "Tianyuan is currently occupied in a struggle against the Mist Ninjas. This presents us with the perfect opportunity."
The Raikage's intent was clear. Up until now, their skirmishes with Konoha had been small-scale. Now, he wanted a total offensivean all-out invasion. The absence of Tianyuan, a man capable of devastating large areas with his attacks, was a stroke of luck they could not afford to waste.
Their primary goal in attacking Konoha was to seize the territory of the Land of Fire. If the Hidden Cloud Village was the first to break through into the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning would be in a position to claim the lion's share of the spoils.
The Third Raikage and the assembled ninjas spent some time hammering out the details. By the end of the meeting, the plan for a full-scale assault on Konoha, set to commence in a few days, was finalized.
Meanwhile, on the coastal border of the Land of Firethe stretch of land closest to the Land of WaterKonoha and the Mist Ninjas remained locked in a tense confrontation.
Inside a command tent within the Konoha encampment, Tianyuan shared a piece of news that left everyone present in a state of shock. The sheer audacity of his proposal was terrifying.
"Tianyuan, what did you just say? You intend to attack the Hidden Mist Village... alone?" Minato Namikaze asked, his expression one of pure disbelief.
Taking on an entire hidden village by himself? Was he joking? The idea was almost beyond comprehension. Although the Mist Ninjas currently on this battlefield were numerous, the total number of ninjas within the Hidden Mist Village itself was far greater.
What could Fang Lin hope to achieve by himself? No matter how powerful a single person was, their chakra was finite. Dealing with thousands, or even tens of thousands of ninjas, was something usually considered impossible for a single human being. Chakra was not an inexhaustible resource.
"Yes. I plan to launch an solo attack on the Hidden Mist Village today," Tianyuan replied with a firm nod. "As you all know, I have mastered flight ninjutsu. This will allow me to move with much greater speed."
The Flying Thunder God Technique was impossible to use without marked coordinates. Since there were no coordinates within the Hidden Mist Village, Tianyuan could not rely on it to teleport there directly.
"Tianyuan, there is no need for this. We haven't reached a point of absolute desperation yet," Minato urged. The risk was simply too high. If the Hidden Mist Village possessed a barrier specifically designed to counter the Flying Thunder God Technique, Tianyuan could be ground down and exhausted until he was killed.
Neither the Third Hokage nor anyone else in leadership had asked Tianyuan to do something so reckless. To do so would be to place the weight of the entire village's survival solely on his shoulders. Konoha wasn't that useless; they still had plenty of ninjas capable of fighting.
They had never expected Tianyuan to suggest such a thing himself.
"He's right, Tianyuan. We only need to focus on defeating the Mist Ninjas on this battlefield," Kushina Uzumaki added, her voice filled with concern.
"Don't worry. Remember, I have the Flying Thunder God Technique," Tianyuan assured them.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique isn't a perfect safety net," Minato countered, shaking his head. "Especially not in the heart of the Hidden Mist Village. A place like that is usually equipped to manipulate massive, high-level barriers."
"Minato, we cannot afford to continue this stalemate with the other four Great Ninja Villages indefinitely. Konoha is reaching its limit," Tianyuan said.
To the listeners, it sounded as though Tianyuan was putting the village's needs above all else. In reality, that wasn't quite the case. His primary motivation was obtaining that Naruto Blu-ray video; the benefits to Konoha were merely a secondary consideration.
"Reaching our limit..." Minato trailed off, stunned. He knew Tianyuan was right. Konoha could not sustain a four-front war for much longer. They were on the verge of collapse at any moment. If they could force even one village to retreat, the entire situation would improve drastically.
However, that required Tianyuan to put himself in extreme peril.
"Minato, Kushina, Shikaku, everyone... just wait for my good news," Tianyuan said calmly.
Minato took a deep breath and looked Tianyuan in the eye. "Tianyuan, have you truly made up your mind?"
A single man attacking an entire villageit was a feat no one could have imagined.
"I have decided," Tianyuan said, meeting Minato's gaze.
"When?"
"Today."
"We will wait for your return. You must come back alive."
"I will."
In that moment, every Konoha ninja in the tent felt a profound sense of admiration for Tianyuan. He truly was a hero of Konohaa genuine hero.
If he went to the Hidden Mist Village alone and failed to cause significant damage, the gesture would be meaningless. Thus, they could only watch with bated breath and wait to see the outcome of Tianyuan's legendary undertaking.
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