"There is always reward for effort. The greater the effort, the greater the reward — it's a natural law and unbreakable iron principle!"
Hyuga Soushu declared this during the Coalition Force Military Council meeting.
Although the Coalition's elite forces from all corners of the Ninja World had successfully landed and established solid beachheads at the fortified defensive lines before the southern islands of the Land of Water — and despite having undergone thorough pre-battle coordination and adaptation training — it couldn't be denied that deep-seated grudges and divisions remained among ninja from different Hidden Villages.
These divisions and conflicts ran as deep and tangled as roots in ancient forests, impossible to resolve overnight.
Therefore, even when facing a common enemy, achieving complete trust and fighting side by side would absolutely be impossible in the short term.
All Jonin Officers representing various factions nodded in agreement.
Except for Sunagakure, which simply couldn't dispatch large-scale ninja forces across seas for extended operations, practically every Hidden Village in the Mainland - Ninja World had participated in this grand expedition. Though not numerous overall, these participating ninja were all elite units from each village, each eager to claim their share of the Land of Water.
After all, no matter how much renewal and development it required, the Land of Water would always represent promising growth potential for the Four Great Hidden Villages, making its importance self-evident.
"Lord Soushu, please tell us when we shall march north for the decisive battle?"
A, commander of Kumo's participating forces, raised another question: "If necessary, and given sufficient time, my village's Third Raikage will personally come to join the battle!"
"The Mist Ninja Clan's forces are currently marching south. We will launch our full offensive after they secure the transportation routes."
Hyuga Soushu replied.
"In that case, we will also request Lord Onoki's presence. But please, Lord Soushu, kindly notify us several days in advance."
Kitsuchi, commander of Iwagakure's forces, added his opinion as well.
Within the Coalition Army, second only to the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation in troop numbers was Iwagakure, sending up to two thousand soldiers. The force was personally led by Tsuchikage's son Kitsuchi, with Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi reinforcing the rear to counter Mist's two Jinchuriki.
If two Kage joined as well, despite being outnumbered, the Coalition Force would still represent the cream of the Ninja World.
Following successful pre-battle mobilization, Mist's Southern Expeditionary Force smoothly cleared all strongholds along supply lines, completely wiping out Bloodline faction remnants entrenched there, and absorbing them into Coalition Forces through reorganization.
Then, under Hyuga Soushu's unified command and deployment, Coalition Forces gradually moved northward, grouping into operational clusters by Hidden Village unit, launching fierce attacks against the main concentrations of Bloodline faction's Ninja Forces.
Thanks to the Mainland's manpower support and the overwhelming military supplies provided by the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation, Coalition ninja carried so many Explosive Tags during their northern advance that they'd even toss one into an empty mountain cave just for fun.
This overwhelming material advantage showed clearly in their vastly superior combat endurance.
Although the Crimson Mist faction ninjas were known far and wide for their ferocity and brutality, and their individual combat strength was in no way inferior to elite ninjas within the Coalition, long-term internal strife and self-destructive conflicts had eaten away at the foundation of trust among them like termites. Even among comrades who fought side by side, deep-rooted mistrust festered like poison—becoming an insurmountable wall between them.
When battles escalated to squad level or larger-scale operations, the fatal weakness of the Crimson Mist faction became clear.
Faced with the Coalition's disciplined and well-coordinated forces, they often ended up at a disadvantage because of how little they trusted each other.
Even worse, when surrounded and hearing emergency distress signals from fellow village ninjas in critical situations, these ninjas could maintain a nearly indifferent "onlooker" stance, sticking rigidly to that bizarre principle of "when allies are in trouble, retreat swiftly like the wind," unhesitatingly accelerating their escape while completely disregarding their comrades' lives.
Precisely because of this, seven days after the Coalition launched its full-scale offensive, more than half of the central islands region in the Land of Water had already fallen. Though the Crimson Mist ninjas fought desperately, their fundamentally flawed command structure and coordination rendered them practically incapable of reversing this situation.
Even with six remaining Swordsmen of Hidden Mist—each leading their own Directly Commanded Units—arriving at the battlefield to take positions, they could only just about hold onto the territory their units were stationed in. Yet faced with the Coalition's wave-after-wave attacks across the entire frontline, all they could do was endure continuous defeats in their fortified strongholds before retreating once again just before being encircled.
Retreating step by step with no chance to strike back crushed their morale worse than anything else.
"Those in the Coalition army not only include Byakugan ninjas but also renegade members from various Ninja Clans, so setting up ambushes has proven impossible."
After yet another retreat, the six Swordsmen decided to abandon any pretense of separation and simply camped together with their Directly Commanded Units combined, forming a line blocking access to Hidden Mist's main headquarters through the waterways.
Yet strategically, the Swordsmen remained utterly clueless.
"Over a dozen Coalition divisions have advanced northward, yet none have been successfully intercepted or wiped out."
Raiga Kurosuki glared at the tactical map pinned to the wall and let out another heavy sigh, "So where exactly did we screw up?"
On the map, the arrows showing the Coalition's advance sliced through the central islands like wildfire, rapidly breaking through almost every pass and waterway, sweeping resistance aside like autumn winds scattering fallen leaves, forcing Crimson Mist's heavy forces back toward the central water channel, creating an isolation barrier between the southern islands.
Most importantly, despite splitting into over a dozen divisions each numbering merely a few hundred strong, the Coalition worked together like clockwork—covering each other's flanks while pressing the attack; no matter how hard the Swordsmen tried to assemble large forces for ambushes, none succeeded even once.
This frustrating situation—in which frontal attacks failed and surprise raids found no opportunity—left these battle-hardened Swordsmen struggling, relatively lacking extensive large-scale campaign command experience.
Previously, the responsibility of commanding the entire Ninja Force had rested solely on the deceased Fuguki Suikazan, whose exceptional leadership once guided the armies.
Compared to him, the other six renowned Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, although each led elite units in fierce frontal assaults with fearless bravery, rarely involved themselves in high-level strategic planning and arrangements. These complex and critical decisions were never part of their responsibilities.
However, precisely due to this neglect on the strategic level, when facing the Coalition Forces composed of the Four Great Ninja Villages—each possessing extensive warfare experience—the entire Crimson Mist faction's Ninja Force quickly revealed its fatal weaknesses.
In an instant, the Mist Ninja found themselves as if trapped within a vortex. In every direction surrounding their positions, Coalition ninjas appeared unpredictably from nowhere. Even though they wanted to counterattack, each attempt ended poorly: sending too few led to encirclement and annihilation, while dispatching too many left their flanks vulnerable to being cut off, inevitably resulting in defeat.
Thus, confronted with unprecedented challenges and pressure, the six Swordsmen responsible for command duties became visibly overwhelmed. Although the Crimson Mist still outnumbered the Coalition Forces, due to improper leadership and coordination, effectively resisting the enemy's fierce offensive became impossible. The entire Ninja Force quickly plunged into an unprecedented crisis.
"We've no choice but to request tactical guidance directly from The Third Mizukage," one of the Swordsmen, Jinin Akebino, said helplessly.
Others silently agreed with his words.
After various Coalition detachment units heading north had completed their designated tactical objectives, the second wave of reinforcements from the Ninja World mainland arrived at the southern islands.
This time, the reinforcement force numbered up to four thousand strong, among them Leaf ninja forming the majority—at least two thousand—and leading the group was none other than the eldest legitimate son of The Hokage himself, Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Given that the Coalition Force's first-phase attack proceeded much smoother than anyone anticipated, enticed by the prospect of post-victory gains, all participating villages naturally wished to increase their investment levels. Both Iwagakure and Kumo had already decided that if necessary, their village's Kage would personally join battle. If Konoha failed to demonstrate any additional efforts, it would be difficult to obtain satisfactory territory during later distribution negotiations.
After completing another round of assembling forces, the total number of the Coalition Forces—including the Standing Ninja Army (elite force of the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation)—swelled to about fifteen thousand ninjas. Additionally, over two thousand New Mist clan ninja operated as vassal troops and guides. Numerically, they steadily gained superiority over the Crimson Mist forces currently deployed across the central islands.
Yet Soushu Hyuga refrained from launching an immediate assault. Instead, he ordered each Coalition detachment to station themselves within designated zones, clearing out remaining Crimson Mist remnants in their assigned territories. Meanwhile, he personally sent secret messages to both Kumogakure and Iwagakure, inviting the Third Tsuchikage and Third Raikage to jointly participate in the final decisive battle.
One significant reason behind this decision lay in the Hidden Mist's headquarters maintaining an odd silence all along—neither deploying newly formed ninja forces southward for support nor allocating any military supplies. It seemed as if that Third Mizukage, who had briefly shown vision, had fallen asleep again.
While others might view this only out of sheer curiosity, Soushu remained completely vigilant. He knew all too well that the gravity of the situation went far beyond what met the eye.
The Third Mizukage had once dared to venture alone into enemy territory. He struck right at the heart of the Bloodline faction's forces and personally slew the infamous Fuguki Suikazan. This heroic act hinted at a brilliant application of the legendary God Tree's power.
And that meant one thing was certain: the so-called Third Mizukage was none other than the ageless Madara Uchiha!
Therefore, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage possessing Dust Release, held particular significance.
After all, aside from him, Hyuga Soushu couldn't think of anyone else in the entire Ninja World capable of threatening the God Tree.
At Hidden Mist Village's main base, a place usually wrapped in endless mist, an unusual bright sunny day had arrived. Sunlight pierced the thinning mist, creating broken patches of light on the ground. Yet this rare brightness failed to dispel the eerie atmosphere shrouding the Hidden Mist Village.
On the streets, the usual bustling life had completely vanished, replaced by a chilling silence, as if time itself had stopped. People had disappeared without a trace—no whispers, no footsteps, nothing. The entire village lay quiet like an abandoned ghost town, with only the wind howling through empty alleys, echoing with endless loneliness.
Even more terrifying was the air thick with an indescribable mix of blood and rot, so intense it nearly choked the breath. It felt like countless souls crying out in agony, like masses who had died and been piled together, their blood spilling and baking under the sun until decay set in.
Yet amid this horrifying scene, Hidden Mist Village remained unnaturally still—an almost lifeless silence. Even the smallest insects, like flies, stayed away from this place as if repelled by its dark presence.
Madara Uchiha no longer needed to hide his identity now, especially since nearly all villagers within Hidden Mist Village's main base had already been relocated. Those still considered useful were gathered at military bases outside the village for pre-battle training, while most civilians had either been moved to safer northern islands or repurposed as fertilizer for the [Six Paths Demonic Statue]—especially those helpless commoners who consumed food yet contributed nothing. Not a single one was left alive.
Therefore, Hidden Mist Village's main base had essentially become a lifeless ghost town.
But even so, Madara hesitated, unable to decide his next move regarding the impending war.
Of course, this hesitation mostly stemmed from the [Six Paths Demonic Statue] having severely weakened energy reserves.
Though mighty, the statue's powers recovered at an extremely slow pace.
During the battle that crushed Fuguki Suikazan, Madara had used the [Six Paths Demonic Statue] in a decisive strike meant to terrorize the entire Bloodline faction's forces, costing the statue significant vitality.
Although he subsequently sacrificed countless civilians in desperation after returning to the village, the statue's weakness remained unresolved. Worse still, producing [Scout-type White Zetsu] further drained the Demonic Statue's already waning strength.
"I never wanted it to come down to this," Madara Uchiha sighed inexplicably.
In his original plan, he had intended to consolidate the Bloodline faction's forces, control Hidden Mist Village and allow it to recover strength, enhancing the subordinate Ninja Force's power so he could launch war using forces from both Hidden Mist and White Zetsu, ultimately seizing the Tailed Beasts.
But Hyuga Soushu's arrival threw all his plans into disarray.
The Coalition Force's overwhelming momentum prevented the Bloodline faction's main forces from properly identifying rebellious Ninja Clans or recalling troops back to the village for reorganization. Forced to mimic a real Ninja Force with only a loosely held structure, they were pushed into a passive defensive stance.
Therefore, Madara Uchiha currently had only two options.
Either he could personally lead the Bloodline faction's core Ninja Force southward despite his aging body for reinforcement, confronting the Coalition Force head-on in decisive battle; or he could gamble everything by transforming his directly controlled Ninja Force entirely into combat-type White Zetsu, abandoning Hidden Mist altogether to relocate to Mainland - Ninja World and seize the Tailed Beasts there.
The problem was that neither choice seemed particularly promising.
Although Madara could momentarily unleash tremendous power, due to his age, his ability to sustain combat relied heavily on constant blood infusions from the Six Paths Demonic Statue, making him especially vulnerable against mobile opponents.
Yet if he abandoned Hidden Mist's hard-earned foundation to continue hiding within Mainland - Ninja World alongside the White Zetsu, Madara would feel equally reluctant.
Just as he hesitated indecisively, a Hidden Mist Anbu operative—actually a White Zetsu in disguise—came running over chortling happily. After hurriedly bowing in greeting, it delivered a jointly signed letter from the Bloodline faction's Ninja Force.
Besides the usual requests for tactical guidance, the Swordsman signatories of this plea also mentioned critical intelligence: The Coalition Force had temporarily halted their offensive and begun stockpiling supplies, leading them to speculate an imminent decisive confrontation. Therefore they requested the Third Mizukage bring Hidden Mist's two Jinchuriki southward for command positioning.
[Decisive Battle].
Madara clenched his teeth. Suddenly decisive determination surged through his wavering mind. "Go fetch those two Jinchuriki!"
"Huh? Sure thing!"
The White Zetsu immediately scampered off cheerfully.
Madara planned to have the Six Paths Demonic Statue absorb Hidden Mist's original Three-Tails and Six-Tails before personally leading the Ninja Force southward into the final showdown!
If the Coalition kept hitting and running like guerrillas, it would really take a toll on his aging body.
But if this became a high-stakes gamble... now that belonged squarely within Madara Uchiha's comfort zone!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>