As the saying goes, before an army marches, its provisions must be secured. War isn't something that begins with a general shouting "Charge!" and soldiers rushing forward to rack up kills.
Logistics, medical support, environmental sanitation—
even mental health—are all critical pillars of warfare.
Anyone who ignores these and simply moves units on a map is nothing more than a "paper strategist."
Although Rokuro had participated in the Lightning–Fire War, what he did there was infiltrate enemy lines to sabotage key structures. He accomplished great feats, yes… but when it came to large-scale military operations, he was still an outsider.
If he were the one commanding this three-thousand-strong ninja force alone, it would have been pure armchair warfare.
Fortunately, Tsunade understood this well and sent Nara Shikaku—Konoha's foremost strategist—to assist.
Anyone who's seen the original story knows Shikaku is a very intelligent ninja. But how smart, exactly? What were his real capabilities? The original material never fully showcased them.
In the Fourth Great War, facing the Ten-Tails, human-level intelligence had limited impact.
But now that Rokuro was working closely with him, he realized Shikaku truly was a remarkable talent. From logistics to morale, from choosing camp locations to determining marching schedules, everything was handled with perfect order and precision. His presence spared Rokuro countless headaches.
Rokuro led the northern army:
→ 3,000 combat ninjas
→ Nearly 8,000 logistics personnel
They handled supply transport, medical care, construction of encampments—everything.
In other words, the northern army's total headcount exceeded 10,000.
In ancient warfare, it was common to boast that a battle involved "hundreds of thousands," but in truth only two to three hundred thousand fought. The rest were logistics.
It sounds exaggerated, but it's not. Without two to three times as many support personnel, frontline troops simply cannot maintain combat effectiveness.
Take a detail people rarely consider:
When an army makes camp, they must build proper latrines. Soldiers cannot relieve themselves anywhere they wish; doing so contaminates the environment and leads to infectious disease outbreaks.
And once disease breaks out in camp, the war is over before it even begins.
But what about forced marches, when there's no time to build anything?
Believe it or not, even something as filthy as excrement is a major intelligence leak. Experienced scouts can examine it to deduce:
• what rations the soldiers ate
• whether their water was clean
• whether they're suffering diarrhea
• and—among the very capable—even the likely route of advance.
Such information can change the course of a war.
Thus, someone must collect it, sealing it in bags, and this rank-smothering job obviously cannot be given to frontline fighters. Logistics personnel take on everything, making them indispensable.
All in all, with Shikaku leading the way, Rokuro learned a tremendous amount and genuinely recognized the Nara clan head's capability.
From Konoha to the border of the Land of Hot Water, ninjas alone could have arrived in three days. But to accommodate the slower-moving logistics corps, the march extended to one full week.
After a week, the northern army finally reached the border—only for the Grass Country to immediately send an urgent request for aid.
Rokuro gathered his field officers for a strategy meeting, with Shikaku presiding.
"Grass Country has sent urgent military intel. A force of three thousand Iwa-nin has invaded and crushed both Grass' own defenses and the five hundred Konoha shinobi sent to assist. Under the command of the Third Tsuchikage's son, Ōnoki's heir—Kurotsuchi—they've already taken half the nation. At this rate, within two days they'll occupy the entire Grass Country… and then push straight into the Fire Country's border."
Shikaku marked the enemy's advance on the map as he spoke.
Yamanaka Inoichi frowned.
"Iwa-nin is committing full force right from the start? That's nothing like our initial projections. They're usually cautious. Why act this aggressively?"
"Humph. When something deviates from normal patterns, there's always hidden intent," Akimichi Chōza muttered. "Iwa-nin are masters of underhanded tactics—there's definitely a ploy behind this."
The Uchiha clan had also dispatched a high-ranking representative: Uchiha Meika, formerly the personal guard of Uchiha Setsuna. With Setsuna now clan head, Meika's status had risen, and he was here to help Rokuro manage the Uchiha forces.
"Grass shinobi were never strong, and our border troops are too few. They can't possibly hold off three thousand Iwa-nin. We'll have to split our forces."
Shikaku nodded in agreement and turned to Rokuro.
Rokuro, despite being a "theoretical war genius" and textbook strategist, logically couldn't compare to veterans who'd spent decades on the battlefield. But he had one overwhelming advantage:
He understood the true nature of this world.
In this world, bloodline was everything. A top-tier bloodline produced a top-tier fighter. Someone on the level of Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama could single-handedly obliterate entire armies.
"Any sign of Ōnoki? Has he appeared on the Grass front yet?"
Shikaku shook his head.
"Only Kurotsuchi is confirmed to be commanding that force. There's no report of Ōnoki. But according to our scouts, Ōnoki also isn't in Iwagakure—his whereabouts are unknown. Likely he's waiting to strike at a critical moment to catch us completely off guard."
"Ōnoki's Dust Release is a fusion of three chakra natures—beyond even kekkei genkai. It's a kekkei tōta. To defeat Iwa, we must be prepared to defeat his Jinton first."
Rokuro looked to Shikaku.
"Shikaku-senpai, how many troops can we spare for support?"
"At most one thousand. Our initial analysis stated that Kumogakure remains the greatest threat to the northern front. We cannot weaken ourselves further."
Rokuro nodded.
"All right. Izumi—you'll command those one thousand troops and support the Grass Country front. If Ōnoki is there, send the old man to the Pure Land. If he's not, then take his son Kurotsuchi's head."
"No problem. Leave it to me."
Uchiha Izumi rose sharply, her expression disciplined and resolute. After surviving the massacre at the fishing village, Izumi now carried the faint presence of a true powerhouse. Aside from Rokuro, she kept up the full dignity of a high-level shinobi. In all of Konoha, not a single person dared underestimate this eleven-year-old girl.
The moment Rokuro assigned Izumi, everyone present felt secure. A Mangekyō wielder—one with the feat of killing Uchiha Shisui—was not someone anyone questioned.
Along with Izumi, Shikaku dispatched several Ino–Shika–Chō jōnin to support her, covering the logistical and tactical gaps. Izumi's only responsibility was to hunt down Iwa's elite fighters.
Meanwhile at the Kumo base on the Hot Water border, Mabui rushed in with fresh intel.
"Phase one is complete. As expected, Uchiha Izumi was sent to the Grass Country front. The two Mangekyō pairs are now separated. We can proceed with phase two."
The Fourth Raikage grinned.
"Excellent. This is the Uchiha clan's fatal flaw—arrogance. They think a Mangekyō Sharingan is invincible. They can't see through such a simple strategy!"
"Mabui, proceed to phase two. Even if we can't kill both Uchiha Rokuro and Uchiha Izumi, we must kill at least one. Target Rokuro first—his sealing techniques restrain Jinchūriki far too effectively. He must die."
"Understood. I'll relay the orders."
The next day, Kumo-nin marched boldly into the Land of Hot Water, officially declaring war on Konoha—less than a year after signing a peace treaty.
In the real world, peace treaties often mean little, but countries tearing them up in under a year is rare… unless you're the Land of Lightning.
Upon hearing that Kumo forces had advanced, Rokuro immediately led the Konoha army into the Land of Hot Water. This little nation, ravaged repeatedly over the past year, was once again dragged into the flames of war.
This time, neither Kumo nor Konoha intended to leave it standing as a "buffer zone."
Inside Konoha's military camp, Yamanaka Inoichi sat cross-legged on the ground, a chakra-linked device strapped to his head like a neural interface. Behind him floated a sphere of water formed entirely from Water-Release chakra.
"Gululu…"
Bubbles rose within the sphere. Inoichi immediately activated the Yamanaka clan's secret technique.
"Fifty kilometers northeast—multiple chakra signatures have appeared. Estimated headcount between fifty and seventy. Likely a probing squad from Kumogakure."
Nara Shikaku turned toward Uchiha Rokuro. Rokuro gave a slight nod, and Shikaku stood to issue orders.
"Order the Third Battalion to intercept. No hesitation—wipe them out completely."
Inoichi relayed the order via the clan's mind-transmission technique, informing the hundred-man Third Battalion of both the enemy's numbers and precise location.
But at that moment, another ripple appeared within the water sphere. More chakra signatures—a second enemy force, this time seventy kilometers to the northwest, even farther than the previous one.
Shikaku immediately dispatched the Fifth Battalion.
Across the next half day, Inoichi detected five enemy groups in total, amounting to more than four hundred Kumogakure shinobi.
Although Konoha had sent a thousand ninjas to support the Grass Country front, they still had two thousand on hand—including several Uchiha jōnin with fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan. Their combat strength was overwhelming. Thus, they sent out units to eliminate every detected enemy group without hesitation.
Rokuro stared at the marked locations on the map, surprised.
"Shikaku-senpai, doesn't it feel like Kumo's spreading their lines too thin? The two farthest battle zones are one hundred and fifty kilometers apart. Are they trying to 'blossom on multiple fronts'?"
Rokuro hadn't fought many wars, but even he understood that in large-scale conflicts, concentrating forces at a single decisive point usually yielded the greatest results.
And yet, here Kumo was—sending out four to five hundred ninjas. In shinobi warfare, that was already mid-scale engagement. It wasn't just "probing."
But if it were a full offensive, the numbers were too small.
And most importantly: their forces were scattered, turning themselves into easy prey.
"It really is strange. Their strategy today is completely abnormal. There must be a deeper plan… but so far, this is all working in our favor."
Indeed, reports from the earliest battlefield had already returned: the sixty-man Kumo squad in the northeast had been overtaken and annihilated by Konoha's hundred-man battalion. Fewer than ten escaped.
To remain cautious, Shikaku ordered the squad to rest briefly, then return immediately to avoid ambush.
Rokuro read the report as well.
Konoha had indeed gained the advantage.
"Back during the Lightning–Fire War, I noticed Kumo excels at bait tactics—sacrificing a small group to lure us in, then ambushing with overwhelming force. I bet they're doing something similar again."
Shikaku had his own past clashes with Kumo and even suffered losses to such strategies. Naturally, he wasn't about to underestimate them.
After a full day of skirmishes, Konoha had deployed seven battalions—seven hundred shinobi. Kumogakure deployed more than six hundred. Overall, Konoha dominated, though aside from the first complete wipeout, the other squads quickly withdrew when the fight turned against them.
Shikaku, wary of traps, forbade pursuit.
Thus, despite a day of combat, Konoha had only killed about a hundred Kumo ninjas.
Normally, killing a hundred cloud-nin in one day would be considered a tremendous accomplishment.
But in a full-scale national war, one hundred corpses was merely a minor victory.
As night fell, Shikaku demonstrated once again what made him a true military commander.
Watchtowers, hidden sentries, overlapping patrols—layer upon layer of defense. Sensory units rotated in precise intervals. In moments, Konoha's entire camp became a sealed fortress of chakra and steel.
Rokuro analyzed it from the perspective of an infiltrator and realized something astonishing:
Without using the Dimensional Blade, he couldn't break in at all.
Even Flying Thunder God would be difficult—without Konoha's sensory barrier to obscure his presence, slipping in undetected would be nearly impossible.
In other words, any standard shinobi—even someone at Kage level—without space-time ninjutsu would never infiltrate this camp alive.
"Shikaku-senpai… you really deserve your reputation as Konoha's military strategist. From formations to command structure, it's truly eye-opening. I should learn from you."
"Rokuro, you're being modest. I've just lived a few more years and fought a few more wars. When you reach my age, you'll surpass me easily."
After exchanging formal compliments, they returned to analyzing the day's battle.
"Kumo's tactics today were bizarre. On the surface, it looks like they're probing for weak points by attacking multiple fronts… but it's meaningless."
Rokuro nodded. Every village had sensory ninjas, but none matched Konoha's:
• Hyūga Byakugan
• Inuzuka tracking
• Aburame insects
• Yamanaka mind-sensing
Each clan was a giant in sensory warfare; combined, they formed a flawless battlefield surveillance net.
Against such a lineup, no matter how "clever" the enemy spread their forces, they could not escape detection.
"Kumo has brilliant tacticians—they can't possibly be unaware of Konoha's sensory superiority. Which means today's strategy must serve a deeper purpose."
Everyone knew what happened last time—the two factories used as bait. The entire Konoha high command knew. Shikaku not only knew, he had fully simulated the scenario. His conclusion was clear:
If not for the unexpected factor—Uchiha Rokuro—the entire strike squad would have been wiped out.
"No matter how refined a tactic is, patterns eventually reveal flaws. If they keep fighting this way tomorrow, we'll keep matching them. With sensory superiority, we won't suffer losses."
The next day, Kumo continued the multi-front tactic, deploying ten units across more than two hundred kilometers, with over a thousand ninjas involved.
For shinobi warfare, this already qualified as a large-scale campaign.
A single jōnin, unconcerned with chakra expenditure, could scorch a mountain or trigger a landslide with Water Release. The destructive potential was immense.
Though fewer than one in ten of those thousand were jōnin, their collective strength was still formidable.
Yet despite all this power, they scattered their forces, greatly diminishing their threat.
Shikaku found it strange but stuck to the principle of responding with stability. With superior sensory coverage, Konoha could always concentrate reinforcements onto any battlefield and crush the enemy's divided units.
He thought this way—and acted this way.
Thus, after another day of constant skirmishes, Kumo suffered another loss. They retreated in disarray, while Konoha gained another small victory.
The third day was identical:
Same tactics.
Same engagements.
Same result.
"What is Kumo planning? Sure, our daily gains aren't huge, but in three days we've already killed nearly four hundred of them. If this keeps up, we won't even need a full offensive to win!"
Akimichi Chōza had led assaults all three days and enjoyed great success.
But he remained cautious—he knew Kumo must be preparing something.
These four hundred casualties were merely bait.
Shikaku stood before the map, brows tightly furrowed.
"Kumo brought only three thousand troops. Now, with deaths and injuries combined, they've already lost a full third. That's no small number. I'm certain—they'll change tactics tomorrow."
His tone grew solemn.
"Tomorrow is the turning point. Everyone, stay alert."
Sure enough—on the fourth day, his prediction hit the mark.
"Gululu!"
The sensory water sphere churned violently, bursting with intense chakra waves.
"Thirty kilometers northwest—a massive chakra signature has appeared. Estimated… a Jinchūriki!"
Inoichi shouted the warning. At the same time, new reactions erupted across the water sphere.
Kumo deployed their Jinchūriki while still maintaining multi-front attacks.
Konoha's command center blazed with fighting spirit—they thought Kumo had finally shown their trump card.
But after thinking it through carefully, Rokuro realized something—
This trap…
This kill-zone…
It was obviously designed for him.
END OF CHAPTER
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