Seeing that A, the Fourth Raikage, did not voice any objections, Kitsuchi continued speaking.
"According to the latest intelligence, Kumogakure currently has two thousand Konoha shinobi tied down at the Land of Hot Water border. Meanwhile, Sunagakure has pinned down five hundred Konoha troops at the border of the Land of Rivers."
"As for the two thousand troops led by Orochimaru, they have also split up to reinforce the Land of Hot Water front and the southern coastline of the Land of Fire."
"Based on Konoha's current situation, the most they could possibly gather from the village to reinforce Kikyō Mountain Fortress would be around two thousand more troops."
After a pause, Kitsuchi added,
"In other words, in the worst-case scenario, we might face more than six thousand Konoha defenders."
He then continued,
"Of course, that's the worst case. From what I know, Konoha only began mobilizing troops last night. It's unrealistic for them to deploy reinforcements immediately."
"At the very least, their reinforcements won't arrive at Kikyō Mountain Fortress before 10 a.m. today."
"So as long as we break through the fortress before 10 a.m., the enemy we face will only be a little over four thousand."
As he spoke, Kitsuchi swept his gaze across everyone present before continuing.
"As for our side, everyone already understands the situation. Although we have the advantage in numbers, our supply lines are stretched too thin. Logistical support will not arrive anytime soon."
"So we must decide the battle in a single engagement."
"How should we fight this battle? Does anyone have suggestions?"
Although Iwagakure had contributed the largest number of troops and therefore held considerable influence within the allied army, the three-village alliance was not ruled solely by Iwagakure.
Thus, Kitsuchi deliberately sought the opinions of the other two villages.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, spoke first.
"Based on the terrain around Kikyō Mountain Fortress, if we launch a frontal assault, we can deploy at most four thousand troops at a time."
"If we send more than that, not only will it restrict our shinobi's movements, it will also unnecessarily increase casualties."
"So I propose the following formation:
First assault wave:1,500 shinobi from Sunagakure1,500 from Iwagakure1,000 from Kumogakure
"That makes four thousand troops in the initial attack."
"For the second assault wave, Sunagakure and Iwagakure will each contribute one thousand troops."
"The moment casualties appear in the first wave, reinforcements will immediately fill the gaps—giving Konoha no chance to catch its breath."
"The remaining troops will serve as reserve forces, ready to respond to unexpected developments."
Kitsuchi considered the proposal for a moment before nodding.
"Iwagakure has no objections."
Under the current circumstances, Rasa's strategy was indeed the most reasonable option.
However, the Fourth Raikage A suddenly spoke up.
"The Kazekage's plan is generally sound."
"But it fails to fully utilize the greatest advantage of our allied army."
Rasa frowned slightly.
"Oh? Then what suggestion does Lord Raikage have?"
A's eyes flashed with a sharp glint.
"My proposal is this: we select elite shinobi from all three villages to form a strike unit, placing them within the first assault formation."
"Then we select two to three thousand troops from the reserves to form a raiding force."
"Once the battle begins tomorrow, the strike unit will tear open a gap in Konoha's defenses as quickly as possible."
"The raiding force will immediately pass through the breach and rush directly toward Konoha itself."
"As for reserves, we only need one to two thousand troops."
"As long as the raiding force breaks through Konoha's defenses, it will deal a devastating psychological blow to the defenders of Kikyō Mountain Fortress."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone present felt their eyes light up.
It had to be said—
A's idea was extremely clever.
Behind Kikyō Mountain Fortress lay Konohagakure itself.
The families, friends, comrades, and loved ones of the shinobi defending the fortress all lived there.
Because of this, it was easy to imagine that during tomorrow's battle, the Konoha defenders would fight with desperate determination, unleashing tremendous fighting spirit.
But—
What if an enemy force broke through their defenses and headed straight toward Konoha?
Would the defenders of Kikyō Mountain Fortress still be able to focus on fighting?
In reality, the moment the raiding force successfully breached the defensive line, it would become a fatal blow to Konoha's morale.
It wouldn't even matter whether that force actually reached Konoha.
"Agre—"
"Report! Urgent military intelligence!"
Just as the leaders were about to voice their agreement with A's proposal, an anxious voice suddenly sounded from outside the command tent.
"Enter."
Kitsuchi immediately granted permission.
A shinobi from Iwagakure stepped inside the tent and reported without waiting to be questioned.
"Lords, according to the latest intelligence from our reconnaissance squads, the Konoha shinobi at Kikyō Mountain Fortress have left the fortress."
"They are currently constructing defensive positions on several mountain peaks outside the fortress."
Everyone present froze.
Then they all frowned.
Leaving the fortress and establishing defenses on nearby mountains…
Wasn't that essentially expanding the defensive front?
What exactly was Konoha trying to do?
The leaders were filled with confusion.
Kitsuchi asked,
"Are you certain this information is accurate?"
The Iwagakure shinobi nodded firmly.
"This intelligence has been confirmed by multiple reconnaissance teams. The movements of Konoha's forces are extensive—there is no mistake."
"Very well. You may leave."
Kitsuchi waved him away.
Once the shinobi left the tent, Kitsuchi turned back to the others.
"What do you all think?"
Elder Chiyo pondered for a moment before speaking uncertainly.
"Perhaps Konoha is trying to increase their strategic depth, buying themselves more room for error and more time?"
After careful thought, that was the only explanation she could find.
By pushing their defensive line beyond Kikyō Mountain Fortress, Konoha would indeed expand the battlefield, allowing the allied army to deploy more troops.
But at the same time, Konoha's defenders would gain space to retreat, enabling them to delay the allied forces through layered defenses.
In other words—
They could buy as much time as possible.
And ironically, time was exactly what the allied army lacked most.
If their offensive stalled, and their supplies ran out, the only option left would be retreat.
Otherwise—
Once their provisions were exhausted, they would face Konoha's counterattack and annihilation.
Kitsuchi nodded.
"That seems the most likely explanation—and it would indeed be very troublesome for us."
"If Konoha manages to stall us long enough, we'll have no choice but to withdraw."
A snorted coldly.
"No matter what Konoha's intentions are, we simply need to remain unchanged in the face of changing circumstances."
"The raiding force plan remains the same."
"We'll simply merge the first and second assault formations."
"After all, no matter how you look at it…"
"Our forces are ten thousand against four thousand."
"The advantage is ours."
"As long as the raiding force breaks through Kikyō Mountain Fortress, wiping out those four thousand Konoha troops will only be a matter of time."
Everyone thought carefully for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Indeed—
If A's plan succeeded, the outcome of the battle would already be decided.
The only variable would be how long it took.
Kitsuchi took a deep breath and stood up.
"Then return to your camps and assemble your troops."
"In one hour, we launch the full-scale assault on Konoha."
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