Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

The afternoon sun shone brightly over Konoha's stronghold in the Land of Earth.

In the conference room, Raiden and the commanders of the surprise attack force gathered to discuss their next steps. The unexpected attack by Kirigakure on the Wind Country's border had completely disrupted Raiden's original plans. His strategy, which relied on Konoha's alliance with Sunagakure, had been thrown into disarray.

Raiden's initial plan was to force Iwagakure to cease hostilities within a month, allowing Konoha to shift its focus to the war against the Land of Lightning. Anticipating potential moves by Kirigakure, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had bolstered defenses along the Land of Water's border. However, no one expected Kirigakure to act so decisively. Their attack came shortly after news of Konoha and Sunagakure's cooperation spread, immediately reducing Konoha's strength in the Land of Earth.

The hope of a swift resolution with Iwagakure was now out of reach.

Raiden addressed the commanders:

"Leave a contingent of combat troops to defend this stronghold. Non-combat personnel, including the medical squad, barrier squad, and logistics teams, will retreat to the Wind Country.

"Establish a new stronghold at the border to serve as a rear base for this front.

"Deploy reconnaissance teams to infiltrate the Land of Earth and monitor Iwa troop movements. If there's any sign of the Tailed Beast, report it immediately.

"Senior Fukuyama will oversee the establishment of the new stronghold. I'll also request the Third Hokage's support to prepare for a potential third battlefield here.

"We've already eliminated significant portions of Iwa's elite forces. One of their jinchūriki is dead, the other is incapacitated, and the Five-Tails remains unaccounted for. Iwagakure will be focused on regrouping and locating the Tailed Beast. Use this time to consolidate our presence in the Land of Earth."

Adopting a steady, long-term strategy, Raiden was prepared for a prolonged conflict. Orders were swiftly relayed, and Konoha forces at the stronghold began a large-scale evacuation.

After issuing commands, Raiden, accompanied by Hizashi Hyuga, visited the medical division. With front-line medical supplies running low, the severely injured needed to be escorted back to Konoha for proper treatment. Among them was Uchiha Fugaku, a member of Raiden's original team.

Entering the medical ward, Raiden found Fugaku resting, his body wrapped in bandages and suspended in traction. The injuries he had sustained during his encounter with Han were severe, and the pain had kept him awake through most of the night.

Despite his poor condition, Fugaku's sharp instincts stirred him awake when Raiden and Hizashi entered the room.

"What's the situation?" Fugaku asked weakly. "Did you get that guy from Iwagakure?"

"He's dead. Don't worry about it," Raiden replied. "I came to check on you after finishing up at the camp. You're not upset, are you?"

Fugaku forced a smile. "Why would I be upset? If anything, I'm the one to blame for being too confident. I thought my genjutsu had him trapped, but I underestimated him. He woke up and counterattacked. I'm lucky to be alive."

Raiden nodded, inspecting Fugaku's injuries. "Your condition is serious, but not life-threatening. I've arranged for you to be escorted back to the village for proper treatment. When you've recovered, come back and help me again."

Raiden smirked. "Speaking of going back, it's about time you settled things with Mikoto. War's unpredictable—take care of what matters while you can."

The lighthearted jab caught Fugaku off guard, but he nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. When I'm back and feeling better, I'll talk to her. Maybe we'll have a wedding—you'll be invited, but I doubt you'll make it. Don't forget to send a gift!"

Raiden chuckled as Fugaku's attempt to smile turned into a grimace from the pain. "Rest up. You're leaving for the village today."

After visiting the medical division and acknowledging the achievements of the wounded, Raiden returned to the conference room to finalize troop movements. By nightfall, only 400 Konoha shinobi remained at the stronghold. Support units had retreated to secondary positions, while reconnaissance teams scattered to gather intelligence.

A few days later, Raiden received troubling news. Onoki, the Tsuchikage, was personally leading a force of 3,000 shinobi to attack the stronghold. Realizing the danger, Raiden immediately ordered a retreat. The remaining forces buried explosive tags throughout the stronghold before withdrawing to their secondary base in the Land of Wind.

When Onoki's troops arrived, they found the stronghold eerily deserted. Suspecting a trap, Onoki sent a small team to investigate. The moment they entered the stronghold, the explosive tags detonated, killing over a dozen Iwa shinobi.

Though Onoki reclaimed the stronghold, the blow to his forces was significant.

Determined to reassert control, Onoki began dismantling the remaining Konoha and Sand Ninja strongholds in the Land of Earth. Spies and hidden agents from other villages were ferreted out and eliminated, temporarily weakening Konoha's presence in the region.

However, Onoki's careful strategy prevented him from overextending. He left 1,000 shinobi to guard the border and returned to Iwagakure with the remaining troops. Recognizing the precarious balance of alliances, Onoki avoided provoking the Land of Wind, aware that a full alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure would be disastrous for Iwagakure.

With Onoki back in the village, Raiden and his forces reemerged, reclaiming lost ground. When Onoki mobilized his troops again to confront them, Raiden employed guerrilla tactics, luring Iwa forces into empty strongholds rigged with traps. These maneuvers frustrated Onoki, forcing him to retreat multiple times without achieving significant results.

Raiden's hit-and-run strategy left Onoki exasperated. Unable to pin down the elusive Konoha forces, the Tsuchikage eventually returned to Iwagakure in frustration.

As soon as Onoki withdrew, Raiden reemerged with his forces, continuing his relentless campaign.

(End of Chapter)