Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 174: Support from Kumogakure and Iwagakure

"So that's what's on your mind."

Hearing Kakashi's uncertainty, Yakumaru chuckled. "I really don't know what to say. I always thought you weren't the type to think about such things. There wasn't even a hint of it before…"

He trailed off mid-sentence.

Well, perhaps there was a reason—Obito, the Fourth Hokage…

Yakumaru mused silently.

Friends "lost" in the war indirectly sparked another one, and now Kakashi found himself involved in an unjust war following their actions. It wasn't surprising that he was overthinking things.

But the luxury of such thoughts was only possible because the Land of Fire held absolute superiority.

Otherwise, Kakashi wouldn't have the time or space to dwell on such matters.

"Killing is undoubtedly wrong, and we both understand the real motive behind this war. Though it can be framed as revenge, it's ultimately about territorial expansion. Not exactly a noble cause, but…"

Yakumaru paused, looking straight at Kakashi. "Should we accept constant conflict as the status quo? To end the chaos, unification seems like the best solution to me. When the Kage and the daimyō are at odds, it leads to internal strife. With so many nations in the shinobi world, war is inevitable.

But if this world were reduced to one single nation, wouldn't that herald a better era? Of course, that reasoning might just help us sleep better at night. Whether you accept it is up to you. At least, I think someone has to play the villain, don't you?"

"The one who initially bore this burden of guilt was Lady Tsunade. We're merely the executioners. There's no need for you to overthink it."

Mentioning this, Yakumaru's tone grew somber, as if recalling something.

"Unification theory… isn't that one of his ideas?" Kakashi frowned. "I didn't think you'd bother to study it."

Yakumaru raised a finger, his self-assured smile returning. "Precisely because I didn't understand it, I had to research it. Know your enemy, and you can find their weaknesses."

"I feel like you'll be brainwashed long before that," Kakashi quipped before furrowing his brows. "Not that I think this line of thought is wrong…"

He paused, his voice softening with a hint of reflection. "It's just… my teacher's child is about to be born, and all these changes lately have made me contemplative. Don't worry about it."

"I know. To be honest, I haven't fully adjusted either, but compared to you, I don't overthink things."

"…That sounds like something an idiot would say."

Hearing this, Yakumaru stared at Kakashi, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know if it's just my imagination, but ever since he left, both you and Lady Tsunade have started acting more like him—always undermining me whenever possible. I'm trying to comfort you here!"

"It's just your imagination. This is how we usually interact," Kakashi retorted, cutting off Yakumaru's complaints with a wave of his hand and turning toward an approaching ninja.

"Kakashi-sama, the battlefield has been cleared. All Sand shinobi prisoners have been secured. Awaiting your orders."

"Establish a defensive network centered around this fortress. Have the logistics units join us here."

"Understood!"

Seeing Kakashi's calm and composed demeanor, with no signs of recklessness, Yakumaru realized there was no need to worry. Still, he felt a twinge of frustration.

Kakashi must think he's an idiot.

He was definitely smarter than Obito, wasn't he?

…

"…The Konoha forces have stopped and are rebuilding a fortress centered around our stronghold," a ninja reported to Yamada Hidenori in Moonlight Castle.

"They're not rushing into an attack but are instead fortifying their defenses?"

Yamada frowned. "Two mere kids, and yet they didn't fall for the lure of overextension. That's… unexpected."

Saying this, he feigned a calm expression as he addressed his subordinates:

"The plan to lure them into overextending has failed. Don't underestimate the enemy, even if they're young. Stay vigilant. Dismissed."

"Yes!"

Watching his subordinates leave, Yamada turned and entered an inner chamber. Inside, he handed the latest intelligence report to Uchiya Shinji, who sat with an unreadable expression.

"Elder Shinji, the Land of Fire didn't take the bait."

What else could he expect from a veteran like him?

The excuse Yamada had used to flee the battlefield was clumsy, but Uchiya Shinji was different.

Luring the enemy deeper into Wind Country territory? Sure, let's call it that.

The enemy commanders were just two younger shinobi. They had "strategically abandoned" the fortress, attempting to draw the enemy deeper for an ambush. It wasn't running away, not at all.

Yamada repeated this to himself silently.

"Rather than say they didn't take the bait, it's more accurate to say they're proceeding cautiously. They have no intention of using their strength to sustain a war of attrition but are aiming to gradually erode us instead."

Uchiya Shinji glanced at the intelligence report and handed it to Kohei, the jōnin in charge of Moonlight Castle. He spoke calmly:

"The Land of Fire's vanguard consists of 2,000 troops, including approximately 200 Earth Release specialists skilled in construction."

"That ratio is far too high. Clearly, their plan is to steadily establish fortifications and completely seize control of the Land of Wind!"

Kohei nodded grimly. "Whether we retreated earlier or not, it seems they were always prepared to occupy the Land of Wind. The Land of Fire's ambition is obvious. As members of the Land of Wind, we must fight to the death to stop them!"

"There are only the three of us here. Spare me the theatrics," Uchiya Shinji said, his tone mild, clearly unimpressed by Kohei's display of determination.

"If the Land of Fire is advancing cautiously, then a strategy of luring them deeper won't work. We'll have to resort to other tactics. Have we located their supply lines yet?"

In war, supply lines were critical, especially in the harsh environment of the Land of Wind, where water was as valuable as any weapon.

The Land of Fire's forces were far from home and hadn't yet seized an oasis, so their supplies must still rely on transport from the rear.

If the supply lines could be found and destroyed, it would slow their advance significantly.

"Elder Shinji, I regret to report that all the ninjas I dispatched have lost contact. We've been unable to locate their supply lines," Kohei replied with a sigh.

Disrupting supply lines would have been the ideal strategy, minimizing casualties while temporarily halting the Land of Fire's progress.

As for direct confrontation?

From what Yamada had told him about the state of the battlefield, it was clear that wasn't an option.

Let alone now, when the Land of Fire had already turned their former fortress into an impenetrable stronghold.

The more Kohei thought about it, the more dire the situation seemed. His headache grew.

Just then, a Sand shinobi entered the room and reported, "Kohei-sama, support troops from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, led by Yugito-sama and Kitsuchi-sama, have arrived."

"Yugito? Kitsuchi?"

Hearing the names of these two renowned shinobi, the expressions of the three men in the room shifted in different ways.

(End of Chapter)

***

If you wish to read all the chapters of this fic till chapter 381 (where it ends) and support me.

You can go to patreon. com /NahinS77