Naruto: Uchiha Rejects Konoha

At this moment, a one-sided massacre was unfolding outside Konoha. Nearly a hundred Iwagakure shinobi were ruthlessly annihilating a group of Konoha patrols. 

"Loess, Konoha has issued an early warning. Could it be that we've been exposed?" 

After finishing off the Konoha shinobi, one of the Iwagakure ninjas approached Loess and asked. 

Compared to the unverified rumours of the Rinnegan in Amegakure, Konoha's advancements in Wood Style were undoubtedly more enticing. 

When it was first discovered that Konoha had been researching Wood Style and had achieved some success, the Kage of every village devised plans to coerce Konoha into either halting their research or sharing the results publicly. 

However, before they could consolidate their forces, intelligence revealed that Konoha had successfully cultivated a Wood Style user, who had already been assigned to Anbu by the Third Hokage. 

This new information gave rise to other ideas. Through additional intelligence, they learned that the Wood Style developed by Konoha did not rival the legendary abilities of the First Hokage. 

Think about it: if Konoha had truly developed a Wood Style as powerful as the First Hokage's, they wouldn't have remained so subdued. Despite being the victors of the Third Shinobi War, Konoha hadn't gained much, even sacrificing some of their own interests. 

A Wood Style user who could utilize but not fully master the technique posed no significant threat to other villages—instead, it was a valuable prize. 

Konoha has been researching wood style for years. Aside from failed experiments like Danzo, they had only managed to produce a single successful subject. This demonstrated the extreme difficulty of reproducing such abilities. 

In other words, even if other villages obtained Konoha's research data, there was no guarantee they could cultivate their own Wood Style users. Moreover, Konoha's current Wood Style was merely a diminished version of its former glory. 

Rather than focusing on replicating the technique, the villages found it more appealing to capture the individual in question and study him directly. 

If that failed, they could attempt another route—forcing him to reproduce. 

Wood Style, even in a reduced form, represented an extraordinarily powerful kekkei genkai. If inherited, there was always a chance it could manifest in its original form over successive generations. At worst, even partial inheritance could yield significant benefits. 

With Konoha's diminished Wood Style no longer instilling fear, and with each ninja village coveting Konoha's Wood Style user for themselves, unity among the villages was impossible. As a result, the large-scale invasion scenarios anticipated by Konoha did not materialize. 

Though Konoha was targeted, these villages were here to abduct, not negotiate. There was no mass mobilization of armies on their borders; subtlety was the order of the day. 

Even Obito likely hadn't anticipated that leaking this information would lead to such a scenario. He underestimated both the greed and the pragmatism of the Kage. 

After the Third Shinobi War, every village had been rebuilt and avoided outright conflict. None were eager to ignite another war so soon. 

Even without Obito's intervention, the villages would likely have opted for political pressure over open conflict to force Konoha to compromise. 

Both sides knew they couldn't afford an all-out war—not Konoha nor its adversaries. 

This was especially true for Kumogakure. While their attempt to seize a member of the Hyūga clan had failed, they understood that Konoha preferred to avoid escalation. Otherwise, the Third Hokage wouldn't have chosen to resolve the matter internally. 

Had the Uchiha not intervened, the Hyūga clan would undoubtedly have paid a steep price. 

So when Kumogakure discovered Tenzo's existence, they immediately acted. The result was another crushing blow for Konoha

As for Iwagakure, due to insufficient intelligence, their response was far slower than that of Kumogakure. They had just begun approaching Konoha when news of the village's early warning system reached them. 

"Probably not. Even if Konoha is formidable, it's impossible for them to detect us before we make a move. Perhaps another village has tipped them off," Loess speculated. Like any experienced shinobi, he understood that the motivations of other villages could be hard to predict. 

"Then shall we..." 

"We proceed with the plan. If we've been exposed, Konoha might expect us to delay, so we'll do the opposite!" Loess ordered decisively. 

At that moment, Konoha's defences were at their most stringent—but also they're most vulnerable. While formally strict, the psychological strain on the defenders made them mentally lax. This was not a matter of skill but of human nature. 

---

"Boom!" 

Yagami had just returned to the Uchiha office. Before he could part ways with Fugaku and the others, another battle erupted. 

This time, the fight remained outside the village, sparing the Third Hokage further humiliation. 

However, unlike Kumogakure's small-scale surprise attack, Iwagakure's assault was far more overwhelming. Their forces breached Konoha's guardian barrier almost instantly, heading directly for Anbu's base camp. 

While Kumogakure's strike had been surgical and focused, Iwagakure chose brute force. The methods differed, and so did the consequences. 

Though Kumogakure's attack had been a painful embarrassment, it inflicted minimal damage—only about twenty attackers participated. 

Iwagakure's assault was a different story. Hundreds of shinobi rampaged through Konoha, killing indiscriminately and leaving destruction in their wake. Their purpose seemed less about capturing Tenzo and more about venting their long-held grudge against Konoha. 

The hatred between Iwagakure and Konoha ran deep, far beyond what could be explained in a few sentences. 

---

"The Third Hokage is a failure in some ways. Even Anbu's own members might not know the location of their base camp, yet every enemy seems to know exactly where it is," Yagami muttered, curling his lips in disdain. 

Despite his criticism, Yagami couldn't fully understand how the Third Hokage, who had held power for so long, had allowed Konoha to deteriorate to this extent. Was it simply old age catching up to him? 

"But it's undeniable that Konoha remains strong today. Even without us, Uchiha, its position as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages is unshakable," Fugaku stated with a serious expression. 

One advantage Konoha had retained was the tower constructed to monitor the Uchiha. Ironically, it now provided an excellent vantage point to observe the village's overall situation. 

Fugaku's remark was prompted by the realization of Konoha's considerable manpower. The sheer number of shinobi under the Hokage and the elder clans was startling. 

The Iwagakure forces attacked in coordinated groups, their combined ninjutsu formidable. However, Konoha countered with its own overwhelming numbers, bolstered by the tactical brilliance of Nara Shikaku. The seamless cooperation among Konoha's ninja clans gave them a significant edge in large-scale battles. 

Iwagakure had deployed many shinobi, but this was Konoha—its defenders were even more numerous. 

---

Loess's strategy wasn't flawed in principle, but he had underestimated Konoha's preparations. Konoha had mobilized its defences to counter the perceived threat of a coalition among the Four Great Hidden Villages, while Iwagakure operated under the assumption of isolated, opportunistic strikes. 

The disparity in strength and approach made Iwagakure's frontal assault doomed from the start. 

---

"Rock Shinobi's forces have retreated, but Konoha is still remarkably powerful. I wonder if that Hokage-sama has shown all the cards in his hand," Fugaku observed thoughtfully. 

Yagami nodded in agreement. During the battle, the Sarutobi clan stood out, and their fire style techniques left a lasting impression. 

"There's no need to engage Konoha head-on," Yagami noted. "Uchiha is also renowned for Fire Style, but outside of Mangekyō Sharingan, our techniques don't hold much advantage over the Sarutobi clan. And, of course, Konoha isn't just the Sarutobi." 

Yagami's words underscored a hard truth: while Uchiha was formidable, Konoha's collective strength was unmatched, making direct conflict a dangerous gamble.

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