Chapter 273: Back on Track
Whoosh!
Li Yao's Wind Clone instantly flew down in front of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
At this point, Yagura had exited his full Tailed Beast transformation and returned to his human form. He had accepted reality and no longer tried to attack.
"What do you want?"
Yagura looked up, asking in a low voice. A deep confusion shone in his eyes as he stared at Li Yao's Wind Clone.
He wasn't stupid.
Li Yao could have killed him—and everyone else—from the beginning.
But instead, he let Yagura attack repeatedly, simply showcasing the vast gap in their strength.
It was clear: Li Yao never intended to kill him. He just wanted Yagura to realize how hopeless resistance was.
But why?
They were enemies.
Weren't you supposed to kill your enemies on the battlefield?
Especially when he, Yagura, was the leader of a Hidden Village.
If the Fourth Kazekage had killed him here and now—
Kirigakure would fall into chaos, leaving it open for Suna to conquer.
And with the power Li Yao had shown, it was clear he had surpassed even the Kage level. His strength stood among the legends—like the god of shinobi, Hashirama Senju.
No one in Kirigakure could stop those terrifying Wind Slashes.
If the Fourth Kazekage wanted, taking the village by force was no longer impossible.
All of this made Yagura all the more puzzled—why wasn't he dead?
"What do I want?"
Li Yao chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly? Nothing much. I just don't want to waste my strength fighting you here."
"What do you mean?" Yagura frowned.
"Exactly what I said."
With his hands behind his back, Li Yao looked down at him. "Suna is about to go all-in against Konoha and Iwagakure, so…"
He gazed at Yagura, voice calm. "You're in the way."
"I see."
Yagura's eyes narrowed.
Now he understood why he was spared.
The Fourth Kazekage simply wanted him to back off—to keep Kirigakure out of the fight, so Suna could focus its forces on attacking the Land of Fire.
With that realization, Yagura's eyes flickered. Then he spoke clearly, "I'll issue the order. Kirigakure will immediately cease hostilities with Sunagakure."
"Good," Li Yao smiled. "Then you may leave."
Whoosh!
Yagura turned and vanished with Body Flicker Technique, not even saying goodbye.
Li Yao smirked, turned around, and went back to carry his curvy little sister-in-law back to the Suna command base.
Mission complete.
Now it was time to pressure Konoha—to help Uchiha Madara complete his plan to corrupt Obito.
"Let's go!"
"Move out!"
Yagura didn't stop moving. He gathered his surviving men and immediately left the area.
It was pure instinct—to get away from a monster who could kill them all at any moment.
He glanced at their severed arms, sighed inwardly.
The Fourth Kazekage's Wind Slashes… even he couldn't defend against them.
"Maybe… only Konoha can stop him."
Yagura thought. Maybe that's why the Fourth Kazekage planned to go all-in against them.
After all, Konoha had once produced the god of shinobi—it made sense that hidden powers remained there.
So then… what should Kirigakure do?
Recalling that terrifying barrier that had blocked even a full-scale Tailed Beast Bomb, Yagura made his decision.
Soon—
Back at a secure outpost, Yagura issued orders: all Kiri shinobi were to withdraw from the Land of Wind.
He also sent word back to the village: Elder Amatsuru was to begin preparations to invade the Land of Fire.
With a being like the Fourth Kazekage leading the charge—
Konoha wouldn't last.
And if Suna shattered Konoha's defenses, Kirigakure could swoop in and seize the spoils.
The Land of Fire was too vast for Suna alone.
Kirigakure would simply take the coastal regions—and the Snail Peninsula.
…
Back at Suna's outpost—
Li Yao gently set down his soft, curvaceous sister-in-law and summoned a jōnin commander.
He issued a new order: gather the remaining forces and move them to the Land of Rivers. First, take that territory.
"Let's go. We're heading home."
He and Pakura returned to Sunagakure ahead of the others.
But just as they arrived—
Before he could even indulge in "conquering" both sisters, an ANBU report left him stunned.
"Konoha's really this bold?"
Several of Suna's defensive posts on the Wind–River border had been attacked by Konoha shinobi.
Li Yao's orders hadn't even gone out yet—and Konoha struck first.
Logically, Konoha should've been focused on defeating Iwagakure, avoiding conflict with Suna, Kumo, or Kiri.
But instead… they attacked the Land of Wind.
So be it.
Li Yao immediately ordered all Suna forces in the Land of Earth to retreat and switch to defensive operations.
Half of them, along with those pulled from the Kiri front, were sent to the Land of Rivers to fully engage Konoha.
…
"What?!"
"Konoha ninja attacked one of our outposts?!"
"And they stole our supplies too?!"
At the same time, back in Kirigakure, Yagura also received an ANBU report: Konoha had raided one of their island bases.
His reaction was the same as Li Yao's.
He couldn't understand what Konoha was thinking.
But regardless of their reasons, Konoha's actions were basically a declaration of war.
Yagura had wanted a reason to follow the Fourth Kazekage's lead. Now that Konoha had given it to him, he seized the opportunity.
He issued new orders: forget Suna. Kirigakure would now fully focus on attacking the Land of Fire.
To the Land of Water's nobility, the fertile soil of Fire Country was just as tempting as the Wind Country's gold.
Food was what kept aristocrats in power.
The lords of the Land of Water enthusiastically approved the invasion. Kiri's ninja, though eager for revenge against Suna, bowed to Yagura's authority.
And after seeing the Fourth Kazekage's terrifying strength, the high command quickly shifted their focus to invading Konoha.
At the same time—
The Third Raikage in Kumogakure received a report: Konoha shinobi had attacked a border post near the Land of Lightning.
Unlike Suna or Kiri—
He was completely dumbfounded.
The other three villages bordered the Land of Fire directly. But the Land of Lightning was two countries away.
In the First and Second Shinobi Wars, it had always been Kumo invading Konoha.
When did Konoha start crossing two nations to invade them?
And at a time like this?
What were they thinking?
Forget it!
The Third Raikage gave up trying to understand.
Kumo and Konoha already had a deep grudge. Now that Konoha had struck first, he wouldn't stand by.
He sent his son and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, to lead a military force into the Land of Fire.
Not long after—
Back in Konoha, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned ashen.
Suna. Kumo. Kiri.
All three villages had launched simultaneous attacks against the Land of Fire.
Konoha's perfect start had been turned upside down.
And now, once again, they were reliving the nightmare:
All four Great Villages were waging war against them at once.
(END CHAPTER)
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