Under the wrath of the daimyo, war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning quickly broke out.
Without even a declaration of war, the army of the Land of Fire surged into the territory of the Land of Lightning like a tidal wave.
According to the daimyo of the Land of Fire, since the other side has shamelessly resorted to such a despicable tactic as assassination, then our side doesn't need to worry about so many formalities.
Under the sudden offensive of the Land of Fire, the army of the Land of Lightning was caught off guard and suffered a crushing defeat.
In a very short time, large swathes of the Land of Lightning's territory were occupied by the Land of Fire.
Of course, this is just a worldly war.
The clash between ninjas, representing the world's highest fighting power, is the key factor determining the war between the two countries.
Fortunately, Konoha Village, representing the highest fighting force in the Land of Fire's ninja world, possessed a powerful ninja lineup that was rare even in the history of Konoha's founding.
Even though their opponent was Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning, one of the Five Great Hidden Villages alongside Konoha, the advance of the Land of Fire's ninja forces went smoothly.
Under Konoha's powerful offensive, the Land of Lightning's ninja forces performed even worse than their secular armies.
Finally, the ninjas of the Land of Lightning had no choice but to retreat to their stronghold—the Hidden Cloud Village, perched atop a towering mountain.
Following in the footsteps of the enemy, the ninjas of Konoha Village also arrived here, completely surrounding Kumogakure, waiting to launch a final, thunderous attack to completely break through Kumogakure's defenses and quell their lord's rage with the blood of the Land of Lightning ninjas.
"It's really amazing that they built the village in such a place."
Naruto looked up into the distance. In the misty sky, he could vaguely see the heavy outline of the mountains. With his extraordinary ninja eyesight, Naruto could also clearly see the buildings with the style of the Land of Lightning on the mountain peaks.
"Only ninjas could live in a place like that."
Naruto added a comment, then turned and went back into the huge tent behind him.
This is the front line of the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure.
Konoha has already reached the old base of Kumogakure and is about to launch its final offensive.
With nowhere left to retreat, the ninjas of the Land of Lightning will undoubtedly fight to the death.
The war between the two great ninja villages is about to enter its most intense climax, and Naruto, as the Hokage, naturally can no longer stay in the rear.
"It would be impossible for an army composed of ordinary people to storm a village like that."
Another man's voice came from inside the tent. He was standing in one corner of the huge sand table in the center, wearing a ninja outfit that represented his identity as a member of Konoha.
The man with his hair tied up in a hedgehog style is naturally Shikamaru. The Nara clan has always been trusted confidants of the successive Hokage, so it's not surprising that Shikamaru is here.
In fact, during the war with Kumogakure, Shikamaru was primarily responsible for command, including troop deployment and tactical deployment.
With his exceptionally high intelligence, Shikamaru perfectly utilized the overwhelmingly powerful and luxurious ninja lineup of Konoha Village, giving Kumogakure no chance to counterattack—not even a chance to catch his breath.
It can be said that the ninjas of the Land of Lightning were driven back to their lair by the ninja army of Konoha in the most frustrating way, and a large part of the credit should be attributed to Shikamaru.
"In fact, even for a ninja force, it is not an easy task to invade Kumogakure."
Because he was in fact the commander-in-chief of Konoha's attack on the Land of Lightning, Shikamaru's expression was particularly serious. He used the sand table in front of him to give Naruto a detailed introduction to the terrain of Kumogakure, and finally commented, "Even for ninja forces of the level of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it would be very difficult to break through such terrain by force. Not to mention, the defending forces are also of the level of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."
"But that doesn't include Konoha, right?"
After listening to Shikamaru's explanation, Naruto smiled brightly and looked trustingly into Shikamaru's eyes as he continued, "I think our brilliant strategist must have already figured out a way to break through this defense line, right?"
Hearing Naruto's confident words, Shikamaru's expression softened, and a smile appeared on his face. "Well, the tactics have been devised. However, the success of these tactics depends on you powerful ninjas. I'm counting on you, our strongest Hokage of Konoha."
"Hmm, leave it to me. Watch me beat these guys who live in the clouds into space."
Naruto confidently clenched his fist, his spirited appearance almost unchanged from when he was a boy.
"If things go smoothly, we'll be able to take over Kumogakure in no time. That would mean we've won a great victory in this war against the Land of Lightning."
Upon hearing Shikamaru's words, Naruto's expression became even happier.
He turned to look at the corner of the tent, at his best friend who had been standing there quietly, and said excitedly, "That's great! I can report back to the Daimyo soon. Right, Sasuke?"
Because this campaign to attack Kumogakure is crucial to the final outcome of the war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, Konoha's top ninjas have been mobilized in full force.
Sasuke was no exception. After receiving the summons from Konoha, he rushed to the front line of the attack on Kumogakure, where he had been traveling.
He had been in the tent the whole time, but he hadn't said a word.
When Sasuke saw Naruto's gaze fall on him, his usually cold expression softened considerably, and he nodded slightly in agreement.
Sasuke heard about the attacks and injuries suffered by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and also knew that Konoha had lost points in the last incident because they had not investigated any intelligence beforehand.
Although nothing seemed amiss on the surface, Sasuke was secretly worried that Konoha's situation would worsen because of this incident.
Therefore, Sasuke was relieved and somewhat happy to receive confirmation from Shikamaru that the attack on Kumogakure would soon be successful.
"Lord Hokage, lunch is ready. Shall we serve it now?"
The sound from outside the tent interrupted the three people's conversation.
The ninja forces from Konoha were the main force in this attack on Kumogakure, but there were also ordinary soldiers from the Land of Fire who accompanied the troops, mainly responsible for miscellaneous tasks outside of combat, including food.
"Oh! It's already this late."
Naruto sighed and loudly ordered the soldiers outside the tent, "No problem, bring in all the lunches."
Several soldiers in charge of cooking carefully carried the group's lunch into the tent and thoughtfully prepared a makeshift dining table.
Their gazes toward Naruto and his two companions were filled with a mixture of awe and fervor.
For ordinary people like them, the Hokage, the strongest warrior in a country, and his right-hand men are like mythical figures.
Naruto, oblivious to the soldiers' admiring gazes, casually sat down at the table first, then waved to Shikamaru and Sasuke who were still standing, "Come on, Sasuke and Shikamaru, even with a big battle imminent, you still have to eat on time."
"Naruto, you..."
Shikamaru sat down next to him. He glanced at the soldiers' retreating figures as they left the tent and couldn't help but complain to his village chief, "You're already Hokage, you should be more mindful of your image. Your every word and action represents Konoha!"
"Agreed."
Sasuke sat down as well, coldly echoing Shikamaru's opinion, "Although you've improved a lot compared to before, Naruto, you can still be as silly as you were when you were a kid."
"Well, well, I'll be more careful in the future."
Naruto chuckled and scratched his head, then picked up his chopsticks. "Instead of that, let's eat quickly."
"Don't try to get by in times like this."
Shikamaru added a sarcastic remark, but then he sighed, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Never mind, Naruto, you've become who you are now, I shouldn't ask for more."
Naruto frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Huh? Why do I feel like Shikamaru is secretly mocking me?"
"No, I'm just telling the truth."
"That's right, Shikamaru and I share the same idea."
Sasuke also spoke up.
The three of them chatted as they began to enjoy their lunch, a scene that had occurred countless times during their carefree youth.
Because it's on the front lines, supplying materials is quite difficult.
Despite Naruto being the Hokage, and Shikamaru and Sasuke being high-ranking figures in Konoha, the lunch dishes today were quite simple.
A bowl of white rice, paired with a few light and bland side dishes, that's all.
Although lunch was simple, the three of them chatted and ate slowly, so it wasn't too unbearable.
"Speaking of which, after this war with the Land of Lightning ends, I plan to go for a long-awaited hot spring bath."
When the topic turned to the war that was about to end, Shikamaru changed the subject to what would happen after the war ended. "I hadn't had any vacations for a while, and then we had to deal with the attack on the Land of Lightning. Come to think of it, I haven't had a proper rest in almost a year. When this war ends, I definitely have to go to a hot spring."
"That's a good idea. Should we bring Temari along?"
Naruto, who was sitting to the side, swallowed a mouthful of rice and casually asked about Shikamaru's idea.
After saying that, Naruto remembered that he hadn't seen Temari since arriving at the Konoha camp, so he asked again, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen Temari yet. Isn't she at the camp?"
Upon hearing Naruto's question, Shikamaru's face immediately revealed a mixture of smugness and joy. He explained in a proud tone, "She's not here. Just a few days ago, Temari was summoned by the Daimyo to form a new generation of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas."
"Huh? Really? I haven't heard about this at all."
Naruto looked surprised, but quickly congratulated him, saying, "That's great news, congratulations!"
"Congratulations."
Sasuke followed Naruto and offered his congratulations. Then, a look of envy appeared on his usually calm face as he sighed regretfully, "It's a pity Sakura wasn't chosen."
"There's still a chance, so don't be discouraged yet."
Seeing that Sasuke's mood had become low because of the news he had just told him, Shikamaru quickly comforted him, "Isn't the attack on Kumogakure about to begin? As long as you make contributions in this attack, Sasuke, if you ask the Daimyo later, he might add Sakura's name to the list as well."
"Naruto, as the Hokage, can also help at that time."
Shikamaru then turned his gaze to Naruto, "I was right, wasn't I? Naruto, you'll definitely help out then, won't you?"
"Huh? Uh, yes, yes, yes."
Naruto was a little slow to react, but he realized what was going on when he saw Sasuke's expression. "I'll put in a good word for you with the Daimyo, so Sasuke, don't worry."
"Um."
Sasuke nodded, his expression finally returning to normal somewhat.
Shikamaru's words make sense. If they can achieve results in this attack on Kumogakure, the Daimyo will definitely take notice, and Sakura might be able to benefit from it and be selected as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
Thinking of this, Sasuke clenched his fist tightly under the table.
He secretly resolved that he must go all out in this attack on Kumogakure and make a name for himself.
The three ate and chatted for a while, and then more soldiers entered the tent from outside.
When Naruto saw the faces of the soldiers entering the tent, his smiling expression immediately turned serious.
This soldier was a messenger, responsible for relaying orders from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to Naruto.
His appearance in the tent indicated that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire likely had new orders to deliver, which Naruto naturally had to take seriously.
"Lord Hokage, there is a message from the Daimyo."
The messenger did not show any arrogance towards Naruto because of his special position. He knelt on the ground and respectfully conveyed the message from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to Naruto: "The Daimyo wants to know about the recent battle situation, so he wants to speak with the Hokage now."
As he spoke, the messenger glanced at Shikamaru and Sasuke sitting to Naruto's left and right, and added, "The Daimyo also said that Lord Sasuke and Lord Shikamaru will also be going."
"I see."
Naruto nodded, immediately put down his plate, and said to Sasuke and Shikamaru, whose expressions had also become serious, "Since the Daimyo has summoned us, let's set off immediately."
"Um."
Shikamaru and Sasuke responded simultaneously, agreeing with Naruto's opinion and putting down their plates.
The three men came out of the command tent, circled the camp, and then went to a tent pitched in a corner.
Here, there is a specially designed ninjutsu device that enables remote communication.
..........................
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~ Naruto: Debauchery (18+) ~
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~ Naruto: Amazing World Experience Ticket (18+) ~
~ Hinata's Hypnotic Battle with Her Crossdressing Son (18+) ~
~ Naruto Bondage (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Starting as a Daimyō—My Many Children Bring Me Great Fortune (18+) ~
~ Becoming a Pokémon Master in Naruto? (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Reborn in the Sand Village as a Magnet Release Puppeteer ~
~ My Girlfriend Transmigrated Into The Naruto World And Became A Female Version Of Kakuzu (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Inside the Akatsuki—Starting Out by Taking Kushina (18+) ~
~ Naruto: When Naruto Realizes Sasuke Is a Girl ~
~ Naruto: Starting as a Daimyō—My Many Children Bring Me Great Fortune (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Lurking in ANBU Until Becoming a Super Kage ~
~ Becoming a Pokémon Master in Naruto? (18+) ~
~ Naruto: Reborn in the Sand Village as a Magnet Release Puppeteer ~
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(End of Chapter)