Staring at the urgent dispatch from Homura Mitokado in Iwagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a wave of dizziness crash over him. Had the heavens already abandoned Konoha?
With a heavy sigh, Hiruzen handed the letter to his chief strategist, Shikaku Nara.
"This Western Army... I’m afraid it won’t be able to march as planned."
Shikaku scanned the letter, his face stiffening, eyebrows twitching uncontrollably.
The Fourth Tsuchikage had dropped dead on the spot during the mobilization rally!
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, had gone berserk!
Hundreds of casualties in Iwagakure, Elder Kitsuchi gravely wounded!
And worst of all, the Four-Tails had escaped—now a wild, unrestrained tailed beast!
Clearly, the Western Army was now a lost cause. The casualties were nothing compared to the real crisis: Iwagakure had no one left in charge! With the commander gone, how could they possibly fight?
Without a word, Shikaku placed the letter back on the table and swept a stack of battle plans straight into the trash.
"The Western Army is finished. These plans are just scrap paper now," he said, dejected.
"Shikaku, we’ve made so many preparations—supplies, personnel, everything’s in place. We’re already at the point of no return. Now, with this sudden disaster... is there still a way forward?"
A hint of grim determination flashed across Shikaku’s face.
Hiruzen’s eyes lit up. "Tell me!"
"Seize Lishi Fortress."
"Isn’t that the same old trick?"
"And then—pivot south. Attack the Yuexi Peninsula!"
"What? The Yuexi Peninsula?!"
Hiruzen was visibly shocked. The Yuexi Peninsula wasn’t just Sunagakure’s treasure chest—it was a haven for the ninja world’s elite. Attacking it would be like dragging all of high society into the flames of war, making Konoha the enemy of everyone.
"Shikaku, you must realize—"
"I do! That’s why we attack what the enemy must save!"
Shikaku pulled a map closer.
"My goal is to force Sunagakure’s main force into a field battle. Only then can we play to our strengths and suppress theirs. As long as we make a move toward the Yuexi Peninsula, Jinghang will have no choice but to lead his army to its rescue. Once he moves, we seize the strategic initiative—and shift the decisive battle here!"
Shikaku’s finger jabbed at an unmarked spot on the map.
"I don’t know either. It’s the middle stretch of the Sand-Yue Highway. No name."
"This way, in the end, we don’t actually need to take the Yuexi Peninsula—so we won’t offend those powerful figures."
Hiruzen scrutinized the map.
"So you’re gambling—betting that Jinghang will come to the peninsula’s aid?"
"Exactly. And I think the odds are high. The Yuexi Peninsula is too important to Sunagakure—he can’t afford to lose it."
Hiruzen pondered for a moment.
"But what if—just what if—Jinghang hardens his heart and chooses not to defend it?"
"Then we’ll pay a heavy price, go all-in to seize the peninsula, gain a mountain of wealth... only to be besieged by the entire ninja world. That would mean defeat—even destruction. But I think that’s unlikely."
Hiruzen fell silent, weighing Shikaku’s analysis. Shikaku didn’t press—he knew there were too many variables. The strategist’s job was to plan, but the burden of actually making the call fell on the commander’s shoulders.
After a long pause, Hiruzen finally spoke.
"That makes Lishi Fortress absolutely vital. This new strategy doubles our attack range. Without a forward logistics base, our army would be like a tree without roots."
"Exactly," Shikaku agreed.
"Draft the new plan and bring it to me. I’ll need to think this through carefully."
Hiruzen was extremely cautious about shifting strategy. The Yuexi Peninsula was now a linchpin—the slightest move could set off a chain reaction.
Shikaku understood. Since the decision was so weighty, it was best to take it one step at a time: do what could be done now, and make the final call later, especially with the Northern Army’s progress still uncertain.
"But no matter what, Lishi Fortress must be taken. We should send scouts to recon the area first."
At his call, the curvaceous Hisako swept into the room.
"What is it, Lord Hokage?"
"Notify Captain Minato Namikaze—I want a detailed scouting report on Lishi Fortress’s defenses. As specific as possible."
"I’ll start. I keep thinking about defense and counterattacks, but lately, it all feels too passive."
Back in Sunagakure, Jinghang had no time to rest—not even a glance at his wife and kids. He plunged straight into the command center, poring over the sand table with Yamashita Tetsu and the staff.
"Look here. On paper, our three-point defense system seems flawless—layered defenses, staggered resistance, all designed to bleed the enemy dry. But there’s a problem."
Jinghang tapped the sand table with his command baton.
"Are you talking about losing the strategic initiative?"
Yamashita Tetsu asked.
"Exactly. I believe in the defensive system we’ve built over the years, but we can’t let Konoha pick and choose their targets, dragging us along by the nose."
"You mean... go on the offensive?"
A staff officer ventured.
"More precisely—active defense."
"Stand ready, strike first even when acting second. We can’t just hole up in puppet formations and take a beating. We can’t hand over the right to choose the battlefield to Konoha. We need to fight them head-on—let them know Sunagakure isn’t so easy to push around."
Active defense is the opposite of passive defense: it means giving precise, early warnings before an invasion can do damage, building a flexible defense in real time, and then launching pinpoint counterattacks. A classic example would be Lu Xun’s command at the Battle of Yiling during the Three Kingdoms.
The staff buzzed with excitement at this new perspective, voices overlapping in animated discussion.
Jinghang listened, eyes never leaving the sand table.
"Konoha’s Northern Army is Rasa’s problem. We focus on the Eastern Army. No matter how they invade, there’s one place they can’t avoid—Lishi Fortress!"
His baton tapped the fortress’s position in the desert.
The story isn’t over...
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