From the high ground in the distance, looking toward the battlefield, the Iwagakure and Konoha ninja seemed like swarms of ants entangled in combat. However, it was clear that by the end of the day, the land would be littered with corpses.
Ye Zi had only come to observe the strength of the ninja villages, and he wasn't particularly interested in this first battle. After watching for a while and gaining a rough understanding, he prepared to leave.
To collect all the Tailed Beasts, he would inevitably have to overcome the obstacles posed by the major ninja villages. This war was crucial for laying the foundation of his plan—only by weakening the ninja villages' forces could the obstacles to collecting the Tailed Beasts be reduced.
Weakening the villages, recruiting allies, collecting the Tailed Beasts, and initiating the plan…
If this war hadn't broken out naturally within the ninja world, Ye Zi would have found a way to start one, all to weaken the villages.
"Let's go."
He flicked his robe and turned to leave.
"Aren't you going to watch a little longer?" White Zetsu was slightly surprised and followed him.
"I've seen enough," Ye Zi said calmly, gazing ahead.
White Zetsu thought for a moment and asked, "You didn't come all this way just to see Minato, did you?"
"That's right."Ye Zi nodded, speaking calmly, "That man... he'll become one of my obstacles in the future."
"If that's the case, why not find a chance to eliminate him during this war? His techniques are certainly dangerous, and if he keeps growing, he'll be a tough opponent later on," White Zetsu suggested.
Ye Zi didn't immediately dismiss the suggestion but instead weighed its possibilities.
After joining Root to gain more resources and power, he had spent all his time carrying out missions, though he had kept an eye on the village's internal affairs when he had a moment to spare.
To many people, he was seen as the most outstanding talent of his generation. But to even more, Minato was considered the true leader of the young generation.
Who was stronger, Ye Zi or Minato?
This question crossed the minds of many, but since the two had never fought, no one could confidently determine the outcome.
Before witnessing Minato's techniques, Ye Zi had been confident he could defeat him. Now, however, even he wasn't sure.
Ye Zi had a premonition: Minato would be one of the obstacles he'd have to face in the future.
Ambushing Minato in the chaos of this war?
Once that thought surfaced, it became hard to shake.
Eliminating him now would make the future plans easier. This idea gnawed at his mind.
After a moment of silent consideration, weighing the risks and benefits, even factoring in the chances of success, he dismissed the thought.
"The odds of success are too low. Unless he's leading a small squad on a covert mission, I won't have a chance to take him out." Ye Zi explained, then paused, feeling a moment of surprise. His eyes instinctively lowered, concealing the astonishment that flickered within them.
Was it because of the time he killed Dan Kato? Why... when he said such things, was he so calm, without the slightest ripple in his heart?
Had he truly come to see Minato as an enemy? Had the bond they once shared been torn to shreds?
His brow furrowed slightly. Yes... thinking back on all he had done, wasn't it all indifferent and selfish? This was who he was. This should be who he was. This was his true self.
The frown quickly faded. Ye Zi raised his head coldly, gazing at the slightly cloudy sky, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
"I still think attacking the villages during this chaotic period is the best option. Even if we don't capture the Tailed Beasts, setting fire to the villages or going on a killing spree would be worthwhile," White Zetsu said again, not noticing Ye Zi's inner turmoil, his eyes gleaming coldly, though his face maintained its usual cheerful smile.
"Wait a little longer… until the war reaches its peak." Ye Zi withdrew his gaze from the sky and didn't reject White Zetsu's suggestion.
White Zetsu grinned silently. Though he didn't know what Ye Zi was thinking, he was pleased with his attitude.
Determined, ruthless, cruel, indifferent... these traits were exactly what White Zetsu wanted to see.
Moments later, the two left the scene.
The first battle between Iwagakure and Konoha had begun.
After that, the defenses against Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure were also put in place one by one.
Unlike Iwagakure's aggressive approach, the other three sides didn't rush into battle. Instead, they began by assessing the differences in strength on both sides.
Infiltration, sabotage, scouting, dividing forces, striking at weak points, cutting off supply lines—there were many ways for ninja to fight, not just head-on clashes.
Kirigakure, known for its assassination prowess, launched the second wave of attacks.
Konoha was on defense, while Kirigakure held the initiative as the attackers.
Although Konoha had spread its forces to defend against Kirigakure's infiltration, their numbers weren't enough to cover the entire border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Taking advantage of this, Kirigakure sent large numbers of ninja, dividing them into countless small units that infiltrated Konoha's defenses like mist.
Jiraiya wasn't foolish—he had stationed the defenses as far as possible from water-rich areas to prevent Kirigakure from gaining a terrain advantage. While this strategy worked to some extent, it wasn't very effective when faced with a large enough force.
At the same time, thick fog began to rise along the border, enveloping Konoha's ninja and outposts.
Kirigakure had begun to reveal its methods. Creating mist to obscure vision and launching assassinations within it was Kirigakure's specialty.
Because Konoha needed to prevent Kirigakure from infiltrating, they couldn't shorten their defensive line, nor could they form an impenetrable barrier. As Kirigakure launched this first wave of distributed attacks, Konoha was caught off guard, and their ninja began falling one by one in the thick mist.
Jiraiya did his best to direct Konoha's ninja in dealing with the attacks, dispatching Wind Release users and sensory-type ninja as quickly as possible to counter Kirigakure's assassination tactics. However, there weren't enough Wind Release or sensory-type ninja to fend off the nearly all-out attack by Kirigakure, and Konoha's situation quickly grew dire.
Fighting against four villages at once was proving to be difficult, though Konoha hadn't yet committed its full strength.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Jiraiya decisively requested reinforcements from the village, asking for members of the Hyūga clan to be sent to the frontlines.
Konoha barely managed to survive Kirigakure's first wave of attacks, with both sides suffering losses, though Konoha's were more severe.
A strained battlefront—this outcome had been anticipated from the beginning, but no one expected it to happen so quickly…
When Jiraiya's request for reinforcements reached the village, Konoha immediately made a decision, sending both members of the Hyūga clan and the Uchiha clan to aid Jiraiya.
In his request for help, Jiraiya had only asked for members of the Hyūga clan, as their Byakugan could see through the mist and detect Kirigakure's hidden ninja. However, the village had unexpectedly decided to send Uchiha clan members to the frontlines as well.
Check out the patreon and get 49 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 230 - The Unavoidable Outcome