After a large number of Uchiha and Hyūga clan members were sent to the battlefield, Konoha turned the tide. The presence of the two major clans shifted the balance in Konoha's favor.
However, the cost of war was the same for everyone. Even with the powers of the Byakugan and Sharingan, death was unavoidable.
War, at its core, is a meat grinder, where the side that loses more lives and loses them faster is at a disadvantage.
Kirigakure ninja continued to fall, and so did Konoha's. The Hyūga and Uchiha, despite being fresh forces, were not immune to casualties. The Uchiha, who specialized in Fire Release, were at a disadvantage against Kirigakure's Water Release users, resulting in heavier losses for them compared to the Hyūga.
Once the situation was stabilized, Jiraiya finally breathed a sigh of relief.
On another front, the battle between Minato's forces and Iwagakure had lasted for two days. Konoha had gained a slight upper hand, and both sides, as if by mutual agreement, withdrew and paused, preparing for the next clash.
Meanwhile, the forces led by Orochimaru struck first, catching the forces of Kumogakure off guard. However, the advantage they had painstakingly gained was swiftly crushed by the terrifying strength of the Third Raikage. Orochimaru managed to barely hold the Raikage at bay; without him, Konoha's forces would have been completely overwhelmed by the Raikage's powerful charge.
Elsewhere, the scheming Sunagakure forces were met by someone they least wanted to see: Konoha's Little White Fang…
Just before battle, the Kazekage had gone missing, and when confirmed dead, Sunagakure, though shaken, quickly elected a new Kazekage and launched an attack on Konoha.
Though not a traditional general, Konoha's Little White Fang wielded his blade with deadly precision. Even though Minato's Flying Thunder God technique allowed him to kill efficiently, it couldn't match the sheer killing power of the Little White Fang's sword.
That blade existed purely for slaughter.
All these reports flowed into White Zetsu's mind like pieces of paper, and he relayed them to Ye Zi.
The two of them sat on a cliff within the Land of Fire's borders.
"Konoha is strong, but with so many enemies surrounding them, they won't last much longer," Ye Zi said, watching the sun rise over the horizon, a cold smile on his face. "But it's not enough yet… Konoha hasn't deployed all of its forces. Once they truly find themselves at a disadvantage, I'll exploit every factor available from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure."
"Tsk, tsk." White Zetsu raised an eyebrow. "When Konoha can't hold out any longer, even those newly graduated students will have to face the harsh realities of the world. So, what will you do when the time comes?"
Ye Zi replied coldly, "You'll know when the time comes."
White Zetsu chuckled, full of anticipation.
The battles continued endlessly…
Although Sunagakure was the weakest of the villages, they were not content to sit quietly. Following an elite-focused strategy, they didn't have the advantage in terms of numbers. Unfortunately for them, the Konoha forces stationed on their front weren't pushovers either.
Compared to Konoha's other three battlefronts, the one facing Sunagakure was relatively easy, especially with Konoha's White Fang cutting through Sunagakure's forces with ruthless efficiency. With the support of his Konoha comrades, White Fang wielded his sword, forcing Sunagakure's ninja to retreat in disarray.
Despite this advantage against Sunagakure, the distribution of forces caused Konoha's other three fronts to weaken, and in desperation, even the inexperienced genin were sent to the battlefield. This marked Konoha's most difficult moment.
Under the watchful eyes of Ye Zi and White Zetsu, Konoha's forces were slowly being pushed back toward their own borders. Once the other villages managed to push the battle into the Land of Fire itself, the fertile land would surely suffer greatly.
However, as the enemy's frontlines stretched further, the number of strategies available to Konoha increased.
Flanking and attacking from behind was one such strategy. As the enemy moved deeper into the Land of Fire, their supply lines would become overstretched, and cutting off their supplies became a viable tactic.
This strategy was best suited for dealing with Iwagakure, as the village was surrounded by mountains and difficult terrain, making its supply lines less concealed than Konoha's.
With careful planning by Shikaku, a path was identified that led straight to the most critical bridge along Iwagakure's supply line.
Minato volunteered to take on this mission, and Shikaku did not object. Although Minato was needed on the battlefield, no one was better suited for cutting off the enemy's supply lines.
After all, the only person who could safely infiltrate enemy lines and return to the battlefield at lightning speed was Minato, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God technique.
Minato's team was also present on the battlefield, but he had no intention of taking Kakashi and the others along for this mission. Given the current situation, bringing them along would only be a burden.
Infiltrating enemy lines alone wasn't a problem for Minato, thanks to the Flying Thunder God technique, but if he had to protect others, it would become much more difficult.
After entrusting Kakashi and Obito to Shikaku, Minato set out alone to infiltrate Iwagakure's rear lines.
This information quickly reached White Zetsu.
A lone infiltration behind enemy lines—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Here's the chance. So, will you use this to eliminate Minato, or let him carry out his mission and balance the conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure?" White Zetsu asked, looking at Ye Zi's expressionless face.
"I can't just sit idly by," Ye Zi replied, gazing toward the Land of Earth. "How could I let such an opportunity slip away?"
White Zetsu cautioned, "If you kill Minato and Konoha's defenses collapse, your plan to prolong the war will fall apart."
"Killing Minato and cutting off the supply lines aren't mutually exclusive. If helping Konoha cut the supply line doesn't restore their advantage, I'll burn down Iwagakure's supplies disguised as a Kumogakure ninja. If that doesn't work, I'll do the same at Kumogakure as an Iwagakure ninja. And if that still isn't enough, I'll go to Sunagakure and release their Tailed Beasts. That way, Konoha will have the strength to support their other fronts. There are plenty of ways to manipulate the situation—Minato isn't the only key factor."
Ye Zi's tone was cold. After speaking, he activated his Lightning Release, becoming a bolt of lightning as he swiftly moved toward the Land of Earth.
White Zetsu stared blankly at Ye Zi's quickly vanishing figure, his lips twitching slightly.
"Setting fires… Is that because of my random suggestion earlier?"
Shaking his head in disbelief, White Zetsu slowly sank into the ground and followed.
The two, wearing the cloaks that symbolized their affiliation with the Akatsuki, headed toward the Land of Earth, seizing this rare opportunity for assassination.
None of the ninja villages knew that two individuals, with malicious intent, were watching this war unfold from the shadows.
Minato himself had no idea that while he was preparing to carry out his mission, Iwagakure remained unaware of it, but someone who shouldn't have been there already knew—and was coming after him.
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Currently on Chapter 230 - The Unavoidable Outcome