It didn't take Uchiha Akira long to understand what Uchiha Itachi meant. Previously, when facing Orochimaru and Sasori, Akira had revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, genuinely intending to use Kotoamatsukami to bring Orochimaru under his control. The Akatsuki members were aware of this, and Itachi likely thought Akira still wanted to recruit Orochimaru. By sending this message, Itachi was subtly informing Akira that now was the best opportunity to do so. Orochimaru had now betrayed both Konoha and the Akatsuki and was injured, making this a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
"Orochimaru, huh? It wouldn't be a bad idea. I already have Hashirama's cells within me; if Orochimaru studies them, maybe I could also unlock Wood Release," Akira mused after processing the information. As he did, the Sharingan pattern in the crow's eyes faded, its chakra depleted, and it flew away. Akira couldn't help but ponder.
Madara Uchiha, after acquiring Hashirama's cells, fused the powers of Indra and Asura to awaken the Rinnegan. Although Akira didn't have the same circumstances, the idea of wielding Wood Release was still appealing. However, considering his own chakra reserves wouldn't match those of Hashirama Senju, he knew it might be unrealistic to expect anything beyond the level of Yamato's abilities.
The true strength of Wood Release lay not in the technique itself but in the near-limitless chakra of Hashirama Senju. Even if Hashirama had used other techniques, his sheer chakra would have allowed him to dominate the ninja world. After all, Tsunade's most powerful technique was merely a passive ability inherited from Hashirama.
Returning to the present, Akira decided not to dwell on Wood Release but acknowledged that Orochimaru could still be valuable, both personally and for the village of Konoha. There was a saying among anime fans in the real world: "Uncle Snake holds the core technology," and it wasn't just a casual remark.
"Akira, what was that crow about?" asked Might Guy, who had noticed the crow's appearance. The Sharingan pattern in the crow's eyes had been visible to everyone, prompting Guy's curiosity.
"It was just a message from a fellow Uchiha. Nothing important," Akira replied casually, glancing at Guy. Naturally, he couldn't reveal that Itachi was acting as a spy within the Akatsuki.
Now that Orochimaru had left the Akatsuki, the question was where he would go next. After some thought, it seemed likely he would head to the Land of Sound. Akira recalled that in one of his simulation experiences, he had managed to survive the Uchiha massacre by hiding with Orochimaru, who was already setting up base in the Land of Sound back then. So, by now, the village there should be fairly established.
Looking at the map, Akira saw that the Land of Wind lay to the west of the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth to the northwest, and the Land of Lightning to the northeast. The Land of Sound, however, was directly to the north of the Land of Fire. Following their current route through the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Lightning, they would eventually pass near the Land of Sound's borders.
With that in mind, Akira decided to keep an eye out for Orochimaru as they traveled. If he could locate and subdue Orochimaru with Kotoamatsukami, he would do so. If not, keeping such a powerful technique in reserve was still a good option.
Kakashi and the others noticed that Akira didn't elaborate on the crow, understanding that it was something Akira didn't want to discuss. They didn't press the matter.
The group took turns standing watch through the night. Naruto and Jiraiya returned in high spirits in the middle of the night. By morning, Naruto had only slept for about four hours, yet he was still full of energy—a testament to his Uzumaki lineage.
Fortunately, Naruto hadn't developed the same sleep habits he had in the original story, where he had a tendency to sleepwalk and practice the Rasengan in his sleep, which had once driven Yamato to tears. These were just minor incidents along their journey.
A few days later, Akira and his group reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. However, upon arrival, they found themselves with grim expressions.
The reason? The Land of Earth had already constructed defensive fortifications along the border, with at least two to three thousand Iwa-nin gathered there.
"It seems the old man Onoki is dead set on waging war against the Land of Fire," Jiraiya muttered, his expression darkening as he surveyed the fortifications.
"The Iwa-nin are known for their Earth Release techniques, so constructing these defenses wouldn't have been too difficult," Nara Shikaku commented, nodding as the others acknowledged the truth of his statement.
Indeed, building such fortifications wouldn't be much of a challenge for the Iwa-nin. But the fact that there were already two to three thousand ninjas here, and the fortifications still seemed empty, suggested that these ninjas were merely the vanguard. More Iwa-nin reinforcements were likely on the way.
"It looks like we'll need to thoroughly defeat these Iwa-nin if we want to prevent a scenario we'd all rather avoid," Akira said, his voice tinged with seriousness as he assessed the situation.
Suddenly, everything made sense to Akira. In his previous simulations, he had seen how the battle with the Iwa-nin had dragged on for over ten days without a decisive outcome. Even a month later, when Onoki himself had entered the fray and used Dust Release to kill Akira, the tides had still not turned.
"Shikaku, do you have a plan for dealing with this?" Akimichi Chōza asked, turning to Shikaku for guidance.
Akira and the others also looked at Shikaku expectantly. They knew they couldn't engage the Iwa-nin head-on due to their numerical disadvantage. As Konoha's most brilliant strategist, Shikaku was now tasked with devising a suitable battle plan.
Shikaku didn't answer immediately. The gravity of the situation required careful consideration, and he needed time to think. After a few minutes of silence, Hyuga Hiashi activated his Byakugan to survey the Iwa-nin's defenses from afar.
"There are about 2,300 Iwa-nin in that camp," Hiashi reported. "I can't accurately assess their strength, though."
"A force of 2,300? It seems this is one of Iwa's elite units. Our best approach would be to lure them out and then eliminate smaller groups in succession," Shikaku suggested, outlining the core strategy.
Everyone from Konoha nodded in agreement. Given the disparity in numbers, dividing and conquering the enemy was the only viable option.
"Actually, have you considered another strategy?" Akira suddenly interjected just as the group was about to discuss how to draw out the Iwa-nin in smaller numbers.
"Another strategy? What do you have in mind?"
Although Akira was only seven years old, he had already earned everyone's respect. While Shikaku's wisdom was universally acknowledged, everyone was curious to hear Akira's alternative suggestion.
"Lure the enemy in, retreat when they advance, harass when they rest, strike when they tire, and pursue when they retreat," Akira proposed, outlining his strategy.
These sixteen words encapsulated the essence of guerrilla warfare—a strategy historically proven to be highly effective, especially when fighting a larger force with fewer numbers.
"Huh?" The Konoha ninjas were taken aback by Akira's proposal, exchanging glances in surprise.
Upon reflection, they realized it was indeed a highly rational tactic. If they executed it correctly, they could seize the initiative despite their smaller numbers. The enemy's ability to eat, sleep, and rest would be in Konoha's hands, not Iwa's.
"What do you think, Shikaku?"
Although Akira's idea seemed feasible, the group still looked to Shikaku for his analysis.
"In theory, Akira's strategy is excellent. But it relies on two key conditions," Shikaku said after a moment of contemplation.
"What conditions?" the Konoha ninjas asked.
"First, the person implementing this strategy must be able to evade capture by the Iwa-nin. Second, they need sufficient firepower to create enough chaos to prevent the Iwa-nin from resting," Shikaku explained.
"True, those are crucial factors," Kakashi and the others agreed, nodding in acknowledgment.
"Looks like, since I suggested this strategy, I'm the best candidate to execute it," Akira said, volunteering to implement the guerrilla tactics.
After all, guerrilla warfare was a specialty of his previous life's culture. Being a Uchiha on the outside but embodying the spirit of the Dragon Nation on the inside, Akira was the most suited for this role.
Moreover, he met both of Shikaku's prerequisites perfectly...
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