This operation held exceptional significance for him—not merely about settling a personal vendetta, but more importantly, his true objective was the famed mining city now under Iwa Village control. According to precise intelligence he had gathered, the city concealed an enormous and abundant reserve of chakra metal.
These precious chakra metals were exactly the critical supplies urgently needed for a secret project currently underway in the Cloud Village. Due to the popularity of [Combined Ninja-Taijutsu] among Cloud-nin, there was an extremely high demand for weapons forged from chakra metal, causing chakra metal resources in the entire Land of Lightning to barely meet their needs.
This mysterious project directly determined whether the Iwa Village would one day surpass Konoha and rise to become the dominant power in the Ninja World.
However, this very project required massive amounts of chakra metal. The Cloud Village couldn't afford to divert all its resources for this long-term endeavor, nor could it afford to recall already deployed weapons, since completing this plan would take an extensive period. In fact, in the original storyline, even after the Fourth Great Ninja War, when peace had settled across the Ninja World, Cloud still needed a lengthy time to complete this project.
Precisely for this reason, the Third Raikage had long sought after these chakra metals, longing for them for nearly a decade. Though this mission carried considerable risks, considering his advanced age and limited remaining time, such a gamble was definitely worth it. If successful, acquiring this chakra metal would greatly advance the Cloud Village's grand strategic goals.
Even Dodai, the wise advisor of the Cloud Village, found it difficult to reject such a tempting opportunity under current urgent circumstances.
Let alone the Third Raikage himself, who well understood that Onoki, the Tsuchikage, had yet to transport the chakra metals—it was highly likely a deliberate ploy, designed to lure the Cloud Village's elite forces into a deadly trap.
Yet, even knowing that what awaited them might be a well-planned trap, the potential rewards were simply too great. Thus, the Third Raikage had no choice but to make a risky move. Guided by his resolute and decisive nature, and driven by his duty and sense of responsibility as the leader of his village, he could never allow his subordinates to face danger while he himself remained safe and idle. That was not how a Kage should act.
Therefore, after deep and careful consideration, the Third Raikage resolutely made his decision—to lead the team himself on this uncertain and perilous journey.
Half a month later on a crisp morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground. Shiyu Uchiha had just finished a delicious breakfast when he stepped into the courtyard to begin his daily sword-training routine. With sword in hand, his figure moved like lightning, each slash cutting through the air with sharp, fierce force.
At that moment, Shiyu Uchiha was fully focused, pondering how to further refine and perfect his [Sword Technique]. He well understood that only through continuous innovation and improvement could one remain unbeatable amidst fierce battles.
After extensive research and dedication, a bold idea gradually took root in his mind — to partially merge two of his ultimate sword techniques, significantly increasing their practicality and paving the way for a full fusion of both styles in the future.
Specifically, he wanted to integrate part of Breaking Army's tremendous power into Seven Killings. This would greatly increase the destructive power of Seven Killings.
Alternatively, he considered cleverly incorporating Seven Killings' incredible speed into Breaking Army, which would achieve a qualitative leap in blade velocity and greatly enhance its practicality.
In reality, Shiyu Uchiha had already developed preliminary ideas about this concept long ago. However, after that heart-stopping battle, these thoughts had become increasingly intense.
Yet, despite all his efforts, progress thus far had been less than satisfactory. Just then, footsteps approached from a distance. Shiyu Uchiha stopped practicing, turned his head, and saw that it was Shinku Yuhi who had come looking for him.
Shinku Yuhi watched Shiyu Uchiha's sword techniques for a while, admiration evident on her face. She quickly stepped forward to stand before him and spoke, "Shiyu, your prediction came true! I received news that the Cloud Village had indeed invaded the Land of Earth, and this operation was personally led by the Third Raikage! Our opportunity has arrived."
During this period, Shiyu Uchiha had anticipated that the event involving the Third Raikage's death might be about to occur. Therefore, he ordered his subordinates to closely monitor every movement of Iwa-nin Village and Cloud-nin Village without the slightest negligence.
So when he heard the latest news, his heart couldn't help but tighten. Unable to contain his anxiety, he quickly stood up, snatched the crucial report, and began scanning it intensely.
After reviewing the report, Shiyu Uchiha was surprised to learn that the Cloud-nin had already secretly infiltrated the Land of Earth five days ago. However, their initial actions had been extremely covert, making them practically undetectable to the outside world.
Only half a day ago did these greedy aggressors suddenly attack and loot a mining city under the jurisdiction of the Land of Earth. Only then did the Iwa-nin become alert, and Konoha's spies had learned of the news. Subsequently, both sides became engaged in an intense battle.
Unfortunately, the garrison stationed in that area by the Land of Earth was far inferior in strength to Cloud-nin's elite forces. Despite the brave resistance of these courageous defenders of the Land of Earth, they were ultimately outnumbered and soon annihilated.
Although Shiyu Uchiha had been paying close attention to this situation, Konoha's spying infrastructure within Iwa-nin Village was limited, making it impossible to obtain accurate information in a timely manner. By the time the Cloud-nin had completed their mission and withdrawn safely, Shiyu Uchiha's side had only just received related intelligence.
Based on the direction of the Cloud-nin's withdrawal route, Shiyu Uchiha quietly estimated that they were likely approaching a sprawling plain at this moment. This plain had open terrain and excellent visibility, making it undoubtedly an ideal location for Iwa-nin to launch a large-scale operation to surround and wipe out the enemy.
Utilizing his keen insight and years of combat experience, Shiyu Uchiha deduced that Iwa-nin would very likely choose to ambush the main Cloud-nin forces led by the Third Raikage.
If the Cloud-nin were allowed to cross this plain, their elite unit would successfully rendezvous with the backup forces stationed at the seaside. By then, it would be next to impossible for the Iwa-nin to capture these enemies.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel impressed by Onoki's meticulous planning. Although Onoki didn't know exactly when or how the Third Raikage would launch his sneak attack, it was nearly impossible to prevent the enemy's elite forces from slipping through undetected.
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