https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-113-The-Insane-Counterattack-Plan-/12832127/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-115-The-Shocking-Debut-of-Sage-Mode-/12832132/
Chapter 114: Explosions Are Art!
Chapter 114: Explosions Are Art!
Leading the charge were Rosha, Yugao, Chiyo, Hiruko, and Kari, followed by a large contingent of shinobi.
All they needed to do was eliminate the last defending force, led by Dohei, who had been pushed to the mountaintop, and they would have complete control over Mount Kikyo.
Dohei remembered the Third Shinobi World War vividly, where the Battle of Mount Kikyo marked the ultimate failure of the Sand shinobi.
The same place, the same time, it seemed that Mount Kikyo was destined to become a legendary battlefield once more.
The Sand shinobi halted their advance, and Rosha and Yugao stepped forward. It was clear to everyone that the Fourth Kazekage would be chosen from these two, so it made sense for them to represent the Sand shinobi.
"Uchiha Dohei, if you and your forces surrender, I, on behalf of the Sand shinobi, guarantee you will be treated with the respect due to you!"
Rosha loudly offered the terms. This was also a test, as the Leaf's response had been unexpected.
Victory was within their grasp; they couldn't afford to be careless at this critical moment.
When it came to strategy, Yugao, the 'idol,' was no match for Rosha, so she acted as the enforcer and atmosphere setter. Despite their private competition, their interests aligned at this crucial moment.
"Sand shinobi, if you surrender now, I, on behalf of the Leaf, guarantee you will be treated as prisoners of war with the respect you deserve!"
Dohei received a signal from Nara Shikaku, indicating everything was ready, and then gave the command.
"Explosions are art!!"
This phrase was the signal, and it would later become the catchphrase of a certain 'Pi-Dai-Xing' (Tobi). Dohei used it now to initiate the plan.
"What kind of art...?"
Rosha was completely confused, not understanding what Dohei meant. Just as he was about to order the attack, he heard the chaotic voices of the Sand shinobi behind him.
"Look!"
"Those are explosive tags!"
"Retreat, everyone, retreat!"
...
On the steep cliffs lining the path to the mountaintop, layers of camouflage fell away, revealing the burning explosive tags. This was Dohei's ultimate move: to blow up Mount Kikyo!
During their retreat to the mountaintop, Dohei and his forces had hidden explosive tags throughout the fortress, camouflaged and ready to be triggered at the critical moment. This would cause massive damage to the invading Sand shinobi.
It was a bold and innovative tactic, one that had never been used before. In the shinobi world, where power was deeply rooted in individual strength, tactics were often secondary to brute force. But as a time traveler, Dohei had absorbed countless pieces of knowledge from the information age, and his tactical inspiration came from the descendants of the destroyed Yogakure village, who had spent decades planting explosive tags in Konoha, planning to blow it up.
Dohei entrusted this plan to Nara Shikaku, the best strategist, ensuring its execution.
"Be careful!"
Rosha shouted a warning. Seeing the burning explosive tags, his heart turned to ice.
Sand!
Using his bloodline limit, he summoned a massive amount of sand to shield his fellow shinobi, creating a buffer to absorb the impact of the explosions.
Yugao's reaction was different. Not skilled in defense, she chose to charge forward.
"Truly resilient," Dohei muttered, watching her. "But not all dreams can be realized through sheer willpower alone."
Even without his intervention, under the manipulation of 'Fate' (the Otsutsuki clan), the Sand shinobi were destined to be mere side characters and clowns, never the main protagonists.
"Lord Dohei?"
Washizuki Shisei volunteered to intercept Yugao, but Dohei stopped him. The flame cloak enveloping Dohei was a clear sign of his resolve.
All this happened in an instant. The explosive tags, now ignited, began to detonate.
Boom, boom, boom!
Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of explosive tags exploded simultaneously, unleashing a force that could destroy the heavens and earth. Each tag had the power of a high-level Fire Release jutsu. The combined force of so many tags was equivalent to thousands of high-level Fire Releases being cast at once.
"Help!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Ahhh!"
...
These cries were drowned out by the deafening explosions.
Thousands of Sand shinobi, who had invaded Mount Kikyo to breach the fortress, were caught in the blast.
Faced with the simultaneous detonation of explosive tags, the outcome was predictable.
Of course, shinobi are not easily defeated.
But even so, after the explosions, at least a thousand Sand shinobi were either dead or out of the fight.
This was due to Dohei's clever use of Mount Kikyo as a trap, gathering the Sand shinobi together. If this tactic had been used in a more open area, the results would have been far less devastating.
The process from the deployment to the end of the explosive tags took less than half a minute.
But for the Sand shinobi, those thirty seconds were a living nightmare.
Shinobi who were just fine a moment ago were now either injured or dead.
Mount Kikyo was reduced to ruins.
In other words, the fortress was completely destroyed.
This fortress had taken countless man-hours and resources from Konoha to build.
Its loss was equivalent to a massive financial drain.
This was why Tono Shizune and Shimura Danzo had opposed the plan initially.
It was too costly!
The price of this counterattack was exorbitant, even for the wealthy Konoha.
But in Dohei's eyes, it was worth every bit.
"Preserve the people, lose the land, and you can still regain both. Lose the people, preserve the land, and you lose everything." He was well aware of this saying.
As long as the people were alive, the fortress could always be rebuilt.
On the contrary, without the shinobi, the fortress, even if it remained standing, would belong to the Sand shinobi and become an obstacle for Konoha.
After careful consideration, he had decisively used the fortress as a trap to inflict heavy damage on the Sand forces.
Over a thousand casualties!
For the Sand forces, which had already been reduced to fewer than four thousand after previous battles, this was a devastating blow.
However, this would also make the Sand shinobi fight like cornered animals.
After all, with Mount Kikyo fortress gone, occupying the ruins would be pointless for them.
Strategic initiative!
From the moment Mount Kikyo was destroyed, it was firmly in Konoha's hands.
Their only option now was to eliminate the shinobi in front of them, weakening Konoha to make up for their losses.
"Uchiha Dohei!"
Roshi's heart-wrenching roar conveyed his anguish to everyone.
Pain!
Intense pain!
The Sand shinobi were already few in number.
Losing so many in one go was almost unbearable, and it was impossible for Roshi, who considered the village his home, not to be enraged to the extreme.
Yugao was also filled with killing intent.
Clearly, Dohei had become their top priority.
"Uchiha Dohei!"
She muttered the name of the young man in front of her, her heart gnawed at by guilt.
She had had a chance to kill him earlier (during the rescue of Honda Taka), and if she had acted then, this tragedy might have been avoided.
The commander had drawn too much hate!
Everything would be blamed on the commander.
Of course, the same applied to any credit.
"For Konoha!"
Dohei looked at Yugao and Roshi and ordered a charge with a loud command.
The Sand shinobi were still in a state of confusion and disarray from the explosions. It was crucial not to give them a chance to regroup.
Even with nearly a thousand casualties, the Sand forces still outnumbered and outclassed Konoha's.
If they couldn't seize this one opportunity, they would surely lose.
Now, they no longer had the defensive advantage.
"For Konoha!"
Akimichi Choza, pale from the after-effects of the secret medicine, shouted and led his troops around Dohei, Yugao, and Roshi, charging toward the rear of the Sand forces.
Roshi and Yugao, focused on Dohei, the 'commander,' did not stop the Konoha shinobi from flanking them.
Stronger opponents usually restrained each other and did not target regular shinobi, a common battlefield norm.
Unless one side was defeated or lacked a corresponding strong opponent, everyone adhered to this unwritten rule.
Because while you could slaughter the enemy's shinobi, they could do the same to you, leading to mutual destruction.
'Standing high above, with our backs against the wall, and the enemy in a negative state, with the two strongest opponents restrained by me, there's no reason we can't win.'
Dohei glanced at the Konoha shinobi rushing down like a tidal wave, this thought flashing through his mind.
Of course, victory depended on his ability to withstand the combined assault of two young Sand shinobi of Kage-level strength.
Otherwise, no matter how advantageous the situation, the defeat of the commander would crush morale and lead to a loss.
"Well, let's begin this delightful battle!"
A smile flickered across Dohei's lips.
With all his allies out of the way, he could now fight without restraint.
(End of Chapter)
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