Uchiha's personal opinion

Chapter 460 Sounding the Horn of the Final Battle

"Lord Tokuko! A telegram from the Northwest Garrison reports that they have conquered the entire northern part of the Frost Country, and the Iwagakure garrison there has been defeated and surrendered!"

In the afternoon, a messenger ninja rushed into the main tent of the Shogunate in Takigawa and loudly reported.

"it is good!"

The Jonin inside the tent immediately cheered.

This battle has finally had a perfect start!

A smile appeared on Uchiha Tokumitsu's face.

His 'Uncle Fire Gate' did not disappoint him either; it was no wonder that he specially gave the credit for the first battle to Uchiha Fire Gate!

"How many of the garrison troops from Iwagakure in the Land of Frost surrendered?"

"Uchiha Tokumitsu asked."

"Nearly three thousand surrendered, but fewer than five hundred of the Hidden Rock Village soldiers died in battle..."

The messenger ninja glanced at the telegram and then replied.

"It seems even the Will of Stone can't withstand the Union Company's silver bullet attack!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu casually joked.

The Jonin immediately burst into laughter.

"Notify the commander of the Fire Gate that they should not linger in the Land of Frost for too long. They must quickly seize the surrendered ninja from Iwagakure and march straight into the Land of Lightning!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu stood up and said to his subordinates, "Now, it's your moment of glory!"

"Victory!"

The Jonin immediately stood up and shouted in unison!

"Mr. Hanzo, I'm sorry to trouble you again this time."

Uchiha Tokumitsu said to Hanzo of the Salamander, who had also stood up.

"The shogunate summoned me, and I dared not disobey."

Hanzo the Salamander's answer was also unexpected.

However, given the prevailing trends in the ninja world, even the legendary hero Hanzo of the Salamander was powerless against the tides of time. Therefore, it was better to submit to the shogunate and secure a better future for the ninjas of Amegakure.

"No...it seems they surrendered to the shogunate a long time ago!"

After a moment's thought, Hanzo the Salamander realized that he had simply never been able to fully accept the truth!

……

Surrounded by the elite ninja of the Shogunate, Uchiha Tokumitsu arrived at the front line.

Looking out, one could see the Iwagakure and Kumogakure ninja forces in the distance stirring up a disturbance, seemingly quite uneasy.

Meanwhile, the shogunate's ninja army had long been eager to fight.

The difference between the two is obvious!

Uchiha Tokumitsu slowly exhaled.

To be honest, the decision to engage in this decisive battle was indeed made very hastily.

If Onoki hadn't suddenly gone mad and invaded Taki no Kuni, he wouldn't have wanted to start a full-scale war so soon.

However, judging from the current state of preparedness, although the Shogunate's ninja army still has some shortcomings, there is no doubt that the Cloud and Rock Village allied forces on the other side have more problems.

"Gentlemen!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu patted the Two-Tails Matatabi on the shoulder, and it immediately understood and grew back to its original size, allowing Uchiha Tokumitsu to leap onto its head.

"The war in the ninja world has continued for so long, it's time to bring it to an end!"

With the spread of Wind Release ninjutsu, Uchiha Tokumitsu's voice echoed across the Shogunate's territory.

"From the family feuds during the Warring States period to the great wars of the Five Great Ninja Villages, we ninjas have endured far too much suffering!"

"Now, the daimyo and noble families are a thing of the past, but the most stubborn stronghold of evil in the ninja world is still trying to put up a last-ditch resistance!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu drew his Flame Fan and pointed it at the Allied Shinobi Army's position in the distance.

"The unification of the world is our long-cherished wish, and lasting peace is our goal!"

"Today's battle shall be the beginning of eternal peace in the ninja world!"

"One ninja world! One will! One voice!"

"Victory!"

The shogunate's ninja army erupted in cheers!

Even Hanzo the Salamander couldn't help but be moved, drawing his kusarigama and pointing it at Uchiha Tokumitsu in salute!

"fire!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu immediately waved his flame fan and loudly issued the order.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"

Nearly a thousand chakra cannons deployed at the Shogunate's position roared in unison!

The fiery red explosive shells hurtled fiercely towards the Allied Ninja Army's position with overwhelming force!

Even though they were prepared to fight, the Cloud Village and the Iwa Village were still badly bombarded by the fierce artillery fire!

Barriers collapsed, tunnels crumbled, mazes shattered... it seemed that all the pre-battle preparations were as fragile as thin gauze in the face of fierce artillery fire.

"Three rapid-fire shots!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu gave another order.

Immediately following the fierce bombardment of heavy artillery, the Allied Ninja Army's position was completely engulfed in flames.

The shogunate's ninja army also gradually tensed up, paying close attention to the orders of the Jonin (high-ranking ninja) in each unit, and preparing for battle.

But Uchiha Tokumitsu was not in a hurry. Instead, he quietly watched the Allied Shinobi Army's position being engulfed by artillery fire.

"Barrage advances! Artillery fire extends one kilometer!"

After a while, Uchiha Tokumitsu gave the order again.

Those from Iwagakure and Kumogakure who had just crawled out of the remaining tunnels or were urgently driven to the front lines by Jonin were once again caught in the crossfire.

……

"...When did the ninja wars become like this?"

"The Third Raikage, who was waiting for an opportunity to strike from behind the Allied Shinobi Forces, suddenly spoke."

Onoki floated beside him, his face ashen.

"Shouldn't ninjas be responsible for small-scale raids, widespread destruction, and sabotage behind enemy lines?"

The Third Raikage said to himself, "A ninja should never call for a decisive battle until the enemy has bled to death, exhausted their manpower, and is absolutely certain of victory."

"Both Shinobi World Wars were like this! How come things have changed so quickly now?"

"...So we were defeated in the Second Shinobi World War!"

Onoki remained defiant.

"But why... have we been reduced to fighting in formation like those samurai?"

The Third Raikage didn't complain, since there was no point in continuing to complain given the current momentum.

"What we are learning is..."

Ōnoki was about to offer a few words of explanation, but suddenly he got stuck.

Yes!

Why can't they leverage the traditional strengths of ninjas instead of going in the direction that the shogunate excels at?

Such learning, in the face of today's overwhelming firepower, is utterly futile and a complete failure!

"Was I wrong...?"

Onoki gave a wry smile.

"That's right..."

The Third Raikage shook his head: "You're not wrong, and neither am I; we're both following the Shogunate's ninja army route..."

"It's just that we've all fallen behind."

After the defeat, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, whose economies were already far inferior to those of the Land of Fire, were simply unable to support their respective ninja villages in building a ninja army that met the standards of the Shogunate. The Land of Lightning, in particular, not only had to cede territory and pay reparations to foreign powers, but also had to endure exploitation by the United Company. Even the daimyo could not squeeze any profit out of them.

The so-called "new-style ninja army," which had learned a hodgepodge but failed to adapt properly, now seemed as powerless as a three-year-old child in the face of the shogunate!

"...If you fall behind, you will be vulnerable to attack!"

Watching the Iwagakure soldiers die one after another in the artillery fire on the front lines, Onoki closed his eyes in anguish.

How much better it would have been if we hadn't rashly launched the invasion!

How wonderful it would be if we could continue to endure hardship and bide our time!

How much better it would be if it weren't for that freak, Uchiha Tokumitsu!

"There is only death left..."

The Third Raikage suddenly said in an extremely desolate tone, "Perhaps our rear has already been cut off."

Onoki's face turned ashen, and he remained silent.

The intelligence that the Iwagakure Construction Corps of the Land of Frost had been defeated and surrendered had been delivered to them by the Anbu, but Onoki chose to conceal it.

However, it seems that hiding it now is pointless.

"...By the way, have those strange beings from Mount Myōboku arrived?"

The Third Raikage asked again.

Onoki simply shook his head.

This is not surprising, since what prompted Ōnoki to take such a desperate gamble was the report from the Greninja of Mount Myōboku regarding the invasion of the Shogunate Navy.